Connecting Fitbit with MFP

froggyrossy

Hi,
I've just (re)-started on MFP website, was last on here over a year ago (pre-owing a Fitbit). I've now added my Fitbit on the MFP website. Do I need to do something on my Fitbit App too. What happens now? Will my steps activities be counted in the exercise section? I've synced my Fitbit to the App. Is there anything else I need to do? Thank you from a technophobe who wants to get motivated.

Sunna_W

It's the exact opposite. MFP will feed data to your FitBit (calories eaten). I haven't noticed MFP picking up my exercise - but only because I have that feature turned off, I think. I didn't want to lull myself into a false sense of security and eat more calories. FitBit calculates how much I have exercised or moved in my sleep or if I get up to go to the bathroom at night. Don't record your food and water on your FitBit (it tells you to let MFP be your source of data). Also, the FitBit comes with a huge .pdf document that is specific to your device (but you have to google it, b/c at least when I was looking, it wasn't readily apparent to me). And, it's kind of cool to look at your stats on multiple devices since it now syncs to the cloud. I get more out of it looking at it on my large computer screen - but use either my phone or iPad to sync my device and upload data.

froggyrossy

Thanks so much for your reply, but I still can't see anything on my FB app. On the MFP website I've added my FB. On my FB app I've added MFP. I've also downloaded the MFP app onto my phone. So I think I've connected in each direction if you see what I mean but I can't see anything on my FB app that tells me about my food (apart from FB's food log - which I'm not doing), and I can't see anything on MFP that tells me about FB. Oh the joys of technology!

scrapjen

The connection between Fitbit/MFP was having trouble for a couple days, but it's back up for me anyway. The only places I see the flow of information between the two is (1) On the Fitbit website/app the calories from the food I've added on MFP will show up. If I look at the calories in vs calories out section, or on the Fitbit food log (although there it's just one total number each for breakfast/lunch/dinner ... not individual foods listed as on MFP). (2) On MFP, you can see your recorded Fitbit activity show up on the main top graph under "exercise" or look on the "exercise" tab (again, just ONE number coming across, complete Fitbit "burn" not individual workout numbers). What shows here does depend on your settings on MFP ... if you've marked yourself as active or moderately active, MFP already assumes there is going to be an "exercise burn" and it's calculated in. Only if you exceed what they assume is "active" will you see additional "credit" from FB come across. I'm NOT sedentary, but mark myself as such, and then I see almost all my Fitbit activity coming across. I take the "exercise" number from MFP each day and compare it to what I would have calculated my exercise burn at on my own (based on machine readouts and such) and it's usually pretty close.

CyberTone

I would recommend reading through the first three posts in this thread on the MFP Fitbit Users group...

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

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

froggyrossy

Thank you everybody. In fact I got the hubster on to it, and just when I thought I'd run out of calories, it synced and I was allowed more, although I did stay good.