Fitbit saying calories too high?

TannyPants1

So I recently got a Fitbit blaze which tracks my activity and heart rate etc. I’m a nurse and work 12 hour shifts but have been on nights which are less busy and averaging 5000 steps a shift. I’m an overweight female at 5ft 7, BMR 1805 cals per day. But after only 5000 steps the Fitbit is saying I burned 3020 calories per day. This seems too high. Is it likely to be wrong? Has anyone else had this issue?

deannalfisher

FITBIT includes your BMR (what your body burns just by living) as well as any NEAT - depending on how long you have had it - it may take a little time for the FITBIT to learn your body, but the 3000 isn't beyond the realm of possibility

TannyPants1

deannalfisher wrote: »

FITBIT includes your BMR (what your body burns just by living) as well as any NEAT - depending on how long you have had it - it may take a little time for the FITBIT to learn your body, but the 3000 isn't beyond the realm of possibility

Thanks, sorry to sound dumb but what’s NEAT?
It would be nice if 3000 cals was the true amount I burn, it just doesn’t tally with MFP though which gives me around 1400 calories to lose 2lbs as lightly active

BusyRaeNOTBusty

TannyPants1 wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

FITBIT includes your BMR (what your body burns just by living) as well as any NEAT - depending on how long you have had it - it may take a little time for the FITBIT to learn your body, but the 3000 isn't beyond the realm of possibility

Thanks, sorry to sound dumb but what’s NEAT?
It would be nice if 3000 cals was the true amount I burn, it just doesn’t tally with MFP though which gives me around 1400 calories to lose 2lbs as lightly active

So for 2lbs a week, that's a deficit of 1000 calories a day, so MFP is guessing you burn 2400, which isn't that far from 3000.


NEAT is non exercise activity thermogenesis, basically the calories your burn during the day.

Seffell

Fitbit overestimates by a lot the first few days. Give it some time and it will adjust.

Unfortunately, after the initial fall mine was still overestimating by 300cals so I couldn't use it. But it works for many.

cwolfman13

TannyPants1 wrote: »

deannalfisher wrote: »

FITBIT includes your BMR (what your body burns just by living) as well as any NEAT - depending on how long you have had it - it may take a little time for the FITBIT to learn your body, but the 3000 isn't beyond the realm of possibility

Thanks, sorry to sound dumb but what’s NEAT?
It would be nice if 3000 cals was the true amount I burn, it just doesn’t tally with MFP though which gives me around 1400 calories to lose 2lbs as lightly active

The number MFP gives you is no more gospel than what Fitbit gives you...it's actually probably less accurate.

MFP is just estimating your maintenance calories at light active to be around 2400 calories...Fitbit is giving you an estimate of 3,000...truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

witchaywoman81

I was skeptical of it at first, but I’ve been going by what Fitbit says I burn and making sure I have a 750 calorie deficit most days. It’s only been a couple weeks but so far it’s been really accurate, which is a huge relief. Maybe give it a try for a couple weeks and see what your results are like.