Fitbit accuracy question

Tigg1011

Hey,

So I have been completely ignoring my MFP calories-I just use it to track my food and exercise, but I figure out how much I am allowed to eat all through fitbit. For instance today I ate 1829 calories and fitbit says 2320 is my baseline rate, although I have only burned 2034 as of right now. My question is-does everyone find this accurate and if I stick with this rather than MFP cals and keep a 500 deficit of the baseline rate (granted I make it) I should lose right? Sorry if this sounds confusing-any help appreciated-thanks! :O)

JVCB

If you don't get an answer, you might re-post it on the "Fitbit Users" GROUP board...

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1290-fitbit-users

I've only had my Fitbit for 2 days, so I'm no help! :laugh:

Tigg1011

Thank you, I will! :O)

jacksonpt

I've only had my flex for about a week, but I'm finding the cals burned estimate surprisingly accurate.

RM10003

Do you have your Fitbit synced to MFP so it's adding in or subtracting exercise calories? That should take care of any discrepancy between the two, and you don't have to worry about which one to listen to as they are working together.

For me, it works like this:
MFP sets me a base of 1520.
I have MFP and Fitbit synced.
I log food and non-step-based exercise in MFP.
Fitbit syncs to MFP and adds exercise calories when I am above what MFP thinks I'm doing. I have the add back negative calories turned off as I always get a decent add from Fitbit (I could probably bump myself up an activity category but somehow feel odd calling myself "active".)

Tigg1011

Yes, I have both synced, but MFP has me at a rate of 1200-however, I eat about 1400 which is my TDEE-20% so that is my actual base rate-not 1200. I know they are both around the same but with different information. Ok, another question-is my baseline rate the rate that fitbit thinks I will burn by 12am? So it would be accurate then? Just a little confused.

joyous504

I always use my fitbit "calories in vs calories out" allowance. MFP is way too high.

lastchance2010

i let my mfp and fitbit work together. I just always be sure to stay under my cals. Fitbit lets me know if i'm over or under my calories for the amount of weight I want to lose and the defecit I should be at. So far it's been fool proof and suddenly my body has kicked into high gear or something and I've been losing at the right pace. keep at it. it works

da_bears10089

yes, the TDEE it gives you is the estimate for up until midnight. The only thing you have to make adjustments with is strength training because there isn't much motion and riding bike. I put my fitbit on my shoelaces for biking. Great tool. I set MFP to sedentary and lose 1 pound a week and let it do the rest of the work.

Tigg1011

Thanks everyone!
@lahoechst-their TDEE though-do you think its always accurate and if I live by that Ill be fine? As long as my deficit is -500 of that? Just paranoid here

luckydays27

My fitbit one and MFP are sync'ed together with the same goals (loss of 1 lb a week) and they are pretty accurate with each other. I love my fitbit and seriously wont diet without it. I need something to keep me on track with my calories for each day's activity. Some days I move a lot and burn tons of cals. Other days I never leave my apartment and sit at my desk all day.

Sync Fitbit with MFP and make sure you have matching goals. Use a HRM for activities that fitbit cant measure. At the end of the day, you should have your cals burned and you end up being given a number of cals to eat that subtracts what you goal cal deficit is.

Tigg1011

Ok, so can I just ask-that means you eat all your exercise calories thay myfitnesspal gives u? Thats what I have been doing. I dont log when I run/jog on the treadmill, only when I do my workout dvds and that is an estimate I know.

luckydays27

Yes, I most of my exercise cals.I try to leave 100 or so as extra to compensate for over estimation of my fitness or food intake.