fitbit help

mrsbalzer
mrsbalzer Posts: 7
in Health and Weight Loss
Very confused now, questions:
1. Do I log my exercise to MFP or fit bit.?
2. Why do I have to enter the calories burned when I enter exercise onto MFP, shouldn't fitbit sync that?
3. I have also tried to enter exercise onto fitbit but they dont always have exactly what I did.

I thought fit would sync the calories burned when you just enter the time.

Replies

  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    Have you checked this group out yet? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Here's how I do it:
    1. I log my exercise on MFP (I don't log anything on Fitbit, it'll be brought over)
    2. If you don't enter anything and just let Fitbit do what it's doing, you don't have to enter anything at all
    3. If you do that and enter it into MFP, it'll show up twice here

    So, what I do, I work out wearing my Fitbit and HRM then when I'm done, I enter in my exercise like I would have before (only difference being it asks for the time) then it adjusts itself. I find my HRM has a better count for what I've burned than my Fitbit, plus it shows people you've worked out
  • mrsbalzer
    mrsbalzer Posts: 7
    but why does it ask for the calories burned?
  • mrsbalzer
    mrsbalzer Posts: 7
    And thank you, I will look up that forum, sometime they are very detailed and it gets me confused.
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    but why does it ask for the calories burned?

    Because you're entering the exercise in for it so it's going to over ride what Fitbit would do. If you don't enter anything, Fitbit will add calories to your day if you're over what it estimates you being at.

    Under exercise (on the website, not the phone) there's a fitbit adjustment with a little question mark or circle, click it and it'll explain your difference in calories (this will show whether you've entered in your exercise or not)
  • Hoop4la
    Hoop4la Posts: 68 Member
    OMG - I have just bought a fitbit too (it should arrive tomorrow ) it sounds ever so complicated :/
  • Hoop4la
    Hoop4la Posts: 68 Member
    Have you checked this group out yet? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Here's how I do it:
    1. I log my exercise on MFP (I don't log anything on Fitbit, it'll be brought over)
    2. If you don't enter anything and just let Fitbit do what it's doing, you don't have to enter anything at all
    3. If you do that and enter it into MFP, it'll show up twice here

    So, what I do, I work out wearing my Fitbit and HRM then when I'm done, I enter in my exercise like I would have before (only difference being it asks for the time) then it adjusts itself. I find my HRM has a better count for what I've burned than my Fitbit, plus it shows people you've worked out

    When you say it asks for the time .. does it ask how long ? or what time you did it so it knows which bit to overwrite ?
  • GauchoMark
    GauchoMark Posts: 1,804 Member
    I log all my food on MFP and all my exercise on fitbit.

    The ONLY time I log exercise on fitbit is when I'm doing something that fitbit doesn't count very well like riding a bike. When I do log something, I am very careful about making sure I enter the time correctly because it will overwrite whatever the fitbit actually recorded so you want to make sure it is overwriting the correct time period.

    I just find it simpler to make fitbit.com my exercise log and mfp my food log. Of course they still sync up and show it all, but I don't want to be trying to track them in separate places.

    As far as fitbit not having the right exercises, you can always create them. What are you trying to log? Their database is fairly comprehensive.
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member

    When you say it asks for the time .. does it ask how long ? or what time you did it so it knows which bit to overwrite ?

    Both, it'll ask for your starting time as well as how long (the only difference to before you had a fitbit is the starting time)
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    OMG - I have just bought a fitbit too (it should arrive tomorrow ) it sounds ever so complicated :/

    It is only as complicated as you make it. FitBit tracks all step related activity - running, jogging, walking, etc - so no need to track them, just let FitBit do its thing.

    If you do something like a workout video w/a bunch of arm movements (something fitbit doesn't track) and want to override your fitbit adjustment, you track it on MFP (and would need to know the calories burned - so wear your HRM).

    So I pretty much just let FitBit do it's thing. I go to the gym 4 times a week - we treadmill for 15 min and then do free weights or machines. You don't really burn a lot doing weights anyway so I don't bother tracking it. Fitbit gets the treadmill and all the other walking I've done during the day and gives me my adjustment and I'm happy. Easy Peasy.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    Have you checked this group out yet? http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Here's how I do it:
    1. I log my exercise on MFP (I don't log anything on Fitbit, it'll be brought over)
    2. If you don't enter anything and just let Fitbit do what it's doing, you don't have to enter anything at all
    3. If you do that and enter it into MFP, it'll show up twice here

    So, what I do, I work out wearing my Fitbit and HRM then when I'm done, I enter in my exercise like I would have before (only difference being it asks for the time) then it adjusts itself. I find my HRM has a better count for what I've burned than my Fitbit, plus it shows people you've worked out

    When you say it asks for the time .. does it ask how long ? or what time you did it so it knows which bit to overwrite ?

