FAQ - Syncing, logging food & exercise, calorie adjustments, activity levels, accuracy
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Hi all,
I've had my Charge for a few months but I prefer to wear my HR monitor for workouts. I'm not sure if I should be removing the Charge while wearing the HR monitor so I don't double up on steps/calorie burn or keep it on? I don't want to think I'm burning more than I am. I know most folks say 'just let the Fitbit do it's job' but I love my HRM. Thanks for all the great info here!0 -
What you manually log overwrites whatever Fitbit had - so no need to remove it. Might reread the 1st section of FAQ for that and more info.0
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I have runkeeper linked to MFP, and Fitbit linked to MFP, but runkeeper and Fitbit aren't linked directly. If I track a run on runkeeper, and it sends the information to myfitnesspal, would it be double dipping so to speak? When I log into fitbit, it is showing both workouts listed in the log, both showing a calorie burn, but the run isn't registering any steps, which is what I want right? Does that make any sense?0
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Any workout that is manually entered or synced into Fitbit replaces whatever was seen by Fitbit. With some apps they do accept type of workout, and with those running and walking results in calculating steps rather than keeping what steps they saw.
MFP is not one of those - just an unknown workout as far as type, calorie replacement.
With RK perhaps having better distance - I'd suggest syncing that with Fitbit to replace miles that could be off, unless you find Fitbit is correct.
The entry you are seeing there with steps is probably the Activity Record from pressing the button on the unnamed device you are using - that is merely a snapshot of original Fitbit stats for that chunk of time.
The incoming Workout Record replaces the calorie burn part of it. If that came from RK instead of MFP, it might change the miles too, but not the fact of what the 2 entries mean.0 -
With a recent (Nov 20th?) update, the exercise I log in MyFitnessPal (via Android) is no longer showing up in FitBit after I sync. My food calories are getting updated fine. Anyone else seeing this problem?0
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Sounds like someone did mention that in main group topics - few read the FAQ's to see if anything new.0
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I tried to read several of the pages and do a search and didn’t see this addressed-I apologize if this was answered and I missed it. I have mfp premium. I synced it with my fit bit. The only food that transferred was my snacks, breakfast, lunch and dinner. It did not transfer my pre workout or post workout meals. Any suggestions? I bought mfp premium so I could customize my meals and calories each day. Thanks,0
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Thank you for the summary- I have read it and I still have a question I'm hoping you can help me out with.
MFP sets my calories at 1200 (sedentary).
If I burn between 1600 and 2200 per day according to my Fitbit (not hr) do I just subtract 500 from my daily average to determine how much I should be eating?
Thank you!0 -
Loveslupins wrote: »Thank you for the summary- I have read it and I still have a question I'm hoping you can help me out with.
MFP sets my calories at 1200 (sedentary).
If I burn between 1600 and 2200 per day according to my Fitbit (not hr) do I just subtract 500 from my daily average to determine how much I should be eating?
Thank you!
You sync accounts, and then MFP will correct it's estimate of daily burn based on your selection of Sedentary and what Fitbit reports you actually burned with real activity level, and eating goal will increase to keep the same deficit.
Use MFP for eating side of equation, use Fitbit for activity side of equation.
If you don't want a daily changing goal based on actual activity level - but would prefer a static goal based on weekly average, then you can set that up too.
Obviously it'll be higher than 1200, which is bare minimum recommended for safety for average sedentary woman, and you aren't sedentary, and hopefully don't want to be average, nor get bare minimum results.0 -
colette430 wrote: »I tried to read several of the pages and do a search and didn’t see this addressed-I apologize if this was answered and I missed it. I have mfp premium. I synced it with my fit bit. The only food that transferred was my snacks, breakfast, lunch and dinner. It did not transfer my pre workout or post workout meals. Any suggestions? I bought mfp premium so I could customize my meals and calories each day. Thanks,
Extra created "meals" on MFP should be lumped under snacks (or Other depending on your account) on Fitbit.
