MFP canceling activity calories between Fitbit and Strava

pezhed

I feel like there is an obvious solution to this but I can't wrap my head around it.

I recently got a Suunto watch, which I wear while doing activities. Meanwhile I wear a Fitbit HR the rest of the day and remove it during the activity. I assume that the total calories I burn via Fitbit and the total calories I burn via Suunto (carried over via Strava) would be added up for my daily burn. My Strava activity is carried over to Fitbit via MFP. Instead of adding them up, it seems like my Fitbit is completely offsetting my Strava activity.

Today, for example, my diary shows:
Fitbit Tracker calorie adjustment: -424
Running (whatever speed, time): 414

Anyone had this issue before and resolved it? At the end of today will I eventually get credit for the calories? This might seem nitpicky but I really want to eat those calories and maintain a deficit.

StaciMarie1974

I think I can answer your question, but first have to discuss Fitbit/MFP's link.

MFP estimates your daily burn based on stats and stated activity level. For example's sake, lets assume MFP estimates 1800. Fitbit estimates burn based on stats and movement. If Fitbit says I have burned 2000, then the day would have a +200 adjustment. That does not mean I burned 200 'exercise calories' but that my total daily burn was 200 more than MFP projected. That of course refers to the whole day burn, so is relevant to a prior day/completed day.

If you follow me so far, keep reading lol.

During the day when you sync, MFP compares what Fitbit says you have burned so far to what MFP expects based on the % of the day completed. Such as if its noon and Fitbit says I'm at 957 burned, MFP would show a +57 adjustment because 12 hours out of 24 are complete, or 1/2, and 1/2 of the daily projection is 900. So I'm 57 ahead of what MFP would expect. Each time you sync, during the day, there is a calculation like this that takes place.

That is all you need to know/understand IF you're just using Fitbit and MFP. If you're linking something else though it gets a bit more complex. Am I correct in assuming that your Strava activity is logged directly into MFP? I think so from what you said. So in this example I were to log a 3rd party app exercise OR Log something into MFP for 400 calories (rounded off for simplicity) now MFP expects me to burn today 1800 + 400, or 2200 total. Fitbit also received the notice that you burned 400 during the specified time period. So now when MFP gets your calories burned from Fitbit, and compares to its projection: it is using 2200 as the baseline rather than 1800. Your baseline will stay at 1800 if you do not log anything extra to MFP. You could log it in Fitbit but the end result/math is the same. Keep reading...

Scenario 1: MFP expects you to burn 1800. Your Strava logs 400 to MFP, so now MFP expects you to burn 2200. If the Fitbit total burn for the day (including the Strava 400) is 2250. MFP will read 1800 + 400 Strava + 50 Fitbit = 2250 total.

Scenario 2: MFP expects you to burn 1800. You don't connect Strava to MFP, but sync it directly to Fitbit Or log it to Fitbit. Fitbit shows your total daily burn as 2250. MFP will read 1800 + 450 Fitbit = 2250.

pezhed

Wow, @StaciMarie1974, thank you for the thorough response. It sounds like I am ultimately getting "credit" for my calories based on the way the 3 apps interact. I really appreciate the explanation. This is what I was hoping was happening but it's kind of hard to figure out from looking at all the numbers. Thanks again!

Duck_Puddle

I would just double check and make sure that what strava is logging in mfp is getting logged under the correct time (start time). What @StaciMarie1974 said is correct but exercise is logged in mfp overwrites the Fitbit data for that same time period. So if I go for a run for an hour starting at 1:00PM, when I log it on mfp, whatever info I put in mfp replaces whatever Fitbit recorded from 1-2PM. So if strava is logging your exercise to mfp at some funky time (which might happen if there's a time zone issue with servers or the alien zombies that run all these operations aren't up to date on their shots), then your strava activity could be overwriting some other Fitbit data (instead of overwriting the data for the time when your activity actually occurred and your Fitbit was home on your dresser).

Also-make sure you sync your Fitbit after your activity is logged on mfp. Mfp won't recalculate until after you sync your Fitbit (so it'll always look "cancelled out" until you sync your Fitbit again). Sometimes you also need to log some more steps on your Fitbit to make it recalculate.