Seeking guidance on FitBit/MFP interaction and exercise logging
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smrybacki
Posts: 78 Member
I have a FitBit One that I use to track my daily step count and it is syncing fine with MFP. I also do a daily workout on my elliptical trainer which is a model with NO arm levers, but it does have a heart rate strap and does inclines and so forth. It is a Precor EFX 5.23 if that matters. In any event, what I am wondering is if I am tracking this exercise (and indeed any exercise) correctly insofar as accuracy and not double counting are concerned.
I do wear my Fitbit clipped on my shorts as I do my elliptical workout, and it does log my steps. Then I log the exercise into MFP, noting the exact starting time and duration and entering the calorie burn my elliptical calculates since it has heart rate input. I would like to add some light upper body weight training into the mix soon, so I guess my question applies to that as well.
So then, is this the proper/correct/best way to do this, or am I going horribly wrong? If there is a FAQ on this, my apologies in advance.
I do wear my Fitbit clipped on my shorts as I do my elliptical workout, and it does log my steps. Then I log the exercise into MFP, noting the exact starting time and duration and entering the calorie burn my elliptical calculates since it has heart rate input. I would like to add some light upper body weight training into the mix soon, so I guess my question applies to that as well.
So then, is this the proper/correct/best way to do this, or am I going horribly wrong? If there is a FAQ on this, my apologies in advance.
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Replies
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You shouldn't add anything manually on MFP if your fitbit is synchronized with MFP. You can enter it on Fitbit though, but typically, I don't think it's necessary.0
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The HR display is exactly for that purpose on the machine - display.
It is not used in any calculations, as they don't have enough info to make it meaningful anyway.
And steps isn't accurate either, as that is not step based workout.
So, you are correct it needs manual entry - Fitbit preferred if using a database entry, as better calculation compared to MFP.
But - the machine, with weight entered, is likely to be attempting to use the watts needed to move the parts calculated out to calories you spending doing that. If this is a nicer machine anyway.
In which case, entry in MFP or Fitbit doesn't matter since you are supplying the calories, not from database.
But you might test it too - do a session with much higher or lower HR for same time - calorie count should be different since resistance should have been different.
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The HR display is exactly for that purpose on the machine - display.
It is not used in any calculations, as they don't have enough info to make it meaningful anyway.
And steps isn't accurate either, as that is not step based workout.
So, you are correct it needs manual entry - Fitbit preferred if using a database entry, as better calculation compared to MFP.
But - the machine, with weight entered, is likely to be attempting to use the watts needed to move the parts calculated out to calories you spending doing that. If this is a nicer machine anyway.
In which case, entry in MFP or Fitbit doesn't matter since you are supplying the calories, not from database.
But you might test it too - do a session with much higher or lower HR for same time - calorie count should be different since resistance should have been different.
So you're saying that the HR readout is just eye candy then, and not used to determine the caloric output based on my weight and age as well?
I have an older Precor EFX 5.23 and it always asks my age and weight each time I begin, so that plus my HR I assume meant it was fairly accurate. Also, it does give (and track) other information like strides, strides per minute, mets and others I can't recall just now. I'm not trying to be nit picky down to fractions of a calorie or anything, but I want to do as good a job as I can at the same time given the tools I have.0 -
Correct. Well, more than eye candy, lets you see relative effort in case the workout is more than just for calorie burn, but actually getting fit.
The age is so they can estimate the HR zones to tell you what your HR is in.
The weight is for calorie estimate, age doesn't matter. If 20 and 50 yr old are pushing the same resistance with the same weight, it's the same calorie burn.
METS is that value for effort.
If they know how many watts their motor is putting out to push against your weight, then watts is energy, just as calories is - it's just converted between values.1 -
Correct. Well, more than eye candy, lets you see relative effort in case the workout is more than just for calorie burn, but actually getting fit.
The age is so they can estimate the HR zones to tell you what your HR is in.
The weight is for calorie estimate, age doesn't matter. If 20 and 50 yr old are pushing the same resistance with the same weight, it's the same calorie burn.
METS is that value for effort.
If they know how many watts their motor is putting out to push against your weight, then watts is energy, just as calories is - it's just converted between values.
Thanks for the replies. So to clarify further, I think the machine does have a Watts setting, and it is using watts to determine calorie burns. I say that because on some days, when I am dogging it a bit I get say 406 calories for a 30 minute workout and a 5 minute cool down, and other days when I am feeling good I can do the same workout and get say 436+ calories burned. So I have been using MFP to put in the start time, length of workout and the number of calories the machine is giving me that day. Is this what you mean by saying in your original post in this thread about watts and it being a better machine?0 -
Exactly.
This is how bike power meters work, except they measure the force put into the meter, convert to watts, and something may convert that to calories.
Because attempting to measure all the different resistances fighting against you is very difficult.
On the machine though, if a motor is providing resistance, and not a fan or water or heavily greased gears - that motor has known watts, and the computer runs it at a selected level for your selected resistance level and weight.
In fact if you plan on doing a matching workout and want to just use the calorie burn you got from prior workout - change your weight to 25 lbs less or heavier and see what happens then.
It should cause a good change if the motor is calibrated right.1 -
Exactly.
This is how bike power meters work, except they measure the force put into the meter, convert to watts, and something may convert that to calories.
Because attempting to measure all the different resistances fighting against you is very difficult.
On the machine though, if a motor is providing resistance, and not a fan or water or heavily greased gears - that motor has known watts, and the computer runs it at a selected level for your selected resistance level and weight.
In fact if you plan on doing a matching workout and want to just use the calorie burn you got from prior workout - change your weight to 25 lbs less or heavier and see what happens then.
It should cause a good change if the motor is calibrated right.
I will try that. Thank you very much for your insights here, they really are helpful.
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