FitBit

Laura741

Hi!! I'm new here. My name is Laura, 39, and trying to lose this pesky insane amount of weight that I have gained since I lost it all 10 years ago.

My question is this- I have a fitbit that is linked to MFP. If I do cardio like take a long walk or do the elliptical, should I add that in separate from what MFP calculates in from what it picks up on fitbit? I haven't been because it's kind of double dipping but thought I would check. Thanks in advance!!

Also, would love any new friends that want to add me!!

pteryndactyl

Walking, no, as fitbit is designed to keep track of that. I'm not sure about the elliptical. It's similar but...

What I would do, though, is log your non-walking exercise and make sure you note your starting time. That way fitbit will adjust and help prevent the double-dip. I'd do that for exercise except walking/running.

Laura741

Cool, thanks!! I have been logging my weight lifting, just not anything else.

ElizabethFuller

I have a Fitbit one. When I do cardio at the gym I add the number of calories burned (shown by the machine) onto my exercise log on MFP and I delete the extra calories from Fitbit otherwise you could eat back twice as many calories than you worked off. On non-gym days when I'm running or walking outside I rely on the Fitbit estimate of calories burned. I do love my Fitbit though! I move far more than I used to before I wore it.

shadow2soul

walking - no : Fitbit is pretty accurate at tracking the calories burnt while walking.

elliptical - maybe

There is no chance of "double dipping" if you log the exercise with the correct start time and duration. Logging exercise overwrites whatever calorie burn fitbit had for you during that time period. example:

I logged a walk at 5:45 am (was actually asleep) with a 3 hour duration and 1 calorie burn. Notice how the calories on the graph disappear for that time period. I logged such a low amount that it even took calories away from my BMR.

Laura741

OH ok so it automatically deletes those calories FOR you when you log start time? I had no idea!

shadow2soul

yes, although as long as you don't log a 1 calorie burn, you won't see a gap in the graph like that (since it will fill the gap with the calories that you logged).

MonaRaeHill

That's really informative! Cool. Now, I don't have to ask, too. (I was wondering about that time thing......now I know. Awesome.)

asp415

I log the majority of my exercises using Runtastic, which is linked to MFP since my FitBit One is also linked to MFP it pulls my activities that Runtastic logged into my FitBit log & doesn’t show any calories burned for my runs, etc. on MFP. It will only show additional calories I burned w/the steps I took if I had an active day. Here is an example of what active step day from my MFP log would show.

Running (jogging), 5 mph (12 min mile) 105 1,541

Fitbit calorie adjustment 594

If I wasn’t active other than whatever exercise I logged then it doesn't show anything under the Fitbit adjustment.

Mokey41

I have a Fitbit one. When I do cardio at the gym I add the number of calories burned (shown by the machine) onto my exercise log on MFP and I delete the extra calories from Fitbit otherwise you could eat back twice as many calories than you worked off. On non-gym days when I'm running or walking outside I rely on the Fitbit estimate of calories burned. I do love my Fitbit though! I move far more than I used to before I wore it.

Note that machines generally give exaggerated calorie burns so if it's some kind of treadmill exercise I would just let FitBit do it's thing. Some people say that their Fitbit is accurate on the elliptical but I haven't tried that out yet.