Best configuration for using MFP app and a Fitbit?

serpentegena
serpentegena Posts: 43 Member
in MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions
I recently got a Fitbit (Charge 5) and I was expecting for it to work with MFP in giving an accurate reading of my energy expenditure. (I also posted some questions on the Fitbit support forums, and did not receive any helpful information). I found that on a training day, the Fitbit did not sync an accurate amount of expended calories to MFP, even though the estimate was correct in their own Fitbit app.

My question for you MFP users is, do any of you have a Fitbit smart watch? And if you do, what settings do you have for it and is Fitbit calorie expenditure info showing up correctly in your MFP?

At this point I am considering returning the Fitbit to the store. I was expecting more accurate calorie readings for my sports activities, not just a fancy watch and a whole lot of headaches.

Note that this is not in any way a criticism of MFP. I've always been happy with MFP, and that hasn't changed. I just wish I had a bit of help figuring out where the information flow between the apps breaks down.

Best Answer

  • durden
    durden Posts: 3,529 MFP Staff
    Answer ✓
    Linking MyFitnessPal to Fitbit brings more accuracy to your daily calorie goal and can help motivate you and keep you on track with your health and fitness goals. But a clear understanding of how our two services work with each other is the first step in that process.

    MyFitnessPal pulls your calorie burn directly from your fitbit.com account. We then project forward to the end of the day based on your calorie burn so far. If this full-day number is different than MyFitnessPal’s estimate for your daily calorie burn, an adjustment will be made to your caloric intake goal. This adjustment can either be positive or negative. If the adjustment is positive, this indicates that your Fitbit calorie burn for the day is greater than MyFitnessPal’s estimate. If the adjustment is negative this indicates that Fitbit's reported calorie burn is lower than MyFitnessPal’s estimate.

    Details about the calculation of any adjustment can be viewed by clicking the small "i" next to the adjustment in your Exercise Diary (on the full website), or by tapping the adjustment itself in the Exercise Diary of the latest MyFitnessPal iOS or Android apps.

    Because the adjustment value is recalculated every time your Fitbit tracker uploads new data, you should expect this value to change over the course of the day.

    If you are typically unable to sync your device until late in the day, you may wish to leave negative adjustments "off."

    For much more information about why you're seeing the adjustment you're seeing, please see: https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us/articles/360032623871-What-is-the-Calorie-Adjustment-in-my-Exercise-Diary-

Categories