The total count should be correct, even if not the split out subtotals you'd get on MFP.
If those workout meals aren't showing up subtotaled in Fitbit under some meal heading - then sync issue - I'd leave premium out of it though - ability to create your own meals has been around for awhile - and still works for me correctly.0 -
Loveslupins wrote: »Thank you for the summary- I have read it and I still have a question I'm hoping you can help me out with.
MFP sets my calories at 1200 (sedentary).
If I burn between 1600 and 2200 per day according to my Fitbit (not hr) do I just subtract 500 from my daily average to determine how much I should be eating?
Thank you!
You sync accounts, and then MFP will correct it's estimate of daily burn based on your selection of Sedentary and what Fitbit reports you actually burned with real activity level, and eating goal will increase to keep the same deficit.
Use MFP for eating side of equation, use Fitbit for activity side of equation.
If you don't want a daily changing goal based on actual activity level - but would prefer a static goal based on weekly average, then you can set that up too.
Obviously it'll be higher than 1200, which is bare minimum recommended for safety for average sedentary woman, and you aren't sedentary, and hopefully don't want to be average, nor get bare minimum results.
Thank you! No, I definitely want to eat more than 1200 a day!
I thought setting my MFP goal to sedentary would be more accurate when Fitbit is recording my actual activity. What should I set it at if I only average about 6000 steps/ day, workout 5 times /week for 39 minutes (kettle bell/circuit)?
I would love to have a static goal so I can eat more on the weekends when I don't work out! How do I do that?
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Loveslupins wrote: »Loveslupins wrote: »Thank you for the summary- I have read it and I still have a question I'm hoping you can help me out with.
MFP sets my calories at 1200 (sedentary).
If I burn between 1600 and 2200 per day according to my Fitbit (not hr) do I just subtract 500 from my daily average to determine how much I should be eating?
Thank you!
You sync accounts, and then MFP will correct it's estimate of daily burn based on your selection of Sedentary and what Fitbit reports you actually burned with real activity level, and eating goal will increase to keep the same deficit.
Use MFP for eating side of equation, use Fitbit for activity side of equation.
If you don't want a daily changing goal based on actual activity level - but would prefer a static goal based on weekly average, then you can set that up too.
Obviously it'll be higher than 1200, which is bare minimum recommended for safety for average sedentary woman, and you aren't sedentary, and hopefully don't want to be average, nor get bare minimum results.
Thank you! No, I definitely want to eat more than 1200 a day!
I thought setting my MFP goal to sedentary would be more accurate when Fitbit is recording my actual activity. What should I set it at if I only average about 6000 steps/ day, workout 5 times /week for 39 minutes (kettle bell/circuit)?
I would love to have a static goal so I can eat more on the weekends when I don't work out! How do I do that?
If you are going to sync the Fitbit, then Sedentary is normally best option if you go to bed at reasonable hour (before midnight, I don't). If you go till midnight and will eat a snack up till then - doesn't matter.
Whatever level causes the smallest adjustments is usually better for planning.
But if you want static goal - you can't sync.
You could do that right now though, if you know you have a 500 cal deficit, then just be willing to go in to the red up to 500 cal.
It really doesn't work well to have day after day of what could be unreasonable deficit, and then wipe out the deficit and actually eat over on 2 days on the weekend. Your body will likely adapt and the weekend will merely be adding more fat gain, but less fat loss during the week.
Better would be to be in the green by 100-200 calories on Fri when you could eat more.
Skip some meal on Sat or Sun, like breakfast, have smaller lunch, and leave most calories for dinner if that is big meal.
Only do that on 1 day though, not both.
Meet the goal on the other day.
Then on Mon stay in green by another 100-200 when you could eat more.
2 days to balance out 1 day that doesn't go that extreme is not a bad deal.
But day after day to attempt to balance out an extreme overeating is not going to fool the body.0 -
mdboxberger wrote: »With a recent (Nov 20th?) update, the exercise I log in MyFitnessPal (via Android) is no longer showing up in FitBit after I sync. My food calories are getting updated fine. Anyone else seeing this problem?
