"Calories Burned" Changing Retroactively
IdLikeToLoseItLoseIt
Posts: 695 Member
I don't know if this relates to the adjustment problems people are having trouble with (if it does, let me know, I don't want to be redundant).
I have been tracking my "Calories Burned" (per FitBit) and "Calories Consumed" (per logging in MFP) in an Excel spreadsheet since January 12th. Today I went to input my FitBit Calories Burned and noticed the numbers from days past are changing as far back as 01/19/2016.
What in the world is this? To clarify, this is in the FitBit App -> Calories Burned.
Why are my FitBit numbers changing retroactively? There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the numbers. From the 01/19 to 01/28 FitBit subtracted 12, 16, 21, 23, 0, 0, 0 (calories) then ADDED 3, 4, and 6 calories to days in the past. A 59 calorie discrepancy isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but having to go back half a month to re-input numbers is crazy making.
I have not changed my gender, height, age, etc. I weigh myself on a FitBit Aria.
I appreciate any feedback you can give me, thank you!
I have been tracking my "Calories Burned" (per FitBit) and "Calories Consumed" (per logging in MFP) in an Excel spreadsheet since January 12th. Today I went to input my FitBit Calories Burned and noticed the numbers from days past are changing as far back as 01/19/2016.
What in the world is this? To clarify, this is in the FitBit App -> Calories Burned.
Why are my FitBit numbers changing retroactively? There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the numbers. From the 01/19 to 01/28 FitBit subtracted 12, 16, 21, 23, 0, 0, 0 (calories) then ADDED 3, 4, and 6 calories to days in the past. A 59 calorie discrepancy isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things, but having to go back half a month to re-input numbers is crazy making.
I have not changed my gender, height, age, etc. I weigh myself on a FitBit Aria.
I appreciate any feedback you can give me, thank you!
0
Replies
-
When exactly are you getting the initial number that you notice on review has changed?
The Fitbit app gets stats from the device, then syncs those to app server, which then syncs them to the account server, which can do other math and sync results back to app server, back to app then.
You can catch delay effects.
Some stats will be shown on the app exactly as they match the device - until the sync back from the server happens and changes them.
Other stats aren't shown until they sync back from server, even though you could view them on device and wonder why the app doesn't match it.
Some steps are analyzed better probably and different calorie burn given to them, or seen not to be steps, ect.
That changes the calorie burn as sent back to app.
0 -
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question @heybales - I had no idea it was that complex. I enter my Calories Burned (per my phone app) into my spreadsheet anywhere from several hours after midnight to 5 days after. I always triple check my numbers, because that's how I roll, so it was odd to see that so many days had changed.
Any idea as to the maximum amount of time the whole process you described takes? Or a way to 'force' all that syncing?
At least I know it's 'a thing' - thanks again!0 -
Well, what I'm thinking of doesn't take that long - maybe upwards of 5 minutes - but enough time if you looked at account in the morning and wrote it down - it might not have adjusted yet with latest sync of device.
Nope - you got something else going on - unless the app is waiting to sync with account on next device sync - but that would be silly, and not heard any evidence of that.
Only longer delay is device syncing with app - seems most devices wait until they have increased calorie burn 100 higher than last sync.
So if you had a sync at 11 pm, 100 calories at sedentary or likely BMR level burn would take over 1 hr - so it would be past midnight for the app to see latest info from device. Unless you force sync from app to device.0 -
Thanks, I'll keep an eye on it and make sure I've synced everything and given it time. I always wait until the day after at the very minimum to record the previous day in my spreadsheet. I double checked my time zone and all my settings, nothing was wonky. Odd!0
-
Still happening, but I think I figured out why. It has to do with my weigh-in. I've been weighing in only on Monday mornings since January 11th.
FitBit is not taking my most recent weight into account when calculating my Calories Burned, which is problematic and disappointing. I would have thought that, per each 24-hour day, FitBit would take the most recent weigh-in for calculating Calories Burned (or the average of your weight that day if you weigh-in multiple times). Since weight is a fundamental number to this calculation, it's aggravating to see that it is taking several days before my most recent weigh-in "kicks in" and then FitBit corrects past days that were not accurate.
Again, these aren't big differences, and apparently they are being corrected at some point, but it really ought to be an instant, seamless experience.
The January differences were much bigger, because I had dropped more weight.
So, does anyone know when WEIGHT is taken into consideration when calculating CALORIES BURNED (which is essentially your TDEE)?
