Need help figuring out your TDEE? Get a Fitbit.

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  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    Here's how I recommend you use the message boards here (based on years of observations of how other people do it):

    Make up your mind about what you want to do. However you do that is entirely up to you...(and yes, using the message boards here is one source of information for this step). So is flipping a coin or rolling a die. Or read a book...or an article...or a blog post...or a random comment you find on the internet. How you arrive at your conclusion really isn't important to this process.

    Once you have your decision made, *then* peruse the message boards looking for posts that support/justify/rationalize your decision. Reply to a lot of them with a resounding "^this". Send the posters FRs. Challenge anyone (and everyone) who posts information to the contrary. Seek out threads that differ from your choice and defend your decision beyond reasonable levels. Do not rest until you have persuaded everyone.
    OMG, that's beautiful. LOL!
  • htimpaired
    htimpaired Posts: 1,404 Member
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    Does the Fitbit also calculate accurately during exercise or would I still get that number from my heart rate monitor? I've been thinking about getting one. :)

    IMO, heart rate monitors are terrible for calculating calories. That's a whole other rant though.

    Just look at the weight loss graphs in the OP to see how accurate the Fitbit is.

    It's not accurate for things where you're not on your feet, like cycling or swimming or rowing. You can just add those manually.

    Interestingly, I have both a fitbit and a HRM, and I find them to give me about the same calorie burn, I was kinda surprised because I don't just walk/run, I cycle, kickbox, kettlebell, etc. I do love my fitbit, it's very motivating.
  • luckyjuls
    luckyjuls Posts: 505 Member
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    Well I thought I wanted a Fitbit, so I've been following the TDEE/Fitbit topics on MFP, but this particular stream really has thrown me. I think I will decide for myself what works best for me and go from there. Thanks for your advice.

    Don't be discouraged. My advice would be to buy whichever device you are getting from a store with a good return policy. Sometimes, things just don't vibe with you, and it's the perfect time to return it and try something else. Personally, I ordered the Fitbit because I want to kind of get an estimate what is going on calorically on days when I don't move much.
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    Does fitflex also have some sort of chest strap? or is it all contained in that one small wrist strap? just want to make sure im not basically gonna be wearing a HRM all day.
    No, it's just the wristband. You take the device out once in a while to charge, but that's about it. I've gone 5 days without having to charge mine at all.
  • hkrchris
    hkrchris Posts: 2
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    You can also add in activities like swimming and cycling that the Fitbit won't capture by adding them to MFP.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Interestingly, I have both a fitbit and a HRM, and I find them to give me about the same calorie burn, I was kinda surprised because I don't just walk/run, I cycle, kickbox, kettlebell, etc. I do love my fitbit, it's very motivating.

    Bad assumption the HRM must be correct.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/459580-polar-hrm-calorie-burn-estimate-accuracy-study

    So the fact they match is probably a better indication your HRM is giving deflated values, which for cheaper Polar's isn't surprising.
    The cheaper that have no VO2max stat assume if your BMI is bad so is your VO2max - bad assumption. That leads to HRM deflating values. Also as your VO2max improves above avg, it doesn't know.

    So I'll bet as FitBit themselves admit (and studies with BodyMedia show) that some of those activities are not good at tracking and are under-reported, you are burning more than you think.
  • seanezekiel
    seanezekiel Posts: 228 Member
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    I have one of the new Flex on the way. Preordered it months ago. I cant wait.
  • devariojay
    devariojay Posts: 87 Member
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    No, it's just the wristband. You take the device out once in a while to charge, but that's about it. I've gone 5 days without having to charge mine at all.

    Awesome! Thank you! Im going to order one now!
  • AmyMgetsfit
    AmyMgetsfit Posts: 636 Member
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    I just ordered my Fitbit one this morning. I can't wait for it to arrive. I also have a Polar FT7 and my plan is to use both. I think they will compliment each other well. What one doesn't do, the other one will.
  • Happylady123
    Happylady123 Posts: 166 Member
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    bump
  • devariojay
    devariojay Posts: 87 Member
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    I just ordered my Fitbit one this morning. I can't wait for it to arrive. I also have a Polar FT7 and my plan is to use both. I think they will compliment each other well. What one doesn't do, the other one will.

