Need help figuring out your TDEE? Get a Fitbit.

tiggerlgh

Thanks for this post. This has helped me understand much more what my fitbit is doing. I was also able to calc my avg TDEE (used 7 weeks avg daily calories burned per my fitbit). My question is now that I have that number do I do anything here on MFP to update it to the more accurate TDEE? Then to lose ~1.5 lbs a week take the TDEE -20% and eat that amount on average....is that how it works?

Cathi888

saving to reread later

Charlottesometimes23

You sold me.

Off to buy the fitbit one today. I've downloaded the app on my smartphone and I can't wait to get started.

Charlottesometimes23

Day 2 and I'm very happy with it. It sincs to my phone and I'm addicted to watching the lines turn from blue to orange and then to green.

It's extremely motivating.

editorgrrl

Do I do anything here on MFP to update it to the more accurate TDEE? Then to lose ~1.5 lbs a week take the TDEE -20% and eat that amount on average....is that how it works?

Go to http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/30 and connect your accounts. Then Fitbit sends your TDEE to MFP, and MFP sends aggregate meal data to Fitbit. (The connection's been buggy lately, though.) Log food & drink in MFP; log non-step based exercise in Fitbit or MFP--never both. If you choose to log in MFP, you'll be asked for start & end times. MFP will override your step data during that time.

MFP has a "Fitbit Users" group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

Lisa1971

Thanks for the info! Hoping to get a FB soon!

thesimsisters

The most useful thing for adjusting is how Fitbit's site shows me calories eaten versus calories burned by day. It also shows an exact calorie deficit on a daily basis. I look primarily at that to see how big of a deficit I'm running. If the deficit is too big I'll raise MFP's goal a bit. If the deficit is too small I lower MFP's goal a bit.

Either way, stick with MFP for meal planning. Just adjust your MFP goal up or down to make sure you're running an appropriate deficit.

Wow, thanks for this tip! I did not know I could see this laid out like that. Totally cool! It's a great way to look at calories burned vs calories eaten. Being able to see the whole week etc, really helps me see how my week is stacking up.

AmyRhubarb

Bump to read later when my fitbit arrives in the mail! :bigsmile:

So_Much_Fab

Interesting...I might have to get one.

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jonnythan

I won't buy one because it doesn't know how much I burn from a weight lifting session. I lift 4 days a week and that is my primary form of exercise. I also do cardio here and there, but lifting is my main thing, so it's useless to me. It's a shame because on all other fronts, it seems pretty legit.

Lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I add 75-100 calories per session depending on how much I do.

judyde

Still considering this! Bump to read later.

Jonny, do you think if I don't need the sleep monitor, the Zip would be ok?

RivenV

I won't buy one because it doesn't know how much I burn from a weight lifting session. I lift 4 days a week and that is my primary form of exercise. I also do cardio here and there, but lifting is my main thing, so it's useless to me. It's a shame because on all other fronts, it seems pretty legit.

Lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I add 75-100 calories per session depending on how much I do.

Lifting is also my primary form of exercise. FitBit still tracks how "active" you are during your lifting sessions, but you're correct that it won't track the exact amount of calories you burn because you're lifting. However, as Jonny said, lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I eat according to FitBit's estimate of my TDEE and ignore whatever pittance of calories are burned during weight-lifting.

QuietBloom

I mine. At first it was hard to just let go and trust it to do it's thing. I highly recommend them (I have a Flex).

Mischievous_Rascal

I love my Flex! It's actually confirming the numbers I took months to figure out without one. It's very satisfying. lol

jonnythan

Still considering this! Bump to read later.

Jonny, do you think if I don't need the sleep monitor, the Zip would be ok?

I think the floor/elevation tracking of the One is pretty awesome. I find myself taking the stairs just to hit the floors goal. So I think there's a lot of value to that. I also really like the timer function, as it lets me see how many calories I've burned during a workout, while still working out.

QuietBloom

Does the Fitbit also calculate accurately during exercise or would I still get that number from my heart rate monitor? I've been thinking about getting one.

IMO, heart rate monitors are terrible for calculating calories. That's a whole other rant though.

Just look at the weight loss graphs in the OP to see how accurate the Fitbit is.

It's not accurate for things where you're not on your feet, like cycling or swimming or rowing. You can just add those manually.

HRM stand alone, are terrible calculators. But if you use the data correctly (i.e. an online calc to figure gross, then net burns) it matches FitBit almost exactly. Of course, now that I have a FitBit, I don't use my HRM for anything other than staying in my zones. So while I run I have on the FitBit, my HRM and Endomondo for my training plan. My little geek heart is happy.

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AmyRhubarb

Still considering this! Bump to read later.

