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Fitbit question - do I wear it while exercising?

elsieb66
elsieb66 Posts: 4 Member
edited January 12 in Fitness and Exercise
Should I be wearing my fitbit while exercising? And if I do, do I add the calories I burn? For example, this morning, I went for a power walk for an hour. It was more than just taking an hour's worth of steps because I was going up and down hill and was walking very quickly.

While it seems to be doubling up to put it into my exercise diary on MFP, it also seems to be underdoing the calories I burned if I don't put it in.

What does everyone else do?

Replies

  • stevenleagle
    stevenleagle Posts: 293 Member
    I just got my fitbit. Using it for about a week now. I wear it for all walks/jogging, it does a calorie adjustment so don't enter it again. But if I'm doing more vigorous sport like squash or step less exercise like weight training I don't wear the fitbit for that duration and use a HRM and input the exercise values. If u don't have a HRM just add the my fitness pal values (but only if u weren't wearing the fitbit).
  • diddyk
    diddyk Posts: 269 Member
    Your fitbit should be able to account for up and down hills, number of steps etc. What other exercise are you adding? Calories from a heart rate monitor or MFP database?
  • stevenleagle
    stevenleagle Posts: 293 Member
    I also.failed to add that I have the fitbit one that counts stairs so a vigorous walk uphill give me some credit towards stair count too
  • CarolinaGirlinVA
    CarolinaGirlinVA Posts: 1,508 Member
    When you go to log your exercise, it will ask what time you performed it. It does that so it can adjust your calorie and activity level on your FitBit stats. I would log it based on what your HRM says and FitBit will give you extra credit (HRM reading - FitBit reading).

    I hope this helps. I had to figure it out when I first got mine.
    Good luck!
  • diddyk
    diddyk Posts: 269 Member
    I just got my fitbit. Using it for about a week now. I wear it for all walks/jogging, it does a calorie adjustment so don't enter it again. But if I'm doing more vigorous sport like squash or step less exercise like weight training I don't wear the fitbit for that duration and use a HRM and input the exercise values. If u don't have a HRM just add the my fitness pal values (but only if u weren't wearing the fitbit).

    You can wear it during squash, just make sure when you enter the exercise you add the time started and number of minutes, MFP/Fitbit will recalculate the calories during that time period. (MFP exercise will trump what Fitbit Calculates) and you'll still be tracking steps.
  • stevenleagle
    stevenleagle Posts: 293 Member
    I just got my fitbit. Using it for about a week now. I wear it for all walks/jogging, it does a calorie adjustment so don't enter it again. But if I'm doing more vigorous sport like squash or step less exercise like weight training I don't wear the fitbit for that duration and use a HRM and input the exercise values. If u don't have a HRM just add the my fitness pal values (but only if u weren't wearing the fitbit).

    You can wear it during squash, just make sure when you enter the exercise you add the time started and number of minutes, MFP/Fitbit will recalculate the calories during that time period. (MFP exercise will trump what Fitbit Calculates) and you'll still be tracking steps.

    Thanks for that tip, will try that
  • bzmommy34
    bzmommy34 Posts: 229 Member
    When you go to log your exercise, it will ask what time you performed it. It does that so it can adjust your calorie and activity level on your FitBit stats. I would log it based on what your HRM says and FitBit will give you extra credit (HRM reading - FitBit reading).

    I hope this helps. I had to figure it out when I first got mine.
    Good luck!

    THIS exactly :) Faithful fitbit wearer for nearly 2 years now :)
  • CarolinaGirlinVA
    CarolinaGirlinVA Posts: 1,508 Member
    I just got my fitbit. Using it for about a week now. I wear it for all walks/jogging, it does a calorie adjustment so don't enter it again. But if I'm doing more vigorous sport like squash or step less exercise like weight training I don't wear the fitbit for that duration and use a HRM and input the exercise values. If u don't have a HRM just add the my fitness pal values (but only if u weren't wearing the fitbit).

    You can wear it during squash, just make sure when you enter the exercise you add the time started and number of minutes, MFP/Fitbit will recalculate the calories during that time period. (MFP exercise will trump what Fitbit Calculates) and you'll still be tracking steps.

    You explained it much better than I did!
  • Princess4Run
    Princess4Run Posts: 135 Member
    I wear it for exercise because I like to reach those 10,000 steps. But, I record the calories burned from exercise in MFP using their database and note the start and stop time. Fitbit then knows that this increased activity is from my exercise and my calorie adjustments for this time are turned to zero. So, I don't believe it's double dipping. If I end up being busy and walk lots more for other parts of the day (not exercise time) I may still get an adjustment, which is awesome actually.
  • elsieb66
    elsieb66 Posts: 4 Member
    erm... what's an HRM?
  • SeahorseDolphin
    SeahorseDolphin Posts: 131
    erm... what's an HRM?

    hear rate monitor. It is used for a more accurate calorie burn reading during exercise.
  • elsieb66
    elsieb66 Posts: 4 Member
    Oh I see. Thanks.
This discussion has been closed.

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