How Do You Use Your Fitbit?

lilylight
lilylight Posts: 128 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I'm set at "sedentary" in my profile, and when I do some specific exercise like extra walking, I log it into MFP. What I'm wondering about with the Fitbit is: it seems like some people wear it all the time, to track every single step. But even "sedentary" people walk a little bit, obviously. So, if you track every single step, and then sync your Fitbit, is it going to add calories for every single step? Because wouldn't it then be adding too many calories? In other words, ideally, if it tracks every single step, then up to a certain number of steps wouldn't count as "extra" exercise, but just part of normal living, and it would only start counting steps as "exercise" (and eligible for giving you more calories) after you pass a certain number. But is this how it works?

I don't have a Fitbit yet; I'm considering it and am just curious as to how people are using it. Thanks!

Replies

  • Stefanie7125
    Stefanie7125 Posts: 462 Member
    I have a desk job and have my activity set at sedentary. I normally get in about 4,900 steps during the day (today I only got 3,890). Most of the time, I do go for a walk and up that. I try to get at least 8,000 a day in. Fitbit links it automatically so yes I do get extra calories, but if I don't do anything extra it is not expecting me to and allowing me to consume more than I should.

    Did I confuse you?
  • momof2winsplus
    momof2winsplus Posts: 137 Member
    Fitbit makes it all so much easier. If you keep your settings at Sedentary, it will give you an adjustment for your daily activity. you won't need to log anything unless you are swimming or doing something else that Fitbit won't pick up.

    And it won't adjust too much. Remember how MFP is set up. It already gives you a 500 cal deficit per pound per day. All activity calories can be eaten and you will still keep your same deficit. If you have already hit the 1200 cal threshold, you will definitely want to eat back your exercise calories or you won't be properly fueling your internal organs.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I have a fitbit, and I wear it pretty much 24/7. Because the fitbit does not know much other than if you are walking or running, I DO log all my workouts. I log treadmill and strength training. When I log it in MFP, it asks for the time and duration, then it overwrites that time period in my fitbit log. You set your activity level in fitbit too...when you are more active than you claim, you get "extra credit" under your exercise tab on MFP. Today I have 650 exercise calories ( I went to 3 grocery stores today) from fitbit. I eat as many of them as I can, and I am still losing about 1lb a week, which is what my goal is.
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    I use a Fitbit and use a variation of their food plan, not MFP's, and just use this site to log food. I aim for 70,000 steps a week and at least a 500-1000 calorie/day deficit (per Fitbit site). I've lost 35 lbs. this way in the past. It's simple. No tracking activity, no adding back, no wildly swinging intake days. I don't do much exercise the Fitbit doesn't track but if I did I'd log it manually on the Fitbit site to up my calorie expenditure for the day, by that amount. My intake goal never changes. If I exercise more, that's just bonus expenditure. Though obviously I eat more if I'm more hungry. On those days my deficit is more like 500 than 1000, but that's all good, too.
  • lilylight
    lilylight Posts: 128 Member
    ... You set your activity level in fitbit too...when you are more active than you claim, you get "extra credit" under your exercise tab on MFP.

    So, this means that when you sync it with myfitnesspal, it won't add in extra exercise calories unless you go OVER some level that is considered "sedentary"? I.e., suppose I wear it all day, and all I do is walk back and forth from home to car to work and a little other minor walking like to use the restroom, walk a short distance to a restaurant for lunch, etc. I wouldn't want it to add in "exercise" calories for these minor activities. But then, if I also speed walk around the park for 45 minutes, I want it to count that. Is that how it works?

    Thanks for the replies. Sorry, I'm a little slow this evening! I think I need to go make up my calorie deficit! :smile:

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