Super confused about negative calorie adjustments, my Fitbit and my HRM - HELP

MsLexii

Hi all!

So I have a Fitbit (a Charge) and I wear a heart rate monitor every time I exercise. I put my exercise in, and I record how many calories, based off my weight, based off my HRM that I burnt for that exercise session. When I log into MFP it literally subtracts calories away from my work out, telling me that I am NOT burning that much. What the heck? and WHY? I trust my HRM being way more accurate than MFP or Fitbit. What is the point of this? and should I just turn it off???

PeachyCarol

Ah! You love data like I do

What sort of exercise are you using your HRM for? It's not really the most accurate assessment for a lot of things.

As for the negative calorie adjustments... what do you have your current activity level set to on MFP?

MsLexii

I tend to do zumba classes, step aerobics classes, or I do the elliptical/treadmill/cardio machines.
I believe I have to set to lightly active. I am a stay at home mom. I'm on my feet 95% of the day, but I'm usually standing in one general circle area lol.. cooking. dishes. laundry. etc.

and... yes... yes.. I am a data person. It really helps me to see the numbers and the progress.

StaciMarie1974

Do you have Fitbit synced to MFP? If so, and you're logging it, that is why... It gets info from your Fitbit. So if you log the activity, MFP will not give you credit for the logged activity AND the Fitbit data. Just let the Fitbit do its thing.

MsLexii

I do have my fitbit synced with MFP ... and then I log my exercise into MFP. I never use the exercise function on the fitbit. I never log exercise into the fitbit. I rely solely on my HRM and logging it into MFP.

ColinsMommaOC

Make sure that your Fitbit Timezone and your MFP Timezone are set to the same. Since you log the date/time of the exercise, if these are different it will mess it up.

StaciMarie1974

You're a data person so I don't think I will lose you. This is how it works:

MFP estimates your daily burn for activity & BMR based on stats and activity level. For sake of this example, lets assume your daily # for MFP is 2400. MFP then assumes you'll burn 100/hour as there are 24 hours in the day. MFP can't tell slow hours from busy hours, they're all the same.

When you sync your Fitbit, MFP gets info on your actual burn. Lets say your BMR is 75 per hour. You wake up at 6am, you sync. Fitbit says you've burned 75 x 6 = 450. MFP expected 600, so you're -150 right now. You're behind. Then from 6am-7am you're around the house, getting ready for the day. At 7am Fitbit says your total is 545 so far. MFP expected 700, you're still behind. You go for a run from 7am-8am. At 8am Fitbit says you've burned 900 total. MFP expected 800, you're ahead by 100. And so on all day. Each time you sync, MFP takes what you've burned, compares to where you 'should' be and adds or subtracts.

