My Fitness Pal and FitBit
thegoya
Posts: 100 Member
Can someone please explain to me why the 'calories burned' in MFP is only a fraction of the 'calories burned' in Fitbit? for the same day and, when you check MFP the next day (for the previous day) it goes down instead of up after doing more activity at the end of the previous day, that is reflected in FitBit? p.s., I only check after FitBit has been synced. TIA
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You should read the FAQ in the stickies for this group.
MFP is estimating daily calorie burn based on YOUR selection of activity level - and that could be very underestimated.
Fitbit is estimating it as the day goes along based on what it sees you actually doing.
The Fitbit calorie adjustment is MFP correcting it's estimate to match Fitbit.
The reason it goes down the next morning compared to what you saw the prior night, is complex and covered in 2nd section of FAQ.
Basically it's because MFP kept estimating your burn at whatever activity level you told it, but if you sat on couch and went to bed, Fitbit saw and gave you BMR level burn for that time instead - corrected the next morning.
If you always look at same time and go to bed at same time - the difference will always be about the same - so you stay in the green by that much night before, knowing it'll be taken away by the next morning.0 -
MFP estimates total daily burn based on your activity level as stated.
Fitbit estimates total daily burn base on actual activity.
MFP cannot comprehend that you are moving more some hours than others. Fitbit however tracks by actual, so does handle this. Such as while I'm sitting/sleeping I am burning only BMR plus a tiny bit extra. And the last few hours of the day, I am sitting and/or sleeping.
MFP expects me to burn 1800 per day which averages to 75 per hour. My BMR is only 50 per hour. So if I sync at 9pm, MFP projects me to burn 225 from 9pm-midnight, but I won't. I'll probably only burn about 160 so the next day, my Fitbit adjustment drops by about 65.
The Fitbit adjustment will only go up between your last sync of the day and your first sync after midnight IF you moved enough to outpace your MFP projection. Such as if I sync at 9pm and then run for an hour: the actual will exceed the projected.
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To figure our how much of an adjustment per hour you will drop overnight you need 2 details:
How much does MFP expect you to burn daily? Divide that by 24.
How much is your BMR daily? Divide that by 24.
The difference x number of hours remaining in the day, is approximately what you'll lose overnight.
To know what MFP expects for your daily burn, set MFP to maintain - note the number.0 -
my fitbit wont sync with the Myfitnesspal app... what do i do?0
