MFP + Fitbit: Calorie goal

MIM49

Is this correct? If MFP and Fitbit are connected/linked then Fitbit uses the data from MFP for meals logged--basically calories. I have a question regarding setting goals on Fitbit. If you go to your Fitbit account on the Fitbit app (I have Android--don't know of it makes a difference) and scroll down to GOALS:ACTIVITY, you can customize your goals for Steps-Distance-CALORIES; What are you supposed to enter for CALORIES? Intake per day? Deficit per day? Burn? How do you determine the number for calorie goal? I don't know what this goal should be. I would like to lose weight. 1500 calorie per day plan. Would like to lose 1-1 1/2 pounds per week. I don't want to "eat back" any calories I supposedly burn with exercise because I don't trust the number. So on the Fitbit app what should my ACTIVITY CALORIE GOAL be?

heybales

If after several days of logging food, you discover that you really hate to eat less than 1700 and you realize less than that consistently just means you'll binge and not adhere, then to lose say 1.5 lbs weekly (you got over 30 lbs to lose to healthy weight for that to be reasonable?) you'd better eat on average 750 cal less than you burn - then you'd set your calorie goal to 2450.

That means if you burn 2450 or over, you get to eat your 1700 or over and be happy and perhaps meet all your nutritional needs and even better, reasonable food desires.
If you burn less than that, you can shrink your deficit and still eat 1700, but realize the diet time may take longer.
Then again, eating too little and binging really makes it take awhile.

So why are you using the Fitbit at all if you don't trust it?

Do you understand how it gets it's estimates?
Do you understand how MFP gets a non-exercise eating goal?
How do you know that is trustworthy?

Many people have an idea of calories based on nothing but seeing 1200 calorie diets all over the place, which isn't very useful to discern much about anything regarding calories really.
Just saying - perhaps you are experienced (not with dieting, most are, but with calorie values eating and burning).