Will Fitbit be an accurate tool for TDEE

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joannemgregory74
joannemgregory74 Posts: 33
in Fitness and Exercise
I am thinking of buying the new fitbit flex when it comes out (Amazon claims its out 15th May)

I currently have my Calories set at my estimated TDEE lightly active based on exercising about 3 times a week. minus 20% What I do is below should I set my TDEE higher.

I do not log my exercise calories. I am currently eating 1888 cals a day.

I was hoping the fitbit would enable me to work out an accurate average TDEE as I am on my feet on and off through the day as a full time carer for my disabled partner I also accompany then in an electric wheelchair which often means walking for an hour or two about 2 - 4 miles an hour plus use a cross trainer 2-3 times a week for about 20mins.

Replies

  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    I'd like to know as well. I was thinking about getting one.
  • lveh8lve
    lveh8lve Posts: 162 Member
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    I have one and it's pretty good. I add my exercise calories into MFP and fitbit automagically adjusts it for me. I will warn you that fitbit is a cruel mistress. If you set it to negative calories on MFP it will take away calories if you sit all day and do nothing.

    I love my fitbit, I've used it since I started my journey and I have nothing but great things to say about it. Also a word to the wise - when the one came out I pre-ordered through Amazon. Their date was approaching and someone said Best buy had it. I picked it up at my local Best buy and I left my amazon pre-order. Amazon didn't ship til 2 weeks after the original date.
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
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    Bumping
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
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    I've heard that FitBit is good for walking, running, and climbing stairs but not as good when you're using something like the elliptical or going to Spin class. Something about the motions (or seemingly lack thereof) throwing it off and not being accounted for. True?
  • Rikki007s
    Rikki007s Posts: 102 Member
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    I've heard that FitBit is good for walking, running, and climbing stairs but not as good when you're using something like the elliptical or going to Spin class. Something about the motions (or seemingly lack thereof) throwing it off and not being accounted for. True?

    True. It's not made for activities where you aren't walking, running, or climbing. So it would be completely inaccurate for cycling (thought I did find it accurate for elliptical). For activities like that you have to either get a HRM or use the estimates on this site. Fitbit also has it's own estimates for workouts like that (but you should always enter activities on this site if you sync the two).
  • LoriLou67
    LoriLou67 Posts: 173 Member
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    I wore mine cycling, clipped it to my shoelace, came out pretty close to my HRM. I am speaking in past tense as mine went through the wash too many times and even sitting in rice would not bring it back to life!
  • nettasaura
    nettasaura Posts: 173 Member
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    I've had mine for about a year and I LOVE it. It's been great for figuring out my TDEE which I had severely underestimated at the beginning of this journey (guessed at 1800, fitbit said more like 2600). From the sounds of it, you are probably underestimating yours still...and I'm basing that off of what I thought was lightly active/sedentary daily activity and found out I am actually usually in the active category and needed to be eating about 2100-2300 a day....and that was to lose about a pound a week. I eat a few hundred cals less now, but that happens as you lose - your numbers will drop slowly too. 57 pounds of loss later and I can honestly say I don't think I would even still be trying if I hadn't bought my Fitbit because I would have been seriously underestimating my own personal needs and would have given up out of sheer frustration months ago. I highly recommend getting a Fitbit! If anything when you are being really active, the Fitbit might underestimate your burn because I seem to lose above and beyond what I am supposed to according to my Fitbit stats during really active months.
  • willdob3
    willdob3 Posts: 640 Member
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    Good questions & info in this thread! I'm hoping to get a FitBit One soon.

    So you can trust the calories you are told to eat when FitBit is synced to MFP?

    It still allows you to set the amount you want to lose per week?
  • Cobwellac
    Cobwellac Posts: 75 Member
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    The website says that it's about 90% accurate. Definitely helpful.
  • Broejen
    Broejen Posts: 413 Member
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    Yep, I believe it is helpful! On days I do hardly anything (like today because I hurt all over from doing too much yesterday) I burned just over 1700 calories. Good to know that I still have a deficit with eating 1550 for the day. I absolutely love my One and wouldn't give it up for anything! (Well, I can think of a few things I'd give it up for...LOL)
  • cubbies77
    cubbies77 Posts: 607 Member
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    Very helpful posts. I think I'll look into getting one. I have an HRM, so if I do something it can't track, I can use those stats instead. I'm mostly interested in obtaining my true-ish BMR.
  • cherrybomb_77
    cherrybomb_77 Posts: 411 Member
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    I was just wondering this yesterday. I noticed that the average TDEE my FitBit gives me is several hundred more than what I had estimated with scooby, and I was wondering if I should recalculate my TDEE based on the FitBit number.
  • Cobwellac
    Cobwellac Posts: 75 Member
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    Did you subtract 10% from the Fitbit reading? If so, was it close to the Scooby calculation?
  • lilacinfinity
    lilacinfinity Posts: 283 Member
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    It was inaccurate for me. I'm on my feet but not *walking* most of the day. Upper body movement, and a few steps at a time and the standing, it didn't seem to care for. I was getting TDEEs around the 1700 mark, I think it thought I was on my bum all the time. Even the day I spent 14 hours moving (constantly on feet, walking, carrying HEAVY ****) I got 2200 for the day.
  • fruitloop2
    fruitloop2 Posts: 437 Member
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    Sometimes I think it's accurate (so far anyway...I've only had it for just under 1 week) for some days but off for others. Like the previous poster said, she may be standing there but there are upper arm movements or carrying weight. On days where I really am sitting on my butt for a good part of the day...like a weekend sometimes then it's pretty accurate but on days I'm working (I'm a daycare provider) I'm moving around a lot (not always standing...sometimes moving on the floor with the kids) and carrying kids around it's not accurate for that. I think it could be off a couple hundred calories. I don't think they've invented anything really (that would be affordable to us anyway) to accurately calculate calories...it's all just a guess.
  • cherrybomb_77
    cherrybomb_77 Posts: 411 Member
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    You know what, I realized I hadn't redone my TDEE after increasing my exercise. After I did, it was pretty close to what my FitBit gives me.

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