Fitbit people

charelg
charelg Posts: 599 Member
edited November 23 in Health and Weight Loss
So I am confused my fitbit says I have like 1k calorieds left. I did about an hour of exercise and ate like 1200 calories. Where does it get this number?

Replies

  • ShandaLeaS
    ShandaLeaS Posts: 136 Member
    from the steps you took all day. Ignore the fitbit info. Input all exercise into fitbit, sync with mfp, enter all food with mfp, enable negative calories in mfp for when it syncs and go by your calories to eat on mfp. At the end of the day they're within about 15-25 calories for me. Fitbit assumes what you'll continue to burn for the day off of what you already have vs. mfp doesn't.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    If you are looking at the fitbit site and it says you have 1000 cals to eat yet you probably haven't told fitbit that you want to lose weight so it's asking for you to eat at maintenance. My fitbit asks me to eat at maintenance because I haven't asked it to lose weight.
    I have mfp set to lose weight and follow the calorie amount mfp tells me to eat with the cal burn info fitbit gives it.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    charelg wrote: »
    So I am confused my fitbit says I have like 1k calorieds left. I did about an hour of exercise and ate like 1200 calories. Where does it get this number?

    Firstly I wouldn't look at the calories in Fitbit, look in mfp, you may have set mfp and fit bit goals differently etc.

    My guess the 1k left is your estimated calories burned for the day less 1200 less your deficit for weightloss.

    Say for the day you burned 2700. You ate 1200 and are aiming to lose a pound a week which is 500 calories per day, your left with 1000 calories to eat etc.
  • charelg
    charelg Posts: 599 Member
    I told fitbit 2lbs a wk I want to lose
    It says 2700 calories out.
  • Merkavar
    Merkavar Posts: 3,082 Member
    edited August 2015
    charelg wrote: »
    I told fitbit 2lbs a wk I want to lose
    It says 2700 calories out.

    Do you have mfp set to 2lbs?

    They should be pretty close. Let me check mine.

    My minds not working it seems but I think I'm seeing like 50 cal difference. Not much.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    charelg wrote: »
    So I am confused my fitbit says I have like 1k calorieds left. I did about an hour of exercise and ate like 1200 calories. Where does it get this number?

    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

    In the MFP app, go to More > Steps and choose Fitbit.

    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
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited August 2015
    Fitbit has 2 options, and you can change it thru your online dashboard (not thru the app) under logging.

    Personalized vs sedentary.

    Personalized uses your past history to estimate how much you'll burn in any given day. If you're less active today than typical, you may have a problem in that the calories to eat # was based on a more active habit.

    Sedentary takes what you've actually done and assumes you'll be a lazy bum for the rest of the day. So as you move more, you earn more.

    I recommend use sedentary but understand you're going to start the day with a low # allowed to eat. But you'll also know that all you need to do to earn more calories: move.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited August 2015
    Example I have my Fitbit set to sedentary and a 250/day deficit. Its almost 10:00 am and I'm only at 872 steps. I've logged 627 calories for breakfast & snacks and according to Fitbit I have 468 left. But I will move enough today thru activity & exercise to hit 1850 burned, so ultimately will aim to eat around 1500-1600 total. Which means I need to move enough to earn another 400+ calories.
  • charelg
    charelg Posts: 599 Member
    Thanks ya'll. I don't see where you change it to sedentary?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Does changing fitbit from personalised to sedentary affect the calories etc on the mfp side?
  • minties82
    minties82 Posts: 907 Member
    I just tried it and it didn't seem to have any immediate effect. But perhaps it does if it is a fresh day?
  • minties82
    minties82 Posts: 907 Member
    charelg wrote: »
    Thanks ya'll. I don't see where you change it to sedentary?


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  • charelg
    charelg Posts: 599 Member
    I went on the fitbit full site but couldn't find where to change that. Help?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    No - just what Fitbit shows for being over/under.

    Also - in my opinion if looking at the Fitbit app, ignore the 'in the zone' section unless you're looking at prior days. It compares what you've logged as of NOW to what you've burned as of NOW. Not useful. Especially if you prelog your food and/or workout in the evening!
    christinev297 wrote: »
    Does changing fitbit from personalised to sedentary affect the calories etc on the mfp side?

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    There are images above. But the short answer, under the logging tab then under the Food section.
    charelg wrote: »
    I went on the fitbit full site but couldn't find where to change that. Help?

  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    Will be noticable on a new day. :)
    minties82 wrote: »
    I just tried it and it didn't seem to have any immediate effect. But perhaps it does if it is a fresh day?

  • charelg
    charelg Posts: 599 Member
    I still don't see it in food section :(
  • charelg
    charelg Posts: 599 Member
    Never mind
    I found it. Thank u!!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,312 Member
    Just forget the confusing food eating goals on Fitbit (and they don't even consistently update on the phone app), and eat as per MFP's advice while logging your exercise as per Fitbit.... and let the two sort it out between them as to the adjustments.
  • TerryJackson61
    TerryJackson61 Posts: 733 Member
    Are they worth the money to get one I am still on the fence about it? I'm on a pretty tight budget.
  • kaylaybanez
    kaylaybanez Posts: 38 Member
    What does it do if you enable negative calorie adjustment? I'm confused
  • Unknown
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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    TerryJackson61 wrote: »
    Are they worth the money to get one? I am still on the fence about it? I'm on a pretty tight budget.

    Buy a Fitbit at a store near you, keep the receipt, and return it if you don't like it. They calculate your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), the calories necessary to maintain your current weight.
    kaylaybanez wrote: »
    What does it do if you enable negative calorie adjustment?

    Your default MFP calorie goal is activity level minus deficit. Adjustments are the difference between your Fitbit burn (which is TDEE) and your activity level. With negative adjustments disabled, you never eat at a true deficit on days you burn fewer calories than your activity level. But negative adjustments never put your calories below 1,200.

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