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Just got a Fitbit--What is the "calorie adjustment?"

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ccjlgrider
ccjlgrider Posts: 49 Member
in Social Groups
What is it? What do I do with that information? Do I change how I'm logging exercise? I do strength training with a trainer 3x/wk and run/walk 6 days/wk. Do I log the strength training and not the run/walking? Help please. :)

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  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    MFP estimated what you would burn each day based on your selection of non-exercise activity level.
    Say 2000. Then it takes a deficit off for weight loss.
    2000 - 500 = 1500 eating goal.

    You do exercise and just increased how much you burned that day. Say 400 cal workout.
    2000 + 400 = 2400
    2400 - 500 = 1900 eating goal now.

    MFP actually makes it easier by just adding exercise to the eating goal - same result.

    Fitbit though is telling MFP what you really burned today (as long as you correct for non-step based exercise it is underestimating).
    So MFP is adjusting it's estimate with that calorie adjustment.
    Fitbit reported 2200 - 2000 MFP estimate = 200 extra burned over MFP's estimate.
    Eating goal 1500 + 200 = 1700 eating goal since you burned more.

    Now, if you correctly log that exercise on Fitbit's site, the daily burn just increases, and shows up as adjustment.
    Fitbit 2200 + 400 burn = 2600
    2600 - 2000 = 600 cal adjustment (notice it doesn't have to equal the exercise amount)
    1500 + 600 = 2100 eating goal

    If you log the exercise on MFP's site, it will still sync across to Fitbit and increase their daily burn, but now MFP knows about it already.
    2600 - 2000 - 400 = 200 cal adjustment
    1500 + 400 + 200 = 2100 eating goal

    The latter method does cause a posting to your wall about your exercise though. When it comes across from Fitbit as adjustment - no posting. So you would have to manually do it.

    If the walking and running is flat and level - no need to log it. If doing big incline, Fitbit isn't aware of that, and burning more than it knows, so you might want to log it, unless it's just a brief warmup/cooldown amount.
    Strength training you do log, because the Fitbit calorie burn is very tiny for the few steps done during it, so still Strength Training on MFP, or Weight Lifting on Fitbit.

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