Fitbit calorie and fitness pal help

Clariss27

Hi!

Is anyone using a Fitbit?! I'm just wondering if this seems right. So far today I've walked 6441 steps and on my fitness pal it says that this has bumped by calories up by 421!! This can't be right? Seems hi!

Thanks for your input

niniundlapin

Does your Fitbit come with timer for exercise? I might not be 100% correct, but I thought the walking part might be just part of your daily activities...?! And also, the MFP data sounds like it's for an "additional walking" on top of your daily routine. So if you did walked more, maybe check at the end of the day (or even next day) to see if your total daily calories burn goes up or stays at about average... Mine is an Charge HR and that's how I checked mine when I first got it and didn't realize how it worked

CyberTone

That sounds about right.

For comparison, I am 55, 5'8", 150 lbs, in maintenance at 1820 net Calories, have a Fitbit Charge 2, and have MFP set at Sedentary. The last time I got 6,479 steps, I earned 446 extra Calories as my Fitbit Calorie adjustment. The effort put in, such as number of stairs or how hilly the terrain, factors into the Fitbit estimates.

I always eat back 100% of my earned Calories. I ate back 90% of them when I was losing a few pounds and had no problem netting 1700 Cals per day to lose those pounds. I do use a food scale to weigh all solids, measuring cups and spoons to measure liquids, and verify all food items I log through outside web sources and Nutrition Facts labels. I trust that my Calorie Intake is pretty accurate, and I trust my Calorie Output is pretty accurate using the Fitbit.

Clariss27

Thanks for your input. I'm just worried about eating the calories they are giving me and gaining weight lol!! I've done 4126 steps so far today and it's already given me 200 odd calorie adjustment.

alyssagb1

Its probably because of your activity level in MFP. ( I could be wrong of course)

I have mine set to sedentary, and try to get 10k+ steps (so i can see a bigger adjustment), generally, I'll get between 450-550 depending on how far over the 10k mark I went. (5'9, 145). My intake varies, some weeks ill be over my net calorie allotment, sometimes under. I've stayed at pretty much the same weight for some time now so I believe it's accurate enough.

Go with it for a while, and see what happens. If you gain, then yeah, its over estimating. That's, in my opinion, all you can really do.

Soccermavrick

Remember it is attempting to estimate your calories burned based on your steps and your settings. So if you are worried that it is over-estimating, or you are not losing weight, then you could try to just not eat back the extra calories. (Yeah, I know, where is the fun in that?)

dmkoenig

Stanford researchers just published an article about the inaccuracies of fitness trackers when it comes to calorie burning so it would be wise use these as a ballpark not as a definitive number.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/ct-fitness-trackers-largely-inaccurate-stanford-researchers-say-20170525-story.html