FAQ - Syncing, logging food & exercise, calorie adjustments, activity levels, accuracy
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journeyrock92 wrote: »I've noticed that since I installed the newest update this morning, my fit bit steps are not syncing with the app anymore. It won't update the steps I'm now up to. What is the problem?
Please read the post directly above yours. I upgraded MFP this morning and have no problem with my Fitbit adjustment.
Which is where? Can you kindly direct me there?0 -
journeyrock92 wrote: »journeyrock92 wrote: »I've noticed that since I installed the newest update this morning, my fit bit steps are not syncing with the app anymore. It won't update the steps I'm now up to. What is the problem?
Please read the post directly above yours. I upgraded MFP this morning and have no problem with my Fitbit adjustment.
Which is where? Can you kindly direct me there?
In this topic you are reading.
I'm guessing reading through the app, because on the website view, just scroll up to read the post above yours.
In the app, which I don't use for forums, I'm guessing there is a way to read all the posts in a topic you responded to. Just read the one above yours.0 -
Okay, so I inadvertently hit the delete button instead of the "i" button on the exercise page for the Fitbit adjustment. (I know - they don't really look alike). Will it sync again later? Or is there a way to reconnect? I'll go back through this thread and see if it's answered here...if so, I'll delete this post.
Any ideas?
Never mind...figured it out...0 -
If I manually log all of my gym workouts in FitBit, do I still need to manually log them here on MFP also? I keep a record while I'm training and just enter them as "weights", "bike", "stairs"(not stairmaster, an actual set of stairs that = floor in FitBit), and "stretching". Which are all the specific things I do every day that FitBit doesn't auto recognize like walking/hiking, running, etc. But I've noticed that MFP doesn't seem to see those extra workouts aside from the steps generated during them. Should I manually log them in both places, FitBit only, MFP only? Thanks for this btw, it does answer pretty much all of my questions.0
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There is no NEED to log them on MFP.
If it's for the benefit of friends reading your wall knowing you worked out - just make a wall post about it with more details.
If you think MFP's exercise diary with a generic entry is more useful than Fitbit's, sure, double log.
Otherwise, there is no need.
Double posting like that actually requires a sync back to Fitbit, then Fitbit back to MFP for adjusted values, even if exactly the same, all Fitbit knows is a manual workout entry came across.
You are just making your odds worse for having a sync glitch. Of which there are enough already.
Also, if you start a workout on your device so the Activity Record is created, you can edit the name of it later to something more meaningful, rather than manually entering a whole other Workout Record that replaces the stats.4 -
First and foremost, thanks for the great reply, that's exactly what I was wanting to know. It doesn't really matter to me who sees these stats, my struggle is just wanting these apps to record my stats as accurately as possible for me (which I'm already having issues with due to them all using a photosensor instead of an ECG chip to log heart rate). I'll be running stairs and know I'm in peak heart rate and look down at my FitBit Charge HR showing 95bpm, it's nice to feel like a ninja sometimes, and to also know that I'm doing way better than my stats are showing me but c'mon, what I REALLY want is to see real accurate stats on the work I'm doing. So when MFP gives me goal feedback, as well as FitBit I just want them to reflect the work I'm doing as accurately as possible. For a cyclist or a runner they seem pretty dialed in, and I'm willing to bet that logging in "crossfit" as a manual log would give decent results also but I'm just doing classic, gym based strength training, with decently heavy weights, lots of stairs between sets, and finishing up with cardio on the rowing machine or exercise bike and I feel like a lot of my efforts are going unrecorded because the apps don't actually know what I'm doing.0
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Ya, for some the HR reading ability just loses accuracy as the HR goes up.
And since workouts use HR-based calorie burn - that is a killer if having good workouts and needing to refuel properly to keep making progress.
Now, if those stairs are between lifts - it's inflated HR not related to the effort of the stairs anyway, but the fact you just had some max efforts.
