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Why Should I Log Foods In MyFitness Pal Instead Of Fitbit?

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BillArtman
BillArtman Posts: 13
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I use MyFitness Pal and a Fitbit One, and I have the two connected together so they communicate with each other.

You can log your foods in both MyFitness Pal and Fitbit. I have alway used MyFitness Pal to log my food.

My question - why should I log my food in MyFitness Pal instead of Fitbit? Does Fitbit give the capability to log foods in the case where you are using Fitbit by itself and not connected to another app? Thanks.

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    MFP has a larger database available, and I believe food does not sync from Fitbit to MFP like it does vice versa
  • BillArtman
    BillArtman Posts: 13
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    Thanks!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Ease of use too.

    Fitbit stopped improving their whole logging foods experience once they synced with someone else.
    You can't even setup macros, or view half the data the same way. No bar code scanning (though manufacturers are keeping same bar code and changing nutrition data, so inaccuracy increasing), ect.

    Makes sense, work on your own wheel (calorie out), not re-invent another (calorie in).
  • tickfawfolk
    tickfawfolk Posts: 6 Member
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    I am very new to both MyFitnessPal and also Fitbit. I began using the app about a week ago and just got the Fitbit Charge a couple of days ago. I have found that it is much easier to log all of my foods in the MFP app. As mentioned above, the database is a million times better and I also love the barcode scanning functionality. On the other hand, I prefer to record all of my exercises through the fitbit. First of all, it's right there on my wrist so all I have to do is press a little button. Secondly, I get a little bonus calorie boost under my exercises in MFP after the two sync up. If I record the exercises in MFP, I only get the calorie reduction for the exercises, but the fitbit also seems to include all of the calories that I truly burned in the day from both walking and moving around plus the exercises.

    I did learn that you don't want to record the same thing (albeit food or exercise) in both because you will end up double counting. And to keep them un-synced and record exercises in both is just a pain.

    I am still learning so any tips or pointers anyone could share would be great. For example, why is it when I try to record a bike ride on the fitbit it doesn't seem to give me much steps or calories burned? If I use the wristband to record the bike ride, I get next to nothing, but if I add the bike ride manually, it seems to give me more reasonable numbers?
  • KayDeeCat
    KayDeeCat Posts: 17 Member
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    This thread has been so useful to me.
    Thank you op for posting it and asking the question and thank you to everyone that took the time to give him an answer!
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    @tickfawfolk - Because biking isn't step based, not only in seeing the steps, but the formula for calorie burn is based on walking/running, not biking.

    Some have put the Fitbit on their ankle to more accurately catch at least half their steps (each right foot down, but it still doesn't see the left foot go down) so they can reach step goals with non-steps.
    But even in that case, the calorie count would be off.

    Manually logging is correct, along with swimming obviously, elliptical, rowing, lifting, and running/walking at incline or carrying extra weight or pushing something (which all burns more it would have no idea was happening).
  • tickfawfolk
    tickfawfolk Posts: 6 Member
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    Thanks heybales, that makes sense and I figured it was something like that. Most of what I do is step-based ... racquetball, running, jogging, and walking. I guess whenever I am riding or lifting or anything that is not step-based I will just log manually.

    So you mean the app doesn't realize how much harder it is to ride my bike while carrying a 40 pound child on the back!? :)

    The only negative thing I have noticed related to logging the exercise in Fitbit instead of MFP is that it no longer tells all of my friends in MFP what I am doing and what accomplishments I have made ...
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Very true. I resorted to just a regular post of workout time and activity and calorie burn, and any other tidbits on workout, instead of the brief one-liner that also mixed workouts together with no details.
  • BillArtman
    BillArtman Posts: 13
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    OP: Thanks to everyone for your comments! I log all of my good and exercise in MyFitness Pal and the data appears in my iPhone Fitbit when I sync.

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