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Calorie count Fitbit app/mfp

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tazjosh
tazjosh Posts: 88 Member
in Social Groups
why is the fit bit count so different to the mfp? I mean in the fit bit app I've eaten a lot more calories than I've burnt but in the mfp I'm under my goal ( - the exercise Fitbit has added). I only log food on mfp. So they should be the same calorie intake?

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  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
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    I don't pay attention to Fitbit's calorie stuff. I use my fitbit to calculate my burn via walking, and tell MFP, where I then log all of my food.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Depends on what you are looking at on Fitbit's site.

    If looking at that gauge tile - now you see the uselessness of it - it's a moment in time right then. Which is about worthless looking at the day in total.

    You should look at the eating goal tile.

    That can be based on 2 options on Fitbit (which is also the options that determine the calorie burn given to MFP when your device is not syncing).
    Sedentary or barely above BMR sleeping calorie burn, which means the eating goal starts very low, and only starts going up when your device syncs in showing you haven't been sleeping all day.
    Or Personal based on historical averages, which means the goal starts around the same place as average normal and adjusts later on as your device lets Fitbit know you are above or below average.

    At the end of the day - they work out the same - and would match MFP if the deficit selected is the same.
    During the day with constant device syncing - Sedentary will give lower daily goal because it assumes after each device sync rest of the day is sleeping almost, Personal will keep the average burn rate going.

    That's why the recommendation to use MFP for food and diet and eating goals, Fitbit only for activity goals and logging.

    The 2nd half of the FAQ shows the math on how it's done if really curious.

    So no they should rarely be the same, until the end of the day. Unless your Personal average happens to match perfectly the MFP activity level calorie burn.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Angierae75 wrote: »
    I don't pay attention to Fitbit's calorie stuff. I use my fitbit to calculate my burn via walking, and tell MFP, where I then log all of my food.

    ^This. Enable negative calorie adjustments in your diary settings & follow your MFP calorie goal.

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