New guy here with a fitbit zip!

oakleyguy89

Hi guys,my name is JJ and I just barely got a gym membership and started working out 2 weeks ago. I was initially pretty skinny due to smoking cigarettes, but I quit smoking cold turkey 2 1/2years ago. Since then I have gained a good 70-80lbs. Well I had enough of being overweight and being sick and tired all the time so I decided I need to loose some weight and make a change in my life. Since I have started working out 6 days a week I feel alot better and feel more awake during the day.

About a week ago I went to the electronics section of a store and I saw this display case with fitbits. At first I was wondering how it all worked and what a fitbit was. Well, after some research I found out they were activity trackers. I've never had an activity tracker or a pedometer for that matter. I looked at reviews online and figured the fitbit zip seemed like a great value for the money since I didnt really care about stairs climbed and sleep tracked.

When I was browsing the fitbits website I came across this website listed on the apps section and I did some reading online about this place. I then decided to signup here and download the app for my phone. I really enjoy how much more user friendly it is to scan and search for foods and how it calculates the calories for me! I am really enjoying this app more and more.

I do have a couple questions about the app and my tracker... I setup my fitbit profile to sync to MFP. When I synced my fitbit with the computer today it says that my calories burnt so far is 2910, where as on MFP it says 242 Exercise. How did MFP calculate that?? Also, what should I do with my tracker when I go to the gym? Do I keep it on when I run on the treadmill, work on the crossramp, lift weights, and work on the elliptical? Also, when I start tracking exercises at the gym with MFP will it add on extra calories that I havent burnt? Example, Say I was on elliptical and burned 300cals and fitbit recorded steps while i was on the elliptical. WIll it add those extra step calories to the 300cals I burnt on it which makes in inaccurate?

Thanks, and I am sure I will love this place!

sunflowerhippi

Hey I also have a fitbit so I figured I would respond.

When you imput your workout it asks a time this is because it covers your fitbit data from that time with your workout so no it will not double up anything.

The calories burned was what MFP says you burn in a day on your current activity level. If you burn more then that calories wise in a day fitbit syncs as a workout to MFP to adjust your tdee because you have burned more calories then what your were given in food on mfp.

also fibit is really only good for walking and running no other forms of working out. only negative to it.

hope that anwsers a few of your questions.

blood6338

Welcome to MFP and Fitbit! I have the Fitbit One and have had it for about 11 months. I put mine on as soon as I get dressed and take it off before bed. I haven't used it to record sleep since the first few months I got it. I kind of got tired of the wrist sheath...especially in the warmer months.

If you are doing an activity where there aren't a lot of steps (i.e. strength training) then the fitbit adjustment might be a bit low for that activity. Today my fitbit adjustment after 2+ hours at the gym was about 1460 calories including my daily activity at work (which isn't a lot...desk job). After I logged an hour on the treadmill, an hour on the elliptical and about 15 minutes of strength training MFP calculated it all at just over 2000 calories. I don't worry about the difference too much since I have the treadmill elevated and I have resistance on the elliptical which make each of those calorie burns greater. I also think that some of MFP's calorie calculations are a bit on the high side. Some days after I log my exercise on MFP I still have some calories listed on the Fitbit adjustment...but not always.

I'm not sure if this helps or not but this has been my experience.

sugarkane1234

Hi JJ, welcome to MFP! I have had a Fitbit for almost a year and a half and cannot imagine being without it! I recently replaced my well-worn Ultra with a One. I choose to log my food on MFP because I love the extensive database and the scanning capability with the app. I log my exercise on Fitbit because I (and many other MFP members) think the calorie burn estimates on MFP are too high.

MFP and Fitbit work extremely well together 99% of the time. Once in while there are glitches, especially after updates, but the staffs of both sites work together to get those fixed pretty quickly. There will be a Fitbit adjustment (can be positive or negative) to your MFP daily calorie goal based on what Fitbit calculates your daily burn is versus what MFP estimates.

