Fitbit Users

Join

Exercise Logging Question

cemurphy909
cemurphy909 Posts: 3 Member
in Social Groups
Hi all! I have the Charge 2 and went on a run with it, actually the first day first week of C25K. I decided to start the run manually on my fitbit instead of letting it auto-detect that I was running. After I finished my run, I opened up both the fitbit app and the MFP app to let it sync. I noticed that under "exercise" on MFP, it just has the "Fitbit Tracker calorie adjustment" and the number of steps I've taken so far today, most coming from the run. I thought there might be a separate entry specifying that I went on a run, as opposed to just walking a certain number of steps. Is this normal? Or am I right in thinking that it should log specific exercises recorded with the fitbit differently that just the number of steps? Thanks so much!

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    MFP only reads the number of steps and total calories burned on Fitbit at the time of the last sync. It cannot tell what has been burned via exercise, normal daily activity, or BMR.
  • NancyN795
    NancyN795 Posts: 1,134 Member
    malibu927 is right. MFP just gets steps and calories burned from Fitbit and doesn't do anything with steps other than display the number. It's the calories burned that is important and it covers all your calories burned - both from exercise and from just being alive.

    If you want your individual exercise noted in your MFP timeline, make a manual post, because if you log it in MFP, it will overwrite what Fitbit had for your exercise session with uniform, poorer data from MFP.

    I would recommend reading the FAQ found in the stickies. Lots of good information there. Here's a handy link: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy/p1
  • cemurphy909
    cemurphy909 Posts: 3 Member
    Thank you both so much, I think I've figured it out!
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    NancyN795 wrote: »
    malibu927 is right. MFP just gets steps and calories burned from Fitbit and doesn't do anything with steps other than display the number. It's the calories burned that is important and it covers all your calories burned - both from exercise and from just being alive.

    If you want your individual exercise noted in your MFP timeline, make a manual post, because if you log it in MFP, it will overwrite what Fitbit had for your exercise session with uniform, poorer data from MFP.

    I would recommend reading the FAQ found in the stickies. Lots of good information there. Here's a handy link: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy/p1

    I have been manually logging workouts in MFP by taking information from the detected workout on the Fitbit Dashboard. I select the exercise I did. Enter the exact start time and duration that Fitbit shows and then overwrite the calorie burn with the number Fitbit reported as my burn. Once entered Fitbit will overwrite the time period with the MFP entry but with correct burn data which is exactly what it had tracked in the first place.

    Kinda like getting to have your cake and eat it too

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    shadowfax_c11 wrote: »
    NancyN795 wrote: »
    malibu927 is right. MFP just gets steps and calories burned from Fitbit and doesn't do anything with steps other than display the number. It's the calories burned that is important and it covers all your calories burned - both from exercise and from just being alive.

    If you want your individual exercise noted in your MFP timeline, make a manual post, because if you log it in MFP, it will overwrite what Fitbit had for your exercise session with uniform, poorer data from MFP.

    I would recommend reading the FAQ found in the stickies. Lots of good information there. Here's a handy link: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy/p1

    I have been manually logging workouts in MFP by taking information from the detected workout on the Fitbit Dashboard. I select the exercise I did. Enter the exact start time and duration that Fitbit shows and then overwrite the calorie burn with the number Fitbit reported as my burn. Once entered Fitbit will overwrite the time period with the MFP entry but with correct burn data which is exactly what it had tracked in the first place.

    Kinda like getting to have your cake and eat it too

    What exactly do you think this is accomplishing - except giving a few more steps where an issue can appear?

    It changes no numbers from what it would end up being anyway - it merely causes a poorly written lack of info workout posting to be put on your wall for friends list to see.

Categories