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Anyone else experiencing issues like these? (Calorie calculations; Heart Rate)

Former Member
Former Member over 5 years ago

Hi! On the latest non-beta software on a 6X non-solar. Here are the issues I've been experiencing basically since launch:

- Calorie calculations. I've noticed that, say, I'll go on a run and it says that I burned 800 calories. However, when I check my "active calories" field it will be less than that (around 700 or so, roughly). This happens 100% of the time. Is this a bug or is it, in fact, adding some of those 800 calories to my non-active calories field? I.e., it is saying I burned 800 but since it was, say a 2-hour run, some of that 800 was part of my BMR?

- Calorie calculations #2. This one I'm fairly certain is a bug. I do a lot of walking and do not start an activity for my walks because I simply don't care enough about the data from them. However, I've noticed that it gives me way too many burned calories (even active calories) considering how high my heart rate is (usually around 80-100 or so, walking briskly). It actually gives me more active calories burned on these walks than it does on my runs, it appears, or at least close to it. This is somewhat odd because when I take a yoga class, and also don't start an activity, the calories burned seem about right or maybe even a bit low. I know the moral of the story is to start and stop an activity every single time I do anything in order to get a more accurate calories reading, but it's still a noteworthy issue.

- Heart rate. I recently purchased a Polar H10 strap which basically confirmed my suspicions regarding how horrible the OHR is on the 6X. The 6X would give me horribly inaccurate readings during runs (sometimes it would report my heart rate going up on downhills and down on uphills, things like that). Part of this is that it's cold outside, and I realize OHR has inherent limitations, but IMO the 6X is essentially useless for heart rate during runs unless I'm super bundled-up; and even then the strap appears to be much more accurate. And don't even get me started on hill repeats and strength training (where the OHR is essentially worthless).

- Heart rate #2. I've also noticed that during walks and yoga classes, i.e., times where I'm active but not on an activity, heart rate will sometimes be way too low. I can usually fix this by restarting the watch, but it's an annoying issue more than anything else.

Anyone else having issues like these/have any insight on the calories things in particular?

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  • 0 over 5 years ago
    , it is saying I burned 800 but since it was, say a 2-hour run, some of that 800 was part of my BMR?

    Yes, this is exactly what you're seeing.  Sorry, no help with the other issues.

  • +1 over 5 years ago

    Yes, it's the main reason a lot of us have given up on the Fenix 6.  Doesn't mean forever, but until the most important part of a sports watch is working correctly, the HR!  Once again, we really love the design of the Fenix, but without good/valid HR values, it's essentially just a watch.

    We've been waiting since October for a fix.  OHR worked pretty darned good in 3.1, but has gone to the crapper since.  Even using a strap, things get wonky.  it's like it ignores the external sensor at times.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to DCeremuga
    DCeremuga said:
    Yes, it's the main reason a lot of us have given up on the Fenix 6. 

    You sold your watch, but you keep posting here (a lot) which would be fine if you would not tell such BS. Many of us are happy and I think you are one of the few who actually sold the watch. 

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to Loen82
    Loen82 said:
    You sold your watch, but you keep posting here (a lot)

    I don't understand why people do this either.  Some have said they're "just trying to help others".  I don't buy into that.  The only reasonable answer I can come up with is this is their way of "getting back at Garmin" because they felt they've been wronged personally.  That's fine too, but just say so.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to tess

    Hi - not always true. I returned my watch after 2 months use due exactly this bug (see thread "You are not lazy - calories widget is not working"). But I plan on buying again when (if) this is resolved - this is why I share interest in threads with this topic, and will participate in discussions. With this voting thingy on the new Garmin forums its important to be factual instead of emotional about product issues - as that tends to better reach right audience.

  • +2 over 5 years ago

    Calories counted within an activity do include BMR calories, but these are removed from active calories in your daily totals as they are already accounted for in your resting calories. I think it's a stupid way to present the stats, but after three years with Fenix watches I know the deal.

