Fitbit / MFP

theledger5

My workouts are not coming over from my Fitbit to MFP. It adjusts my cals for steps but doesn't add in the workouts. Is this normal? Do I need to manually add the workout to MFP?

janejellyroll

This is normal -- it's how the sync works.

You don't need to manually add it.

StaciMarie1974

The 'calorie adjustment' is the difference between MFP's projection of what calories you should burn and Fitbit's valuation of what calories you actually burn.

Such as if MFP expects you to burn 1800 and Fitbit says you burned 2100, that is a +300 calorie adjustment. Fitbit does not 'send' stats on the workouts picked up by your device.

theledger5

Ok- so when it comes to eating exercise cals back do I just use the Fitbit workouts instead ?

theledger5

Also- why is their such fluctuations? For example last week I did 16500 steps and it gave me 619 cals adjustment and today I did the same and got 355??

CyberTone

theledger5 wrote: »

Also- why is their such fluctuations? For example last week I did 16500 steps and it gave me 619 cals adjustment and today I did the same and got 355??

The main reason is that nearly all Fitbits include an accelerometer that measures change in speed, and a GPS and altimeter that maps the terrain, change in elevation, and flights of stairs you walked or ran earning those steps. Also, most include a heart rate monitor that provides information to refine the Fitbit algorithms. Another factor to take into account is that during the first week or two, the Fitbit uses general population statistics in their algorithms. As it gathers daily information about your movement, the equations start to use your past data to further refine the variables, in effect it "learns" about you and your habits. Plus logging Calorie Intake along with body weight logged will further refine the equations. As weeks pass, you should find the Calories earned for a similar amount of steps will show less variability; unless you are climbing mountains one day and then walking a flat surface the next day.

malibu927

When MFP reads your Fitbit calories burned it can't tell what was burned through exercise, general activity, or BMR. So you get an overall adjustment for what it says you've burned past maintenance for the entire day.