I think I'm going to have to disconnect my fitbit

kindrabbit

Hi

I have an HTC phone which came with the fitbit app. Great! I connected it to MFP and off I went.

I've been on MFP for about 3 weeks now and the number of steps fitbit gives me is totally random. There are days when I walk my dog for an hour and a half and do a physical job for 4 hours and still don't hit 10,000. There are other days when I move a lot less and I get over 10,000 very easily.

Today (Saturday morning) I have been pretty immobile. It says I've done 199 steps but it's given me 240 calories.

There is just no logic to it. I think I'd rather just disconnect it and not get any extra calories for my steps. I will just add exercise calories when I do cardio.

Does anyone else have a similar problem or know of a solution before I just disconnect it?

MaggieLoo79

What sensitivity is your fitbit set to? I have the flex and I had to put it at "dominant" arm so it would be less sensitive and more accurate.

kindrabbit

Its in my phone so I don't think it has 'settings' as such. I'll have a look. The phone is either in my hand or my back pocket.

Edited to add, I cant see anything in the settings about sensitivity or stride length or anything like that.

Sued0nim

Fitbit app?

Is that a like a fitbit that monitors your steps in your phone rather than a separate device you wear round your wrist or clip to your body?

If so, I can see absolutely how that could be inaccurate

Sued0nim

Which fitbit do you have?

Have you set it up properly? Time zones, stride length, goals matching?

Liftng4Lis

Do you physically wear a fitbit?

DavPul

Do you have an actual fitbit device or is it your phone that's doing the tracking? If it's the phone, they tend to be entirely unreliable. How you carry it and how often you carry it will greatly affect the data.

You were too vague with your other scenarios for me to come to a conclusion. A fitbit counts steps and just because a job is physical doesn't mean it's step intensive. Yours might be,but you didn't say. And a typical 90 minute dog walk isn't usually going to be 10000 steps. I get right around 10000 steps for a 5 mile run and a dog walking pace should be much slower and include standing around time while the dog investigates it's environment. It could be close, but if you're sedentary most of the day, the 6000-8000 steps from the walk might still get you to 10000.

Jgasmic

My iPhone tracks my steps and I know it isn't accurate for me because I do most of my walking while at work and I don't have my phone on my body usually. I haven't unlinked it because the most it gives me is 100 calories and I'm still losing weight so it isn't worth figuring out how to disconnect it. If I thought it was impacting my loss or generally driving me crazy with inaccuracy I would definitely make it stop.

kindrabbit

rabbitjb wrote: »

Fitbit app?

Is that a like a fitbit that monitors your steps in your phone rather than a separate device you wear round your wrist or clip to your body?

If so, I can see absolutely how that could be inaccurate

yes, it's in my phone. I've just been looking back and it's crazy inaccurate. These are the results over the last 2 weeks:

240 calories 199 steps
75 calories 9764 steps
56 calories 7303 steps
43 calories 9027 steps
0 calories 5055 steps
0 calories 2303 steps
0 calories 1491 steps
0 calories 983 steps
0 calories 2365 steps
0 calories 5846 steps
0 calories 15718 steps
188 calories 11257 steps
79 calories 9272 steps
0 calories 1055 step

There is just no logic to the stupid thing! I haven't changed any settings (not deliberately anyway)

LovingLife_Erin

I have a real fitbit (flex) and find that it is pretty accurate for me. The phone apps aren't known to be as accurate. If you find that it isn't for you, then disconnect it. If you want a more accurate step counter, then invest in a real fitbit, or similar brand.

It can be tricky to get your steps in, and I think a lot of people are shocked when they realise how much more active they need to be to hit 10,000 as a goal. I find mine really motivating, but again, if your phone isn't doing a great job, then stop or get a real step tracker.

Merkavar

What fit bit do you have. I have a surge I believe. Mine records steps but doesn't adjust mfp based on the steps as far as I'm aware. Based on cal burned based on heart rates etc

And about your comment about 199 steps in the morning creating exercise. Mine takes what you have done and bases the entire day on that.

So say your super active in the morning it's going to create a larger adjustment than it should. The later in the day the more accurate it gets.

kindrabbit

DavPul wrote: »

Do you have an actual fitbit device or is it your phone that's doing the tracking? If it's the phone, they tend to be entirely unreliable. How you carry it and how often you carry it will greatly affect the data.

You were too vague with your other scenarios for me to come to a conclusion. A fitbit counts steps and just because a job is physical doesn't mean it's step intensive. Yours might be,but you didn't say. And a typical 90 minute dog walk isn't usually going to be 10000 steps. I get right around 10000 steps for a 5 mile run and a dog walking pace should be much slower and include standing around time while the dog investigates it's environment. It could be close, but if you're sedentary most of the day, the 6000-8000 steps from the walk might still get you to 10000.

I have a little job cleaning houses. Most days it's 2 hours but sometimes its 4 hours so that's a fair bit of walking up and down 3 stairs in 3 storey houses. The phone is usually in my back pocket.

Because I assumed it was accurate I didnt question the number of steps it was giving me.

I really didnt realise just how inaccurate it was until I just looked back over the last 2 weeks. I was so chuffed that I had fitbit on my hone and now I'm gutted! I'm going to disconnect it. its worse than useless!!

Drewlssix

Karen_libert wrote: »

rabbitjb wrote: »

Fitbit app?

