fitbit and adding in exercise

becnaffine
becnaffine Posts: 55
in Fitness and Exercise
Just wondering what people do? Say you go for a jog or a bike ride. Fitbit calculates the steps and gives you extra calories to use BUT do you also add in the exercise you are doing on MFP? They can be more strenuous than just steps so what do you do?

Replies

  • olsen317
    olsen317 Posts: 27
    Bump. I am wondering the same thing! :)
  • michellehoying
    michellehoying Posts: 6
    I just bought a fitbit ultra last night. I'm so confused... How do i log my activity? I looked on my iphone app and it said i burned over 200 calories but then when it synced on my fitness payl it actually took away calories instead of adding. Mine didn't come with an instruction manual. so i'm not understanding exactly how to use :( any help would be amazing thanks so much!!!
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    From what I understand, only log exercise Fitbit doesn't pick up like swimming, cycling, weight lifting (ie: anything not running or walking). You can either log on MFP or Fitbit, but don't do both (double dipping; counting your exercise twice).

    A problem going around is the negative calorie adjustment from Fitbit. A way around it is to log your exercise only on Fitbit since the Fitbit will have it and the adjustment should be correct.
  • KelliW_runner
    KelliW_runner Posts: 150 Member
    You only log exercise into FitBit, and do it under activities. Your manual activity entry will overwrite the fitbit calculation for calorie burn. For example, if I do plyometrics, the fitbit will perceive steps and calculate calorie burn but I will override it. That way it doesn't double count. You have to be precise in your start and stop times in your entry to make sure it matches up.

    I've been using fitbit with MFP for 10 months and it has helped my weight loss and fitness tremendously.
  • Dlacenere
    Dlacenere Posts: 198 Member
    I log my exercise in MFP only. When I start any exercise, I hold down the button until the stopwatch starts and I hold it again to stop it when I am done. Then I enter it into MFP and it will ask for a start time, so make sure you note the time you started the exercise. I happen to use a Heart Rate Monitor, so I start and stop them both at the same time and then when I log the activity into MFP, I enter in the amount of calories burned that my HRM says (I learned this from one of MFP friends). Then fitbit wll also enter an adjustment to your total exercise calories by the end of the day (it may go up or it may go down depending on how active you are that day)
  • flechero
    flechero Posts: 260 Member
    If you use a fitbit then the easiest way to adjust is to set your activity level to sedentary and let fitbit make the adjustments. Just be sure to calibrate your steps and current weight, etc.

    For specific workouts, you can either use the timer feature and override it or just log that time as whatever you did.

    The reason fitbit and MFP have a discrepancy is because they figure cals differently- one adds and subtracts cals as you go through the day- like if you walked in the AM and had earned some exercise cals but then sat idle for a few hours... you would lose some of them because you lost pace. One figures your cals (BMR +/- your specific need) as you go and one gives you the daily allotment at once.

    I use fitbit for general activity (set my profile to sedentary) so on days I do less I have a more accurate count of what I need. If I set it on active, there would be days I would eat more than I needed. In other words, I prefer to eat as I earn instead of knowing I have X cals today. I always have an idea of where I'll be based on my normal routine.

    Either way, nothing is 100% so you need to pick a way and try it for a couple weeks- then adjust as needed.
  • michellehoying
    michellehoying Posts: 6
    thx everyone i'm so confused lol. I'm going to try and get it straight!! I took my ultra back today and got the one so hopefully i will get this straight and still lose these last 39 lbs :) thanks again!!!
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member
    If its a walk/run (well I'm not a runner though) or stairs, I do not manually add that, because its already calculated automatically in my daily burn. I will however add in biking, weight lifting, yoga etc..

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