Need help figuring out your TDEE? Get a Fitbit.

Tigg1011

Ok-stupid question, but I just want to make sure I am understanding correctly as well as doing what I am supposed to be doing.

I set my fitbit to 1400 calories accoriding to scoobys calculations for a sedentary level. Now, it says I have to burn 2184 calories/day but if I burned only 2000, that gives me a 600 calorie deficit correct? Which number is the actual TDEE number on my fitbit? The calories burned? I dont know, I am so confused! Sorry! Please help, thanks!

I'm not sure what you mean by setting Fitbit to anything. Fitbit does the calorie burn calculations automatically; there is no place to set how many calories you burn.

The "I have to burn" part is just a goal. It's essentially random and meaningless. What you want to pay attention to is the number of calories it says you've burned. That's a running TDEE. At the end of the day, that number is the total number of calories you've burned that day.

Actually, with the fitbit one you can set your daily burned calories goal. But thats not what I meant. I meant that I set my calorie goal to 1400. But you said that the number of calories burned is the TDEE, so if I eat a deficit of 500 calories from that number, thats fine right?

mistertripps

More than anything else, my Fitbit has become a great way to measure my daily activity level as compared to other days. I've had mine for three weeks now and it definitely has made a difference in the amount of extra activity I make myself do. Coupled with the food log on MFP it has made all the difference in how I act on a daily basis. I don't worry so much about competing against others - I compete against myself and what I have done on other days. The Fitbit is just a great way of monitoring your personal activity level.

marieautumn

I had a fitbit but found it was pretty much a glorified pedometer. Skip the fitbit and just get a HRM. I lost pretty much all my weight since i started using the HRM and my work outs really improved.

trisH_7183

I my FB. I forgot to put it on one day and I felt like I was missing a limb.

I had a mini panic attack when I went to play tennis one day without it. I tried to estimate the calories I burned later and remember how much of a pain in the butt it was to try to do that every time I exercised.

The Fitbit takes away so much annoying guesswork it's unbelievable. I literally never have to sit around and try to calculate how many calories I may have burned playing racquetball or walking around the mall or whatever. It's very liberating, and that's why I started this topic.

Have been watching food intake & trying to walk each day,adding a bit more steps each time.Sounds like FB works great for you.What model FB would I need? I' m on iPad & don't want to use the computer. Thanks for any info.I'm a complete newbie at eating healthy.Thanks,Pat

jonnythan

Ok-stupid question, but I just want to make sure I am understanding correctly as well as doing what I am supposed to be doing.

I set my fitbit to 1400 calories accoriding to scoobys calculations for a sedentary level. Now, it says I have to burn 2184 calories/day but if I burned only 2000, that gives me a 600 calorie deficit correct? Which number is the actual TDEE number on my fitbit? The calories burned? I dont know, I am so confused! Sorry! Please help, thanks!

I'm not sure what you mean by setting Fitbit to anything. Fitbit does the calorie burn calculations automatically; there is no place to set how many calories you burn.

The "I have to burn" part is just a goal. It's essentially random and meaningless. What you want to pay attention to is the number of calories it says you've burned. That's a running TDEE. At the end of the day, that number is the total number of calories you've burned that day.

Actually, with the fitbit one you can set your daily burned calories goal. But thats not what I meant. I meant that I set my calorie goal to 1400. But you said that the number of calories burned is the TDEE, so if I eat a deficit of 500 calories from that number, thats fine right?

Your "goal" in Fitbit is meaningless. It doesn't affect anything else. It's just like the steps goal - just a bar graph you've either met at the end of the day or not. It doesn't affect the calories burned, your food plan, or what information is synced to MFP.

Your goal at the end of every day is to have eaten less than the Fitbit says you've burned that day, yes. The number on the screen of the Fitbit at 11:59 PM is your TDEE for that day.

Tigg1011

Ok-stupid question, but I just want to make sure I am understanding correctly as well as doing what I am supposed to be doing.

I set my fitbit to 1400 calories accoriding to scoobys calculations for a sedentary level. Now, it says I have to burn 2184 calories/day but if I burned only 2000, that gives me a 600 calorie deficit correct? Which number is the actual TDEE number on my fitbit? The calories burned? I dont know, I am so confused! Sorry! Please help, thanks!

I'm not sure what you mean by setting Fitbit to anything. Fitbit does the calorie burn calculations automatically; there is no place to set how many calories you burn.

The "I have to burn" part is just a goal. It's essentially random and meaningless. What you want to pay attention to is the number of calories it says you've burned. That's a running TDEE. At the end of the day, that number is the total number of calories you've burned that day.

Actually, with the fitbit one you can set your daily burned calories goal. But thats not what I meant. I meant that I set my calorie goal to 1400. But you said that the number of calories burned is the TDEE, so if I eat a deficit of 500 calories from that number, thats fine right?

Your "goal" in Fitbit is meaningless. It doesn't affect anything else. It's just like the steps goal - just a bar graph you've either met at the end of the day or not. It doesn't affect the calories burned, your food plan, or what information is synced to MFP.

