Need fit bit help

LynnJ9

Hello, I am sure this has been asked before, but I searched and didn't really see the same question. I just bought a fit bit Alta Hr.
I have my MFP setting at sedentary. So I know that the fit bit will track my steps and put them into MFP but not give me calorie adjustments until I reach a certain number of steps. Which is great, I don't think I will hit that point on the weekends, but as a high School teacher I will during the week, which is why I set it to sedentary.
My question is when I do the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred video. How would my fit bit register this activity? Should I take the fit bit off for this video and log it myself. Will the fit bit know I am doing weight exercises, ab workouts etc.
I really want to figure out how to accurately log my exercise. I am 15 lbs from my goal weight, finally, and I am really really nervous about going into maintenance. Losing was simple, but I don't want to gain it back, but I am also looking forward to eating as many calories as I am able to.

cjv73

With my Fitbit Charge2 I start the "timer" (ie exercise/time/calorie counter) at the beginning of the exercise, stop it when I'm done Then when I manually log the exercise into MFP, I enter the time that I started the exercise (if your Fitbit is synced to MFP, you will get the start time option). This way the Fitbit realizes that the exercise you manually logged is the same one that you were using the timer for, since they occurred at the same time, and it will not double-count the calories burned. But you still get to see all the heart rate info, your daily steps keep calculating, etc., on the Fitbit.

Not sure about the Alta, but mine has several different exercise options, seven that I can keep set up as shortcuts on my watch. I have them set to run, treadmill, workout, bike, hike, stairclimbing, and walk, since those are my standard exercises. When I do the escarpment stairs, I choose stairclimb, even though I walk 2kms as part of the workout in addition to the stairs. It all evens out.

LynnJ9

Ok, I need to look at mine. I understand the video could be logged as circuit training so I could use that for my video. Thanks

heybales

In case it wasn't found in the Fitbit group.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy/p1

That model will see increased HR and steps and assume workout being done - and do HR-based calorie burn.

It'll be close enough to a good estimate. Unless it was like 70% of your daily calorie burn - then inaccuracies would matter.

If you wish to see the stats gathered during that chunk of time for comparison later - start the workout yourself with button.
You can edit that Activity Record and name it whatever is meaningful.
And you'll get to see the steps that occurred within it, and calorie burn from it.

It will take about a couple weeks of figuring out your stats for the HR-based to become more accurate.


That being said, how long and often are these workouts?
Which are really circuit style training, and have the wrong aerobic usage for HR-based calorie burn to be good estimate - it'll be inflated.
It could be logged on Fitbit as Circuit training. You can use the start/duration time of the Activity Record to make your own Workout Record to replace the calorie stats. Leave the first record though - it's not doubling anything if that is concern.

But as a teacher with large daily TDEE anyway - the % wrong is probably lower than inaccuracies you have on nutrition labels, so no big whoop.

If you were totally sedentary otherwise, and did the videos 3 x daily - then ya, it would matter more.

The selection of different workout names is meaningless to any calculations - that is merely changing a text label, which you could edit to anything really.

LynnJ9

heybales wrote: »

In case it wasn't found in the Fitbit group.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy/p1

That model will see increased HR and steps and assume workout being done - and do HR-based calorie burn.

It'll be close enough to a good estimate. Unless it was like 70% of your daily calorie burn - then inaccuracies would matter.

If you wish to see the stats gathered during that chunk of time for comparison later - start the workout yourself with button.
You can edit that Activity Record and name it whatever is meaningful.
And you'll get to see the steps that occurred within it, and calorie burn from it.

It will take about a couple weeks of figuring out your stats for the HR-based to become more accurate.


That being said, how long and often are these workouts?
Which are really circuit style training, and have the wrong aerobic usage for HR-based calorie burn to be good estimate - it'll be inflated.
It could be logged on Fitbit as Circuit training. You can use the start/duration time of the Activity Record to make your own Workout Record to replace the calorie stats. Leave the first record though - it's not doubling anything if that is concern.

But as a teacher with large daily TDEE anyway - the % wrong is probably lower than inaccuracies you have on nutrition labels, so no big whoop.

If you were totally sedentary otherwise, and did the videos 3 x daily - then ya, it would matter more.

The selection of different workout names is meaningless to any calculations - that is merely changing a text label, which you could edit to anything really.

Thank you. That is a lot of information which I will need to study. The workouts are about 25 minutes with a mixture of cargo weights and exercises. I do think I will log it a circuit training, I would like to see it separate from my step calorie burn.
Thank you again for taking the time to respond to my post. This was great information

heybales

You might log it as an Activity Record first (you supply name, start & end time only if the Fitbit didn't create one already) just to see what Fitbit was seeing for steps and calorie burn during that block of time, and HR always useful to compare later.

Then manually log as Workout Record (you supply start & duration time only, let Fitbit get calories from database) just to see what that gives for calorie burn.

Fitbit is a replacement only system, so your 2nd entry overwrites the 1st for calorie burn, the other stats aren't touched unless you logged walking/running.
The snapshot of the Activity Record remains untouched though, just like a snapshot.

You may find that it's so close - no need to manually log it.
Then again, may find it's off like 100 - so glad that you did.