    That is exactly what I am going to do!
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    I just ordered my Fitbit one this morning. I can't wait for it to arrive. I also have a Polar FT7 and my plan is to use both. I think they will compliment each other well. What one doesn't do, the other one will.

    That's what I do. :) So far it seems to work pretty well. (I have a fitbit Zip and Pyle HRM)
  • desiv2
    desiv2 Posts: 651 Member
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    I use fitbit and love it, and it defiantly helped me with my weight loss.

    I use the fitbit ZIP which is the cheaper one around 60 bucks, however I only paid 17 dollars! Using bestbuy's trade-in policy, I took them some used games and things I no longer play and traded those for the fitbit. Great way to afford stuff that you couldn't usually afford... :)
  • elyelyse
    elyelyse Posts: 1,454 Member
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    It gave you 13000 steps during your bumpy car ride?? I haven't heard of it doing that many before!

    well... it may be because i keep it clipped to my bra, so when things are bumpy um... yeah lol. I had the same thing in the fall when I went on an off-road jeep ride.

    For those who commented that we can account for that later on by adjusting that number via the web site, yes absolutely, on those days when it's this obvious. but the fact that it's sensitive enough to give me 13000 for car ride, leaves me with the impression that there are other, more subtle inaccuracies on a normal day to day basis.

    If you know when you are driving and see a major inaccuracy of 13000 steps during that time, it will be pretty obvious that it's picking up bumps, I think? If you know you sat from 9-12 P.M. and it says you walked 13000 steps, there is something wrong with the device.

    yes, but if you read the end of what I wrote, I address that: the fact that it's sensitive enough to give me 13000 for car ride, leaves me with the impression that there are other, more subtle inaccuracies on a normal day to day basis.
  • keithf1138
    keithf1138 Posts: 63
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    It gave you 13000 steps during your bumpy car ride?? I haven't heard of it doing that many before!

    well... it may be because i keep it clipped to my bra, so when things are bumpy um... yeah lol. I had the same thing in the fall when I went on an off-road jeep ride.

    For those who commented that we can account for that later on by adjusting that number via the web site, yes absolutely, on those days when it's this obvious. but the fact that it's sensitive enough to give me 13000 for car ride, leaves me with the impression that there are other, more subtle inaccuracies on a normal day to day basis.

    If you know when you are driving and see a major inaccuracy of 13000 steps during that time, it will be pretty obvious that it's picking up bumps, I think? If you know you sat from 9-12 P.M. and it says you walked 13000 steps, there is something wrong with the device.

    yes, but if you read the end of what I wrote, I address that: the fact that it's sensitive enough to give me 13000 for car ride, leaves me with the impression that there are other, more subtle inaccuracies on a normal day to day basis.

    I have never had my FitBit register something like a car ride. What version do you have maybe newer versions (or updated firmware) are configured better.
  • cassylee
    cassylee Posts: 107 Member
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    Thanks :smile:
  • nic_ci
    nic_ci Posts: 110 Member
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    It gave you 13000 steps during your bumpy car ride?? I haven't heard of it doing that many before!

    well... it may be because i keep it clipped to my bra, so when things are bumpy um... yeah lol. I had the same thing in the fall when I went on an off-road jeep ride.

    For those who commented that we can account for that later on by adjusting that number via the web site, yes absolutely, on those days when it's this obvious. but the fact that it's sensitive enough to give me 13000 for car ride, leaves me with the impression that there are other, more subtle inaccuracies on a normal day to day basis.

    If you know when you are driving and see a major inaccuracy of 13000 steps during that time, it will be pretty obvious that it's picking up bumps, I think? If you know you sat from 9-12 P.M. and it says you walked 13000 steps, there is something wrong with the device.

    yes, but if you read the end of what I wrote, I address that: the fact that it's sensitive enough to give me 13000 for car ride, leaves me with the impression that there are other, more subtle inaccuracies on a normal day to day basis.