There are a couple of Fitbit groups on MFP if you're interested in connecting with more Fitbit users and getting more info on how they work together. Also, you didn't mention what kind of exercise you're doing, but if you're doing any strength training, I recommend the Eat, Train, Progress group for some great info. Good luck to you!

oakleyguy89

Oh okay, so I should Start the app and put the starting time of the workout then start working out and put the ending time once done and the calories burnt according to the machine? I believe I am still confused about the MFP and Fitbit calculating my calories. So what I am getting is that my goal (2170) is what MFP says I burn in a day and that the 2910 is what my fitbit says I burned so MFP takes the difference and counts those calories as exercise? Sorry, Im so new to this calorie counting and stuff.

oakleyguy89

Hi JJ, welcome to MFP! I have had a Fitbit for almost a year and a half and cannot imagine being without it! I recently replaced my well-worn Ultra with a One. I choose to log my food on MFP because I love the extensive database and the scanning capability with the app. I log my exercise on Fitbit because I (and many other MFP members) think the calorie burn estimates on MFP are too high.

MFP and Fitbit work extremely well together 99% of the time. Once in while there are glitches, especially after updates, but the staffs of both sites work together to get those fixed pretty quickly. There will be a Fitbit adjustment (can be positive or negative) to your MFP daily calorie goal based on what Fitbit calculates your daily burn is versus what MFP estimates.

There are a couple of Fitbit groups on MFP if you're interested in connecting with more Fitbit users and getting more info on how they work together. Also, you didn't mention what kind of exercise you're doing, but if you're doing any strength training, I recommend the Eat, Train, Progress group for some great info. Good luck to you!

I try and do everything. I know about 75-80% of the machines at my gym. I usually mix it up between my upper body one day and lower body the next day with cardio training everyday.

sugarkane1234

Kind of...our exercise logging does not have to be in real time. You can go back in to either MFP or Fitbit after the fact and add an activity/exercise. You'll need to enter what time you started and how long the session lasted. That data will override whatever was already calculated, not add to it. Your MFP goal is based on what activity level you chose and does not take into account what additional exercise you said that you planned to do or any additional (or less) activity you did during the day. Fitbit tracks what you actually do during the day. Any exercise you log in either program will override the estimates of both programs for that time period.

oakleyguy89

Kind of...our exercise logging does not have to be in real time. You can go back in to either MFP or Fitbit after the fact and add an activity/exercise. You'll need to enter what time you started and how long the session lasted. That data will override whatever was already calculated, not add to it. Your MFP goal is based on what activity level you chose and does not take into account what additional exercise you said that you planned to do or any additional (or less) activity you did during the day. Fitbit tracks what you actually do during the day. Any exercise you log in either program will override the estimates of both programs for that time period.

I think I get it now. MFP is more of an estimate of what I put in whereas fitbit is actual. The thing is though, it seems as if they aren't syncing correctly since MFP isnt showing that the calories that I have burnt is (3018 currently) like the fitbit is saying. MFP in my exercise field is saying 222.

sugarkane1234

Yeah, MFP won't actually show you what it expects your daily calorie burn to be on your home screen. It shows your goal which is your estimated daily expenditure less your deficit (based on how many pounds per week per week you told MFP you wanted to lose). If you go to the exercise tab of MFP and click on the little blue and white "i" next to Fitbit calorie adjustment, you can see what the two programs are estimating your daily calorie expenditure to be and see where the Fitbit adjustment is coming from.

oakleyguy89

Yeah, MFP won't actually show you what it expects your daily calorie burn to be on your home screen. It shows your goal which is your estimated daily expenditure less your deficit (based on how many pounds per week per week you told MFP you wanted to lose). If you go to the exercise tab of MFP and click on the little blue and white "i" next to Fitbit calorie adjustment, you can see what the two programs are estimating your daily calorie expenditure to be and see where the Fitbit adjustment is coming from.

I think i understand now, I clicked on the information icon on my exercise tab of MFP. It says Fitbit calories burned (Full day projection): 3345 and MFP caloried burned: 3148 with Fitbit calories adjusted which is currently 197. So fitbit is estimating that at the end of the day I will burn 3345 by midnight whereas MFP is going by my current calories burn which is 3148.

sugarkane1234

You got it! I'll have to remember "information icon". Sounds much better than little blue and white "i"!

oakleyguy89

Awesome! Thanks!