I'm an idiot

Anna_Joys_Journey

So...I realized a mistake--at least I'm about 99% sure I did.

You're not supposed to wear your Fitbit AND use your HRM during exercise...are you? Cause then it double counts your calories? Right?

Oops.

froeschli

wearing it, doesn't mean you are eating the calories back....

Anna_Joys_Journey

What I mean is as I do my cardio, my Fitbit is counting calories burned and then I use my HRM-20% to enter for burn on MFP. At the end of the day my Fitbit syncs with MFP and tells it calories burned throughout the day. So the calories it lists as burned while exercising are added to the calories I already told MFP I burned. So it's doubling my burn so to speak. At least that's how I'm understanding it. I'm not eating all my calories back...only eating 1400-1600 unless I'm famished. The days I ate all of them back I got sick to my stomach...my body just won't take that much in I guess...but anyway. I think I'm understanding this correctly...

plantgrrl

Correct. If you're wearing your HRM to know when to do "cool downs" because your blood pressure is too high, only us it for that. The "fit bit" records all your movements as well and puts them on MFP. You should stop recording the HRM stuff on here. It'll mess up your food allowance.

ELVISDEAN

FITBIT HRM???? HA! what is this the stone age....flush them both

scottaworley

FITBIT HRM???? HA! what is this the stone age....flush them both

THANKS ELVIS DEAN

ChantalD75

I wear both... but record the HRM into MFP... it's supposed to overide it on Fitbit. You have to put in your start time...

Anna_Joys_Journey

Correct. If you're wearing your HRM to know when to do "cool downs" because your blood pressure is too high, only us it for that. The "fit bit" records all your movements as well and puts them on MFP. You should stop recording the HRM stuff on here. It'll mess up your food allowance.

How does it mess up my food allowance? I thought I was supposed to be tracking exercise as well?

RunFarLiveHappy

I wear my Jawbone UP and my Polar USA FT4 during intentional exercise. When I'm ready to start I set the Jawbone UP to "start an activity" and start my HRM in monitoring mode. The reason I use both is to measure accuracy of either. I only use them for cardio (usually running) because I'm of the camp that doesn't record a burn for strength training as there is really no accurate way to track the burn. So when I'm done with my workout I stop both timers (UP & HRM) and collect the burn data and compare. Typically they're very similar. I use whatever number is lower as the more accurate. If my FT4 is lower I modify the activity burn on my UP. As far as "eating back calories" I use the TDEE - 20% method so regardless of using both tools I am not eating any "extra" calories unless my TDEE on my UP for the entire day is higher. This has been very successful for me. I like data!

ETA: not 100% if fitbit works the same way or not

Anna_Joys_Journey

FITBIT HRM???? HA! what is this the stone age....flush them both

What? Why? I like my Fitbit for tracking steps thought the day and tracking my sleep. I like my Polar because I thought it helped me track my burn during my workouts...but I've been told I'm an idiot for that as well. I was told repeatedly to buy a Polar to help myself, but now that I have I'm being told I'm an idiot for using it. Oi

Anna_Joys_Journey

I wear both... but record the HRM into MFP... it's supposed to overide it on Fitbit. You have to put in your start time...

I do put in my start time. Is that why the "calories burned" changes? Because it overrides the Fitbit data?

abneys

I wear both during cardio workouts and if I enter the proper starting time and length for the cardio workout (using HRM data), then it overrides the Fitbit data for that time period.

If this is not occuring for you, then you can either manually adjust for it or change your MFP settings to not show any increase/decreases for Fitbit activities.

Anna_Joys_Journey

I wear my Jawbone UP and my Polar USA FT4 during intentional exercise. When I'm ready to start I set the Jawbone UP to "start an activity" and start my HRM in monitoring mode. The reason I use both is to measure accuracy of either. I only use them for cardio (usually running) because I'm of the camp that doesn't record a burn for strength training as there is really no accurate way to track the burn. So when I'm done with my workout I stop both timers (UP & HRM) and collect the burn data and compare. Typically they're very similar. I use whatever number is lower as the more accurate. If my FT4 is lower I modify the activity burn on my UP. As far as "eating back calories" I use the TDEE - 20% method so regardless of using both tools I am not eating any "extra" calories unless my TDEE on my UP for the entire day is higher. This has been very successful for me. I like data!

ETA: not 100% if fitbit works the same way or not

I don't think I can do anything like that with my Fitbit...but I like data too. . But now I feel like a dummy for using any of them.

Anna_Joys_Journey

I wear both during cardio workouts and if I enter the proper starting time and length for the cardio workout (using HRM data), then it overrides the Fitbit data for that time period.

If this is not occuring for you, then you can either manually adjust for it or change your MFP settings to not show any increase/decreases for Fitbit activities.

I had no idea it overrode the Fitbit data...so I might be okay then? Because the "calories burned" number does change when I enter my data from my HRM.

abneys

If you go into your Exercise tab, there's a line that says Fitbit calorie adjustment. You can click on the little "i" next to it to see more information about how it calcs the adjustment.

PS: You need to use what works for you! If your current method is working, with 18 lbs lost, I would say it is. Then keep on doing what is working. That other post provided information already in your HRM booklet, so none of it was new to me. I use a HRM and I don't plan on stopping because some people don't think it's best. It works for me and that's what matters.

Anna_Joys_Journey

If you go into your Exercise tab, there's a line that says Fitbit calorie adjustment. You can click on the little "i" next to it to see more information about how it calcs the adjustment.

PS: You need to use what works for you! If your current method is working, with 18 lbs lost, I would say it is. Then keep on doing what is working. That other post provided information already in your HRM booklet, so none of it was new to me. I use a HRM and I don't plan on stopping because some people don't think it's best. It works for me and that's what matters.

Right...I just didn't realize it overrode. So I'm good then? Thanks!!
About that other post, true. I'm trying not to get worked up over it...but when someone messages me and calls me an idiot about it...it's not okay. Anyhoo, thanks for the supportive advice!

RunFarLiveHappy

No one should be calling anyone an idiot, that would be considered abuse and is a violation of MFP guidelines.

In reference to a previous post: there's always going to be more than one viewpoint on what is the "right" way to travel along this journey. The point is to find the one that is right FOR YOU. Keep doing what you're doing, if you're making progress, don't fix what isn't broken. If you begin to plateau (4-6 weeks with no changes) then you may want to consider changing something in your program. You're doing fine! Don't let anyone get you down!

Anna_Joys_Journey

No one should be calling anyone an idiot, that would be considered abuse and is a violation of MFP guidelines.

In reference to a previous post: there's always going to be more than one viewpoint on what is the "right" way to travel along this journey. The point is to find the one that is right FOR YOU. Keep doing what you're doing, if you're making progress, don't fix what isn't broken. If you begin to plateau (4-6 weeks with no changes) then you may want to consider changing something in your program. You're doing fine! Don't let anyone get you down!

Thanks!

plantgrrl

Anna, you are definitely not an idiot. It sounded like it might be "doubling up" your exercise "calorie credits," as it were. But now it sounds like it over-rides your fitbit data. So, you're cool. Hang in there and keep doing what you do. Ignore the haters.

My sister still tells people she thought I was "anorexic" when I had lost 35lbs. It was the high side of healthy for me...*sigh*

Opinions are like a-holes.

ChantalD75

I wear both... but record the HRM into MFP... it's supposed to overide it on Fitbit. You have to put in your start time...

I do put in my start time. Is that why the "calories burned" changes? Because it overrides the Fitbit data?

that's what I was told.