Who Has Lost Using Fitbit's Numbers?

kirstenb13

I have a fitbit one and for me it underestimates by quite a bit. I lost >40 lbs pretty quickly but now that I'm in maintenance I'm still losing even though I eat up to what mfp+fitbit allows me. Not complaining, just another data point. (I also don't do a lot of non-step based activity so it should count everything I do)

scrittrice

FitBit + MFP has been freakily accurate for me.

lore622

Still waiting for mines and can't wait

imclynn

I have a Fitbit Alta.
So I was curious whether the calories out minus calories in (logged using MFP), along with the resulting calories balance given by Fitbit app would equal what I saw on the scale. This was using 20 days worth of figures.

Fitbit says my daily burn is approx 2400 cal.
Fitbit set my daily intake to be 1940 calories giving me a 500 cal a day deficit to result in 1lb a week.

I added up all the calories taken in 37,424 averaged to 1872.2.
I added up what my Fitbit Alta reported to be my daily burned calories, 48,821, averaged to 2441.05.
Here's the math :-)
2441.05 - 1872.2 = 569.8 x 20 = 11,398 / 3500 = 3.25 lbs

3.25 lbs is what Fitbit says I should have lost in those twenty days.
What my scale said...3.14 for that 20 days.

I was very pleased to see the results. :-)

So this helps me to trust the apps and the Fitbit Alta more. Especially when my scale fluctuates because of whether I'm retaining water that day or whatever the variables might be that weigh in day which make you go...how come it says I gained a lb in a day?!?! Arrgh!

Connie

Christine_72

I'm so happy to have read this @imclynn . I'm getting the Alta on Wednesday, moving up from the zip

sunflowerhippi

I find my fitbit underestimates what I am doing. I have a flex so does not take HR or do stairs so when I carry my daughter around or running up and down steps.

hannydeee

I use a Charge HR and have had good results from following the suggested calories/TDEE, eating back earned calories, etc.
I've actually been monitoring its accuracy for the past 8 weeks by keeping a spreadsheet of Fitbit calories burned vs MFP food logged. Based on my calculations (total deficit/3500) I *should* have lost 9.2lbs. I actually lost 8.6lbs. Unless the scales suddenly jump downwards tomorrow morning, I'm inclined to say that the Charge HR, at least for me, slightly overestimates TDEE. Only slightly, though, and of course the discrepancy in predicted vs actual results could also come down to changes in body composition.

marm1962

I have had my fitbit for a couple of years now, didn't lose hardly anything (but there were other issues involved I recently discovered), anyway Mine is a fitbit flex and I have it on my non dominate hand, but I have my setting set to the dominate one and sensitivity set to normal. I feel that it is now more accurate for my calorie burn and I have finally started losing some weight. So if you are having trouble losing then try adjusting your settings....not sure if you can do that on the other ones.

Christine_72

marm1962 wrote: »

I have had my fitbit for a couple of years now, didn't lose hardly anything (but there were other issues involved I recently discovered), anyway Mine is a fitbit flex and I have it on my non dominate hand, but I have my setting set to the dominate one and sensitivity set to normal. I feel that it is now more accurate for my calorie burn and I have finally started losing some weight. So if you are having trouble losing then try adjusting your settings....not sure if you can do that on the other ones.

@marm1962 what did you have your settings at before you changed them?

marm1962

I had it set on non dominant hand and sensative