    I drive over an hour a day on back roads...your fitbit is broke if its giving you 13000 steps...mine don't. I have a fitbit and a HRM and I like my fitbit more...it clips on and no one knows I'm using it but me...I have been using it since February when my weight loss slowed for almost 2 months...I have loss weight steadily since I started using it...it is so accurate that I know mathamaticly within .2 of a pound how much I will weigh before I get on the scale...

    I guess what I'm saying is call fitbit because yours is malfunctioning!!!
  • TheStephil
    TheStephil Posts: 858 Member
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    I didn't read the millions of pages of this board, just the OPs first post.

    i loved my fitbit for 10 months then I got a BodyMedia LINK and within two weeks I gave my Fitbit to my bf. The fitbit is great but it underestimates. In my case it underestimated by 400-700 calories a day. It doesn't take into account how much effort you are giving, how the weather is, how much you are sweating, etc. It bases it off your stats and how many steps. On my running days both my bodymedia and fitbit would be close in steps but due to the effort of running vs walking, my bodymedia would show more calories burned.

    Looking back, I woulda bought a BodyMedia over a FitBit, it uses a lot more calculations and measurements and rests against your skin so its constantly reading you.
  • 04ward
    04ward Posts: 196 Member
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    There's no reason in the world to think that it's less accurate than an HRM.

    well, except for the part where fitbit has to kind of guess things based on your stats and steps, and a HRM monitors your physical exertion based on actual physical changes right? like, measuring your actual heart rate? not sure how that would make the fitbit more accurate.

    I'm not putting down the fitbit, i have one and LOVE it, but I use the calorie burn number it generates as a guesstimate. Take today for example... I was in a bumpy car... lol it thinks i walked 13000 steps today.. but that's mostly just my um... bounce. The way I see it, the more tools and guides i have the better. I look at the fitbit, i check out what my TDEE is every few weeks based on my weight, calculate my BMR every few weeks too. I use all those things to come up with a number, still an estimate of course, but it's working for me!

    I don't understand all these people talking about their Fitbit adding steps for riding in a car. Mine never does! I started watching and checking it because I had never thought about it possibly doing this but living in Illinois where we have the roughest and bumpiest roads in the country, mine doesn't register steps, in my car or in our 4x4.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    It gave you 13000 steps during your bumpy car ride?? I haven't heard of it doing that many before!

    well... it may be because i keep it clipped to my bra, so when things are bumpy um... yeah lol. I had the same thing in the fall when I went on an off-road jeep ride.

    For those who commented that we can account for that later on by adjusting that number via the web site, yes absolutely, on those days when it's this obvious. but the fact that it's sensitive enough to give me 13000 for car ride, leaves me with the impression that there are other, more subtle inaccuracies on a normal day to day basis.

    If you know when you are driving and see a major inaccuracy of 13000 steps during that time, it will be pretty obvious that it's picking up bumps, I think? If you know you sat from 9-12 P.M. and it says you walked 13000 steps, there is something wrong with the device.

    yes, but if you read the end of what I wrote, I address that: the fact that it's sensitive enough to give me 13000 for car ride, leaves me with the impression that there are other, more subtle inaccuracies on a normal day to day basis.

    I drive over an hour a day on back roads...your fitbit is broke if its giving you 13000 steps...mine don't. I have a fitbit and a HRM and I like my fitbit more...it clips on and no one knows I'm using it but me...I have been using it since February when my weight loss slowed for almost 2 months...I have loss weight steadily since I started using it...it is so accurate that I know mathamaticly within .2 of a pound how much I will weigh before I get on the scale...

    I guess what I'm saying is call fitbit because yours is malfunctioning!!!

    Same here. Not a single step while driving.

    And definitely call Fitbit. They have a ridiculously awesome customer service reputation. I've heard many stories of them sending out replacements for washed fitbits, lost fitbits, slightly wiggy fitbits, etc.

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