Anyone using Fitbit?

trosewine

Hi all - I just got this nifty little gadget and am trying to figure out the best way to adjust the settings on MFP and the Fitbit site. Tell me what you are are doing...

For those that don't know, FitBit is an accelerometer device that tracks steps, calorie expenditure and other things and puts all the data online for you - basically a TDEE calculator. For a lot of people it seems to be pretty accurate, so I am giving it a try. It also can synch with MFP - info passes both ways - your food info will update on Fitbit and your activity info will update on MFP. (as added "calorie adjustments" if you exceed the cals for exercise that you set on MFP in your goal., then it shows you need to eat more..make sense?)

Before Fitbit I had MFP set at my goal of 140lbs, lightly active which gave me a cal goal of about 1700 per day. (BMR about 1400). Then if I have any exercise days with high calorie burn (sometimes play lots of tennis on weekends), I eat a extra only on those days.

Now I want to track my TDEE for a month give or take to see where I stand. Should I switch how I am calculating? I am thinking of changing my goal to 140 lbs sedentary and eat back all/most exercise cals on a daily basis as they import from FitBit. Then at the end of the month I can set the goal properly based on a month's worth of activities.

Anyone see a better way to do this?

Thanks for your input!

TheMiddlePath

I'm curious too. Should be getting my FitBit Ultra and a Polar FT60 on Friday!

pdworkman

I calculated my TDEE filling in Heybales' spreadsheet, and then I averaged out my TDEE according to my FitBit for the previous two months, and the two numbers were within 50 calories of each other.

I try to eat roughly the same number of calories each day, rather than going up and down drastically with my exercise calories, because it is easier to plan my calorie consumption throughout the day, not waiting to cram in extra calories in the evening if I exercised more, or to exercise more so that I can eat an evening snack. I haven't landed on *exactly* the right number yet. I have dropped a little bit, but then the past two weeks I have had three sick days, one fast day, and TOM, so my numbers have been all over the place.

What I am currently doing is tracking my intake against the FitBit TDEE, totalling up my calorie deficit at the end of the week and then adjusting for the next week's intake. Aiming for calorie deficit of .5 lb per week. But that assumes "normal" weeks of activity, not like I have had the last couple! I really want to start losing again, but I am trying to be patient.

trosewine

thanks for your input pdworkman!

I did end up setting my MFP goal to 140 sedentary and allow the fitbit to import exercise cals as I do them. In my mind, though I am generally aiming for 1700 - 1800 per day intake regardless (plus a little more on high workout days), which I will adjust as I gather more data.

It's really a cool little piece of technology. Still working out the kinks. I drive a couple hours a day and while I have figured how to adjust the cals for a time period, I can't seem to figure out how to edit floors. It clocked 10 floors in my hour commute yesterday!!

heybales

To pdworkman's method, and someone else's method.

They made the spreadsheet current weight TDEE match what the FitBit gave as daily avg over an extended time.

That then confirmed the future weight TDEE as daily eating goal was correct. So could still set one number and eat to it.

Now, I thought it was too safe an estimate, so the other method that was used was to see what activity level FitBit put the daily time at, and then use that time in the spreadsheet activity levels.
So the TDEE values don't match up only the time at each level, but that is to be expected actually, because the activity calculator underestimates activity calories, both current and future.

Now, that may sound like that is bad, but I've yet to see a case where on a weekly avg basis, the net daily calories taking out true exercise calories, still doesn't end up above the BMR safely.

So what the FitBit allowed doing, since manual setup kind of killed the syncing to MFP effect, was confirming what the TDEE ended up being, minus what is really eaten, and that allowed estimating the weight loss that should be happening. If more or less was happening, then something was wrong to be examined.

trysha1231

I've got a FitBIt and a Polar HRM.
I use my FitBit to see how much I burn in a day, but use my HRM for my exercise calories.
I finally just set my goal at about 1750 calories to eat daily and then I keep an eye on my NET number each day to try and make sure it is at least at or above my BMR for the day.
My FitBit has shown me that I am not as 'sedentary' as I thought I was and that I was really eating too little before.

trosewine

I've got a FitBIt and a Polar HRM.
I use my FitBit to see how much I burn in a day, but use my HRM for my exercise calories.
I finally just set my goal at about 1750 calories to eat daily and then I keep an eye on my NET number each day to try and make sure it is at least at or above my BMR for the day.
My FitBit has shown me that I am not as 'sedentary' as I thought I was and that I was really eating too little before.