    Yes, it asks time started, calories burned, and duration.
  • montana_girl
    montana_girl Posts: 1,403 Member
    OMG - I have just bought a fitbit too (it should arrive tomorrow ) it sounds ever so complicated :/

    It is only as complicated as you make it. FitBit tracks all step related activity - running, jogging, walking, etc - so no need to track them, just let FitBit do its thing.

    If you do something like a workout video w/a bunch of arm movements (something fitbit doesn't track) and want to override your fitbit adjustment, you track it on MFP (and would need to know the calories burned - so wear your HRM).

    So I pretty much just let FitBit do it's thing. I go to the gym 4 times a week - we treadmill for 15 min and then do free weights or machines. You don't really burn a lot doing weights anyway so I don't bother tracking it. Fitbit gets the treadmill and all the other walking I've done during the day and gives me my adjustment and I'm happy. Easy Peasy.

    I agree... it's only complicated if you make it that way. As with anything, there is a bit of learning curve.

    I got my Fitbit for Christmas and I'm still learning a little more about it everyday. I pretty much let the Fitbit figure out the calories burned for the day except for when I do an activity where I wear my HRM, such as running or doing a workout DVD.

    I have say, the Fitbit is really helping me to get back in the swing of working out and I love trying to improve my steps or floors climbed. Nice to have those personal challenges.
  • ak2k
    ak2k Posts: 5 Member
    Yes, you enter the time you started and the duration of the activity on MFP.
  • Rehobobound
    Rehobobound Posts: 143 Member
    I'm so glad I'm not the only confused fitbit-er! I ended up taking the fitbit off for weight related classes (cardio strength & body pump), yoga and spinning, then enter the exercise separately. I also log all the exercise on the fitbit site since I couldn't stand looking at negative numbers on my home page. This method seems to work.

    I do have a concern that fitbit is telling me to eat too many more calories tho.
  • mrsbalzer
    mrsbalzer Posts: 7
    So I have been watching mfp a little closer and looking around on fitbit page on the website.. I did a video work out then went to the website and created an activity record for the time period i did my workout. I burned approx 300 cal. then I did not enter anything and noticed that MPF adjusted my net calories and had noted the exercise.
  • Hoop4la
    Hoop4la Posts: 68 Member
    i cant make the sleep function work on my one - any tips ?
  • corneredbycorn
    corneredbycorn Posts: 267 Member
    OMG - I have just bought a fitbit too (it should arrive tomorrow ) it sounds ever so complicated :/

    It is only as complicated as you make it. FitBit tracks all step related activity - running, jogging, walking, etc - so no need to track them, just let FitBit do its thing.
    Crawling too! I found that one out after chasing my toddler yesterday.
  • corneredbycorn
    corneredbycorn Posts: 267 Member
    i cant make the sleep function work on my one - any tips ?
    First off, which Fitbit do you have? If you have the Zip, it won't do it. It has to be an Ultra or a One.

    Second, if you do have an Ultra or a One, you just hold the button down until it starts the stop watch, go to sleep with it in the wrist band on your non-dominant wrist, and in the morning, hold the button down until it says stop.

    Third, sync it up to your computer (give it a moment!) and scroll to the bottom of your dashboard.
  • ak2k
    ak2k Posts: 5 Member
    ...see post below
  • ak2k
    ak2k Posts: 5 Member
    I'm so glad I'm not the only confused fitbit-er! I ended up taking the fitbit off for weight related classes (cardio strength & body pump), yoga and spinning, then enter the exercise separately. I also log all the exercise on the fitbit site since I couldn't stand looking at negative numbers on my home page. This method seems to work.

    I do have a concern that fitbit is telling me to eat too many more calories tho.


    - I agree. I was able to loose weight with MFP's goals, but now with fitbit, it adds more calories for my everyday walking and I've plateaued (sp?) I'm going to start ignoring the extra calories that fitbit adds to MFP and just stick with my original targets.
  • Hoop4la
    Hoop4la Posts: 68 Member
    I lost a kilo this week with fit bit

    I log food in MFP
    exercise in fitbit is done automatically - but i do overwrite for ski and cycling etc ... i leave it on though even when doing those ! i find it less generous with the burn than MFP

    I am finding that MFP is giving me many more calories than fitbit so i am using the fitbit goals - i set the fitbit goal at 'kinda hard' so it gives me calories equivelant of a 750 deficit vs what I burn in the day
    MFP wont let me set food goals at less than 1200 calories and it lets me et all my exerice which i dont want to so i think fit bit is much more strict
    I love the fitbit tool which tells you whether you are on target/undereaten or overeaten for the time of day

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