Fitbit Calculations

Nibbles

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm new to the Fitbit and EM2WL. I have a Flex. I'm a bit confused about how this works.

On my dashboard, Fitbit tells me that my TDEE is 2184 daily. Scooby says its 2087. Not much difference. The TDEE on my Fitbit never changes because I never input any activity? I enter my activity into MFP but I don't have the devices linked. I was advised not to link them because the numbers can become very confusing. I'm trying to keep it simple.

I'm eating at a 10% cut, from my old calculations via Scooby which is 1878. According to Fitbit w/ a 10% cut I should be eating 1965. Which calculation should I use and/or should I average the two? I'm told the Fitbit is more accurate.

Should I enter my activity into my Fitbit rather than MFP, and is activity already accounted for on my Fitbit, and I just need to make sure I'm eating at the 10% cut? Maybe I'm over thinking all of this??

Thanks for any responses.

Jennbecca33

Hi Anissa! Anitra may see this post and have better advice regarding the Fitbit (same moderators on both sites).

Use your Fitbit numbers rather than Scooby for your TDEE, as it will be more accurate since it's actually tracking your activity through the day. Activity is already accounted for with the Fitbit, so no need to add any activity (unless you are manually entering calories burned for weight lifting - in this case, take the fitbit off during weight training and manually enter calories yourself - because Fitbit underestimates for weight training).

So yes, just take 10% off your Fitbit TDEE total. Your Fitbit TDEE should change some everyday due to your varied activity, but just take an average after you get a few weeks or a month's worth of data.

heybales

Sorry if this has been asked before, but I'm new to the Fitbit and EM2WL. I have a Flex. I'm a bit confused about how this works.

On my dashboard, Fitbit tells me that my TDEE is 2184 daily. Scooby says its 2087. Not much difference. The TDEE on my Fitbit never changes because I never input any activity? I enter my activity into MFP but I don't have the devices linked. I was advised not to link them because the numbers can become very confusing. I'm trying to keep it simple.

I'm eating at a 10% cut, from my old calculations via Scooby which is 1878. According to Fitbit w/ a 10% cut I should be eating 1965. Which calculation should I use and/or should I average the two? I'm told the Fitbit is more accurate.

Should I enter my activity into my Fitbit rather than MFP, and is activity already accounted for on my Fitbit, and I just need to make sure I'm eating at the 10% cut? Maybe I'm over thinking all of this??

Thanks for any responses.

So in essence, you are taking a deficit off a smaller number that doesn't include corrected exercise.

That means the deficit is bigger than you think actually. Unless your exercise is strictly walking and running.

Indeed, as mentioned above, don't guess from 5 rough levels when you have a device whose purpose is to give you infinite levels daily based on what is really done.

BUT - to that point, you do have to correct it for what it will underestimate first, then look at what Fitbit says your TDEE is.

If you have no non-step based exercise you do, like lifting or swimming or elliptical or bike, ect, then the Fitbit is close enough, better than guess of 5 levels.

Look at every 2 normal weeks, take 10% off the average you get in your Fitbit emailed report, and set that as your eating goal for the next week.
Then you can leave it unsynced.
There is no need to log exercise at all, have you ever looked at your Exercise diary reports?
If not, just post on your wall what your workout time and event was and calorie burn and any other nice details. Don't need to log it.
Unless it's NOT step-based exercise.
Then log it on Fitbit's site, so their TDEE that you are basing eating from is best estimate.
Repeat

Wantingtolose1

I don't do any excercise apart from walking. So I looked at my fitbit average burn over last 3 days and took 15% cut from that. I would assume this would be more accurate then scooby calculator as it's taking your actual activity into consideration and not just an estimate based on average burn.