Can someone explain the point of logging exercise into fitbit?

PAV8888

Hoopster011 wrote: »

rabbitjb wrote: »

Fitbit tracks step based exercise ...you log other types of exercise like swimming or cycling which it can't log ...I log my gym workouts on MFP, estimated by HRM
Normally log on MFP so that it overwrites any steps during those time periods ...make sure your goals, time zones are the same on both apps
It works for me

I have 2 questions:
1) What do you mean overwrite the steps? Do you mean you can enter an exercise and Fitbit will associate steps with that exercise?
2) I just read on another forum that by logging in MFP, MFP ends up counting exercises twice if you sync with Fitbit?

As @StaciMarie1974 explained further up, integration ensures that at midnight you get an accounting adjustment such that your calories out equal what Fitbit thinks you've spent.

When you send an exercise from MFP to Fitbit you are NOT counting it twice.

It is precisely in order to avoid counting it twice that you sometimes get the weird result of adding a 1 hour exercise on MFP and getting a negative Fitbit adjustment as a result. This is integration in action ensuring that you don't end up double counting stuff.

However, when you do send an exercise from MFP to Fitbit you are telling Fitbit to ignore what it measured during the time period of the exercise and to replace that measurement with what you are sending to it.

This could result on more or less calories. In any case it is taking the calculation of the calories away from Fitbit and giving it to MFP.

Of course, you CAN go into your Fitbit Dashboard and delete this imported exercise. This restores the Fitbit calculation while still leaving your exercise posted on MFP. Again, integration takes care of the caloric adjustments.

or you can make a status post of your own describing your Fitbit exercise.

charlieandcarol

hazleyes81 wrote: »

I log mine in Fitbit AND mfp including step based. My workouts don't usually match what Fitbit or mfp credits me, especially biking. I use a Garmin HRM. My cycling is generally higher and running is lower. The only real I log them in mfp is because I like that little announcement lol

I think in this case that you will end up double dipping so to speak on your exercise calorie credit...

singletrackmtbr

I understand how the caloric adjustments are made, but why can't MFP automatically import workouts recorded from a Fitbit HR? It seems strange to have actual data from a my Fitbit that gets overwritten in MFP by a manual entry.

Merkavar

The only time I log exercise in mfp is when I can't wear my Fitbit, like paintball or kick boxing.

Apart from that I just let the Fitbit send its exercise adjustment over to mfp.

When I go for a run etc I track that on my Fitbit, so it separates out my run from the rest of the day, so I can see exercise specific stats like how far, how many steps, heart rate, map my route etc

Merkavar

Hoopster011 wrote: »

rabbitjb wrote: »

Fitbit tracks step based exercise ...you log other types of exercise like swimming or cycling which it can't log ...I log my gym workouts on MFP, estimated by HRM

Normally log on MFP so that it overwrites any steps during those time periods ...make sure your goals, time zones are the same on both apps

It works for me

I have 2 questions:
1) What do you mean overwrite the steps? Do you mean you can enter an exercise and Fitbit will associate steps with that exercise?
2) I just read on another forum that by logging in MFP, MFP ends up counting exercises twice if you sync with Fitbit?

From what I see what you log in mfp overwrites what is in Fitbit, that's why times are important.

So say your not wearing your Fitbit it seems to assume your resting and your burning say 20 calories every 15 mins.

Then you log an exercise in mfp and say you burned 50 calories ever 15 mins.

When you sync, the Fitbit will now say you burned 50 cals instead of 20.