Thanks for the reply - that's what I suspected and I am now tracking and adjusting.

So, seems like you are not syncing MFP and FB, correct? Or do you just make adjustments based on HRM? Thanks!

trysha1231

Yes I am syncing. When you go to enter in your exercise burn for the day (per HRM), it will ask you for the time and then over write the FB numbers. So you are correct. I am adjusting the numbers.

DianeinCA

Hi, I'm new! And now I'm totally confused.

I started using both a Fitbit and MFP in the last week, which means I don't have much in the way of data to use to generate numbers for my current TDEE or my goal TDEE or what. I used Heybales's spreadsheet and it calculated that I'm "very active". (Which surprised me, because while I run 3x a week for about 45-60 minutes at a time and I lift weights twice a week for an hour, I use a computer a lot and am not very active during the day. But I'll post in the other topic about that.)

Anyhow -- I like the Future You way of calculating numbers...but with the Fitbit and its adjustment I think everything is screwy. I honestly don't know what to set where as a result.

pdworkman

Using Heybales' spreadsheet myself, the resultant TDEE was about 50 calories off from my 3 month average TDEE on Fitbit.

Hi, I'm new! And now I'm totally confused.

I started using both a Fitbit and MFP in the last week, which means I don't have much in the way of data to use to generate numbers for my current TDEE or my goal TDEE or what. I used Heybales's spreadsheet and it calculated that I'm "very active". (Which surprised me, because while I run 3x a week for about 45-60 minutes at a time and I lift weights twice a week for an hour, I use a computer a lot and am not very active during the day. But I'll post in the other topic about that.)

Anyhow -- I like the Future You way of calculating numbers...but with the Fitbit and its adjustment I think everything is screwy. I honestly don't know what to set where as a result.

DianeinCA

I feel kind of silly for asking this, but where do you find your TDEE on Fitbit? The logs? The chart of calories burned over the last 30 days? (And is there a way to see these numbers as text -- dragging the pointer over each one seems silly.)

pdworkman

They don't make it easy. I know you can do exports if you have their premium subscription, but I don't. I just used the dashboard view and the calendar picker to pick each day, then typed into a spreadsheet. Not the easiest way to go about things, but only took me a little while plugging away as I watched TV.

I feel kind of silly for asking this, but where do you find your TDEE on Fitbit? The logs? The chart of calories burned over the last 30 days? (And is there a way to see these numbers as text -- dragging the pointer over each one seems silly.)

heybales

I started using both a Fitbit and MFP in the last week, which means I don't have much in the way of data to use to generate numbers for my current TDEE or my goal TDEE or what. I used Heybales's spreadsheet and it calculated that I'm "very active". (Which surprised me, because while I run 3x a week for about 45-60 minutes at a time and I lift weights twice a week for an hour, I use a computer a lot and am not very active during the day. But I'll post in the other topic about that.)

Anyhow -- I like the Future You way of calculating numbers...but with the Fitbit and its adjustment I think everything is screwy. I honestly don't know what to set where as a result.

Well, the Future You method was meant to get a better estimate of TDEE, and then apply that to goal weight.

That Activity Level selection is merely so you may get MFP to calculate a daily maintenance value close to what your true one would be, so that when you finish your diary each day, the comment about "in 5 weeks ..." may have a chance at accuracy. But it really is no where near if you workout out a bunch.
That activity level has no bearing on any other selection anywhere else.

The FitBit is already getting a really good non-exercise estimate of daily maintenance. And depending on activity or running speed, may be decent for calorie burn on that too. Won't be for weights or cycling, ect.

So adding the FitBit to MFP adds a layer of complexity, get ready.

So 2 ways to go about this, depending on if you have HRM value for calories burned on real workouts and want to eat them back the day you get them, or keep with this Future You method because of no decent estimate of workout calories, or you want to spread them out through the week.

MFP method, get your sync figured out so MFP is updated and you see credit or calorie burns for adjustments. If you see calorie burns everyday of 200-300 more, especially on non-workout days, that means you need to adjust MFP activity level up 1. So if set to Sedentary, change to Lightly Active.
Keep weight loss goal to 1lb weekly. Then on workout days eat back the extra cal's given to you as FitBit adjustments. That means you have the 500 deficit already, and you burned more than that.
So your deficit always stays at 500, plus whatever amount the FitBit underestimated your workouts to be.

