FitBit/Steps per Day Question

erinelissa91

Ok I hope this makes sense. I currently have my activity level set at lightly active because I work a standing job where I walk around but not an immense amount. I just recently started using the FitBit app and it's giving me extra calories but does FitBit take into account your activity level? I take about 15,000-18,000 steps a day on average. That includes my runs and walks etc. So is FitBit a waste of time? Should I still log my runs separately? And lastly, I'm not going to eat the extra calories FitBit gives me anyways but when they add calories to my Diary (490 today already) it throws me off and seems like a high number. Hope someone understands my questions. I just don't want to end up hurting my progress or playing mind tricks on me.

WatchJenShrink

Fitbit doesn't really have an activity level setting. It just sets everybody to 10000 steps/day. Whenever I walk, I don't log it because Fitbit does that for me. But if I do any other activity I always log it because Fitbit doesn't seem to pick that activity up (because I'm not swinging my arms like walking).

FeraFilia

Fitbit works by estimating how many calories you are going to use in the course of the day based on what you've already done. When it syncs with MFP, it adjusts your calorie goal so you can maintain the proper deficit.

In short, yes it does currently take your activity level setting on MFP into account.

Edit to add: you can see where it's getting the difference in these numbers if you go to the exercise tab, and click the blue "i" mark next to the exercise "minute" Fitbit logs to sync.

erinelissa91

I have checked that. So should I change my activity level to sedentary? It's so confusing and I'm nervous to screw it all up. I only started using it because I was curious how many steps I was actually taking in a day.

IrishHarpy1

I've been using a Fitbit for almost three years, and when I synced it with MFP I placed my activity level at "sedentary". When I do my heavy cardio in the morning I use my Polar FT4 for the calorie burn, which overwrites the Fitbit reading for the same time period. Otherwise, I just let Fitbit do the adjustments for me over the remainder of the day. I lost my last 20 pounds using this method as well as maintaining for over two years, so at least I know it works for me!

You *can* rest your Fitbit goals beyond the default 10K steps/5 miles/10 flights of stairs/etc. if you'd like as well -- those numbers aren't mandatory, just a suggestion.

Kevalicious99

I just giggle at the misinformation above .. but whatever.

Your Fitbit doesn't track calories .. not going to happen. It doesn't track anything other than one thing ... movement. That is all that it is capable of doing. No magic unlike what they would have you believe.

It uses this .. to determine your steps (in the Fitbit case .. changes of the direction of the motion) .. ie when you walk. It does this as your arms / legs are in perfect sync when you walk .. really they are.

So .. when you understand that the Fitbit is just that ... a thing that measures movement you will feel better.

ALL that it does and what you see on your dashboard is a big math calculation based on your stats. ie .. your BMR etc. It is no better or worse than your HRM .. they both have big issues. Neither are perfect .. and in fact for some can be very very off.

I just look at mine .. and hope it dies soon. My Fitbit Force rash is almost gone. Looking forward to a non defective model.

Personally .. my Fitbit never motivated me .. and I always deleted the extra calories it gave me. It is just a big mind game .. and honestly just eat your calories and ignore it.

Until you get to maintenance when your calories will really matter .. it is not an issue. Trying to lose weight is simple .. calories in vs calories out. As long as you are in a deficit you will be fine and your Fitbit is not likely to be a big factor in that equation.

editorgrrl

MFP has a Fitbit Users group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

Set your goal to .5 lb. per week, and your activity level to sedentary: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

Connect your accounts: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/30

Follow your MFP calorie goal. Log food & water in MFP. Log exercise in Fitbit.

Kidominos

There is a Fitbit user group that is very active and several people on there have helped a lot of MFP Fibtbit users set up their Fitbit with MFP and are a great resource.

SherryTeach

I've been using a Fitbit for almost three years, and when I synced it with MFP I placed my activity level at "sedentary". When I do my heavy cardio in the morning I use my Polar FT4 for the calorie burn, which overwrites the Fitbit reading for the same time period. Otherwise, I just let Fitbit do the adjustments for me over the remainder of the day. I lost my last 20 pounds using this method as well as maintaining for over two years, so at least I know it works for me!

You *can* rest your Fitbit goals beyond the default 10K steps/5 miles/10 flights of stairs/etc. if you'd like as well -- those numbers aren't mandatory, just a suggestion.