More detail for fun:
Calories Burned VS. Retroactive Change to Calories Burned (Difference)
1/31 2383 VS. 2383 (0)
2/1 [Weigh -In: 187.8]
2/1 2780 VS. 2780 (0)
2/2 2370 VS. 2368 (-2)
2/3 2273 VS. 2270 (-3)
2/4 2285 VS. 2281 (-4)
2/5 2418 VS. 2414 (-4)
2/6 2314 VS. 2310 (-4)
2/7 2215 VS. 2215 (0)
2/8 [Weigh-In: 187.1]
2/8 2087 VS. 2087 (0)
2/9 2447 VS. 2439 (-8)
And then life got busy and I wasn't paying attention to my excel spreadsheet. But, you get the point. This is what has been happening and I only noticed due to the fact that I've been keeping a spreadsheet. It's also odd that there's no change on the day of my actual weigh-in, as in your weight on a particular morning will NOT be the weight included in your TDEE calculation for that day.
Anyway, this is my best guess for what's happening.0 -
I get that much different between MFP 'sweb account and phone app.
0 -
What has to happen for the device to start calculating based on new weight is a longer sync where the revised values are synced back to it.
I suppose you could be getting good syncs from the device - but bad syncs to the device.
Like if you were to change time zone or time - that has to sync to device to know when the day starts.
Mine as always been immediate - but then again after I change the weight I use the computer sync app to force a sync.0 -
What has to happen for the device to start calculating based on new weight is a longer sync where the revised values are synced back to it.
I suppose you could be getting good syncs from the device - but bad syncs to the device.
Like if you were to change time zone or time - that has to sync to device to know when the day starts.
Mine as always been immediate - but then again after I change the weight I use the computer sync app to force a sync.
My FitBit wifi dongle in my laptop has been giving me problems (it used to always be on, now the software is always disconnected), so I've been exclusively using my phone for syncing. I'll play around with my laptop and see if I can get it to run well again, perhaps that would help?
Thank you!
0 -
Exact same thing happened to me today. I've been tracking my cals in/cals out for about 6 weeks now and only record it in my spreadsheet after midnight (after the sync to my phone to get the previous day's data.)
I noticed today that the app took away about 100 calories burned from each day. It probably is something to do with weight because I've dropped from 212 to 194 and started putting in weigh-in markers last night. I couldn't remember exact dates I weighed myself so I estimated them but today was when I noticed the retroactive change.
It's not a big deal in the sense that weight and how clothes fit are really what I go by. However I'm a numbers girl and have been subtracting this number from the total calories I want to burn (initially 3500 x 82 lbs) and recording that in my planner so I can see the big picture, and now that is way off. I'll just have to weigh-in more regularly and hold off on recording them both I guess, unless someone can definitely tell us when it can be considered concrete (?).1 -
Wow, I'm surprised it went back and adjusted the data that far back.
That is interesting. So not only must the device be using weight to calculate calories right then and there for display, but it must sync up enough raw data (perhaps only METS though) for the account to then retroactively adjust the burns from that data if a past weight changes.
Wow - that starts getting complex - but I guess if well written, it's pretty simple.
But I'd probably just warn that data is hardened after say 10 or 15 days. Forget adjusting meals or exercise that far back, it won't change anything.
I know I attempted awhile back, to adjust or add workouts to a prior week - and I thought that didn't work though. So perhaps you can't go inserting new data, but what the math is based on can be changed.
Thanks for comment. And yes - weight is huge factor in calorie burn estimate, but it does take about 10 lbs for it to be significant to change eating level.1 -
Just found this after googling the same issue. I also log my cals on spreadsheets so I can average the values over a week etc.
I haven’t changed my weight in the app for months and I log the amounts the day after (always refreshing before to make sure app is synced). I’ve just looked back over the last 5 days and some of the calories burned values are as much as 200 calories higher now... I don’t understand it at all! That is a LOT for it to change by when I haven’t altered any info or anything.1 -
You guys are going to make me start checking my past Calories!
What I HAVE noticed; but never paid too much attention to, is that my past "resting heart rate" seems to change by about +/-1 a day up to a day or two later. For example on Sunday it was 61 and Monday 62 and was so till this morning when today's was 63. But close to midnight, today's (or rather yesterdays as of the time of writing) remained at 63, but Monday also became a 63 and Sunday a 62.0 -
What goofiness.
I'm wondering if the values seen are from the account initially just getting the figures the device has known already - like it's value for avgHR, or RHR, or calorie burn.
But then the raw data is actually uploaded to the account - and server massage happens - incorrect values thrown out, ect.
Same way when Garmin GPS data was uploaded to SportTracks. Device has it's own algorithms for showing figures based on the raw data, but upon upload the software takes a harder look at the data, throws away obvious bad GPS data and smooths the info. Now it displays different data.
Not very often I'd run to a distance goal with goal pace, who cares the time. Watch alarmed goal was met.
But on upload and data smoothing - I missed my distance.
What's so odd though is the back track to data you both comment on. Very odd that far back.0
