Step Bonus: Your reward for moving more!

Katherine Isacks, MPS, RDN Registered Dietitian

MyNetDiary loves to reward you for moving more! Step Bonus is a feature that “rewards” you with more calories in your daily budget when you move more than your planned activity. The feature is available on iOS and Android devices. Read on to learn how it works.

How does Step Bonus reward you for moving more?

MyNetDiary likes the idea of getting “rewarded” for moving more!

Step Bonus estimates calories burned from steps beyond those expected for your selected activity level in Your Personal Info (tap on Me > Personal Info).

Step Bonus is an optional feature for users who do not link MyNetDiary with such activity trackers, as Fitbit, Withings, or Garmin, which already measure burned calories. Estimating distance and time walked, Step Bonus assumes you’ve taken the extra steps, walking at 2.5 MPH (4km) and rewards you with additional calories toward your food calories budget.

Activity Level	Step Bonus is applied if your steps are above:
Sedentary	4,000
Low Active	7,500
Active	10,000
Very active	12,500

To turn on this feature, go to “Settings” and enter “Step Bonus” in the search bar.

Step Bonus works when:

Your daily step count exceeds the expected steps for your selected activity level.
You haven’t linked your MyNetDiary account with a Fitbit, Withings, or Garmin device, which already estimates calories burned.
You have a Premium MyNetDiary subscription.

Where do I see my Step Bonus calories?

You’ll find Step Bonus information under “Exercises.” Tap and hold “Step Bonus.” Then tap “Exercise History,” which lets you view your steps and calories burned daily.

What about exercises I log in MyNetDiary?

MyNetDiary automatically subtracts estimated steps from logged walking, running, and jogging exercises, and those from activity recorded through MyNetDiary GPS Tracker. This adjustment prevents overestimating the total calories burned when using Step Bonus.

However, when you log an exercise other than walking, running, or jogging in MyNetDiary, the exercise adds to your daily steps (like dancing). In that case, Step Bonus might overestimate calories burned.

If you use a health app on your phone or an Apple Watch to track steps, choose one of these options to prevent overestimating calories burned:

Don’t wear your phone or Apple Watch; log the exercise in MyNetDiary instead. This option is more accurate for activities that burn more calories than walking, such as moving furniture, shoveling snow, and rock climbing.
Wear your phone or Apple Watch, and don’t log the exercise in MyNetDiary. Doing this is reasonably accurate for activities that burn about the same calories as walking, such as golfing, gardening, and playing with kids.

When do I turn off Step Bonus?

If you link with an activity tracker that calculates and imports both calories burned and steps into MyNetDiary, turn off Step Bonus to prevent double-counting calories burned from exercise.

Enjoy your Step Bonus feature and your additional calories from moving more! It may be interesting to check your Step Bonus calories throughout the day to see how they adjust up or down based on steps accrued.