Fitbit Calorie Adjustment Help

ross_b1

So I've connected myfitnesspal and my fitbit account. I just have a question about the calorie adjustment with them working together. I have done around 4,000 steps this morning, but myfitnesspal has registered this as exercise and added 400 calories to my total allowance today. Surely this is way too much right? Mfp is getting this information from fitbit. Am i doing something wrong or have I really burned 400 calories just by walking 4000 steps?

malibu927

What MFP is estimate how many calories you'll burn for the entire day based on your number of steps and calories burned at the time of your last Fitbit sync. So say they assume your maintenance calories are 2600. MFP is estimating that if you remain this active for the entire day, you'll burn 3000 calories total, which will be 400 extra. This number will go up and down based on how much more or less you move. My adjustment right now is only 111 calories (also 4000 steps but I'm set to lightly active), but I expect it to be in the 300-500 calorie range at the end of the day.

CyberTone

The Fitbit Charge HR and Charge 2 have been very accurate for me. Most of the Fitbit models have accelerometers and altimeters that help to estimate the speed and change in altitude (stairs, inclines) that have contributed to the Calorie estimates. Quick walking of 4000 steps over hilly terrain or up stairs will earn more Calories than 4000 steps shuffling around the house, so how the Fitbit recorded that movement is factored in.

ross_b1

Right, I think that that makes sense haha. Thanks. So I don't need to worry and I can carry on as I am then? I just didn't want to overeat because mfp was telling me I had plenty of calories left to eat for the day haha.

StaciMarie1974

ross_b1 wrote: »

So I've connected myfitnesspal and my fitbit account. I just have a question about the calorie adjustment with them working together. I have done around 4,000 steps this morning, but myfitnesspal has registered this as exercise and added 400 calories to my total allowance today. Surely this is way too much right? Mfp is getting this information from fitbit. Am i doing something wrong or have I really burned 400 calories just by walking 4000 steps?

Malibu927 summed it up pretty well. I will forewarn that part of the adjustment will come off overnight. My example:

Lets assume that based on your stats & activity level MFP expects you to burn 2400 calories per day. And lets also assume your BMR is 70 per hour. WHen getting info from Fitbit, MFP will assume you are going to burn a steady 100 per hour, because it can't really contemplate sleeping hours, waking hours and such.

So at 6am you wake up. Fitbit syncs, sees no movement and tells MPF you have actually burned 70x6=420. MFP expected 100x6 so 600. You're behind by 180 so will see -180 as an adjustment or 0 if negatives are not enabled. Don't panic, this is normal. You have not really started your day yet.

Lets assume you workout in the morning. By 8am Fitbit tells MFP you have burned a total of 900. MFP now compares this to the 800 it expectd as of 8am and says you are +100.

Each time MFP and Fitbit sync, this calculation is made. MFP compares your actual burn to what it expected.

Now lets say it is 9pm and you're ready to crash for the day. Fitbit says you have burned 2900. MFP says that is +800 because it expected 2100 by 9pm. But you are not going to burn 300 between 9pm and midnight, perhaps 230 for a little bit of moving around the house before you go to bed. So Fitbit's end of day # is 3130 and when you look back, MFP shows +730 instead of +800.

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THis is how it works when syncing MFP and Fitbit. The overnight adjustment will always happen.

TheCupcakeCounter

I only eat back a portion of my calories to account for the negative adjustments because I am a morning workout person so my adjustment always starts out a bit on the high side and then levels out since I have a desk job.