Fitbit Steps and Calories - Accurate?

jessicagrieshaber

I recently just invested in a Fitbit Charge to monitor my steps and calories burned throughout the work day and to track my workouts. I was just curious what everyone's experience with the Fitbit Charge was, and if they feel that the steps, calories burned, etc are accurate?

I ask because when I woke up this morning it said that I had already burned 300 calories - so I'm assuming they factor in calories from my BMR.

What is everyone's opinion?

editorgrrl

Your Fitbit burn is TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), the calories necessary to maintain your current weight. If you eat less than that, you will lose weight.

Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

Ignore your Fitbit calorie goal and follow MFP's, eating back your adjustments. No need to log any step-based activity—your Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit or in MFP—never both. Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time.

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

jenthibert

I think the steps are fairly accurate. I had a pedometer given to me from work and they're close.

I rarely eat back all the calories it says I earn. If I eat any back, it's half or less. I know people that trust their fitbit and that works for them. It's really something you'll have to try for awhile to see if it works for you though.

My frustration with fitbit is that mileage is very inaccurate. I walk 4 to 5 miles 3 or 4 times a week and 10 plus once a week and the mileage has never been correct. It's typically off by a mile or more. It's been my only frustration with my Charge until recently but it's the reason I'll look at alternatives when the time comes.

I'm starting to have issues with the battery. It used to hold a charge for nearly a week and I now have to charge it about every other day so I contacted fitbit about that. I've had it about 4 months.

Just my two cents!

Christine_72

jenthibert wrote: »

I think the steps are fairly accurate. I had a pedometer given to me from work and they're close.

I rarely eat back all the calories it says I earn. If I eat any back, it's half or less. I know people that trust their fitbit and that works for them. It's really something you'll have to try for awhile to see if it works for you though.

My frustration with fitbit is that mileage is very inaccurate. I walk 4 to 5 miles 3 or 4 times a week and 10 plus once a week and the mileage has never been correct. It's typically off by a mile or more. It's been my only frustration with my Charge until recently but it's the reason I'll look at alternatives when the time comes.

I'm starting to have issues with the battery. It used to hold a charge for nearly a week and I now have to charge it about every other day so I contacted fitbit about that. I've had it about 4 months.

Just my two cents!

@jenthibert Do you have your stride length set accurately? If not, that will definitely mess with the mileage.

editorgrrl

jenthibert wrote: »

My frustration with fitbit is that mileage is very inaccurate. I walk 4 to 5 miles 3 or 4 times a week and 10 plus once a week and the mileage has never been correct. It's typically off by a mile or more.

I'm starting to have issues with the battery. It used to hold a charge for nearly a week and I now have to charge it about every other day so I contacted fitbit about that. I've had it about 4 months.

To get accurate mileage, calibrate your stride length: http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/How-do-I-measure-and-adjust-my-stride-length

To maximize battery life: http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/Tracker-battery-information

jenthibert

editorgrrl wrote: »

To get accurate mileage, calibrate your stride length: http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/How-do-I-measure-and-adjust-my-stride-length

To maximize battery life: http://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/Tracker-battery-information

Thank you. I had looked at the battery info. I have no alarms or call notifications and I check the time maybe 5 times a day tops. I'm actually not used to wearing a watch so I forget that I can, lol.

As for calibrating, I honestly have not. It's easier for me to just use runkeeper. Can you calibrate differently for walks and runs? I actually found the GPS tracking on the fitbit app. Going to give that a go today!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply!

editorgrrl

jenthibert wrote: »

As for calibrating, I honestly have not. It's easier for me to just use runkeeper. Can you calibrate differently for walks and runs? I actually found the GPS tracking on the fitbit app. Going to give that a go today!

There are two settings: Stride Length and Running Stride Length. Tracking a walk/run/hike will fix the distance for that activity only—the rest of your day will still be off.

There are instruction on the Fitbit group for calibrating your stride using a treadmill: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users