Question about activity level W/ Fitbit settings

IsabeausRose

I have my Fitbit connected but don’t know what to set my activity level at to get the right amount of additional calories to eat back. I currently have it set to lightly active and I have to burn about 175 calories before I can earn extra to eat. But if I set it to active it automatically gives me 200 additional calories with no deficit to meet before I start earning and I thought maybe that was too much. Should I have it set to sedentary or lightly active. As a side note I get about 10k steps a day. With intentional recomp exercise it would be extra.

janejellyroll

You'll get the same amount of calories at the end of the day, the only difference is whether you want them "frontloaded." If you choose active, you'll have to move more to begin generating adjustments because you're getting more. It's really personal preference -- some people really don't like being in the red or they like the boost of seeing bigger adjustments, so they'll choose a lower level of activity.


One thing to note: turn on your negative adjustments. This way if you move *less* than what MFP would have estimated, your calories will be adjusted downward.

hesn92

turn on negative adjustments (you'll have to click around, I can't remember how to do it). It will adjust your calorie goal up or down based on your actual activity. I prefer to set my activity level to sedentary that way I start out with the lowest amount of calories I would need if I just sat on my butt, and then earn more calories throughout the day.

IsabeausRose

hesn92 wrote: »

turn on negative adjustments (you'll have to click around, I can't remember how to do it). It will adjust your calorie goal up or down based on your actual activity. I prefer to set my activity level to sedentary that way I start out with the lowest amount of calories I would need if I just sat on my butt, and then earn more calories throughout the day.

I can’t find the negative adjustment setting only how to turn on exercise calories is that it? It creates a negative amount to meet before I start earning on lightly active but not active.

ritzvin

There might also be a difference if your calorie goal setting would be hitting the minimum calorie floor. (ie a 1200 net calorie goal at sedentary setting versus a 1200 net calories goal at >sedentary setting -- ETA: the latter would be the equivalent of something like a 1000 net calorie-sedentary setting)).

If choosing higher than sedentary, then it's probably a good idea to turn on negative adjustments (unless you know you are truly always getting at least that activity level - which is typically true if it's due to your employment and some of your exercise is of a type that is poorly captured by the Fitbit or is done without wearing the fitbit)

IsabeausRose

ritzvin wrote: »

There might also be a difference if your calorie goal setting would be hitting the minimum calorie floor. (ie a 1200 net calorie goal at sedentary setting versus a 1200 net calories goal at >sedentary setting -- ETA: the latter would be the equivalent of something like a 1000 net calorie-sedentary setting)).

If choosing higher than sedentary, then it's probably a good idea to turn on negative adjustments (unless you know you are truly always getting at least that activity level - which is typically true if it's due to your employment and some of your exercise is of a type that is poorly captured by the Fitbit or is done without wearing the fitbit)

Yes I’m at the bottom calorie floor of 1200 whether it’s set at lightly active or active and the additional calories earned are the same. I found the negative adjustment setting on the main website so that’s turned on. I switched it to sedentary in case I do absolutely nothing that day.

IsabeausRose

hesn92 wrote: »

turn on negative adjustments (you'll have to click around, I can't remember how to do it). It will adjust your calorie goal up or down based on your actual activity. I prefer to set my activity level to sedentary that way I start out with the lowest amount of calories I would need if I just sat on my butt, and then earn more calories throughout the day.

Yes ty that’s great advice and what I’ve ended up doing it makes the most sense. We don’t get the same amount of activity in every day.

successgal1

The setting is in the diary settings and you have to be in desktop view on the web.