fit bit question please

sharont81

I have linked my fit bit to mfp. Now does this automatically do the math when i add my calories spent. What I am use to seeing is when i add the calories and exercise in it does it's own math and tells me my calories in and out. Will fit bit do the same thing ie... i go to the gym and it counts my steps does mfp add that into my exercise? Thank you, Sharon

heybales

MFP gets one daily value from Fitbit, daily life and exercise together, no distinction.
It compares this to what it estimated you'd burn for non-exercise daily activity, by your selection of non-exercise daily life, Sedentary, Lightly Active, ect.
Fitbit - MFP = adjustment

That adjustment is NOT just the exercise, but the effect is the same, you burned more, you take same deficit, you eat more. You could have worked out, but then slept more, so adjustment is smaller than the workout. You could have been very active at work, so the adjustment is bigger than the workout.
Same thing, you burned more, MFP adjusts where it started the math with for deficit, and you eat more or less depending if you did more or less than it expected.

So as you said exactly, Fitbit counts steps.
How many steps in swimming? Did you burn more calories than no steps would sound like?
Lifting? No steps during a bunch of lifts, did you burn more calories than no steps would appear like?

Point being, Fitbit will only decently estimate step-based exercise, anything else, rowing, biking, elliptical, up steep incline walking/running or carrying backpack - must be manually entered.

You can do that on Fitbit, and the daily burn will correctly increase, and that number comes to MFP for compare.
You can add that on MFP, in which case it syncs over to Fitbit and replaces just like it would entering it there, then single number comes over again.
Difference with entering it on MFP is you can have it auto-post to your wall for friends to see. Fitbit adjustments don't. In which case just write a post about your workout time and activity and details.
See my profile for today's example. Which you better believe was entered on Fitbit, because it saw a small % of that workout.

sharont81

Heybales do you think it is best to not link fit bit to mfp. I was hoping it would take the step of having all the entering of info into mfp.

heybales

Best to link unless you are doing some TDEE deficit method with exact same eating goal daily.

MFP is estimating your daily maintenance without exercise by your selection of daily activity level, then you must enter all exercise actually done, and deficit is taken off.
Fitbit is getting calorie count for the day based on actual movement, and for step based exercise too, and allowing MFP to adjust your daily eating level based on what you actually did.

Only difference here is some exercise is step-based and you don't need to enter anything, but some is not.

Why even buy and use the Fitbit if not interested in best estimate of daily burn?
Why have that figure if not to base eating level on it?

Also, as I mentioned, you can enter the exercise info on MFP, and it updates Fitbit.