BMR and Fitbit

rosesigil
rosesigil Posts: 105 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Ok. So I got this Fitbit. It says that so far today I've burned 2034 calories. If my BMR is 1543, does that mean I've burned 1543 PLUS the 2034? Or, does it mean that I've burned 491 calories OVER my BMR? It's so confusing! Thanks for any help! :huh: :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    The calories burned include your BMR.
  • cameronzmom
    cameronzmom Posts: 6 Member
    Sounds like 491 over what your fitbit is set for :) thats awesome!
  • ecw3780
    ecw3780 Posts: 608 Member
    The calories burned include your BMR.

    This. What ever your fitbit says you have burned, eat 1000 calories less than that to loose 2 pounds a week.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
    Ok. So I got this Fitbit. It says that so far today I've burned 2034 calories. If my BMR is 1543, does that mean I've burned 1543 PLUS the 2034? Or, does it mean that I've burned 491 calories OVER my BMR? It's so confusing! Thanks for any help! :huh: :flowerforyou:

    I have one. It figures out your TDEE, or what you burn total. So, that 2034 is your BMR plus whatever else you've burned.

    Remember, all your BMR is is the amount of calories your body needs to keep your organs doing their thing. Anything over that is your TDEE.
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
    Ok. So I got this Fitbit. It says that so far today I've burned 2034 calories. If my BMR is 1543, does that mean I've burned 1543 PLUS the 2034? Or, does it mean that I've burned 491 calories OVER my BMR? It's so confusing! Thanks for any help! :huh: :flowerforyou:
    It means that you've burned 491 calories more than your BMR.

    Fitbit uses a calculation of Total Daily Energy Expenditure (sometimes written as TDEE). Think of it as a calculation of your BMR (you laying in bed all day everyday), plus the energy you use just to live, plus any additional energy you expend in to move beyond the most basic of energy expenditure. It isn't exactly that but it is reasonable enough an expalantion.

    Depending upon how you set your Fitbit (activity level, whether you use the "personalized" setting to give a dynamic update based upon your history or whether you use the sedentary/fixed setting).

    If you set both MFP and Fitbit to near identical settings, you should find that they are reasoably close at the end of the day. Just be mindful that even though Fitbit may be estimating calorie expenditure based upon its updated cycle, the final accounting (on the East coast) is a few hours after your MFP converts to the next day when the two finally "settle." You can end up in the red on MFP if you are running very close on the calorie allowance.

    One other thing. If you are inputting workouts with a manual calorie input (for example a treadmill workout where you have the calorie use from the treadmill display, input it only in one of the two programs. Otherwise, you could end up double counting your exercise calories.

    I have the older ultra not the newer "one." http://www.fitbit.com/user/23BVQ9
  • rocket_ace
    rocket_ace Posts: 380 Member
    Yeah - its all abit confusing. I use Fitbit too. I have my fitbit linked to automatically pull data (and I don't enter anything else) -

    On Fitbit, here's my stats so far:

    14835 steps taken today/
    35 floors climbed today //
    7.81 miles traveled today //
    3146 calories burned //
    1153 active score

    On MyFitnessPal, it says:

    Goal Food Exercise = Net
    1620 1245 - 1176 69

    So what does this all mean? Its almost dinner time so 1245 calories come from lunch and breakfast. But the "1176" Exercise is only from Fitbit (I didn't enter any other exercises). And in fact, doesn't this seem high? To qualify my Fitbit stats above, I only walked 2 miles (about 35 min, briskly) in the morning and at night to and from work (I work in nyc, and walk from the Penn Station Train Station...34th/7th to and from 53rd/3rd, twice daily). I suppose I also get up quite a bit to goto the restroom and I take a 20 min walk to grab lunch a few blocks away, but otherwise no gym time today.

    So isn't 1176 clories "burned" a little high? If I would've entered in my exercise instead of using Fitbit, it would've been only 70 min of walking at 3.5mph, which is more like 350 calories. I would've though I'd have needed to be a waiter or someone else who stands on their feet all day to but the rest (and add up to 1176), whereas I have a desk job.

    And so then what do I eat? So far it says I have 69 net calories? Which means I can eat another 1500 or so for the day (to eat back my calories)?? That doesn't make any sense....and my experience has been that I would gain weight if I did so. I've only been losing if I completely ignore the exercise calories I burn and instead just stay under the 2000 level (calculated from the Harris Benedict Model). That would mean my dinner should be no more than about 750 calories (I've eaten 1245 so far).

    What do you guys think? I'm super confused.
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
    Rocket ace:

    Well, it does seem a little high. But what influences that is weight and stair climbs and rate of/pace of walking when active. Greater weight=greater energy expenditure.

    If the steps seem correct, then the approximate distance looks correct for that (~2000 steps/mile).

    Here are my readings from yesterday's readings for comparison

    24,124 steps
    50 floors climbed
    13.34 miles
    3238 calories burned of 2654 goal
    1425 active score

    My weight= 174 pounds

    My calorie adjustment was 1205 for yesterday (it has had time to complete its update overnight). Sometimes the number Fitbit is calculating on the fly is off by about 200 calories (again depending upon how you have it set) until the full day has had a chance to process.
  • STrooper
    STrooper Posts: 659 Member
    One other thing I forgot to post is this:

    I am still using my OMRON pedometer both for comparison with my Fitbit and because it ercords some other information that I have been tracking for a couple of years. I am thinking of retiring it at the end of 2012 and just relying upon my Fitbit.

    It has a calorie and fat expenditure function on it. It knows only stride length and weight. Does not know anything about incline or floors or anything else. It takes those with the number of steps and pace to convert to a calorie value of energy expended while walking. At the end of a day the two differ in step count by between 500-1000 steps (Fitbit is typically higher and more sensitive in counting steps than the OMRON is because it is a three-axis pedometer and the OMRON is two).

    My OMRON says that the calorie expenditure from my step pattern was 1140 calories. That differential is usually pretty consistent between 100-200 calories difference. Where they greatly diverge are those days when I am really hill climbing at a pretty good pace. Fitbit gives a much higher value because of its sensitivity to climb rates.

    Note: I do eat back some of those calories that the Fitbit adjustment gives me, but I like to leave some of that "on the table."

    There is a Fitbit group you can join through MFP to talk through issues that you have. My profile is open to MFP members.

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