And that's why HR-based calorie burn isn't valid for anything that isn't aerobic steady-state same HR for 2-4 min.
And even then, you can have inflated HR related to heat, exhaustion, dehydrated, prior workout, ect. Not purely related to your level of effort.
You should be logging Weights in Fitbit though for the chunk of time it applies.
But that entry is for sets and reps 5-15, and rests 2-4 min between. Not stairs between. So it would be giving much lower calorie burn than reality.
So with that specific workout you are doing - HR-based calorie burn inflated, manually logged deflated.
Tough one.
If this is a small % of your otherwise active lifestyle, like 3 x weekly say 30 min, and otherwise you get over 10K steps anyway - I'd say use the HR-based if you can get it to read you accurately, might try spinning the watch around to read different vessels, and/or higher up the arm.
But if this is say 6 x weekly 60 min and rest of life is pretty sedentary, no family activity, no pets, up to 4K steps only - then inflated calorie burn is a bigger % of your weekly life now and inaccuracies could cause you to be overeating using HR-based calorie burn.
Might manually enter Weights and Stairs for the amount of time done.
The devices really were designed for avg person doing what is considered some average workouts - mostly increasing step counts.
The could make some tweaks to make it better. Like if you selected Weights on the device, it could show you your HR info, but use the database rate of calorie burn.
Sadly that still wouldn't help your workout routine with accuracy - but it would be better normally.
This is why I'm fine with my Zip still, and using the Garmin on all cardio workouts, and logging lifting manually.1 -
My fitbit One hasn't synced itself in days. Both the app/blue tooth or laptop/dongle won't sync. Forcing sync doesn't work. I have uninstalled /reinstalled app .
Thanks in advance
Ruth0 -
RunRutheeRun wrote: »My fitbit One hasn't synced itself in days. Both the app/blue tooth or laptop/dongle won't sync. Forcing sync doesn't work. I have uninstalled /reinstalled app .
Thanks in advance
Ruth
The FAQ thread isn't for troubleshooting issues, most don't read it frequently as it has a specific purpose, once read and understood, don't need to come back.
You'll want to read many of the group topic posts about syncing issues - there are many to get some ideas already written out.0 -
MFP and FB wont sync. Is anyone else having this problem? Have any suggestions?
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mystery2decor wrote: »MFP and FB wont sync. Is anyone else having this problem? Have any suggestions?
I'm having the same problem today.0 -
thriftstoredesk wrote: »mystery2decor wrote: »MFP and FB wont sync. Is anyone else having this problem? Have any suggestions?
I'm having the same problem today.
Same problem the last two days.0 -
Same problem the last two days. I tried disconnecting myfitnesspal and my fitbit as suggested and it worked yesterday but today still unreliable.1
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I have been having the same problem the last two days. I tried disconnecting myfitnesspal and my fitbit as suggested....several times....even uninstalled both and re-installed... and it is not working. Very frustrating.0
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The Fitbit and MFP problem must be a bug they need to fix. I'm having problems too.0
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I log my food in MFP and it does sync the summary to fitbit. However, it does not sync macros to Fitbit. Is this normal or is it fixable? Thank you!0
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CeiraDenise wrote: »I log my food in MFP and it does sync the summary to fitbit. However, it does not sync macros to Fitbit. Is this normal or is it fixable? Thank you!
Nothing to fix, macro % don't come over - because Fitbit doesn't show those. It could do it's own math on what is received, since there is enough info to do that.
Nope - yet another reason you use MFP for all things eating, Fitbit for all things moving.0 -
Would you consider this from FitBit to be a true picture of my daily calorie expenditure? Analyzing the Steps vs Burn. i'm a nerd. what conclusions would you draw?
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Seems to match pretty well that more steps is more calorie burn.
Obviously some days where the steps caused more calorie burn - perhaps more distance on those days.
Actually kind of hard to comment on accuracy when only viewing high level stats.
So hard to know if the avg TDEE of 2728 is accurate or not.