I just started seeing this myself. Did you find an answer @mdboxberger ?0 -
mdboxberger wrote: »With a recent (Nov 20th?) update, the exercise I log in MyFitnessPal (via Android) is no longer showing up in FitBit after I sync. My food calories are getting updated fine. Anyone else seeing this problem?
I just started seeing this myself. Did you find an answer @mdboxberger ?
Were either of you able to figure this out yet?
I'm having the same issue since last update and can't seem to find any answers :-(
I won't give up without a fight. I'm going to try looking in the FAQs again. Wish me luck!0 -
Well, this is an issue, not a usage problem the FAQ would be discussing.
The group topics where more would see them would be place to ask, or see if others are reporting it already.
Not many look at the stickies for new replies.0 -
See I am still confused even after reading all this. Ok, I log 30 minutes of weights in fitbit with a calorie burn of 98, then I log 30 minutes of aerobics in fitbit with a calorie burn of 112. this all gets synced to MFP, but the calorie adjustment only shows 83. This is where my confusion comes into play. So my calorie goal for the day is 1200, does this mean I only get to eat 83 extra calories, where it looks like I should be able to eat an extra 210 (the 98 + 112.0
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chuckyjean wrote: »See I am still confused even after reading all this. Ok, I log 30 minutes of weights in fitbit with a calorie burn of 98, then I log 30 minutes of aerobics in fitbit with a calorie burn of 112. this all gets synced to MFP, but the calorie adjustment only shows 83. This is where my confusion comes into play. So my calorie goal for the day is 1200, does this mean I only get to eat 83 extra calories, where it looks like I should be able to eat an extra 210 (the 98 + 112.
The "Fitbit Calorie Adjustment" in MFP is not simply the sum of the exercise you logged in Fitbit. It is the difference between the calories that Fitbit says you burned (total, not just exercising) and the calories that MFP expected you to burn. So, while you may have burned 210 calories exercising, you were apparently less active than MFP expected the rest of the day, resulting in a "net" calorie gain of 83 calories.
Also, if your daily calorie allotment from MFP is only 1200 calories, that means that the math is going to be extra confusing, because that generally means that you're trying to lose weight too quickly (and/or you're too sedentary) and MFP is limiting your calorie deficit.
Look on the MFP exercise page (website) or diary (phone app) for the Fitbit Calorie adjustment. On the website, click the little 'i' next to it (on the phone app, you need to touch it twice) to see the math that MFP used to calculate your adjustment.0 -
chuckyjean wrote: »See I am still confused even after reading all this. Ok, I log 30 minutes of weights in fitbit with a calorie burn of 98, then I log 30 minutes of aerobics in fitbit with a calorie burn of 112. this all gets synced to MFP, but the calorie adjustment only shows 83. This is where my confusion comes into play. So my calorie goal for the day is 1200, does this mean I only get to eat 83 extra calories, where it looks like I should be able to eat an extra 210 (the 98 + 112.
The "Fitbit Calorie Adjustment" in MFP is not simply the sum of the exercise you logged in Fitbit. It is the difference between the calories that Fitbit says you burned (total, not just exercising) and the calories that MFP expected you to burn. So, while you may have burned 210 calories exercising, you were apparently less active than MFP expected the rest of the day, resulting in a "net" calorie gain of 83 calories.
Also, if your daily calorie allotment from MFP is only 1200 calories, that means that the math is going to be extra confusing, because that generally means that you're trying to lose weight too quickly (and/or you're too sedentary) and MFP is limiting your calorie deficit.
Look on the MFP exercise page (website) or diary (phone app) for the Fitbit Calorie adjustment. On the website, click the little 'i' next to it (on the phone app, you need to touch it twice) to see the math that MFP used to calculate your adjustment.