Is that a like a fitbit that monitors your steps in your phone rather than a separate device you wear round your wrist or clip to your body?

If so, I can see absolutely how that could be inaccurate

yes, it's in my phone. I've just been looking back and it's crazy inaccurate. These are the results over the last 2 weeks:

240 calories 199 steps
75 calories 9764 steps
56 calories 7303 steps
43 calories 9027 steps
0 calories 5055 steps
0 calories 2303 steps
0 calories 1491 steps
0 calories 983 steps
0 calories 2365 steps
0 calories 5846 steps
0 calories 15718 steps
188 calories 11257 steps
79 calories 9272 steps
0 calories 1055 step

There is just no logic to the stupid thing! I haven't changed any settings (not deliberately anyway)

Get an actual Fitbit, I had no idea there was an app from Fitbit that works without a device.

When I got my Fitbit I compared the steps it counted with the steps MFP counted during a day. The phone only recorded 118 fewer steps and that might be because the phone was charging over lunch while the FB was on me the whole day.

Now I wear the FB in my right shirt pocket to protect it during work and the phone is usually in my left front pants pocket and it is consistently a few hundred behind the FB.

I only use the numbers as a rough estimate of daily activity, but I feel it is accurate enough in tracking linear steps during walking/running.

Try this, check your current step count then put your phone in your pocket and walk 20 steps. Recheck your count. I have found that phone or Fitbit will accurately count under those circumstances.

Merkavar

Do you have negative adjustments turned on? I suspect not, and the zeros are probably -30 -300 etc and would make more sense.


You look to get an adjustment when you get over 7k steps. So like that 2k step day might have been - 200 cal and the 5k step day might be -100 cal.

kindrabbit

Merkavar wrote: »

What fit bit do you have. I have a surge I believe. Mine records steps but doesn't adjust mfp based on the steps as far as I'm aware. Based on cal burned based on heart rates etc

And about your comment about 199 steps in the morning creating exercise. Mine takes what you have done and bases the entire day on that.

So say your super active in the morning it's going to create a larger adjustment than it should. The later in the day the more accurate it gets.

I had noticed this. Several times it has taken exercise calories away in the evening (usually just after I have eaten something! EDITED I turned negative adjustments off after I noticed this!

I think the decision has been made to disconnect. The next question is, do I get a 'real' fitbit or similar, or just stick to the 1440 calories a day and only add exercise calories if I actually 'workout' and forget the steps.

kindrabbit

Get an actual Fitbit, I had no idea there was an app from Fitbit that works without a device.

When I got my Fitbit I compared the steps it counted with the steps MFP counted during a day. The phone only recorded 118 fewer steps and that might be because the phone was charging over lunch while the FB was on me the whole day.

Now I wear the FB in my right shirt pocket to protect it during work and the phone is usually in my left front pants pocket and it is consistently a few hundred behind the FB.

I only use the numbers as a rough estimate of daily activity, but I feel it is accurate enough in tracking linear steps during walking/running.

Try this, check your current step count then put your phone in your pocket and walk 20 steps. Recheck your count. I have found that phone or Fitbit will accurately count under those circumstances. [/quote]

how does MFP count steps? Maybe that would work for me?


lol, I'm glad I don't have a life and can spend Saturday morning worrying about these things! lol

higgins8283801

The actual device you wear is more accurate than the apps on your phone.

If you really want to track steps, get an actual Fitbit.

Sued0nim

I have a flex and a zip...downgraded to the zip so I could wear it in my bra/ on my waistband

I love my fitbit and the calories in relation to my weight loss have been accurate

Today I've done a 40 minute dog walk plus a walk down the road to the shops for some bits and pieces...10K steps and an extra 438 calories to munch (I'm still set to sedentary even though I'm not)

Merkavar

Karen_libert wrote: »

Merkavar wrote: »

What fit bit do you have. I have a surge I believe. Mine records steps but doesn't adjust mfp based on the steps as far as I'm aware. Based on cal burned based on heart rates etc

And about your comment about 199 steps in the morning creating exercise. Mine takes what you have done and bases the entire day on that.

So say your super active in the morning it's going to create a larger adjustment than it should. The later in the day the more accurate it gets.

I had noticed this. Several times it has taken exercise calories away in the evening (usually just after I have eaten something! EDITED I turned negative adjustments off after I noticed this!

For me having negative adjustments off doesn't make sense.

Say you have mfp set to lightly active and you meant to eat say 1500 cal. But you had a slack day and were more sedentary and should have only eaten 1300 Cals.

If you had negative adjusts turned on instead of you fit bit making a zero adjustment it would make a negative 200 adjustment and mfp would say to only eat 1300.

Negative adjustments aren't about mfp having plus 300 cal at lunch based on you activity, and then reducing it to 250 by dinner. Even though there was a negative adjustment of 50 cal the overall adjustment is still positive and as far as I'm aware wouldn't be affected by negative adjustments being turned on or off.

Hopefully that makes sense. Sounded like you might have misunderstood what negative adjustments are.

kindrabbit

I'm just looking at them on Amazon. I really like the surge but damn its expensive! I do have a really cheap little old fashioned pedometer. I wonder if that would do until I have a birthday or win the lottery?!

Sued0nim

You just need a basic one like a zip I think ...I'm really not convinced by the new breed

And yes a standard pedometer is fine, it just doesn't automatically synch