Calorie Deficit
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you don't need to do this with a fitbit because your activity level automatically adjusts your calories on MFP - if you've enabled negative adjustments
You don't, that's true. However for the sake of actually measuring your consumption you shouldn't change how much you eat based on your activity for that day.
Personally I don't think that it is a good idea to do ever. If I know that on average eating 2500 kcal in a day (these are my numbers now) will have me losing between 1-2 lbs per week, that is what I'm eating. Never any less than that, no matter what. Only if I have done super heavy exercise, or have been doing heavy work (cutting down trees and chopping wood or similar) I will eat 500-1000 kcal more.
Contradiction! Don't ever do it but sometimes you do it?
Having high days and low days actually suits a lot of people and makes losing weight fit into the rest of your life a lot easier with less sense of being restricted every single day. It's one of those things where one size doesn't fit all.
OP - you have some decisions to make. Use FitBIt or not, use MFP method or TDEE....
But the biggest decision to make is the the rate of weight loss. Faster isn't always better.
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I would just use the fitbit burn and set your deficit from that0
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Why on earth not?
Because, like I said, there are a million variables that affect weight loss. If you want to measure it to establish a baseline, you don't want to introduce *more* variables into the mix, but try to minimise them. Eating the same amount (ideally you would eat the exact same thing every day for a week or two) is one way to reduce the variance.it's all about balance and long-term effectiveness
Exactly. Hence I really don't feel the need to ever make adjustments on daily fluctuations when I know that what matters is the averages over weeks, months and years. Now, I'm not saying that everyone should do it like this, and it is obviously perfectly fine to adjust as you go if you want to but I just don't see any need to do that.
Once you have you consumption nailed down (i.e. you know that eating X kcal / day will make you lose about Y lbs / week) you don't need to ever bother with any of that again.
Nope there's one - eat at a calorie defecit...that's it...that means net calories and activity varies so so can consumption otherwise you risk losing at too high a rate and losing more LBM making long term maintenance more challenging
If you want to lose 2lb a week that's 1000 calories per day
burn 21000 calories a week, you should eat 14000 calories
Burn 28000 calories a week, eat 21000 calories0 -
Nope there's one - eat at a calorie defecit
Yes, and the variable factors involved in determining said deficit are probably in the millions. Just as I said. Just by altering your intake you will create a myriad of other effects that will all play a role in determining your actual calorie burn. If you eat less one day, you will likely be less active just because of that. Your body might also be cooler because of that, which might again in turn make you feel a bit uncomfortable and more apt to curl up under a blanket than doing the dishes.
Why would you deliberately introduce more possibilities for these fluctuations and variations at a time when you are trying to measure something as accurately as possible? That makes no sense, and is actually in total contradiction with every guideline and "rule" for measuring or observing something.
If you want to know your actual average calorie burn, change as little as possible. Ideally you'd lock yourself up in a controlled lab environment, but since that is probably a bit more than what most people are willing (or even able) to do, just trying to keep as many variables as possible fixed is the next best thing.
You could of course also not do any of that, but since we are talking about taking on a project that should stick with you for the rest of your life, not spending a week or two doing this seems a bit like cheating yourself.0 -
Nope there's one - eat at a calorie defecit
Yes, and the variable factors involved in determining said deficit are probably in the millions. Just as I said. Just by altering your intake you will create a myriad of other effects that will all play a role in determining your actual calorie burn. If you eat less one day, you will likely be less active just because of that. Your body might also be cooler because of that, which might again in turn make you feel a bit uncomfortable and more apt to curl up under a blanket than doing the dishes.
Why would you deliberately introduce more possibilities for these fluctuations and variations at a time when you are trying to measure something as accurately as possible? That makes no sense, and is actually in total contradiction with every guideline and "rule" for measuring or observing something.
If you want to know your actual average calorie burn, change as little as possible. Ideally you'd lock yourself up in a controlled lab environment, but since that is probably a bit more than what most people are willing (or even able) to do, just trying to keep as many variables as possible fixed is the next best thing.
You could of course also not do any of that, but since we are talking about taking on a project that should stick with you for the rest of your life, not spending a week or two doing this seems a bit like cheating yourself.