This is exactly what I do with my fitbit and Polar HRM. It is important to log exercise time correctly so that fitbit can not include the calories for time period you are logging formal exercise. I certainly do not think my fitbit is a waste of time. I credit it with keeping me more generally active outside of the times of formal exercise. You can also go into the goals of the fitbit website and adjust steps, calorie burn, and stairs to whatever you want. You don't have to leave it at 10,000 steps.

erinelissa91

Kevalicious, you made me giggle. I understand that it doesn't count calories burned. That is possibly the reason I am feeling unnerved about this. It tracks movement alone and therefore, I don't want false information in my head telling me that because I lightly strolled around for the day at 16,000 steps that I can suddenly eat 500 more calories if I can't.

I think I will let it do it's thing for another week or so, see how it goes and then decide if I want to use it or not. I did fine without a "pedometer", it was more out of curiosity and it has a motivation factor to get up and move a little more. Just confusing and if they are leading people on to believe they can consume a larger number of calories than they should to reach their goal, it seems wrong and misleading. Maybe I'm just not tech savvy and should just stick to scanning barcodes since I have figured that out. Lol

erinelissa91

MFP has a Fitbit Users group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

Set your goal to .5 lb. per week, and your activity level to sedentary: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

Connect your accounts: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/30

Follow your MFP calorie goal. Log food & water in MFP. Log exercise in Fitbit.

Does this mean to eat back your "FitBit" calories then. Cause even at .5 pounds a week and sedentary, MFP puts me at 1200 calories and that isshh just isn't going to fly with me. Right now I am set at 1,500 a day, not eating many exercise calories back and this is a custom setup with 40/30/30 macros as well

editorgrrl

Kevalicious, you made me giggle. I understand that it doesn't count calories burned. That is possibly the reason I am feeling unnerved about this. It tracks movement alone and therefore, I don't want false information in my head telling me that because I lightly strolled around for the day at 16,000 steps that I can suddenly eat 500 more calories if I can't.

Your Fitbit burn is your TDEE—way more accurate than any online calculator.

I followed the instructions I posted above, and I lost 30 lbs. It will take trial & error to find what works for you.

Does this mean to eat back your "FitBit" calories then. Cause even at .5 pounds a week and sedentary, MFP puts me at 1200 calories and that isshh just isn't going to fly with me. Right now I am set at 1,500 a day, not eating many exercise calories back and this is a custom setup with 40/30/30 macros as well.

Connect your accounts, log your exercise in Fitbit, and eat back your calorie adjustments. Your adjustments are your Fitbit burn (your TDEE) minus your activity level.

erinelissa91

Thanks! I guess I will give it a shot. I only have about 10-15 pounds to lose and 10 of 15 is probably vanity pounds. I will give it a shot. Can't hurt to try I suppose.

I have not yet bought a FitBit device because of these confusions, but if it works with my phone, which I am a girl and carry it everywhere, then I think I will get a device. Thank you so much for your advice. Little nervous to go down to 1200, at the start of the day that is a low low number in comparison to 1500 and it might make me hangry!

editorgrrl

Little nervous to go down to 1200, at the start of the day that is a low low number in comparison to 1500 and it might make me hangry!

If (and only if) you enable negative calorie adjustments, then it's safe to try setting your activity level to lightly active.

You'll start out with more calories in the morning, but your adjustments will be smaller. At day's end, your calorie goal is always your Fitbit burn minus your deficit. But negative calorie adjustments never drop your calorie goal below 1,200, so if you're short like me (I'm 5'2"), you won't eat at a true deficit on lazy days (like when I binge watch TV).

erinelissa91

Ahh. Netflix marathons, I try to stay away from those because they suck me in like a black hole and usually that black hole has chips and dip too. No good. I think I will try the original suggestion first. Since I'm at 1290 (woop woop). Bring on the steps I suppose.

Kidominos

Like editorgrrl said, your Fitbit burn is your TDEE. I have also lost 35 lbs so far trusting my Fitbit TDEE along with MFP and a HRM. Eat back your exercise calories as long as you are confident that you have logged the calories burned accurately (for non-step based, non Fitbit activities). I find that MFP overestimates calories burned for me so I use a HRM for any non step based activity.

I know how you feel... When I first saw what I was supposed to eat after using my Fitbit I was really surprised. I was under eating. I upped my calories to what MFP says from the Fitbit adjustment I am am losing the deficit I have both set at.

erinelissa91

Ok so here is another question in relation. I track my "non-step based" activities on MFP, right? And log the start time and all that craziness? Then when I drop weight do I need to readjust on both MFP and FitBit so that my TDEE is correct. And how does FitBit know my TDEE without knowing my activity level??

