Fitbit - Food Intake =

WarmDontBurn

Your deficit?

I am struggling I have been calorie counting with my FB now for 6 months and cannot lose 20lbs!! I am stuck right around 15-18lbs.

I use to rely heavily on MFP but now with the fitbit I *think* it gages my calories burned a bit better.
So for the next 2 weeks I want to do my own math and see where it takes me -- Is that calculation correct?

If I take the calories burned listed on Fitbit and subtract the foods logged on MFP that should be the deficit I am sitting at since my exercise is accounted for in these numbers.....right?

Something isn't right and it was always as easy as CICO for me but not anymore!

StaciMarie1974

Yes, that is the right logic.

Though a couple of things...

I assume that Fitbit is off. Not in a major way, but I like to err on the side of caution. So I like to have an extra 100-200 'burned' over my real intended deficit. Currently my goal deficit is 250 but I like to see 350-400. I figure that will account for the fact that Fitbit tries, but is just an estimate.

Beyond that: are you using a food scale? For all solid food? Using cups/spoons only for liquids, oils? Logging everything, everyday? By everything I also mean things that come pre-portioned. Slices of bread, pieces of fruit, etc. You'll be surprised but they typically weigh 10-20% more than the package. Yesterday had Progresso Soup for lunch. 1 serving = 240g, 180 calories. 2 servings per can. Except the can was 512g so more than 2 servings. Same for bread. They often say something like 1 serving = 2 slices, 45g. But then 2 slices will weigh 49-53g.

StaciMarie1974

Ps-If you have your Fitbit linked to MFP, then it should do this for you with a calorie adjustment. If you're not earning additional calories then you've set your MFP activity level higher than your actual.

STrooper

A couple of things:

I encountered the same thing a while back. I leveled out about 20 pounds above where I am now. Couldn't seem to change that. Of course, what was happening was the inches were coming off, not the weight. But I couldn't seem to get off that plateau track.

Two things did it.

First, a "step-change." I was averaging 20,000 steps per day and it was my daily goal for the calendar year to maintain that level. It was one of the things that had brought me down in weight to the plateau point. After the first of the year, I literally increased my daily target by 10% to 22,000 steps per day (this was all before I started running again, so walking/hiking and treadmill routines were the basis of my cardio conditioning, which the Fitbit handles quite nicely and there is some evidence that the Fitbit actually undercounts the energy expenditure somewhat).

It turns out that this was a bigger challenge than a simple bump-up to 20,000 steps per day from 18,000. But this step change was one component of the remaining weight drop.

The second point was made above. I bought a food scale. No more eyeballing it. When it says a serving is a certain number of ounces or grams with an approximate volume, I use the weight. This all adds up if you have certain overages in the calorie calculation. There has been evidence that the calorie estimates for foods in the US are under their true value by as much as 20% because we don't have tight enforceable standards for how accurate the values have to be.

Finally, the one component that is difficult to sort out is how efficient your body becomes with exercise and weight loss. If you stress cardio development over strength (which I have), you have a tendency to develop very efficient slow-twitch muscle fiber which gives a much lower apparent calorie burn than might be reported by either Fitbit or MFP.

For some CICO is all that is really required to reach some target weight, but it doesn't always work out that way.

WarmDontBurn

Thanks

I guess I just need to see what my weekly deficit works out to be based on my "burn" versus food. Nothing is fitting better and my measurement aren't changing so I am wondering if it could be medical. I have thyroid issue but they had the opposite affect and I was losing....not gaining or steady. I just think after 6 months I should be further along and seeing some more progress.


I am using a food scale for everything!! I weigh in grams.
I tend to believe the package though -- like my wrap now says 190 calories for 1 wrap which is 64g's however it is actually 69g's so I will for sure be watching that now....however I have a 500 calorie deficit and still like to be in the green a bit with my NET on MFP. So I do have wiggle room up or down anyway.

My fitbit is linked to MFP and I see the adjustment but my concern is I try to eat as close to my NET as possible -- usually under but rarely over -- and if it is over I try to recoop the next day. I should NOT be gaining.

My biggest issue is it worked before -- I lost 30+ a few years ago without my fitbit and only calorie counting.

WarmDontBurn

Also I am averaging about 12000 steps a day which for me is pretty awesome!! My goal is 10,000.
I burn on average 2100 calories per day this month and eaten was on average 1525 therefore giving me a deficit of - 575 -- which should be plenty to lose SOMETHING!!