Fitbit app changes--now what?

fitmek

Recently, the Fitbit app made some changes, which, for the most part have been great. However, it's not converting to MFP very well. For example, yesterday, it said I had walked about 4500 steps, which usually carries over to about 150-175 calories burned in MFP. When you pull up my diary, it says i only burned 33 calories from steps yesterday. It's not computing correctly for some reason. It's driving me crazy, since I have had several months of it working properly. Anyone else having this issue?

VCanadapt

Mine did the same thing last night. I checked my fitbit yesterday and I had @ 200 calories. Then when I finished for the day and reached my goal it only showed 150 I got more "points" for less activity? That didn't make any sense to me. Hopefully they will fix it soon.

fitmek

I have noticed that too. More calories show up as being burned in my MFP diary when i DONT work out. It's very strange. I'm just to just focus on calories taken in and do estimates in my head on calories burned (loose estimates of course).

heybales

Misunderstanding first.

What comes across to MFP from Fitbit is purely 1 number - your daily burn. Unless you have Fitbit set to estimate daily burn, in which case it estimates first.

MFP then compares that to it's non-exercise maintenance number.

If Fitbit more, you get credit. If Fitbit less, you get debit.

It's not actually anything to do with exercise specifically, but the day in total.

You could do a 300 cal workout according to Fitbit, and be extra lazy rest of the day because of it - and get no Fitbit credit adjustment.
You could skip a workout because so busy doing errands - and get a big Fitbit credit adjustment.

Actually look at the reported daily burn, either by clicking the I for more info in MFP, or look at Fitbit stats.

If you generally see your non-workout days equaling calorie burn of your work out days - then your workouts aren't doing much for increasing your calorie burn at all - either because you are already active without exercise, or get really lazy outside of the exercise.

So don't even attempt to compare the MFP info under exercise diary.
You must look at the Fitbit stats on their site, and compare steps and total daily burn.

You should confirm though that the daily burn is showing up in MFP under that info "i" window.

glasshalffull713

good explanation, thank you!