    I've been tracking calories with a sports watch for over five years, first Polar V800, then F3HR, F5X+ and now F6XSolar. I can't say that I've noticed a problem with overall calorie counting. There may be a difference of 100 calories between two watches at the end of the day, but for practical purposes, when the total is around 3,000 or more, I'm really not fussed. It's not like you can say with certainty which one is correct. Probably neither, but the ballpark is the same, so that'll do me.

    When I perform an activity I care to record I use a heart rate strap, always. The 6X has the best wrist HR of any of my Fenix watches, and is the only one that gives good (perfect) results for indoor cycling, but I still use the strap anyway. The watch does not switch at will from strap to wrist and back again. It uses what it is supposed to.

    The only failing with wrist HR, reported in another discussion, is that the wrist HR fails to respond to raised activity levels and heart rate when not recording the activity. I've reported this to Garmin, with video evidence of the problem, and they are investigating.

    For my needs, which no doubt differ from yours, the watch delivers the data I need and is as good as any previous watch for calories and GPS. Yes, there is the problem I mentioned, but it barely affects me and my lifestyle as I'm either training or resting. I spend very little time spent being active without recording - just a couple of easy paced dog walks each day, with inevitable sniffing stops (for the dog) which means heart rate staying low enough not to worry about a couple of missed calories.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to eezytiger

    p.s. During this morning's dog walk I was checking HR readings throughout and, looking back through the whole graph for today I have no complaints about passive tracking of my heart rate. It's done a great job as far was I can tell.

    This obviously won't mean much to anyone else, but I am happy that rises and falls in HR coincide with my movements as I recall then and the actual numbers look totally as I would expect.

    The dog walk start and end times have been noted perfectly and little bursts of low intensity activity or rest periods, like sitting in the car or going into the garden to top up bird food and pick up dog poo are all there.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to eezytiger
    eezytiger said:
    Calories counted within an activity do include BMR calories, but these are removed from active calories in your daily totals as they are already accounted for in your resting calories. I think it's a stupid way to present the stats, but after three years with Fenix watches I know the deal.

    Depending on the sport you do - especially swimming - mismatch of the active and total calories can be 800cal and more in a single day - so this statement is not true.

    Also not true that Fenix watches did it over the years - there is clearly a bug introduced in the recent versions and affecting 6 line from the launch.

    Check the threads with similar topic with pictures. Or prove your statement with screenshots - activity calories and total calories in a day.

    P.S. When replies to thread start with other users trying to replicate the exact issue the same way as OP - forum audience gets much better discussion vs - other users just posting their helicopter view and years of experience. Nice effort, and convincing - but often misleading.

    We have number of "veterans" on Garmin forum which seem to know it all - but they often just bring doubt to conversations.

  • 0 over 5 years ago in reply to phn55

    OK, well it's true in my experience with my 3HR, 5X+ and 6X Solar. I don't swim. I cycle, a lot, run rarely and sometimes record a walk. I've stopped paying attention and, unsurprisingly I don't have historic screen prints of the behaviour. Maybe the gap is influenced by the choice of Activity Class in Garmin Connect user settings. Mine is set to 8.

    EDIT : I've gone back in Garmin Connect Mobile to find an example when I had a day of low general activity, but a significant bike ride.

    On 29th August I was using my 5X+ as my daily watch, as for some months before and since. I recorded one bike ride, with power meter, of 1:52 duration and 1,270 Calories for the ride. My totals for the day show 1,164 active calories and 2,099 resting calories. This means that resting calories are at the rate of 87 Calories per hour and my bike ride racked up 163 resting Calories for its duration.

    1270 - 163 = 1,107 exercise Calories on top of the resting (BMR) Calories.

    But the watch gave me a total of 1,164 active Calories, while the bike gave me 1,107 exercise Calories. 1,164 - 1,107 = 57 Calories unaccounted for. It's rather hard to prove, but I'd guess they are miscellaneous activity calories for general wandering around the house the rest of the day. Certainly it was an inactive day.