Fitbit

Emeraldlady55
Emeraldlady55 Posts: 3
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi does anyone else use a Fitbit tracker? If so do you have any problems with it?
I do a 30 minute walk every morning with my dog, the Fitbit tracker says I have burned 77 calories but the my fitness pal says I have burned 160 calories any ideas? Which one would you use?
Thanks

Replies

  • lewispwest
    lewispwest Posts: 498 Member
    Always trust the lower number, MFP has a habit of overestimating calories burned.
  • Emeraldlady55
    Emeraldlady55 Posts: 3
    Thank you I will do that.
  • aprilh576
    aprilh576 Posts: 50 Member
    I only go by FiTbit. I don't log any exercise on here.
  • syc_15492
    syc_15492 Posts: 1
    Also my fitbit may be using an average calories burnt for a certain speed and heart rate etc, where as the fitbit is recording your pace and heartbeat etc so would be more accurate.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Is your fitbit linked to your MFP account or are you manually entering your walking as exercise as well ?

    In the early stages I would only look at the numbers the day after to let them equalise and it turned out very accurate for me
  • saires_au
    saires_au Posts: 175 Member
    Fitbit is more accurate for me. I have my fitbit and MFP accounts linked. Don't always eat back my Fitbit exercise calories, they often help give me a bigger loss for the week.

    I calculated my activity measured by fitbit in calories against the calories I consumed over four weeks and the math was I should have lost 4.3kg and my actual loss was 4.6kg so reasonably accurate for me. I do log quite tightly and weigh most foods
  • dinamic12
    dinamic12 Posts: 1 Member
    I wore my HR monitor and my Fitbit at the end of the day my Fit bit said I burnt 2200 and my Hr monitor was 1300 so big difference. I am now going with my HR monitor for a few weeks.
  • dawnrpurvis
    dawnrpurvis Posts: 27 Member
    dinamic12 wrote: »
    I wore my HR monitor and my Fitbit at the end of the day my Fit bit said I burnt 2200 and my Hr monitor was 1300 so big difference. I am now going with my HR monitor for a few weeks.

    Did you know that Fitbit includes BMR calories? You burn calories all day every day just breathing and digesting food etc, your fitbit includes this and I doubt you HR monitor does, as it is only monitoring your exercise.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    dinamic12 wrote: »
    I wore my HR monitor and my Fitbit at the end of the day my Fit bit said I burnt 2200 and my Hr monitor was 1300 so big difference. I am now going with my HR monitor for a few weeks.

    HR monitor is designed for steady-state cardio - so the calculations it makes based on your HR in other states (eg resting or HIIT or weights or anything that isn't steady-state cardio) will be totally out of whack

    basically it is not designed to give you a daily calorie burn
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    madebs666 wrote: »
    dinamic12 wrote: »
    I wore my HR monitor and my Fitbit at the end of the day my Fit bit said I burnt 2200 and my Hr monitor was 1300 so big difference. I am now going with my HR monitor for a few weeks.

    Did you know that Fitbit includes BMR calories? You burn calories all day every day just breathing and digesting food etc, your fitbit includes this and I doubt you HR monitor does, as it is only monitoring your exercise.

    Fitbit is an estimator - it's based on your height, weight averages etc - so this bit is in synch with MFP activity. It's also quite clever at extrapolating your average burn over the day (but this takes time for it to get to know you). Just make sure your negative calories are enabled on MFP

    I've always found mine to be quite accurate in terms of the actual movement of weight on the scale over time though so I'm a big believer
  • KeepTheFaith9
    KeepTheFaith9 Posts: 80 Member
    I'm in maintenance. I connect my Fitbit to MFP, log my exercise in MFP, allow for negative calories adjustment in MFP, and try to eat at a couple hundred calorie deficit to give some leeway for weekends or events. I plan around my TDEE and can adjust from there depending on activity level. It's been working well for me.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,251 Member
    Emeraldlady55 wrote: »
    Hi does anyone else use a Fitbit tracker? If so do you have any problems with it?
    I do a 30 minute walk every morning with my dog, the Fitbit tracker says I have burned 77 calories but the my fitness pal says I have burned 160 calories any ideas? Which one would you use?
    Thanks

    What do you mean My Fitness Pal says 160 calories burned? Are you entering walking the dog as an exercise?
    Fitbit is a pedometer, it counts your steps and includes your BMR. I personally wouldn't be logging a dog walking as an extra exercise activity. Just let the fitbit count it and adjust your calories burned for the day, which in turn will adjust the calorie goal MFP gives you for the day.
  • ShibaEars
    ShibaEars Posts: 3,928 Member
    I'd go with the fitbit. MFP gives really high estimates, in my opinion. If I log my current workout, it will tell me something like 900 cals for 60 minutes. I am working my butt off, but there's no way I'm actually burning that much. My fitbit gives me a more realistic number and I don't have to worry about eating too much back.
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
    You shouldn't be adding any walking/running exercise to MFP manually if you are using a Fitbit. Only add non-walking/running exercise. Your Fitbit will grab the running/walking on it's own and adjust your caloraies.
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