Fitbit users eating all their calories

annoz
annoz Posts: 68 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
MFP gives me 1420 calories to lose weight. I aim for about 1500-1600. I am on my feet at work and fitbit gives me usually at least a 500-600 calorie exercise allowance. I am already NOT losing weight...If I ate what MFP and fitbit want I'd be eating at least 1900 calories a day! I am 5'3" and 147ish pounds and want to be 130.

Sorry if I keep posting about my struggle to lose weight but I am getting so frustrated and down about it. My clothes still fit the same, too :(

Replies

  • Heyyleigh
    Heyyleigh Posts: 268 Member
    MF gives me 1210 cals and fitbit around 1435. I balance them both. In fitbit once the food is syncd to MFP you can see in the food plan what you have left. Fitbit bases off the calories you burn, your learned activity level, etc... MFP bases it off what you enter and how fast you want to lose the weight. People really give themselves to much credit for what they call exercise ;) There are many forums in here about fitbit and the Fitbit Calorie adjustment. I don't log any type of activity that fitbit picks up. ( I dont ride a bike or swim ) You can log it, but I suggest you not eat them back. I also really watch my carbs and what source they come from and also eat my weight in protein.

    How long have you been at it? Try the carb approach, also watch those sugars.

    On fitbit, try and get your step count to 20,000 and your miles at at least 8. Aim for 10 flights of stairs. :) I don't know how much time you have to workout, but it really speeds things up!
  • annoz
    annoz Posts: 68 Member
    I don't log exercise either- just go along with what fitbit says. Thanks for your reply-

    Oh- I've been at this for about 7 weeks now.
  • johnnydubroy
    johnnydubroy Posts: 5 Member
    Sort of new to this but what is fitbit?
  • BluthLover
    BluthLover Posts: 301 Member
    MFP gives me 1420 calories to lose weight. I aim for about 1500-1600. I am on my feet at work and fitbit gives me usually at least a 500-600 calorie exercise allowance. I am already NOT losing weight...If I ate what MFP and fitbit want I'd be eating at least 1900 calories a day! I am 5'3" and 147ish pounds and want to be 130.

    Sorry if I keep posting about my struggle to lose weight but I am getting so frustrated and down about it. My clothes still fit the same, too :(

    I'd like to help if I can. I'm your same height and 135 trying for 125. What's going on?
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    I don't pay attention to my fitbit cals.
    I sync it at the end of the day.

    But being that you only have 17lbs to lose, it may not come off as fast as someone wanting to lose 50lbs.
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    Sort of new to this but what is fitbit?
    basically a pedometer on steroids. lol.
  • johnnydubroy
    johnnydubroy Posts: 5 Member
    Intrigued... where do I get one and is it accurate?
  • samblanken
    samblanken Posts: 369 Member
    fitbit.com

    I bought the scale too - very handy for the body fat measurement. I suspect it's fairly accurate too.
  • AmyOwensJackson
    AmyOwensJackson Posts: 7
    http://www.fitbit.com/
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    Intrigued... where do I get one and is it accurate?

    www.fitbit.com

    It counts steps, calories burned, stairs climbed, distance walked, & you can use it to monitor your sleep also.

    I think of it like a video game to keep me moving, if I don't unlock 2 badges a day or more, I need to move more.
  • SueMizZou
    SueMizZou Posts: 146 Member
    I was in a similar place. I have cut back on carbs and have started to see the scale move. Cutting carbs might help
  • johnnydubroy
    johnnydubroy Posts: 5 Member
    Hahaha... I like the video game approach. Thanks for the info (and everyone else above too)
  • annoz
    annoz Posts: 68 Member

    I'd like to help if I can. I'm your same height and 135 trying for 125. What's going on?

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/723434-wtf-how-could-i-have-gained-2-5-pounds
  • eightpock
    eightpock Posts: 61
    MFP gives me 1420 calories to lose weight. I aim for about 1500-1600. I am on my feet at work and fitbit gives me usually at least a 500-600 calorie exercise allowance. I am already NOT losing weight...If I ate what MFP and fitbit want I'd be eating at least 1900 calories a day! I am 5'3" and 147ish pounds and want to be 130.

