Accurate calories data on Fitbit v. Myfitness Pal

fuminator18
fuminator18 Posts: 89 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there. Just wondering the accuracy of calories to record. I went swimming this morning and run my Fitbit the entire time - 45 minutes. It only gives 109 calories. But if I use the data on Myfitness Pal and chose the "swimming leisurely" is 150 more... What do you all do?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,458 Member
    All the calculators and the devices use calculations that are set for the averages of people your age and height/gender/weight.

    Pick one. Use it for 4-6 weeks. Adjust at the end of that time depending on your weight changes. You need a good 4-6 weeks to get trending data which reflects your actual exertion, logging accuracy and other lifestyle data.

  • fuminator18
    fuminator18 Posts: 89 Member
    Thank you for your quick response! Good point and I am going to try Myfitness calories data for now :smiley:
  • zebasschick
    zebasschick Posts: 1,067 Member
    i use MFP calories and figure they're a little high so i don't eat back all my exercise calories unless i get actually hungry.
  • fuminator18
    fuminator18 Posts: 89 Member
    Thank you! Good point!
  • NovusDies
    NovusDies Posts: 8,940 Member
    fuminator18 wrote: »
    Thank you for your quick response! Good point and I am going to try Myfitness calories data for now :smiley:

    I would suggest going the other way. If the Fitbit was set up properly I would trust it for now.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited October 2020
    In addition - if you have the Fitbit account synced - don't manually log a workout on MFP anyway.

    If you need your friends list to see you had a workout - just make a wall post that is more interesting than a non-descriptive 1-liner.

    The exercise calories you log on MFP manually just get sent to Fitbit, replaces what it came up with, and a new total has to be synced back to MFP again.

    You just increased the required syncs by 2 and increased odds of an issue.

    And that MFP created Fitbit Adjustment is not the workout, it includes extra daily activity that MFP wasn't aware of but obviously do count as part of your daily burn.

    ETA
    Did the Fitbit know you were swimming - did you start a workout called swimming?
    Because that rate of burn doesn't sound like much more than sedentary rate, maybe below like it saw no steps.
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