Should I Allow Fitbit to Submit 'Exercise' To MFP...

davidjahughes

And Should I Eat The Calories?

Hi,

I've recently started tracking calories and weight via MFP and use a Fitbit to record steps.

My Fitbit that is connected to MFP, but I'm not convinced that allowing Fitbit to give me extra calories just for regular daily activity is a good idea. It seem to be extra calories for no effort.

Does anybody have any experience and thoughts on this?

I'm also confused by whether I am sedentary or lightly active on MFP.

Thanks

David

dj59lane

How do you get them linked together?

davidjahughes

Via the Apps section of MFP.

If you view the page about Fitbit, there is a small link that will connect them.

scrapjen

I know some people don't care for the MFP/Fitbit connection but I LOVE it and could not be without it (for either website to work for me).

It actually shouldn't matter which setting you choose (sedentary or lightly active) because the Fitbit will then tell MFP exactly what you actually are. The sedentary setting will result in a lower calorie goal to start the day, then it will grow as your activity feedback is sent from Fitbit. If you select the lightly active setting, you'll start with a slightly higher calorie allowance ... you won't see any Fitbit feedback until you exceed the expectations MFP has for "lightly active". You may see a Fitbit adjustment, you may not. In fact, you should enable negative calories and then if you are actually sedentary (when you said you were lightly active) you would actually get a negative Fitbit adjustment. But all the numbers should work out the same.

I personally like the sedentary setting, then I get to see what my complete estimate is for ALL activity above sedentary. I like to start with a low calorie goal and see it grow as I am active. The problem with an active setting, is that your calorie allowance starts high, and by the time the negative adjustment kicks in all the way (IF you even have it enabled), you might have already eaten those calories.

I try not to eat back ALL my calories ... more just to allow myself some wiggle room. I know everything is just an estimate. Even if I weigh everything (and I admit I'm not super careful) going in, my intake numbers could still easily be off. Calorie burn is even more of an estimate ... I have MFP set to a 500 deficit (1 pound a week) but if I can control myself, I actually try to leave 500 exercise calories uneaten (which would equate to a 2 pound loss a week) but just gives me a bit of leeway to hopefully at least get my 1 pound goal. I'm always eating at least my BMR+ ... I exercise a lot, and I don't really need to be eating quite as much as MFP/Fitbit tells me I can (I stuck to 2400 yesterday, even though I "could" have eaten 3000 per the numbers.) In my head, I want to stick to around 2000 on average as that really seems like a totally reasonable amount to eat any given day!

toutmonpossible

Before I lost my Fitbit they were linked. I disconnected Fitbit because it was giving me too many calories. I don't believe in eating calories back unless I'm hungry.

IrishHarpy1

I have my activity level set as "Sedentary" (though I am FAR from that now), record strenuous exercise like cardio on MFP using my Polar HRM readings, then let Fitbit give me an "adjustment" if I've earned it. It's worked just fine for me.

As far as eating back the calories -- if you're hungry eat them, if not then don't. MFP has already built a good deficit into your daily calorie allotment, so the exercise calories are a bonus. I usually end up eating about half of them back, but it's nice to have those "extra" ones lying around if I want a snack or a special treat.

DiamondRubyMom

I don't own fitbit but I've seriously considered it. The whole point is to give you an accurate count of calories burned for a day, aka you level of activity sedentary verses light active. Then you and MFP are no longer just making guesses but you have an accurate number.

1PoisonIvy

Well, I set mine on MFP to accept negative, and my activity level as sendentary, as the fitbit records your activity for you.
I still try to stay around 1200, but I know on very active days that it is ok to go over a smidge.


love my fitbit..I have the flex, so I can shower with it, no problem..........only had it a couple of weeks, so we shall see.

nilbogger

I find that having FitBit connect to MFP works great! I don't have to manually enter most of my exercise and I don't find the numbers FitBit gives you to be too high. Right now I'm maintaining, but I lost 12 pounds using FitBit with MFP and eating back most if not all of the calories every day.

My boyfriend also uses a FitBit to track activity and adjust calories and he's lost 33 pounds so far.

Reevsie123

Mine sync fine
Same as others I set mine on sedatry and let my flex adjust upwards. Had it about a month now and really like it, I feel guilty when I don't do enough so it works as an incentive for me
Would be lost without it now

davidjahughes

Hi,

Thanks very much for all the replies.

If I use the personalised setting on Fitbit, it allows me the roughly same number of calories that MFP does on lightly active, which is why I thought that might be better for me, but I was concerned I was having too many calories to meet my goals. And the figures are nearer my TDEE - 20%.

So based on the number personalised on Fitbit and Lightly Active on mFP seem 'right'.

My concern with sedentary was that whilst the numbers might be better for a weight loss point of view, they may be too low for a healthy weight loss.

I'm on holiday next week so will leave it as lightly active and then I'll try a week on sedentary when I get back.

Thanks again for your advice.