So what happens when you log an activity? Lets say you logged your run from 7am-8am as 325 calories. MFP sees that you burned 325 for that hour, assumes 100/hour for all the hours with nothing logged, and says you will burn 2625 today. There are 16 hours left, so you should burn 1600 more. So when you sync Fitbit, and it says you've burned 900 by 8:00am, MFP says 900 burned + 1600 for the rest of the day: you're only going to hit 2500. You're behind target by 125.

~~~~~~~
At the end of the day, if you really do burn 2500 its not a big deal. Whether you burn 2400 + 100 Fitbit adjustment or 2625-125 Fitbit adjustment its still 2500. The main thing is for you to be able to understand your #s and know what to eat. It can be rather confusing to log work in MFP and use the Fitbit and end the day with a big negative.

Hornsby

MsLexii wrote: »

I tend to do zumba classes, step aerobics classes, or I do the elliptical/treadmill/cardio machines.
I believe I have to set to lightly active. I am a stay at home mom. I'm on my feet 95% of the day, but I'm usually standing in one general circle area lol.. cooking. dishes. laundry. etc.

and... yes... yes.. I am a data person. It really helps me to see the numbers and the progress.

Unfortunately, an HRM isn't going to be accurate for things like Zumba and step aerobics, and will only be somewhat accurate for the treadmill and elliptical if you are doing steady state. If you do intervally type workouts on those machines, the accuracy will go down even more.

dubird

I would switch to using the exercise mode at Fitbit and not logging it on MFP. I know that MFP added a time for exercise so that Fitbit recognizes when you're adding exercise it registers, but that never worked well for me. I find it much easier to use the exercise mode on mine and just use MFP for food.

Basically, what I did was take my calories burned for a couple of weeks (subtracting any exercise), and averaged that out to get what my daily calories burned is without anything extra. Pretty much, if I had a lazy day, this is about what I would burn. I took my deficit off that, entered it into both MFP and Fitbit, and turned off negative adjustments. This way, if I have a normal day where I don't do a lot, I have what my daily total should be already on MFP. But on days I exercise or do move around more at work or class, I get extra added on.

There is a function to just enter calories burned on MFP, but if you're syncing with the Fitbit, Fitbit might be comparing it to what it has listed and making adjustments to send back to MFP.

MrPriolos

My fitbit is linked too and I noticed that my numbers are adjusted as to not subtract twice (once for the fitbit link, and one for the exercise logged). I use MapMyFitness for walking routes and it does the same thing there too.

MrsR130

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

Do you have Fitbit synced to MFP? If so, and you're logging it, that is why... It gets info from your Fitbit. So if you log the activity, MFP will not give you credit for the logged activity AND the Fitbit data. Just let the Fitbit do its thing.

This. Fitbit Charge tracks your steps and syncs up to MFP to make calorie adjustments. When you log your exercise into MFP, you are actually double-counting some portion (or all) of the calories that the Fitbit projected you burned, so it takes those away.

I love data and to keep this clean, ALL exercise goes through Fitbit (app or website) and ALL calories goes through MFP. Maybe try to track your exercise only through the Fitbit website to make things simpler.

SueInAz

I have always logged my exercise in the Fitbit app and my food in MFP. I notice much less discrepancies that way.

editorgrrl

MsLexii wrote: »

I have a Fitbit (a Charge) and I wear a heart rate monitor every time I exercise. I put my exercise in, and I record how many calories, based off my weight, based off my HRM that I burnt for that exercise session. When I log into MFP it literally subtracts calories away from my work out, telling me that I am NOT burning that much. What the heck? and WHY?

Your Fitbit burn is TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), the calories necessary to maintain your current weight.

Your default MFP calorie goal is activity level minus deficit. Adjustments are the difference between your Fitbit burn and your MFP activity level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.).

If (and only if) you enable negative calorie adjustments in your diary settings, your adjusted goal is TDEE minus deficit.

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

WBB55

If you have a FitBit, I recommend only overriding the steps, etc. it gives you if you're riding a bike or swimming. Anything like aerobics or running, I just let the FitBit do its thing. Sometimes I log exercise if I forgot my FitBit that day... like today...

SueInAz

WBB55 wrote: »

If you have a FitBit, I recommend only overriding the steps, etc. it gives you if you're riding a bike or swimming. Anything like aerobics or running, I just let the FitBit do its thing. Sometimes I log exercise if I forgot my FitBit that day... like today...

Ah, yes, there's nothing like getting 1 mile into a run and realizing your Fitbit isn't attached to your sports bra. I always have my GPS watch as a backup now.

MsLexii

SueInAz wrote: »

WBB55 wrote: »

If you have a FitBit, I recommend only overriding the steps, etc. it gives you if you're riding a bike or swimming. Anything like aerobics or running, I just let the FitBit do its thing. Sometimes I log exercise if I forgot my FitBit that day... like today...

So basically, don't even log my exercise into MFP? Or Fitbit? Just let the fitbit figure it out on its own??

MsLexii

MrsR130 wrote: »

StaciMarie1974 wrote: »

Do you have Fitbit synced to MFP? If so, and you're logging it, that is why... It gets info from your Fitbit. So if you log the activity, MFP will not give you credit for the logged activity AND the Fitbit data. Just let the Fitbit do its thing.

This. Fitbit Charge tracks your steps and syncs up to MFP to make calorie adjustments. When you log your exercise into MFP, you are actually double-counting some portion (or all) of the calories that the Fitbit projected you burned, so it takes those away.

I love data and to keep this clean, ALL exercise goes through Fitbit (app or website) and ALL calories goes through MFP. Maybe try to track your exercise only through the Fitbit website to make things simpler.

This makes sense.... got it! Thank you!!

editorgrrl

MsLexii wrote: »

So basically, don't my exercise into MFP? Or Fitbit? Just let the fitbit figure it out on its own?

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.

Either log your HRM burns in MFP, or see if you can sync your HRM with Fitbit: https://www.fitbit.com/compatibleapps (Or return your Charge and get a Charge HR—it's only US$20 more.)

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

dubird

editorgrrl wrote: »

Either log your HRM burns in MFP, or see if you can sync your HRM with Fitbit: https://www.fitbit.com/compatibleapps (Or return your Charge and get a Charge HR—it's only US$20 more.)

I second this. I LOVE my Charge HR, it's so handy. Granted, it's not going to be 100% accurate, but it's a lot better than me trying to guess.

NotGnarly

I have the fitbit charge HR and haven't had any problems during intervals. My HR goes all the way up to 174bpm and it's the same read as the machines. I got this specific fitbit because I do intervals. I also don't have negative adjustments allowed either. I go by my weekly burn report and subtract 250 cals per day. Maybe try getting the charge HR instead.

MsLexii

NotGnarly wrote: »

I have the fitbit charge HR and haven't had any problems during intervals. My HR goes all the way up to 174bpm and it's the same read as the machines. I got this specific fitbit because I do intervals. I also don't have negative adjustments allowed either. I go by my weekly burn report and subtract 250 cals per day. Maybe try getting the charge HR instead.

Thanks for your input! I had the charge HR for a month and I compared it to my HRM. I felt it was grossly inaccurate so after a month I took it back. I found a Charge NIB (but technically used) for $50! And I love it

NotGnarly

MsLexii wrote: »

NotGnarly wrote: »

I have the fitbit charge HR and haven't had any problems during intervals. My HR goes all the way up to 174bpm and it's the same read as the machines. I got this specific fitbit because I do intervals. I also don't have negative adjustments allowed either. I go by my weekly burn report and subtract 250 cals per day. Maybe try getting the charge HR instead.

Thanks for your input! I had the charge HR for a month and I compared it to my HRM. I felt it was grossly inaccurate so after a month I took it back. I found a Charge NIB (but technically used) for $50! And I love it

Was it underestimating your burn? I sometimes wonder if mine is doing that since I lift heavy 4 days a week and do intervals on both the elliptical and treadmill 4 days a week.

NotGnarly

I also had to wear it higher on my wrist about one finger above my wrist bone.

dubird

I had to set mine on my left wrist but set it to dominant to make it more accurate. But then, I don't do any lifting or anything like that, what little exercise I do is just walking. I've heard if you lift it won't be very accurate, I guess because your HR doesn't go as high?