So here is what would happen. You have MFP set to Sedentary, and 1lb weight loss.
They set daily maintenance to XXXX, and daily net goal is 500 cal's less at YYYY.
Daily FitBit adjustments comes through saying you have 300 cal burn, and you are given credit to eat that, so YYYY+300.
What that means is your daily burn was really XXXX+300 according to FitBit, so MFP raised your maintenence, and subtracted the 500 then.
So if that 300 was from a workout, tat's why you have 300 more you eat.
If that adjustment was made on a rest day, change your MFP activity level to Lightly Active, and that is your new daily goal.
Now hopefully the only adjustments that come through are minor or related to bigger burn from exercise.
And as weight drops, MFP will lower daily goal, FitBit should be reporting less too since you weigh less, and you should always be above your BMR.

Or.

Take 3 days of normal daily activity that are rest days, no workouts. See how many calories FitBit says you burned on those 3 days, 1 weekend day would be great for good average.
So now you know your avg non-exercise daily maintenance. That's what MFP uses too.

Now to get that into the spreadsheet.

As temp measure, in the activity calculator section, move your time in Heavy and Moderate to Rest. So if you have 1 hr x 3 days under Heavy and Moderate, delete those lines and put it all under Rest.

So now look at column for Activity and Total Calories for Current Weight. Let me know how many are shown, and what is the FitBit avg for 3 days? Just curious how it matches up for you.

Anyway, I'm guessing the Light level will need to have hours added for the Current Weight total to equal the FitBit TDEE on a non-exercise day.
So add 1 or 2 hrs to however many days, in the Light activity level section, until that Current Weight total equals the FitBit TDEE total.

There, now the spreadsheet knows about your real non-exercise daily calorie burn.

Now move your running back under Heavy and weight lifting back under Moderate, and remove them from Rest level.

Now you have a better TDEE estimate, though the exercise is under estimated, but that's fine.

Now your future weight daily goal is more correct, and what you can eat to everyday.

But, even if you manually set the goal now is instructed there, the FitBit adjustmens will keep coming across, messing up your easy goal number.
So you don't want those to show up, or log exercise more than 1 calorie, or it will mess up your daily goal. And you don't eat back your exercise.

pdworkman

If you don't want FitBit to adjust your MFP, just unlink it from the account.

I aim to have a consistent number of calories across all days, rather than trying to eat more on exercise days and considerably less on rest days. I still fluctuate a good deal, though, and it is easy for me to look at my FitBit adjustment/MFP recommendation and say "well, it's okay if I'm eating more today, because I burned more calories than usual" and still know that I'm not overfeeding. The weekly average and deficit is what I keep the closest eye on.

DianeinCA

Looking at my numbers in Fitbit were really surprising (and answered one thing for me): my TDEE and daily intake aren't nearly far enough apart (which might explain why weight loss has been slow to nonexistent the past two weeks). My TDEE comes out to about "moderately active" for my current height and weight (2200).

I need to study these previous posts to see if I can make Future You work for me, but for right now I know that I need to stay at 1600-1700 a day (instead of going over to 1800-1900 as I have been doing) while at this height/weight. Much, much better than trying to aim at at 1250 or 1350 that MFP was telling me every day.

heybales

Looking at my numbers in Fitbit were really surprising (and answered one thing for me): my TDEE and daily intake aren't nearly far enough apart (which might explain why weight loss has been slow to nonexistent the past two weeks). My TDEE comes out to about "moderately active" for my current height and weight (2200).

I need to study these previous posts to see if I can make Future You work for me, but for right now I know that I need to stay at 1600-1700 a day (instead of going over to 1800-1900 as I have been doing) while at this height/weight. Much, much better than trying to aim at at 1250 or 1350 that MFP was telling me every day.

Very true, and since you know your estimated healthy BMR from the spreadsheet (Current weight Mifflin or Katch if you did bodyfat%), you know the available range.

Be aware too, FitBit estimate of true exercise calories is usually underestimated unless exercise is walking flat or jogging slow flat. That's why they allow on their site putting in workouts and calorie burn from them, and overriding that period of time that FitBit has down.

So indeed, if avg 2200 was it, then 500 deficit is indeed 1700.

Just confirm that is above your BMR level for wiser loss.

