Help Fitbit flex

jessleon1984

Hi so I synced my Fitbit I think but it's not changing anything on mfp?on the Fitbit app it knows how many cals I've eaten but I thought it's supposed to also add cals to mfp??

geminiswede

If you're on the website, go to apps, then steps, and make sure that fitbit tracker is selected rather than "don't track steps". Mine has stopped syncing to MFP a few times, and that's usually been the culprit.

If that doesn't seem to be the case, it could be that you're not getting enough steps for MFP to recognize it with your activity level. I'm on Sedentary on MFP and it usually starts to pick up calories from fitbit steps around 2500-3000 steps for me.

shadowfax_c11

How many steps are you getting? It won't credit you with exercise calories until you get to 5 miles walked.

kshama2001

shadowfax_c11 wrote: »

How many steps are you getting? It won't credit you with exercise calories until you get to 5 miles walked.

Really? I'm set at Sedentary and my One starts giving me calories a little over 2,000 steps, around a mile.

ibamosaserreinas

Mine starts giving me exercise calories at 3000.

It totally depends on the setting your activity level in on.

shadowfax_c11

Sorry yes it does depend on the activity level you have chosen. If you have negative adjustments enabled it doesn't much matter at the end of the day.

StaciMarie1974

You'll earn extra calories IF your total Fitbit calorie burn is higher than what MFP expects, based on your stated activity level.

How many calories did Fitbit (the app or website) showed you burned total for yesterday? What was your MFP calorie goal for yesterday? What is your weight loss deficit set to? Such as 1 pound/500 cals, 1.5 pounds/750 cals...

jessleon1984 wrote: »

Hi so I synced my Fitbit I think but it's not changing anything on mfp?on the Fitbit app it knows how many cals I've eaten but I thought it's supposed to also add cals to mfp??

StaciMarie1974

A long detailed explanation of how it works:

When you use MFP alone: you enter your height/weight/age/gender and choose an activity level. MFP uses this data to estimate how much you'll burn in a day. Lets say its 2400/day. Example only... You then say you want to lose 2 pounds a week so MFP says eat 1400. Due to 2400-1000 = 1400. MFP has no way of knowing if your stated activity level is accurate.

When you use Fitbit, it uses your stats and actual movement to estimate your calorie burn. When you sync the two, MFP gets that data and compares it to MFP's own prediction. If your actual is greater, then you earn additional calories. And the details change thru the day as you move.

Using the 2400 example, where MFP expects you to burn 2400 per day based on stats & activity level stated. MFP can't really process that you burn less in some hours (like while sleeping, or working a desk job), and more in others like when you're running errands or such. So MFP assumes every hour is 100 as there are 24 hours in day.

Lets say your BMR is 1800 which boils down to 75/hour.

• You wake up at 6am, sync Fitbit. You're at 75*6 or 450 calories burned because you were in bed/no activity since midnight. MFP thinks you should be at 600, so you'd have a 0 or -150 adjustment if you have negatives enabled.
• Then you do morning stuff. Shower, move around the house. At 7am Fitbit says you're at 540 burned. MFP thinks you should be at 700, so now its a -160.
• You go for a run and at 8am Fitbit shows you are at 900. MFP expected 800, so now you have a +100 adjustment.
• And the day goes on. Each time you sync, MFP compares your burn from Fitbit to its own estimation.

It can be helpful to look at your past total daily burns in Fitbit to have an idea of what is normal for you. And factor this into your daily meal planning. I know how much activity I need to do in order to end the day between 1900-2000 total burned calories. And some days I know that I won't be that active, and will only be 1700-1800. I eat accordingly.

SCoil123

shadowfax_c11 wrote: »

How many steps are you getting? It won't credit you with exercise calories until you get to 5 miles walked.

This isn't true. It credits you when you go over whatever MFP has set. I have a flex and when its synced I get extra cals after around 4000 steps if I'm set to sedentary and around 6500 if I'm set to lightly active.