Fit Bit/MFP integration

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nxd10
nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I just got a Fitbit today to count steps - it replaces my old pedometer. I am hoping for a more accurate read on my calories lost. I am having trouble understanding exactly how to integrate the information across the two programs.

- I log all my food in MFP. I am set to sedentary and have always logged 'extra' activities and eaten those calories back. I don't want to double count but I'm going into maintenance and I also want to up my calories a bit.

- It seems as if when I logged my activites into MFP that the 'extra' calories the Fitbit had given me went away (that's good) and my MFP activities showed up on the fitbit site (also good).

- From this I am inferring that Fitbit takes my logged activities from MFP and subtracts that from what it has measured to report my calories (i.e., it doesn't double count them). It reports the total back to MFP.

- MFP takes the info from fitbit including my log and uses that with my food to calculate my net for the day.

Is that correct? I can't find really solid numbers or algorithms on fitbit.

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    You're correct. If you log an activity with the time you started and stopped it will adjust your fitbit adjustment accordingly. It doesn't double dip.

    There's a FitBit group on here - you might want to join. Its a great place to get answers on FitBit questions from people who can explain things way better than I can....
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    I thought it said not to log exercise at all if you're using a fitbit, as the calorie measurement from the fitbit is used directly ?
  • lairyliam
    lairyliam Posts: 33 Member
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    I use a HRM and add the exercise manually, that way. MFP and FB let you say what time you started and it does indeed overwrite those calories

    There are quite a few exercises that the FB cant track as efficiently as walking or running.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I thought it said not to log exercise at all if you're using a fitbit, as the calorie measurement from the fitbit is used directly ?

    You can do it either way. Personally I log nothing except for tracking and let FitBit do its thing, but unless it is a step-related activity FitBit doesn't track it very well.

    I log my activity as "Tracking - then what the activity is" for 1 minute and 1 calorie for tracking purposes but not for actual activity logging...

    It's a personal preference thing.

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