I don't know why it is only at 1200, I said I only want to lose 1 lb/week. I clicked sedentary because I have an office job. But I walk 3 times a day at work, on my breaks and at lunch, and then work out everyday at home, so maybe I should put that down as lightly active instead?0 -
chuckyjean wrote: »chuckyjean wrote: »See I am still confused even after reading all this. Ok, I log 30 minutes of weights in fitbit with a calorie burn of 98, then I log 30 minutes of aerobics in fitbit with a calorie burn of 112. this all gets synced to MFP, but the calorie adjustment only shows 83. This is where my confusion comes into play. So my calorie goal for the day is 1200, does this mean I only get to eat 83 extra calories, where it looks like I should be able to eat an extra 210 (the 98 + 112.
The "Fitbit Calorie Adjustment" in MFP is not simply the sum of the exercise you logged in Fitbit. It is the difference between the calories that Fitbit says you burned (total, not just exercising) and the calories that MFP expected you to burn. So, while you may have burned 210 calories exercising, you were apparently less active than MFP expected the rest of the day, resulting in a "net" calorie gain of 83 calories.
Also, if your daily calorie allotment from MFP is only 1200 calories, that means that the math is going to be extra confusing, because that generally means that you're trying to lose weight too quickly (and/or you're too sedentary) and MFP is limiting your calorie deficit.
Look on the MFP exercise page (website) or diary (phone app) for the Fitbit Calorie adjustment. On the website, click the little 'i' next to it (on the phone app, you need to touch it twice) to see the math that MFP used to calculate your adjustment.
I don't know why it is only at 1200, I said I only want to lose 1 lb/week. I clicked sedentary because I have an office job. But I walk 3 times a day at work, on my breaks and at lunch, and then work out everyday at home, so maybe I should put that down as lightly active instead?
Yes! That's definitely lightly active.
If you end up with negative fitbit adjustments, you can go back to Sedentary, but I think Lightly Active is more appropriate for you.0 -
chuckyjean wrote: »chuckyjean wrote: »See I am still confused even after reading all this. Ok, I log 30 minutes of weights in fitbit with a calorie burn of 98, then I log 30 minutes of aerobics in fitbit with a calorie burn of 112. this all gets synced to MFP, but the calorie adjustment only shows 83. This is where my confusion comes into play. So my calorie goal for the day is 1200, does this mean I only get to eat 83 extra calories, where it looks like I should be able to eat an extra 210 (the 98 + 112.
The "Fitbit Calorie Adjustment" in MFP is not simply the sum of the exercise you logged in Fitbit. It is the difference between the calories that Fitbit says you burned (total, not just exercising) and the calories that MFP expected you to burn. So, while you may have burned 210 calories exercising, you were apparently less active than MFP expected the rest of the day, resulting in a "net" calorie gain of 83 calories.
Also, if your daily calorie allotment from MFP is only 1200 calories, that means that the math is going to be extra confusing, because that generally means that you're trying to lose weight too quickly (and/or you're too sedentary) and MFP is limiting your calorie deficit.
Look on the MFP exercise page (website) or diary (phone app) for the Fitbit Calorie adjustment. On the website, click the little 'i' next to it (on the phone app, you need to touch it twice) to see the math that MFP used to calculate your adjustment.
I don't know why it is only at 1200, I said I only want to lose 1 lb/week. I clicked sedentary because I have an office job. But I walk 3 times a day at work, on my breaks and at lunch, and then work out everyday at home, so maybe I should put that down as lightly active instead?
It's 1200 because of body stats and your choices.
If you're shorter and/or older - you are expected to burn less no matter what - sedentary even means less.
If you have 15-20 lbs left to lose - 250 cal deficit, or 1/2 lb weekly - is more reasonable. Because you must not have the range for a 500 probably.
And while that activity level is more than Sedentary - with Fitbit synced it doesn't matter because the adjustments will take care of that.
Also, if that was a normal day of that extra walking and the workout and you only got 83 extra calories - then you really aren't Lightly Active even with exercise included. And those activity levels are for the non-exercise portion of the day.
Keep it at Sedentary.