You could have your walking stride length set for being correct for say 30 min of walking the dog fast each day - but then it's incorrect for the other 15hrs of the day inflating calorie burn compared to your normal walking pace.
And since distance and pace is what decides calorie burn for the vast majority of your day - could be a major inaccuracy.
So just can't discern anything useful other than the correct effect of steps go up calorie burn goes up.0 -
Would you recommend a better setup of stride length? obviously depending on your activity, that changes.0
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walking stride length should be set to a pace based on average daily walking speed, not the grocery store shuffle, not exercise pace.
Activity trackers dynamically adjust the length on each step based on initial setting - but the more it has to adjust, the more inaccurate it'll be calculating.
So if you start at extreme range of exercise pace, then accuracy way off at grocery store shuffle.
But midway can adjust both directions decently.0 -
walking stride length should be set to a pace based on average daily walking speed, not the grocery store shuffle, not exercise pace.
Activity trackers dynamically adjust the length on each step based on initial setting - but the more it has to adjust, the more inaccurate it'll be calculating.
So if you start at extreme range of exercise pace, then accuracy way off at grocery store shuffle.
But midway can adjust both directions decently.
Thank you for this! I was wondering if fitbit adjusted the stride length depending on activity. Very good info in this sticky and in the comments!0 -
CassondraKennedy wrote: »walking stride length should be set to a pace based on average daily walking speed, not the grocery store shuffle, not exercise pace.
Activity trackers dynamically adjust the length on each step based on initial setting - but the more it has to adjust, the more inaccurate it'll be calculating.
So if you start at extreme range of exercise pace, then accuracy way off at grocery store shuffle.
But midway can adjust both directions decently.
Thank you for this! I was wondering if fitbit adjusted the stride length depending on activity. Very good info in this sticky and in the comments!
To be clear it doesn't adjust the visual setting of Stride Length that you would know by looking.
That visual set figure is used for the calculations for you might call it dynamic stride length when stepping.
The only time that set figure is used other than that - is if you manually create a workout of running or walking - Fitbit figures if you provide a distance, then it must be more accurate than what it came up with.
So it divides your distance by that stride-length figure, and figures steps it would have taken, and replaces it's steps seen with that calculated amount.
That amount is then ineligible for the step contests. (since people could easily cheat that way)0 -
Hope I can ask this question here. Is it necessary for me to join discussion groups and if so how or where do I join? Thanks in advance and for all of the information here.0
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Hope I can ask this question here. Is it necessary for me to join discussion groups and if so how or where do I join? Thanks in advance and for all of the information here.
You have joined this group (which doesn't have an official "join" as some groups may require you to request, or be invited only) by commenting - I think it'll show up in your list of active groups now. You may still have a join option to cause that to happen.
For topics that are posted - nothing there to do but read and reply if desired - can bookmark ones you only want to keep up on.0 -
Is there a way to only transfer my food over to fitbit and not my calories from fitbit over to MFP? I find that fitbit grossly overestimates my calories if anything but sitting around is involved.0
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Is there a way to only transfer my food over to fitbit and not my calories from fitbit over to MFP? I find that fitbit grossly overestimates my calories if anything but sitting around is involved.
The only way would be to purchase Premium and disable exercise calories being added to your diary0 -
Is there a way to only transfer my food over to fitbit and not my calories from fitbit over to MFP? I find that fitbit grossly overestimates my calories if anything but sitting around is involved.
Do you have your fit bit set up correctly?
Your stats and stride length?
It took me a week of walking a 1 mile track to get my stride right, my calorie burns have been spot on for the 2 years since.1 -
I got an email that said WW will not send info to our Fitbit anymore??!! Anyone else know?!0
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KayKallsen52 wrote: »I got an email that said WW will not send info to our Fitbit anymore??!! Anyone else know?!
I would probably ask someone on the Fitbit message boards. Most MFP users are not Weight Watchers members.0