    Sorry if I keep posting about my struggle to lose weight but I am getting so frustrated and down about it. My clothes still fit the same, too :(

    I've found I lose weight more quickly if i Don't eat the exercise calories.
  • tbetts23
    tbetts23 Posts: 303 Member
    I tend to ignore the "extra" that fit bit gives me. It credits you for staying at the same pace. Once I get home, I sit on my *kitten* and do nothing and it takes it away:(
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    MFP gives me 1420 calories to lose weight. I aim for about 1500-1600. I am on my feet at work and fitbit gives me usually at least a 500-600 calorie exercise allowance. I am already NOT losing weight...If I ate what MFP and fitbit want I'd be eating at least 1900 calories a day! I am 5'3" and 147ish pounds and want to be 130.

    Sorry if I keep posting about my struggle to lose weight but I am getting so frustrated and down about it. My clothes still fit the same, too :(

    I am 5'2", currently 200lbs. I have had a fitbit since the end of May, and lost 15lbs since then. I eat my exercise calories. I don't actually LOG exercise, just take whatever fitbit gives me. I have MFP set for sedentary even though I jog on the treadmill for 35min 3-4x a week.

    Maybe you should try eating your exercise calories for a week or two and see what happens. It is quite possible that you are not eating enough...
  • nheilweil
    nheilweil Posts: 82 Member
    Fitbit definitely calculates a higher calorie burn than MFP and if you've got your MFP activity set to Sedentary, then you'll get extra Fitbit allowances too easily. Consequently, as you're seeing, you 'll gain weight if you eat back those calories!

    One thing you can do is raise your MFP level up to Active, which will lower the amount of Fitbit adjustments you get, but you'll also have a higher calorie allowance in MFP, so again, you still might gain weight!

    After many months of trying to simply ignore my Fitbit allowance, I eventually found that it was easiest to **not link** Fitbit with MFP. Now, I use my FitBit to ensure I'm walking around enough during the day. And I use MFP for everything else (food and exercise). That way, I'm never tempted to eat back my Fitbit calories. And I LOVE this approach cuz I'm on track weight wise using both MFP and Fitbit for their strengths!
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Fitbit definitely calculates a higher calorie burn than MFP and if you've got your MFP activity set to Sedentary, then you'll get extra Fitbit allowances too easily. Consequently, as you're seeing, you 'll gain weight if you eat back those calories!

    One thing you can do is raise your MFP level up to Active, which will lower the amount of Fitbit adjustments you get, but you'll also have a higher calorie allowance in MFP, so again, you still might gain weight!

    After many months of trying to simply ignore my Fitbit allowance, I eventually found that it was easiest to **not link** Fitbit with MFP. Now, I use my FitBit to ensure I'm walking around enough during the day. And I use MFP for everything else (food and exercise). That way, I'm never tempted to eat back my Fitbit calories. And I LOVE this approach cuz I'm on track weight wise using both MFP and Fitbit for their strengths!

    actually, I have myself set for sedentary because some days I really AM sedentary. Yesterday I only had about 6,000 steps and today I have almost 15,000. There are some days that I eat all but 20 calories allotted to me--including exercise calories--and other days like today where there is no way that I can eat all of them (its 9pm and I still have over 900 calories available...I have eaten 1440 calories so far today). Currently I am losing about 1lb a week ( what MFP is set for), I think I should be losing more, but I suspect that I have a metabolic issue slowing things down--I have a doctor's appointment Tuesday to confirm.
  • rhonniema
    rhonniema Posts: 522 Member
    I tend to ignore the "extra" that fit bit gives me. It credits you for staying at the same pace. Once I get home, I sit on my *kitten* and do nothing and it takes it away:(
    Don't you just hate that!?
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
    Fitbit definitely calculates a higher calorie burn than MFP and if you've got your MFP activity set to Sedentary, then you'll get extra Fitbit allowances too easily. Consequently, as you're seeing, you 'll gain weight if you eat back those calories!

