Fitbit user

aprilh576
aprilh576 Posts: 50 Member
in Getting Started
How accurate are the exercise adjustment calories? Are you losing weight using it?

Replies

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited March 2015
    When I was losing - I assumed there was a 5-10% error rate, so I didn't eat them all. I'd leave an extra 100 or so unused.

    Now that I'm in maintenance, I'm finding my Fitbit tends to underestimate my total daily burn. Meaning if I eat less than the Fitbit burned #, I lose weight now when I don't intend to.

    Does that mean it will be the same for each person? I don't think so. Fitbit, or any tracker, cannot tell intensity. So if you do alot of treadmill walking at an incline, its probably underestimating for you - because it doesn't know you're at an incline. And walking uphill burns more calories than flat. If you do a variety of activities, it probably overestimates on some, underestimates on others so the average might be about even.

    I think though since its hard to know for sure (unless you're trying to maintain!) then assume a 5-10% error rate and leave that as a buffer. Like if your Fitbit says you average 2200 burned per day, assume its 1980-2090 instead. So take your 500/day (for 1 pound per week) off that and aim for 1480-1590 intake.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Yes I lose weight eating mine. The calorie burn for me was underestimated when I used one of the non-HR models and now with the Surge it's almost exact (still a little low, but not bad).

    This will vary from person to person. Some people find they overestimate. Some people find them to be spot on. Some people find that they underestimate.

    The only way to truly know is to test it. Easiest way to do this is, on your fitbit profile. On Fitbit's profile page, you get a 30 day average burn and a 30 day average intake report.
    Average Burn - Average Intake = Average deficit
    Average Deficit * 30 = Deficit for the full 30 days
    30 Day Deficit/3500 = Expected weight loss
    Then just compare your expected weight loss for the 30 days to what actually happened.
  • agratzy
    agratzy Posts: 114 Member
    Mine is very close. I use a One and (I think) it calculates when I am using the treadmill uphill because it thinks instead I am going up stairs, and so I assume it would have an algorithm for that. I eat pretty much all of my daily allowance it gives me, but I have mine set to add calories as I burn them, rather than giving me an allowance at the beginning of every day based off my average burn.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    The One uses an altimeter, so it only counts a flight of stairs if you increase in altitude 10 feet. You don't increase in altitude on a treadmill.
    agratzy wrote: »
    Mine is very close. I use a One and (I think) it calculates when I am using the treadmill uphill because it thinks instead I am going up stairs, and so I assume it would have an algorithm for that. I eat pretty much all of my daily allowance it gives me, but I have mine set to add calories as I burn them, rather than giving me an allowance at the beginning of every day based off my average burn.

  • agratzy
    agratzy Posts: 114 Member
    StaciMarie1974 wrote: »
    The One uses an altimeter, so it only counts a flight of stairs if you increase in altitude 10 feet. You don't increase in altitude on a treadmill.
    agratzy wrote: »
    Mine is very close. I use a One and (I think) it calculates when I am using the treadmill uphill because it thinks instead I am going up stairs, and so I assume it would have an algorithm for that. I eat pretty much all of my daily allowance it gives me, but I have mine set to add calories as I burn them, rather than giving me an allowance at the beginning of every day based off my average burn.

    Good to know, thanks!
  • aprilh576
    aprilh576 Posts: 50 Member
    Thanks ladies! Everyone thinks its not possible for me to burn 600-700 calories give or take. Doing 45-60 mins workout plus achieving my 10,000 steps daily.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    aprilh576 wrote: »
    Thanks ladies! Everyone thinks its not possible for me to burn 600-700 calories give or take. Doing 45-60 mins workout plus achieving my 10,000 steps daily.

    I'm not sure why they would think that's outrageous unless they don't understand how a fitbit adjustment works. If your always getting 10,000 steps, you could always bump up your activity level and this way your adjustment won't be as large.
  • aprilh576
    aprilh576 Posts: 50 Member
    If i bump it up they give me over 2000 calories to eat. So im trying sedentary for 4 weeks too see if i will weight.
  • aprilh576
    aprilh576 Posts: 50 Member
    Lose*

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