Your goal at the end of every day is to have eaten less than the Fitbit says you've burned that day, yes. The number on the screen of the Fitbit at 11:59 PM is your TDEE for that day.

Ok, thanks for breaking it down in laymans terms for me lol. :O)

jeshhh

Bump for reference when I get my FitBit Flex next month.

MercenaryNoetic26

I don't think I'm really impressed with the Flex. The lack of a display would annoy the heck outta me.

It has shiny flashing lights!

This is my first fitbit, but I it. I'm still getting to know my Fitbit. I'm messing around with the goals and may lower my activity level since I'm being particularly lazy. Currently, I have it set to moderate and have opted "IN" for the negative adjustments (on MFP). I'm seeing on lower activity days that I either need to move my *kitten* more or I need to eat less.

Do I need to enter my stride length for good tracking? I've seen this mentioned previously, but how do I measure that?

jonnythan

I don't think I'm really impressed with the Flex. The lack of a display would annoy the heck outta me.

It has shiny flashing lights!

This is my first fitbit, but I it. I'm still getting to know my Fitbit. I'm messing around with the goals and may lower my activity level since I'm being particularly lazy. Currently, I have it set to moderate and have opted "IN" for the negative adjustments (on MFP). I'm seeing on lower activity days that I either need to move my *kitten* more or I need to eat less.

Do I need to enter my stride length for good tracking? I've seen this mentioned previously, but how do I measure that?

I adjusted mine an inch or two. I got on the treadmill, ran a mile at 6 mph, and then adjusted the stride length in the Fitbit dashboard until the activity record I created also said a mile. Since then it's been pretty spot-on.

stefa711

I've been using the fitbit one for a few weeks and I am pretty hesitant to eat back all of my extra fitbit calories... Does anyone on here feel like it over-calculates your TDEE?

jonnythan

I've been using the fitbit one for a few weeks and I am pretty hesitant to eat back all of my extra fitbit calories... Does anyone on here feel like it over-calculates your TDEE?

I used to, but I decided to trust the numbers long term. And you can see how well it's worked out.

stefa711

I've been using the fitbit one for a few weeks and I am pretty hesitant to eat back all of my extra fitbit calories... Does anyone on here feel like it over-calculates your TDEE?

I used to, but I decided to trust the numbers long term. And you can see how well it's worked out.

Thanks! I'll give it a shot.

martymum

I am saving up for for one now so bumping for useful info later :flowerforyou:

martyx

Going4Lean

I've been using the fitbit one for a few weeks and I am pretty hesitant to eat back all of my extra fitbit calories... Does anyone on here feel like it over-calculates your TDEE?

I was wondering the same thing. Since getting my FitBit i have been more active and i am burning over 3000 calories, so i wasn't sure if i should eat all the calories it was telling me to eat.

Bekahmardis

I managed to get a FitBit Flex the day they came out (I hurried over to Best Buy and got one of the last 5 they had in stock!). I've been using it religiously ever since and it seems to be keeping me right in line with my goals. I set my MFP calories to as close to my BMR as I felt comfortable and let the FitBit Flex add or subtract calories for my daily goal as I work through the day. Some days I get to have 1600 calories, some days I get to have 1250....it all depends on whether I've been sitting on my *kitten*, or actually doing something active. I also use it to track my sleep habits because I never think I get enough sleep. Guess what? I actually DO!

The long and the short of it is: it works for me. There's no more guesswork and I just follow what it tells me I can do. If I want another beer or a dessert with my dinner, I just make sure I'm that much more active throughout the day.

MercenaryNoetic26

I adjusted mine an inch or two. I got on the treadmill, ran a mile at 6 mph, and then adjusted the stride length in the Fitbit dashboard until the activity record I created also said a mile. Since then it's been pretty spot-on.

Okay, thanks!

So it really only affects distance, right? I can leave it blank if distance doesn't matter to me? Or will it register less calories if it's not set up (defaulting to average women stride-length)?

betsij

I my fitbit!
Just sayin

MSam1205

Bump! some great info I need to peruse to use my fitbit to the best of my and it's ability:bigsmile: I mine too!!

tlynnweb

I was not a fan of the Fitbit. Just returned it. I am one who also wanted to know what I burned in a day so I could see if my MFP was set properly. I found the fitbit synced with MFP to be so frustrating b/c it constantly changed my calories throughout the day. I do realize that the Fitbit is constantly working, therefore the change, but for someone who needs set numbers. WOW--super annoying. I don't care how many steps I take and I didn't find it motivating to use. I workout most days anyway so trying to fit in the last 200 steps to meet the 10,000/day goal wasn't my thing. I wanted to love the Fitbit but just couldn't. I use a Polar HRM and find it to be all I need. That all being said, people who have Fitbit tend to love it. I just didn't want to be committed to wearing the damn thing all day long, every single day!

tlynnweb

Oh and some days, I would go to bed and be under my calorie range. super psyched. Then I'd wake up the next day and whammo---300 calories in the negative for that day. Super freaky!