    One thing you can do is raise your MFP level up to Active, which will lower the amount of Fitbit adjustments you get, but you'll also have a higher calorie allowance in MFP, so again, you still might gain weight!

    After many months of trying to simply ignore my Fitbit allowance, I eventually found that it was easiest to **not link** Fitbit with MFP. Now, I use my FitBit to ensure I'm walking around enough during the day. And I use MFP for everything else (food and exercise). That way, I'm never tempted to eat back my Fitbit calories. And I LOVE this approach cuz I'm on track weight wise using both MFP and Fitbit for their strengths!


    How did you "unlink" your FitBit from MFP??? I've been trying to do this, and haven't been able to :( I've tried contacting MFP about it, and they never answered me...Sigh. I don't eat back my FitBit cals... ever. lol But I still want it unlinked! So I don't even see it.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Fitbit definitely calculates a higher calorie burn than MFP and if you've got your MFP activity set to Sedentary, then you'll get extra Fitbit allowances too easily. Consequently, as you're seeing, you 'll gain weight if you eat back those calories!

    One thing you can do is raise your MFP level up to Active, which will lower the amount of Fitbit adjustments you get, but you'll also have a higher calorie allowance in MFP, so again, you still might gain weight!

    After many months of trying to simply ignore my Fitbit allowance, I eventually found that it was easiest to **not link** Fitbit with MFP. Now, I use my FitBit to ensure I'm walking around enough during the day. And I use MFP for everything else (food and exercise). That way, I'm never tempted to eat back my Fitbit calories. And I LOVE this approach cuz I'm on track weight wise using both MFP and Fitbit for their strengths!


    How did you "unlink" your FitBit from MFP??? I've been trying to do this, and haven't been able to :( I've tried contacting MFP about it, and they never answered me...Sigh. I don't eat back my FitBit cals... ever. lol But I still want it unlinked! So I don't even see it.

    IDK why you would want to unlink your fitbit, but if you do...you basically do the same thing you did to link it. you click on tools>fitbit info> unlink fitbit
  • Qskim
    Qskim Posts: 1,145 Member
    Love my fitbit but I finally realized today that while it's a great tool to encourage me to move more like a normal person would who never had a weight issue, it gives me cals that aren't really exercise unless I do an activity specifically for that and then those cals are the only cals I should eat back. I am excited to think about using it for maintenance tho cos I'll still set step goals etc and love the technology..feel like a cyborg!
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    Fitbit gives me a lower calorie burn than my heart rate monitor.
    I was at a plateau (of almost 5 months) until I got my fitbit, I was underestimating the general levels of energy I expend.
    I've been using my fitbit for a couple of weeks now, and I've lost 2lb.
    Have MFP set to sedentary, eat back to 1200 at the bare minimum. You're not very heavy now, it will be much harder for you to lose weight and it might take a while.
    I'm a great believer in fuelling your body. If you think it's giving you too many calories... just eat half of them back, or 3/4's. Don't just ignore your energy expenditure :|
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    I tend to ignore the "extra" that fit bit gives me. It credits you for staying at the same pace. Once I get home, I sit on my *kitten* and do nothing and it takes it away:(

    Go for a walk?
  • cally69
    cally69 Posts: 182 Member
    I agree with almost all of this. I haven't linked my fitbit because it keeps things simple if I use it only as a motivation to move more. However I find that fitbit calculates less calories burned for exercise than MFP. I go with the calorie calculation on the health status website, don't really know if it's any more accurate but it tends to take a middle ground between the two. I generally don't eat exercise calories back unless I am saving calories for a special event so my exercise cals add to my deficit.
  • harveysnith27
    harveysnith27 Posts: 15
    If you want to lose weight you have to consider two things only first one is diet and second is exercise.
    Avoid the outside food eat more green vegetables, salad, juice, fruit.
    Drink water as much as you can. Do some swimming, running, cycling, walking your calories will burn more.

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