Fitbit Calorie Adjustments

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suzeexoxo
suzeexoxo Posts: 170 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I recently bought FitBit ... How accurate is daily calories burned reported to MFP? For example, I have my MFP settings at Sedentary and want to lose 1.5lbs per week it has my calories set to 1200, FitBit has synced and added 500 of daily activity burn (I haven't exercised just my daily activity). Can I eat what I've burned and still reach my goal?

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  • AnnaFortner2015
    AnnaFortner2015 Posts: 4 Member
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    The best way to loose the weight is to stick to your original calorie goal. Even if you have added calories from exercise, dont use them. Try using suppliment shakes to keep from eatting all your calories at once.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,644 Member
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    Orrrrrr she could trust the fitbit for a few weeks and see if she loses weight by eating most or all of her calories before starting at rock bottom.

    Seriously, OP, enable negative calorie adjustments on mfp, sync your fitbit to mfp, follow mfp's calorie goal long enough to see if the calorie goal is working, and then adjust if necessary.

    For the love of god, please don't start off by ignoring perfectly good exercise calories. MFP is already taking your deficit into account.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I was shocked at how many calories fitbit gave me when i first got it, and was too scared to eat them back. But in the end i had to bite the bullet and trust what it was giving me, or else what's the point of having it if you don't trust what it's telling you? ?
    So far, so good for me. I eat most, sometimes all of my exercise calories back, and the only thing i do is walking.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I just went and checked... and for comparison sake, so far today I've done 12,411 steps and fitbit has given me 500 extra calories.
  • Chezzie84
    Chezzie84 Posts: 873 Member
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    I have had a fitbit for 12 months. I don't have negative adjustments enabled. I eat back all my calories earned and I still lose weight.
    I find it pretty accurate. Way less than what MFP gives for the same activity and as we know that is exaggerated.

    Eat back at least some of them, otherwise your deficit will be too big. Especially if you are starting at 1200.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,644 Member
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    I've had a fitbit since they first came out and only recently enabled negative adjustments. I don't really need to because I'm consistent with my exercise but others who say to have a good point because some people don't have the same level of activity every day.
  • MamaBirdBoss
    MamaBirdBoss Posts: 1,516 Member
    edited June 2015
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    I just went and checked... and for comparison sake, so far today I've done 12,411 steps and fitbit has given me 500 extra calories.

    I have to walk 30k steps to get ALMOST 500 calories. :(

    You can't possibly weigh much more than I do.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    It's an accelerometer not just a step counter so the cals can vary for a given number of steps.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    MamaBirdBoss wrote: »
    christinev297 wrote: »
    I just went and checked... and for comparison sake, so far today I've done 12,411 steps and fitbit has given me 500 extra calories.

    I have to walk 30k steps to get ALMOST 500 calories. :(

    You can't possibly weigh much more than I do.

    I'm 5"8 and 140lbs.

    I've managed to maintain my weight following the numbers

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited June 2015
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    I just went and checked... and for comparison sake, so far today I've done 12,411 steps and fitbit has given me 500 extra calories.

    I have to walk 20k to get 500 extra cals, but then I'm a small fry. (5ft 2" / 133lbs)
    OP, yes I find Fitbit to be pretty accurate, within 10% or so :smile:
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I finished the day on 16,931 steps and 722 fitbit burn.

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    suzeexoxo wrote: »
    I recently bought FitBit ... How accurate is daily calories burned reported to MFP?

    I eat back 100% of my Fitbit adjustments, lost the weight, and have maintained for a year. Trust your Fitbit for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress.

    Set your goal to .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight, and enable negative calorie adjustments in your diary settings.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

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