Because there is no need to over complicate it
A fitbit measures, accurately enough for weight loss general step-based activity. I log non step-based workouts separately using an estimate from my HRM. The variables you talk about are so minor in the scheme of weight loss as to be negligible
You say "If you want to know your actual average calorie burn, change as little as possible."
But using a fitbit, or similar, logging other workouts on MFP, you get months of TDEE analysis so that you know your average burns ...by clicking on a chart in the app I know mine over the last 3 months averages 2187 calories per day, over the last month that's dropped to 2159 per day average
I disagree so entirely with this philosophy ..I think you should choose change, try new things, experience life and love it ...I think you should use tools to ease the way not make them into an unnecessary straight-jacket
I think at the end of the day the one who continues to lose or maintain weight, whilst eating the most calories, wins
Keep it simple - Eat fewer calories than you burn
It works!
We should all, find the path that works for us0 -
shadow2soul wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Otherwise, you are double dipping on calories burned by a significant amount.
How do you figure that? Curious because for example:
Fitbit thinks I burn 2200 one day.
2200-1850 = 350 calorie adjustment
And for me at least, I know I haven't been double dipping. I know this based on the fact I've averaged 1833 calories per day for the last 90 days and an average of 1.5lbs per week loss even though I have everything set for 1lb per week loss. And yes I eat all my adjustments from Fitbit (well now Garmin...switched earlier this week). I might not eat them the day I earn them, but I do eat them.
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Im not sure to keep it linked or unlink it now because at the end of my day my fitbit calculates that I burn around 2200-2500 calories as well which seemed accurate enough. So when I do work out should I maybe not workout with it on? will that interfere with the results and just either log my workout myself NOT wearing it or just leave it up to my fit bit to autocalculate. I do use a HRM while I work out too that actually gives me my calories burned while I exercise which I really really like. I almost think that may be better to use the HRM and leave my fitbit at home when I work out? Any thoughts?
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Your fitbit is meant to be worn 24/7 ...by all means use your hrm too.
Log any activity that isn't step related.
Go by your fitbit TDEE and eat at 20% deficit or 15% to lose. .it works ☺
Keep it linked, it works great that way for me and countless others.
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nicolecharvel21 wrote: »shadow2soul wrote: »TimothyFish wrote: »Otherwise, you are double dipping on calories burned by a significant amount.
How do you figure that? Curious because for example:
Fitbit thinks I burn 2200 one day.
2200-1850 = 350 calorie adjustment
And for me at least, I know I haven't been double dipping. I know this based on the fact I've averaged 1833 calories per day for the last 90 days and an average of 1.5lbs per week loss even though I have everything set for 1lb per week loss. And yes I eat all my adjustments from Fitbit (well now Garmin...switched earlier this week). I might not eat them the day I earn them, but I do eat them.
_______________________________________________________________________
Im not sure to keep it linked or unlink it now because at the end of my day my fitbit calculates that I burn around 2200-2500 calories as well which seemed accurate enough. So when I do work out should I maybe not workout with it on? will that interfere with the results and just either log my workout myself NOT wearing it or just leave it up to my fit bit to autocalculate. I do use a HRM while I work out too that actually gives me my calories burned while I exercise which I really really like. I almost think that may be better to use the HRM and leave my fitbit at home when I work out? Any thoughts?
Keep it on.
When you log an exercise fitbit (or Mfp depending on where you want to log it) will ask for the start time/duration/calories burnt. It asks for this information so it can overwrite whatever fitbit estimated during that time period.
When I was using my Flex, the only times it left my wrist was to charge or for me to take a shower. I used a HRM for my exercise DVD's and logged at most 80% of the reported calories burned (this is probably why my average Fitbit burn is off...go figure...but I'd rather it be under than over anyway). I always started an Activity Record (which for the Flex is the same as putting it into sleep mode) so I could see the exact start time. For me, Fitbit was pretty accurate about the calories burned from walking & running.
****I don't know how accurate the new Fitbit's with built in HRM's are. So if you have one of those, I'd say you might want to compare what your HRM gives you to what the Fitbit gives you.0
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