Bodymedia Fit and MFP.

ragedracer1977
ragedracer1977 Posts: 24 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm sure this has been covered before, but I couldn't find it. I suck at searching!

I just got the Bodymedia armband. I notice that the interaction between the 2 doesn't seem to be quite right. For instance, lets look at today.

MFP: Goal: 1820 Net: 2397 Excercise (imported from body media)- 623 Net: 1774

This shows I came in under goal by 46 calories, or that I actually had a 1046 calorie deficit for the day.

However, when I log into the Bodymedia site, it says this: Calories Burned: 2806. Calories consumed: 2397. Deficit: 409.

Sure, I do have a deficit, but if I was only checking the MFP dashborad, I would think that I had done great. 1000 calorie deficit, all is good. In reality, I only had a 400 calorie deficit.

What's going on here? Which should I really believe?

Replies

  • mylifemynow
    mylifemynow Posts: 55 Member
    I have them connected for the food logging into BM, but in MFP I don't even pay attention to it because it just confuses me... anyone else that can figure it out please let us know....:/ I just stick to the numbers on Body Media and use MFP for tracking and social :D
  • UpEarly
    UpEarly Posts: 2,555 Member
    I think there are technical details someone on the forum about how to handle syncing the apps if you're trying to lose weight and working with a calorie deficit. I think there was an issue with double counting deficits or something.

    For me, the numbers have always been identical, but I'm doing maintenance.
  • shorty35565
    shorty35565 Posts: 1,425 Member
    Hmm I'm not sure, my mfp & body media syncs almost perfectly. They're normally like 1 or 2 calories off from each other.
  • sirabe
    sirabe Posts: 294 Member
    I'm sure this has been covered before, but I couldn't find it. I suck at searching!

    I just got the Bodymedia armband. I notice that the interaction between the 2 doesn't seem to be quite right. For instance, lets look at today.

    MFP: Goal: 1820 Net: 2397 Excercise (imported from body media)- 623 Net: 1774

    This shows I came in under goal by 46 calories, or that I actually had a 1046 calorie deficit for the day.

    However, when I log into the Bodymedia site, it says this: Calories Burned: 2806. Calories consumed: 2397. Deficit: 409.

    Sure, I do have a deficit, but if I was only checking the MFP dashborad, I would think that I had done great. 1000 calorie deficit, all is good. In reality, I only had a 400 calorie deficit.

    What's going on here? Which should I really believe?

    Do you have your MFP set to do negatives? If so, the number will adjust the whole thing to match your projected calorie burn for the day. If not, it will not. Click on the little "i" on the exercise to see how it looks. it should match your BMF page projections for the day.

    the little "i" explains how the numbers are calculated. If it confuses you a lot, set your goal to sedentary and it will give you everything you need. I like to set it at the calorie intake that I want for the day and don't sync until the end of the day. ( I don't eat my calories burned)

    Sorry if I seem to go in circles. HTH. If you have anymore questions I will try my best to explain more in detail.
  • ragedracer1977
    ragedracer1977 Posts: 24 Member
    I just thought of something. Is it possibly because of time?

    Maybe MFP runs 12:00am to 11:59 pm and I sync my Bodymedia device around 7pm? In other words, body media is telling me what I did from midnight to 7pm, while MFP is 'thinking' the whole day?

    I have no doubt I'll burn another 5-600 calories before midnight tonight.
  • sirabe
    sirabe Posts: 294 Member
    I just thought of something. Is it possibly because of time?

    Maybe MFP runs 12:00am to 11:59 pm and I sync my Bodymedia device around 7pm? In other words, body media is telling me what I did from midnight to 7pm, while MFP is 'thinking' the whole day?

    I have no doubt I'll burn another 5-600 calories before midnight tonight.

    Yes that is exactly what is happening. BMF has an estimate for the entire day not just what you have burned during that time and it is reflected in your MFP account.
  • sirabe
    sirabe Posts: 294 Member
    This is what is says in the the little "i" I was talking about,

    " BodyMedia Calorie Adjustment

    You're using BodyMedia to measure your actual activity level throughout the day.

    To accurately reflect any extra calories you're burning, we use this data to adjust your daily MyFitnessPal calorie goal."

    HTH
  • ragedracer1977
    ragedracer1977 Posts: 24 Member
    This is what is says in the the little "i" I was talking about,

    " BodyMedia Calorie Adjustment

    You're using BodyMedia to measure your actual activity level throughout the day.

    To accurately reflect any extra calories you're burning, we use this data to adjust your daily MyFitnessPal calorie goal."

    HTH

    Gotcha!

    Thanks!
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    It has a set burn that you do everyday and then on top of your usual burn it adds an additional amount that you need to burn in order to lose weight. So the burn you are seeing is both usual burn + effort. I sync probably 4 times or more a day (cause I am I guess a little crazy or something) and I notice what I have burned will change through out the day depending on how active I have been up until the sync. So my morning additional burn is nearly 500 and then by the time I get home it is then around 300 because I was sedentary at my job, after I work out I get to about 700 burned and then when I sync first thing in the morning my burn from the day before is around 600-650. It's frustrating to look at so if you sync everyday at the same time assume that you are burning x more if it's usual.

    Since I notice that the burns I got on the band are different than say running on the treadmill with same profile added and same effort used I think it's not entirely accurate without an HRM as well. The Garmins sync with bodymedia so I would maybe suggest getting one of those. I use the Link armband.

    Edit: I also just synced 10 minutes after a 40 minute routine where I was cleaning before that and while I hadn't synced since 3 it register 20 calories of a total burn increase... it will most likely show after I sync tomorrow morning what I did now. Just as an example.

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