2nd half of FAQ explains why that is better setting when you include end of day adjustments.0 -
No, the 83 was just yesterday, I didn't do all the extra walking yesterday, I was just kind of lazy.0
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well, I played around with my goals a bit, and since I have less than 20 pounds to lose, I changed my goal setting from 1 lb/week to .5 lb/week, now my calorie intake went up 220. So I was at 1200 at 1/lb/week now at 1420 at .5/lb/week. I'll play around with .5 and see what happens. Least I can eat more now.0
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BUMP -- Thanks all!0
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Hey guys! Still figuring out my Fitbit when I do my workouts. I usually lift heavy 4 days a week so do I hold the button down for the fitness mode or is that more for cardio?0
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I have a Charge HR.
Question about Zumba and calories. Fitbit says I'm only burning 390-413 calories in 1 hour of Zumba (I've only had it for 2 days, so I know it's adjusting, or so I heard).
But I find it strange that I would burn the same doing Zumba as I am burning by walking. I was told by some people that zumba is not going to be calculated accurately (it will be underestimated) as would yoga, Pilates, etc because although it counts the steps it doesn't really count the jumping around, arm movement, twists and turns, etc. I thought it's supposed to look at heart rate and arm movement and steps?
So I'm very confused. I would think a Zumba class would burn at least 500 calories, it definitely feels like it.
Also, another question: I've read here that you push a button to record a workout? You mean to push the one button that's on the band and then push it at the end? I push this button all the time to see my heart rate and calories burnt, so I don't get it. Forgive me if I sound ignorant, I just want to figure out what's the best way to calculate my workouts.
I take at least 3 Zumba classes / week, planning on increasing it to 4-5, so it's a huge part of my calorie burn and I'd like to make sure it is accurately accounted for.
Thank you!0 -
Hey i got the charge hr for christmas and i though it was over estimating my burn.. I did a workout from fitness blender today which tells u roughly how much u burn and the fitbit was spot on with it, it was circuits alot of floor excersises aswell so i didnt think it would be accurate..As for pressing the button for activity u hold it for a second n it will start the timer.. Hope that helps a bit im still new to it aswell..0
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Thank you!
I just figured a few things out, ( like where to find things) but now I have some strange facts:
Monday night Zumba: 424 calories. 5482 steps, 57 minutes - ok this is good
Tuesday night Zumba: 390 calories, 0 steps!!! 55 active minutes.
Same instructor, same everything. Why didn't it count any steps??
Somehow I have 2 15 minute walks from Tuesday, but I only did one.
Walk 1: 95 calories burned, o steps!! 15 active minutes average heart rate 95
walk 2: 91 calories burned, 1591 steps, 14 active minutes, average heart rate 114.
Even if the walk is doubled, why are the stats so different? And why is it duplicated?0 -
beastmode_kitty wrote: »Hey guys! Still figuring out my Fitbit when I do my workouts. I usually lift heavy 4 days a week so do I hold the button down for the fitness mode or is that more for cardio?
Since lifting should be manually logged anyway, starting an Activity Record (view that as a snapshot of the stats for that block of time) allows you to then manually log a Workout Record with correct start/end times.
The calorie burn Fitbit gets from the database then replaces what it badly estimates on HR or steps.
Seeing HR for that time could be interesting too. If you see no increase in your weight on bar, and HR stops going up as high - your muscles are tired usually - time for deload/break.0 -
Mikkamoo12 wrote: »Hey i got the charge hr for christmas and i though it was over estimating my burn.. I did a workout from fitness blender today which tells u roughly how much u burn and the fitbit was spot on with it, it was circuits alot of floor excersises aswell so i didnt think it would be accurate..As for pressing the button for activity u hold it for a second n it will start the timer.. Hope that helps a bit im still new to it aswell..
HR-based estimate should be decent for that type of exercise, not exactly what the HR-formula is accurate for, but close enough for short times.
It will take a week or two for that formula to reflect some of your stats and get more accurate in general, even for this stuff it's not best for.0