O lord, now I'm more confused than I was before.

erinelissa91

Ok so here is another question in relation. I track my "non-step based" activities on MFP, right? And log the start time and all that craziness? Then when I drop weight do I need to readjust on both MFP and FitBit so that my TDEE is correct. And how does FitBit know my TDEE without knowing my activity level??

O lord, now I'm more confused than I was before.

Nevermind. Clearly I wasn't thinking. You're TDEE changes day to day because of activity levels, ya?

Kidominos

Correct!

Kidominos

You can log your non-stepped base activities on MFP or Fitbit but don't do both. I log them, like swimming, on MFP but others choose to log on FItbit. The sites sync with each other so either way works.

editorgrrl

Ok so here is another question in relation. I track my "non-step based" activities on MFP, right? And log the start time and all that craziness?

No need to log any step-based activity, as Fitbit is already tracking that for you.

The only reason to log non-step exercise in MFP is if you insist on having your exercise show up in your newsfeed. Fitbit's burns are way more accurate than MFP's one-size-fits-all guesstimates, so I log in Fitbit.

As I said above, you must log food & water in MFP. But exercise syncs both ways, so choose one or the other—never both.

ETA: I cannot vouch for the accuracy of using the Fitbit app without a Fitbit tracker.

erinelissa91

Ok, I will be logging in MFP. The only other exercises I do besides walking and running are HIIT and Weight Lifting and I will log them both via MFP. You guys are great and have been so helpful! I feel a little less intimidated by it all now and perhaps this will be a good thing to keep me moving.

WalkingAlong

Just to clarify- You don't have to log any steps-based stuff once you have a Fitbit and have it linked to MFP. I'm not sure what you're doing now... using your phone pedometer to enter steps in the Fitbit app and then seeing the adjustment here?

I lost 35lbs. in 2010 following Fitbit's calorie recs for me.

Kidominos

Do you have a Fitbit tracker or are you just using the app? I had assumed, maybe incorrectly, that you have a Flex, Zip, One or Force.

Kevalicious99

Your TDEE is actually based on your BMR (which is actually a fairly advanced calculation vs the tdee) ... sedentary (the lowest level) is 1.2x your BMR and the highest level is 1.9x your BMR.

So .. really just another math calculation and should be used with your stats to determine your correct level based on your goals.

And yes the Fitbit does use this math .. as the more activity you do .. the more calories you are given as you will see if your MFP account is linked. Your Fitbit dashboard will just show more calories burned the more steps you do. It all counts, so what you do with the numbers is up to you.

Just so you know .. yes, in my experience, the Fitbit numbers are actually pretty good. There is no such thing as 100% accuracy but it is not a bad estimate for most people. But if you read the Fitbit forums .. many many many many people have issues with Fitbit products and I just think that they should return them to the store .. it is just too smart of a device for them.

I personally am not in calorie deficit mode now .. but when I was I used the Fitbit numbers as a gauge. I would not worry about those extra calories that the Fitbit will give you .. cause really if you do not eat them .. you will probably just find that your losses may be slightly higher. As I said before .. when you are in calorie deficit mode .. which most people here are, you may just find increased or decreased losses if you use the Fitbit numbers.

But .. it really is a personal situation and I really recommend keeping very good records so you can determine how the number of calories you are eating is reflected in your losses.

dedflwrs

Maybe it's all baloney and maybe it has not motivated some of the people here but fitbit has motivated my husband my son and myself. We all compete against ourselves and each other.

I recommend you read David Sedaris excellent article on fitbit in New Yorker Magazine.

Anyway... You can just go to the meal plan section of fitbit and set it to sedentary. It will then only calculate your actual activity plus your resting metabolic rate. I normally don't enter my activity (unless I'm charging my fitbit at the time which does not happen often) and that way I don't go to crazy. As it is, I eat a lot so I don't want to find excuses to stuff my face even more. In any case, I reached my goal (20 lbs lost) in three months and have kept it with slight fluctuations both up and down.

erinelissa91

Do you have a Fitbit tracker or are you just using the app? I had assumed, maybe incorrectly, that you have a Flex, Zip, One or Force.

No, I have not purchased a device because I wasn't certain it would end up being something I used. I have an iPhone5s which is supposed to have a bangin activity monitor in it. So far between MapMyRun, fitbit and I used Withings for a while it seems to work properly and since I almost always have my phone on me I think it works fine for now. At some point I may purchase a device but for now, if I miss a few steps between my couch and the bathroom i won't be that worried about it