I think I'm going to have to disconnect my fitbit
kindrabbit
Posts: 837 Member
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?
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?
0
Replies
-
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.0
-
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.0 -
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 inaccurate0 -
Which fitbit do you have?
Have you set it up properly? Time zones, stride length, goals matching?0 -
Do you physically wear a fitbit?0
-
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.
0 -
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.0
-
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)0 -
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.
0 -
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.
0 -
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!!0 -
Karen_libert 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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
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! lol0 -
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.0 -
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)
0 -
Karen_libert 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.
0 -
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?!0
-
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 synch0 -
Karen_libert wrote: »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?!
Yeah I got mine as a late Christmas present from my mum.
They do seem expensive but I know people who would spend more on a watch that just tells the time. How much more does a surge do?0 -
Fitbit One is awesome!0
-
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
I'm a sucker for the marketing! I'm just looking, I'm not sure how you record your steps manually on MFP anyway. I think I'm just not destined to get extra calories for my steps
0 -
Karen_libert wrote: »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
I'm a sucker for the marketing! I'm just looking, I'm not sure how you record your steps manually on MFP anyway. I think I'm just not destined to get extra calories for my steps
I am so with you on the marketing. I have a One, don't need a Surge, and have no idea what I'd do with one, but I want it anyway.
About the calories, though - if you're doing a long walk or a 5K or something you can log it as exercise and get extra calories for it. Fitbits are mainly useful for calculating how many steps you get in over the course of daily living, and daily living activities should already be included in your baseline calorie calculations. Adding more extra calories for them on top of that would be a good way to slow your weight loss down to a near-halt.
0 -
ILarissa_NY wrote: »Karen_libert wrote: »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
I'm a sucker for the marketing! I'm just looking, I'm not sure how you record your steps manually on MFP anyway. I think I'm just not destined to get extra calories for my steps
I am so with you on the marketing. I have a One, don't need a Surge, and have no idea what I'd do with one, but I want it anyway.
About the calories, though - if you're doing a long walk or a 5K or something you can log it as exercise and get extra calories for it. Fitbits are mainly useful for calculating how many steps you get in over the course of daily living, and daily living activities should already be included in your baseline calorie calculations. Adding more extra calories for them on top of that would be a good way to slow your weight loss down to a near-halt.
Not true ..I set to sedentary and enable negative adjustments and I find it makes me more active and hence eat more0 -
I agree Fitbit Zip is really all you need and it runs around $50 in most stores, very worth the $$. Mine is very accurate with regards to steps, I linked it with MFP and have sedentary settings with calorie adjustments. I really like mine and had it for 2+ years. I actually just purchased a new one because I recently lost my original one. I was debating on getting a fancier model but I decided I really don't want to wear anything on my wrist all day long.0
-
ILarissa_NY wrote: »Karen_libert wrote: »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
I'm a sucker for the marketing! I'm just looking, I'm not sure how you record your steps manually on MFP anyway. I think I'm just not destined to get extra calories for my steps
I am so with you on the marketing. I have a One, don't need a Surge, and have no idea what I'd do with one, but I want it anyway.
About the calories, though - if you're doing a long walk or a 5K or something you can log it as exercise and get extra calories for it. Fitbits are mainly useful for calculating how many steps you get in over the course of daily living, and daily living activities should already be included in your baseline calorie calculations. Adding more extra calories for them on top of that would be a good way to slow your weight loss down to a near-halt.
Not true ..I set to sedentary and enable negative adjustments and I find it makes me more active and hence eat more
If it works for you, that's great; but unless MFP calculates their calories really weirdly, "sedentary" doesn't mean "bedridden." It should already assume that you are getting up and walking around at some point during the day, using steps that will register on your Fitbit. I have a hard time believing that a person who got to be overweight while walking 10K steps a day will help their weight loss efforts by cutting back on their calories and then treating those same 10K steps as bonus points that they can trade back to the store for more calories over and above their calculated deficit.
But then I almost never have trouble staying at or under my allocation, so this whole mindset of "I worked out today so I earned this extra food" is weird enough to me, let alone "Today I earned extra food for getting out of bed."
0 -
Larissa_NY wrote: »ILarissa_NY wrote: »Karen_libert wrote: »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
I'm a sucker for the marketing! I'm just looking, I'm not sure how you record your steps manually on MFP anyway. I think I'm just not destined to get extra calories for my steps
I am so with you on the marketing. I have a One, don't need a Surge, and have no idea what I'd do with one, but I want it anyway.
About the calories, though - if you're doing a long walk or a 5K or something you can log it as exercise and get extra calories for it. Fitbits are mainly useful for calculating how many steps you get in over the course of daily living, and daily living activities should already be included in your baseline calorie calculations. Adding more extra calories for them on top of that would be a good way to slow your weight loss down to a near-halt.
Not true ..I set to sedentary and enable negative adjustments and I find it makes me more active and hence eat more
If it works for you, that's great; but unless MFP calculates their calories really weirdly, "sedentary" doesn't mean "bedridden." It should already assume that you are getting up and walking around at some point during the day, using steps that will register on your Fitbit. I have a hard time believing that a person who got to be overweight while walking 10K steps a day will help their weight loss efforts by cutting back on their calories and then treating those same 10K steps as bonus points that they can trade back to the store for more calories over and above their calculated deficit.
But then I almost never have trouble staying at or under my allocation, so this whole mindset of "I worked out today so I earned this extra food" is weird enough to me, let alone "Today I earned extra food for getting out of bed."
Well you're assuming that I used to walk 10000 steps (5 miles) a day ...and quite simply I didn't ...that's how I got overweight...chronic laziness and eating too much
Having a fitbit helped me realise that I wasn't even achieving sedentary which for me was walking 2500 to 4000 steps
So the fitbit, on days that I don't workout, ensures that I achieve sedentary and more
I use MFP to ensure that I eat adequately to fuel my strength and fitness gains ...you're damn right I eat back my exercise calories (from both my fitbit and my HRM) that's how the programme is designed to work ...
If you find MFP system weird, you should work out your TDEE and set your calories manually (to achieve your goals)0 -
I thought the allowance that MVP calculates is literally the amount your body needs to function (organ function, hair, nails, teeth, temperature and hormone regulation etc) minus 500 cal deficit. Isn't that why you're encouraged to track/ count your exercise?
I'm pretty flexible with my numbers at the moment as the weight is coming off and I have a good balance in my diet and feel great. There will come a time when it slows down though so its good to know I have things to tweak.0 -
Karen_libert wrote: »I thought the allowance that MVP calculates is literally the amount your body needs to function (organ function, hair, nails, teeth, temperature and hormone regulation etc) minus 500 cal deficit. Isn't that why you're encouraged to track/ count your exercise?
I'm pretty flexible with my numbers at the moment as the weight is coming off and I have a good balance in my diet and feel great. There will come a time when it slows down though so its good to know I have things to tweak.
No the amount MFP gives you is your BMR (which is what you described) times a multiple based on your activity setting...so if you chose sedentary it's 1.2 x BMR, I think active is 1.6 ...this is a NEAT calculation (non exercise activity thermogenesis I think)
Your goal weight loss determines the defecit ..eg 1lb a week = 500 but it has a floor ...for women it shouldn't go below 1200, for men below 1500 (although there is currently an app glitch that they have not addressed)
Then you eat back your exercise calories because you should be cutting from your TDEE (NEAT plus purposeful exercise) not your NEAT0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 427 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions