Calories left, and monitoring through-out the day. Older Fitbit vs Newer Garmin.

kellyjesse

I'm an oldbie coming back as a newbie.

5 or 6 years ago I had a basic fitbit activity tracker. I teamed it up with MFP and my favourite feature was seeing what "calories left" I had for the day. What was really nifty was the fitbit monitored my HR 24x7, and seemed to adjust as the day went on. So it didn't just take into account my formal exercise like a Strava cycle, but also just how active I was that day; if I was up and about, my steps, etc, or just sitting doing nothing.

I also seem to remember that if counted up throughout the day . For example, if my goal for my BMI was 2000 Calorie limit, when I'd wake up in the morning it didn't say I had 2000 cal left; it sort of did it by time. In other words over 24 hours my limited would be 2000cal, so when I got up at 7am it'd actaully say your calories left was 700, as that was what I'd burnt just living those first 7 hours (sorry if the number inaccurate).

Basically if I did nothing or just lived my normal day, and didn't eat a thing, by 12 midnight it would say I had 2000cal left; but it would slowly tick up through to that number the day to that number.

So the more active I was the more it would add to the bank, and if around 5pm I had 700 Calories left for the day, but then went for an hour bike ride and buried another 600 calories, I'd check to find I'd then have 1300 left... So both time and activity would constantly adjust the calories left.

At least that's how I remember it! It was great incentive though, as if I wanted to eat more I'd just do more exercise and always try to finish up the day at my goal!

Is this how MFP and a basic fitbit still work?

So now i have a fancy Garmin 735xt watch. It also monitors my activity and HR 24/7. It's got gps and tons of features. Butt unlike the Fitbit, even though it monitors my HR, I don't sense that it really adjusts anything or changes with how active I am. It does adjust of course if I upload a ride to Strava, but doesn't seem to care if I take extra steps or am just more active?

I'm wondering if I was just mistaken way back with the Fitbit? Or if not is there a way I can get the Garmin 735 to monitor all my activity? I think on the watch is is giving me the calories I've burned for the day, but not the calories I have left. I can view the app to see the calories I have left but it would be convenient to have it on the watch. And is the Garmin sending all my HR and activity data and steps to MFP already?

Sorry for the complicated query! I wonder your thoughts? Maybe I want to use another cheapo Fitbit instead of the Garmin?

I found this monitoring very helpful in the past; it helped me to bring off upward of 90lb and totally change my life. Alas I'm creeping way up again, especially with lockdown, so looking to get back on track and monitor progress again. I appreciate your thoughts..