Then setup the sync, and if you keep getting adjustments over that are large, up your activity level in MFP and keep goal at 1lb until with 10 of goal weight, then down to 1/2 lb.

kayteanne

bump

fitfunk

MFP method, get your sync figured out so MFP is updated and you see credit or calorie burns for adjustments. If you see calorie burns everyday of 200-300 more, especially on non-workout days, that means you need to adjust MFP activity level up 1. So if set to Sedentary, change to Lightly Active.

Keep weight loss goal to 1lb weekly. Then on workout days eat back the extra cal's given to you as FitBit adjustments. That means you have the 500 deficit already, and you burned more than that.
So your deficit always stays at 500, plus whatever amount the FitBit underestimated your workouts to be.

I think I finally get it! I have been searching "tdee" all around MFP. I was gratified to read another poster write on this thread that after monitoring her Fitbit data for a few months, it was within 50 cal range of what was calculated on the spreadsheet tool.

But this idea about upping the activity level if you're getting 200-300 cal adj even on non-workout days was a light bulb moment for me. A-HA! I just set MFP to lightly active, 1lb per week goal (500 cal deficit), 0 workout goal. Then I set Fitbit's food plan goal section to Sedentary and 500 cal deficit goal. Whew. Now let's see what happens.

I think the most important thing I learned from all this research and forum lurking is: don't eat below your net BMR.

MFP now says FitFunk (me) can have 1640 cal per day, which feels quite roomy :glasses: Then I will have more faith in the Fitbit adj coming over for cal burn for workout days.

I realize this is an older thread, but if Haybales sees this, here are my stats:
Female, 41
Height - 68"
CW - 191
BF - 41% (says Tanita)
GW - 159
UGW - TBD (never been below 160's, so who knows?)
Training for 1/2 marathon; running 3x/week
Planning to start strength training...any day now

You've put a phenomenal amount of effort into your tools and this thread. Truly amazing! Hope the great info and support you're putting out there is coming back at ya! Thanks again!!

Oh and any Fitbit/runners/Future You type eaters - add me as a friend. I've lurked on MFP for months, but it really is motivating to connect with like-minded people. Cheers!

heybales

I think I finally get it! I have been searching "tdee" all around MFP. I was gratified to read another poster write on this thread that after monitoring her Fitbit data for a few months, it was within 50 cal range of what was calculated on the spreadsheet tool.

But this idea about upping the activity level if you're getting 200-300 cal adj even on non-workout days was a light bulb moment for me. A-HA! I just set MFP to lightly active, 1lb per week goal (500 cal deficit), 0 workout goal. Then I set Fitbit's food plan goal section to Sedentary and 500 cal deficit goal. Whew. Now let's see what happens.

I think the most important thing I learned from all this research and forum lurking is: don't eat below your net BMR.

MFP now says FitFunk (me) can have 1640 cal per day, which feels quite roomy :glasses: Then I will have more faith in the Fitbit adj coming over for cal burn for workout days.

I realize this is an older thread, but if Haybales sees this, here are my stats:
Female, 41
Height - 68"
CW - 191
BF - 41% (says Tanita)
GW - 159
UGW - TBD (never been below 160's, so who knows?)
Training for 1/2 marathon; running 3x/week
Planning to start strength training...any day now

You've put a phenomenal amount of effort into your tools and this thread. Truly amazing! Hope the great info and support you're putting out there is coming back at ya! Thanks again!!

Oh and any Fitbit/runners/Future You type eaters - add me as a friend. I've lurked on MFP for months, but it really is motivating to connect with like-minded people. Cheers!

I'm glad it clicked.

I forgot that the FitBit site had it's own deficit aspect too.

Here's the really fun part too.

Fitbit is basing the daily calorie burn on BMR of age, weight, height.
But BMR by weight, bodyfat% is more accurate.

So they could be off. For instance, with your stats.

MFP/Fitbit BMR - 1580

Katch bodyfat% BMR - 1399 (if you trust that 45% is within 5%)

So almost 200 lower.

So Fitbit is saying your avg daily activity on non-workout day is - ? as non-exercise TDEE.

TDEE / 1580 = your multiplier.

More correct BMR 1399 x multiplier = more correct TDEE.

Depending on that number, you can tweak MFP to end up with same number instead of less accurate BMR.

I know, just threw a bunch of numbers at ya when you had it all figured out.

fitfunk

Thanks again, Heybales! I'll keep it as is for a week and then tweak down as needed. I don't want to change it daily (as I have been recently!)

I'll let you know how I make out in the Group's message board.

seniorfaye

A lot of information here. Bumping for reading later..