New FitBit person trying to understand Negative Logging - Please help !

xXBabyBelleXx

Hi,

I'm a new person to Fitbit also, this is my second day owning a Charge :-)

I think im finally starting to understand the dashboard but Im still confused about negative logging.

I understand why its being done, but does MFP finally even out and stop logging negative numbers when it starts to agree with Fitbit - ie i've reached the exercise target set by MFP?

Also sorry if this is a silly question, but should I go by Fitbit dashboard to know how much I should be aiming to eat?

Thanks :-)

Ps I am logging food and exercise via MFP

acmanna

Here's a group where you can get some of your fitbit questions answered.

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

I don't have a fitbit (yet) so I can't personally help you. Enjoy your fitbit!

wbaumgartner1

I don't believe this is just a FitBit issue. I have a Withings Pulse and it to does negative logging. And for some reason, I just don't get it.

If someone can explain the whole concept of negative logging. In a way the the a regular person can understand it would be appreciated.

Sued0nim

Set your MFP activity level to sedentary
Set same time zones and goals on both MFP and fitbit...set your stride length on fitbit
Enable negative adjustments

Move more and MFP adjusts calories appropriately ...over time it gets more accurate but to begin with it extrapolates from amount of activity you've done first thing then continually readjusts every time you log in...if you move a lot first thing then it will expect that to continue but it will readjust

Log workouts and food on MFP

It works

Sued0nim

Sedentary on MFP allows a basic amount of movement ...around 1.2 is a factor I've seen...if you move less than it assumes it deducts calories, if it moves more it gives you more to eat

If your activity level is set higher you will need to move more before it stops deducting calories

yarwell

I turned off negative adjustments, with sedentary setting on MFP I doubt it would happen very often. They appear when Fitbit thinks your calorie expenditure has been under what MFP was told to expect.

Typically my Fitbit adds a few hundred calories based on my activity being more than what I set MFP to (sedentary).

I don't think the Exercise goals in MFP do anything at all apart from give you a personal target to log against. I don't log exercise on MFP rely on Fitbit, but if I did I would enter the times to avoid double accounting.

editorgrrl

At first, your adjustments are wonky. They get better & better—as if the system is "learning" your routine. So be patient.

Your MFP calorie goal is your activity level minus your deficit. Then you log exercise & "earn" more calories. Your Fitbit burn is your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure). When you connect your accounts, MFP compares your Fitbit burn to your activity level and adjusts your calories accordingly.

If you disable negative calorie adjustments, you won't eat at a deficit whenever you're less active than your activity level.

editorgrrl

Folllow your MFP calorie goal, eating back your adjustments. Ignore Fitbit's calorie goal.

Do not log any step-based activity. Fitbit's already tracking it for you.

Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit or in MFP—never both. Exercise syncs both ways.

Food & drink (including water) only sync one way—from MFP to Fitbit.

xXBabyBelleXx

Just out of interest what should I set the my goal as ? Because Fitbit says to lose 1 pound a week, I should be starting at 1,433 which is right based on bmr calculations but MFP keeps setting it to 12,000. Since changing the activity settings, at least its now adding exercise from FitBit. Fitbit says ive burnt 1443 already today.....is there any reason why you say to use MFP to monitor how much is left to eat as Fitbit seems to be correct ? By the way, just for the record im usually very active - of course not so much now as im on holiday , but I walk 5 miles a day to and from work, I have a dog who is walked for an hour and I run 15k a week -so I need to eat a lot to fuel myself... Thanks

editorgrrl

Fitbit prorates your calories by time of day and goes way below 1,200. Hence the advice to ignore it & follow your MFP calorie goal.

Set your goal to .5 lb. per week for each 25 lbs. you need to lose.

Everybody's different, so it'll take trial & error to find what works for you. But I've lost the weight & maintained for six months. Yay, Fitbit + MFP!

If anybody needs a friend, I'm https://www.fitbit.com/user/278TJW

Sued0nim

Fitbit says your TDEE is 1933 then

MFP says your TDEE is 1700

Cut by 500 a day = 1lb a week

But it doesn't matter because fitbit will adjust your calories based on your actual activity ...so you just eat that ...and if you're walking that much it should go up.

It's easier to use MFP I find once they are accurately synced...I actually rarely look at fitbit

xXBabyBelleXx

Great suff, thanks for all your advice. Must say I love Fitbit already! Hopefully knowing exactly how much I exercise it will help me see where Im putting on weight - I think im just greedy LOL Happy New Year to you all x

yarwell

editorgrrl wrote: »

If you disable negative calorie adjustments, you won't eat at a deficit whenever you're less active than your activity level.

that depends what your MFP goals are set to surely, as fitbit just flexes around MFP's target. With a sedentary setting and a 500 calorie deficit target in MFP I'll be at a deficit without requiring negative adjustments from Fitbit.

Sued0nim

yarwell wrote: »

editorgrrl wrote: »

If you disable negative calorie adjustments, you won't eat at a deficit whenever you're less active than your activity level.

that depends what your MFP goals are set to surely, as fitbit just flexes around MFP's target. With a sedentary setting and a 500 calorie deficit target in MFP I'll be at a deficit without requiring negative adjustments from Fitbit.

Unless you don't move enough to hit sedentary ...as I've dropped weight I've had to move more and more to hit my sedentary settings ...now it's anywhere from 2,500-4,000 steps in order to get the calorie adjustment to 0 or into positive

yarwell

Fitbit clocks me at 17 cals per 15 mins when sat on a desk, or 1632 per day. MFP estimates my BMR as 1645. These are essentially the same. My calorie goal is below 1600.

If I didn't move at all I would still have a deficit, without needing a negative adjustment.

Sued0nim

yarwell wrote: »

Fitbit clocks me at 17 cals per 15 mins when sat on a desk, or 1632 per day. MFP estimates my BMR as 1645. These are essentially the same. My calorie goal is below 1600.

If I didn't move at all I would still have a deficit, without needing a negative adjustment.

In that 1632 calories you get up, get to work, go to the toilet, get lunch, do housework and live ...it may not be a whole lot but it's more than completely sedentary ...if instead you spent the day in a coma you'd use fewer calories and the negative adjustment would be required ..not sure in that case why MFP bmr is so high in comparison

I get negative adjustment at under 2000-4500 now my weight has dropped ..that's what is built into sedentary