Jonny, do you think if I don't need the sleep monitor, the Zip would be ok?

I think the floor/elevation tracking of the One is pretty awesome. I find myself taking the stairs just to hit the floors goal. So I think there's a lot of value to that. I also really like the timer function, as it lets me see how many calories I've burned during a workout, while still working out. And I scored a brand new on on eBay for $38.95! :drinker:

After much research (reading what each product does and people's reviews of them) I decided the Zip was enough for me. I don't need the sleep tracking, and I am rarely around stairs, so I think the Zip will be perfect for me.

cjack19

bumping to read later ... just got one a couple of weeks ago and trying to figure it all out still:) Love it so far!

GadgetGuy2

I've worn a Ultra, then a One for the last 2 years. I bought it knowing it would not cover all calorie burn activities, but would get me a better TDEE without me having to do any mental work or just trust that the FB or MFP "activity level" was accurate enough.

As stated by the OP, the FB adjusts the daily TDEE estimate from your "keyed activity level" (e.g. sedentary) giving you a more accurate net calories result. This allowed me to eat back calories daily to around a 500 calorie deficit, without me feeling hungry.

I've learned dieting is easy for me, if the calorie deficit is smallish (<500 kcal/day).

Thus, slow and steady as she goes (aye aye Cap'n).........got me to my destination without floundering on some obese reef!

redversustheblue

This makes me sad because I asked for a fitbit one for christmas and didn't get one. I've wanted it for so long, I'm going to have to save up myself. I do a lot of walking for work and it would be insanely helpful for those days.

EvanKeel

I won't buy one because it doesn't know how much I burn from a weight lifting session. I lift 4 days a week and that is my primary form of exercise. I also do cardio here and there, but lifting is my main thing, so it's useless to me. It's a shame because on all other fronts, it seems pretty legit.

Lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I add 75-100 calories per session depending on how much I do.

So I'm genuinely curious about that because here's my Leg Day 1 from this week. The data is from my Body Media Fit. I've left out of the warm up and cool down cardio from the selected range. Exercises included: DLs, Good Mornings, Standing Leg Curls, Seated Leg Press and Dumbbell Side Bends. For me, this is a decent amount of calories.

4daluvof_candice

The fitbit one estimates your TDEE just like every website does with your vital stats. Then it divides that by 24 and uses that value when you're not doing anything. It's just a glorified pedometer so it can only measure what a pedometer can. It does vertical too, which is a bonus.

A heart rate monitor is way more accurate.

It's not a glorified pedometer. There's no reason in the world to think that it's less accurate than an HRM and a million reasons an HRM is far less accurate.

However, this thread is not about HRM vs Fitbit. The Fitbit is a device designed to be worn 24/7 in order to give you a TDEE. HRMs are not.

This thread is about how people struggling to figure out their TDEE can make it a lot easier by getting a Fitbit and removing most of the guesswork.

whatsgood4me

My BodyMedia Link accurately measures calories burned when weightlifting. Since BM is more than an elaborate motion sensor, it also measures skin temperature, heat flux from muscle exertion, and skin conductivity from sweat. This is all the information it needs to accurately measure calories burned when weightlifting.

I understand some people don't like the arm band, but I don't mind it. People in my gym have asked me about it and I just tell them what it is, then show them the BM app on my phone.

QuietBloom

I won't buy one because it doesn't know how much I burn from a weight lifting session. I lift 4 days a week and that is my primary form of exercise. I also do cardio here and there, but lifting is my main thing, so it's useless to me. It's a shame because on all other fronts, it seems pretty legit.

Lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I add 75-100 calories per session depending on how much I do.

So I'm genuinely curious about that because here's my Leg Day 1 from this week. The data is from my Body Media Fit. I've left out of the warm up and cool down cardio from the selected range. Exercises included: DLs, Good Mornings, Standing Leg Curls, Seated Leg Press and Dumbbell Side Bends. For me, this is a decent amount of calories.

Is your BMR included in that number? I am assuming it is, so an estimate of about 200 calories seems in line with what others are saying they estimate when using a FitBit.

jonnythan

My BodyMedia Link accurately measures calories burned when weightlifting. Since BM is more than an elaborate motion sensor, it also measures skin temperature, heat flux from muscle exertion, and skin conductivity from sweat. This is all the information it needs to accurately measure calories burned when weightlifting.

I understand some people don't like the arm band, but I don't mind it. People in my gym have asked me about it and I just tell them what it is, then show them the BM app on my phone.

The armband makes the BM a total nonstarter for me. That is definitely not something I'm interested in wearing the rest of my life, period.

