Are all FitBit steps created equally

robinjoyc

I use the calories burned from my FitBit instead of entering exercise directly into MFP. In general, the amount of calories that I am rewarded from FitBit is less than if I entered the exercise manually in MFP - but this is ok by me. I'm concerned if for example I happen to walk a lot of random steps in a day without doing any real exercise does MFP distinguish these steps from steps earned via exercise.

NancyN795

No, not all Fitbit steps are created equal. Your Fitbit senses not just the fact that you took a step, but the intensity of the step (and frequency of steps, too). A low intensity step will be assumed to be shorter than your "stride length" (so will add less distance to that measurement) and a high intensity step will be assumed to be longer than your normal stride length. That's why, when setting stride length, you want to make sure you're walking at a comfortable, normal pace - not power walking and not a slow stroll, either. Not only is the length of the step adjusted for intensity but the calorie credit you get is also adjusted. So, you'll get some calories burned credited to you for those random steps but not like you get when you're actually exercising.