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logging exercise while wearing a fitbit?

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Chadashley
Chadashley Posts: 9 Member
in Social Groups
i have had my fitbit for almost a month and recently started going to the gym more often. what i want to know is should i be logging my exercise in MFP while wearing my fitbit? both of these are linked together and sync with one another. i dont want to be eating too many calories and messing up everything that i am trying to do. if anyone has any info on this i would love to know. thank you all in advance.

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  • crsantoni
    crsantoni Posts: 4 Member
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    I have the same / similar question.
    I understand that I don't need to log any step based activities (walking, jogging) since the FitBit is already tracking that./ But what is the best way to track non-step activities? Do you log in MFP or log them in FB? What are the pros and cons of logging in MFP versus FB? Are steps and active minutes over written?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited January 2015
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    No need to log any step-based activity, as Fitbit is already tracking that for you. Non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) can be logged either in Fitbit or in MFP—never both.

    The only pro of logging in MFP (rather than Fitbit) is that it appears in your newsfeed.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    Yes, log it on MFP. A lot of people will tell you to not log step-based activities and that it will "double count," but if your MFP account and Fitbit sync is setup properly, that is not true. The Fitbit calorie adjustment will change when entering step-based activity outside of Fitbit. So go ahead and log weight lifting in MFP AND go ahead and log walking in MFP too. I sync Runkeeper to MFP and it adjusts the Fitbit calorie adjustment accordingly.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    I'm trying to post a screenshot (it doesn't look like the upload is working, but we shall see) from my exercise diary Nov. 8, 2014. The Hiking (Cross Country) activity came from Runkeeper, and shows I burned over 2k calories. Fitbit, however, gave me just 308 additional calories for the day. This is because MFP recognizes already that hiking is a step-based activity and updates the Fitbit calorie adjustment accordingly (so it is NOT double-counted as some people will try to tell you).
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Who's saying logging step-based activity in MFP results in double-dipping? I'm saying do not log step-based activity in MFP because Fitbit's burns are more accurate than MFP's.

    In fact, I don't log any exercise in MFP. I log all non-step exercise in Fitbit. And I lost the weight and have maintained for six months. So for me, Fitbit's burns are 100% accurate.
  • tracymayo1
    tracymayo1 Posts: 445 Member
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    Midwesterner that is good to know,. I got my fitbit at Xmas, and will be starting at the gym Wednesday. I wasn't sure if I would need to log the treadmill or not with the fitbit... but I guess I do!
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    You don't HAVE to, as Fitbit will log it as well. However, I like to because:
    1. Runkeeper tracking separately and having a different group of friends on Runkeeper, being able to see past activity and maps and such.
    2. It is nice to see how much came from that particular activity.

    @editorgrrl That is fine, but keep in mind that there is absolutely zero difference in the total on MFP whether you log step-based activity separately or not (assuming you have negative calorie adjustments turned on or had at least a base level of activity outside of whatever specific exercise was tracked). Here is how the calculation appears to work:

    Hypothetical numbers included, based on not adding a step based activity separately:
    MFP burned calories estimated for the day: 2,000
    Fitbit burned calories estimated for the day: 1,300
    *If your deficit is set to be 500 calories per day, then MFP will start you at 1,500 and then add an additional 1,300 before you are over your food intake for the day.

    Same hypothetical numbers included, based on adding a step based activity separately:
    MFP burned calories estimated for the day: 2,000
    Walking: 300
    Running: 600
    Fitbit burned calories estimated for the day: 400 ( based on 1,300** - 300 - 600)
    *If your deficit is set to be 500 calories per day, then MFP will start you at 1,500 and then add an additional 400 + 300 + 600 (total of 1,300) before you are over your food intake for the day.
    **Since the Fitbit number is the base, and all other sources are subtracted for the calculation, the more accurate Fitbit number will be the total of all step-based activity for the day.

    In other words, there is absolutely no difference for your calorie calculation whether you do or do not add step based activity separately. Some users may have an interest in seeing that activity separately and will log it for those reasons. Some users may not care about whether they log that activity separately, and seeing no need to do so, will not. Neither method is right or wrong, it is purely user preference.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    midwesterner85 wrote: »
    In other words, there is absolutely no difference for your calorie calculation whether you do or do not add step based activity separately. Some users may have an interest in seeing that activity separately and will log it for those reasons. Some users may not care about whether they log that activity separately, and seeing no need to do so, will not. Neither method is right or wrong, it is purely user preference.

    ^This. In my opinion, logging step-based activity isn't worth the time & effort. People seem to be getting the impression that they must log the treadmill?

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