I'd be interested for someone to take several months' worth of their BM data and compare it to "actual" calories burned (calculated from calorie intake and weight change over time) to see how close it got. Several people have done this for their Fitbits, but I haven't seen anyone do it for the BM.

RivenV

I won't buy one because it doesn't know how much I burn from a weight lifting session. I lift 4 days a week and that is my primary form of exercise. I also do cardio here and there, but lifting is my main thing, so it's useless to me. It's a shame because on all other fronts, it seems pretty legit.

Lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I add 75-100 calories per session depending on how much I do.

Lifting is also my primary form of exercise. FitBit still tracks how "active" you are during your lifting sessions, but you're correct that it won't track the exact amount of calories you burn because you're lifting. However, as Jonny said, lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I eat according to FitBit's estimate of my TDEE and ignore whatever pittance of calories are burned during weight-lifting.

Interesting. I know that's very true. I used to think I burned 200, but later I think it was less because I was maintening on what I thought was a very small deficit. But, I cheat too. So, I have a lot of variables to contend with. Lol. I probably burn 100 to 200 per session, depending. Some days, like yesterday, I decided to do super sets in rapid sucession with short breaks in between. When I do that, I feel like I burn a lot more because there's a cardio aspect to it. But, meh! Whatever.

Hmmm. I like your method. I don't know who Jonny is, didn't bother reading everything. I've read a *kitten*-ton of stuff about fitbit. I've been thinking about it for a while. I like the idea of not worrying too much about the actual lifting burns. Just chalk that up to body sculpting or something, not cals burned.

Jonny is the poster above mine who originally made the statement that lifting doesn't burn that many calories. (He's also the OP, but that's unrelated.)

I am so glad I got this FitBit One. It's the easiest and most consistently accurate way I've found of tracking TDEE. The way I see it, however many calories I burn during lifting is incidental since it's so low. I also consider that this may offset any logging discrepancies that may occur for whatever reason. And, finally, yes, I basically consider any calories burned lifting to be more geared towards body composition than fat loss, even though the two are pretty much the same thing.

QuietBloom

I won't buy one because it doesn't know how much I burn from a weight lifting session. I lift 4 days a week and that is my primary form of exercise. I also do cardio here and there, but lifting is my main thing, so it's useless to me. It's a shame because on all other fronts, it seems pretty legit.

Lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I add 75-100 calories per session depending on how much I do.

Lifting is also my primary form of exercise. FitBit still tracks how "active" you are during your lifting sessions, but you're correct that it won't track the exact amount of calories you burn because you're lifting. However, as Jonny said, lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I eat according to FitBit's estimate of my TDEE and ignore whatever pittance of calories are burned during weight-lifting.

Interesting. I know that's very true. I used to think I burned 200, but later I think it was less because I was maintening on what I thought was a very small deficit. But, I cheat too. So, I have a lot of variables to contend with. Lol. I probably burn 100 to 200 per session, depending. Some days, like yesterday, I decided to do super sets in rapid sucession with short breaks in between. When I do that, I feel like I burn a lot more because there's a cardio aspect to it. But, meh! Whatever.

Hmmm. I like your method. I don't know who Jonny is, didn't bother reading everything. I've read a *kitten*-ton of stuff about fitbit. I've been thinking about it for a while. I like the idea of not worrying too much about the actual lifting burns. Just chalk that up to body sculpting or something, not cals burned.

I think you'd like it Jerry, especially since you run. You and I have similar geek profiles, and the FitBit makes mine happy.

EvanKeel

I won't buy one because it doesn't know how much I burn from a weight lifting session. I lift 4 days a week and that is my primary form of exercise. I also do cardio here and there, but lifting is my main thing, so it's useless to me. It's a shame because on all other fronts, it seems pretty legit.

Lifting doesn't burn that many calories. I add 75-100 calories per session depending on how much I do.

So I'm genuinely curious about that because here's my Leg Day 1 from this week. The data is from my Body Media Fit. I've left out of the warm up and cool down cardio from the selected range. Exercises included: DLs, Good Mornings, Standing Leg Curls, Seated Leg Press and Dumbbell Side Bends. For me, this is a decent amount of calories.

(image omitted for space)

Is your BMR included in that number? I am assuming it is, so an estimate of about 200 calories seems in line with what others are saying they estimate when using a FitBit.

Eh, removing my BMR would put me roughly in the 270 range for calories burned in an hour. As it happens, this isn't that far off from what MFP would give me in their cardio (strength training) training option, but it is twice as much as 75-100.

Perhaps the take away is that I could potentially also use a fitbit and just add MFP's suggested calories for weight lifting. I don't necessarily have a problem with my BMF, but it's always nice to have options and compare information.