Syncing fitbit & calories

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hp831
hp831 Posts: 7
edited November 2014 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi!
I recently started syncing my Fitbit with MFP, and I'm kind of confused about the calories.

Yesterday, after syncing it said that my calorie goals was 1870, which is what I ate. Now, the next day, yesterday's goal was 1761, and it says I went 109 calories over my goal.

Does anyone know why my goal for yesterday changed overnight?

Thanks!

-Hannah

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    MFP estimates your total burn for the day whenever you sync your Fitbit. If you synced it early in the day and didn't move much afterwards, that's why it changed your deficit...you were more sedentary than it expected.
  • hp831
    hp831 Posts: 7
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    Oh, ok... that makes sense. Do you know if there is a more accurate way to estimate how many calories I'll need? Is logging it all on fitbit better?
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    I would stick with logging in MFP, as it has a larger food database. On weekends I work early and get home between 12 and 2 with a good amount of activity logged, and usually a 500-600 calorie adjustment. I'll sync up again once or twice more throughout the day to gauge where I am on calories.
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
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    Your calories stop "accruing" at midnight. Fitbit tries to estimate your calorie burn from the time it syncs until midnight based on your typical activity level. However, if you are less active than it estimates, it makes that adjustment.

    So, if you sync at 6pm and have burned 1800 calories at that point, the fitbit is going to estimate your calories burned from 6pm until midnight. Lets say it estimates you will burn a total of 2400 calories for the day. It bases your "you can still eat" number off of 2400 calories minus your deficit. However, if, when you sync the fitbit the next morning, it sees that you sat on the couch all night then went to bed and only burned 2300 calories total, it will adjust the previous day's numbers by -100 calories.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Fitbit 'gives' you calories as you earn them. From what I've seen, MFP assumes you burn at a steady hourly rate. Such as if you're lightly active in MFP it thinks you're lightly active every hour. But you sleep some hours, are sitting some hours, and then there are other hours where you're very active. In the evening after syncing I'm guessing you didn't do much? MFP thought you were going to do more than you did in the remaining hours of the day.

    How to get around this? Two ways. One set MFP to sedentary so it doesn't think you're as active. You'll get more Fitbit calories earned and the adjustment for later hours will be less.

    OR (and this is what I prefer) set a burn goal in Fitbit. Estimate your hourly BMR. (Google it and divide by 24.) Use that info to know what you'll burn total per day. Such as my BMR is almost 60/hr. If I'm at 1800 at 9pm - there are 3 hours left in the day or 180 minutes - I know I'll be around 2000 for full day #s. That is my goal. If I'm at 1700 at 9pm, I know I need to get in some activity to or I'll be about 100 short.

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