Tracking workouts....am I doing this correctly?

lyndseycherise

i have been just logging everything in MFP (exercise and food) as it's the app I'm most familiar with and then i synced it with my Fitbit and now I'm seeing that it is taking in account my steps for the day...this all seems correct. My question is is the Fitbit app logging my exercise twice? For example I ran 3 miles yesterday and I used the gps tracker on my phone with the MFP app....but then the Fitbit is showing "active minutes" AND my run in daily exercise. To me this semester like the Fitbit might be doubling up on my calories burned for the day? Am I doing this correct by only entering stuff into the MFP app?

NancyN795

I'd recommend that you read the FAQ found in the stickies. Here's a handy link: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy/p1

You're not doing anything hugely wrong by logging exercise in MFP - it is hard to accidentally double-log anything - but you're, at the very least, losing out on some of the benefits of having a Fitbit, because you're overwriting the good, detailed data from your Fitbit with poorer, less detailed blocks of exercise in MFP. The general recommendation is to log food in MFP, because it is superior at that, but log exercise in Fitbit - either by letting it automatically do its thing or (for exercises that a Fitbit can't track properly) manually logging in Fitbit because it is thought to have a superior approach to estimating calorie burn.

malibu927

NancyN795 wrote: »

I'd recommend that you read the FAQ found in the stickies. Here's a handy link: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy/p1

You're not doing anything hugely wrong by logging exercise in MFP - it is hard to accidentally double-log anything - but you're, at the very least, losing out on some of the benefits of having a Fitbit, because you're overwriting the good, detailed data from your Fitbit with poorer, less detailed blocks of exercise in MFP. The general recommendation is to log food in MFP, because it is superior at that, but log exercise in Fitbit - either by letting it automatically do its thing or (for exercises that a Fitbit can't track properly) manually logging in Fitbit because it is thought to have a superior approach to estimating calorie burn.

This. And since you were running, it doesn't need logged at all. Fitbit already takes care of that.

lyndseycherise

So, how would I log, let's say a step class at the gym or a run on a treadmill on the Fitbit? I ran outside today and used the Fitbit app to track my run, seemed easy enough.

NancyN795

It partially depends on which Fitbit you have. Some can auto-detect certain types of exercise, most have a button or some other way to put them into exercise mode, but I think the Zip doesn't have that. For a step class, I'd probably either let it automatically detect it (if you have one that does that) and then relabel it later or I'd push the button to use exercise mode. When I do Zumba, I let mine auto-detect. For a treadmill run, I push the button to use exercise mode. I could let it auto-detect the run, but for some reason when it does that, it doesn't give me a distance. When I use exercise mode, I can relabel it as a run and it gives a distance.

nosaragrandma

I log food in MFP, and exercise on Fitbit. I only record additional exercise on FB for things like swimming laps or weight lifting class - where my FB will not register any steps.