Help! Fitbit overestimating?

careyann19
careyann19 Posts: 21 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone!

I logged my Jillian michaels workout as 100 calls this am - I really didn't give it my all. At work all day (ICU nurse - so lightly active) and fitbit has readjusted my calories burned to an extra 421. How is this possible? Any guidance would help a lot. I'm new to fitbit!

Carey

Replies

  • jaxxie
    jaxxie Posts: 576 Member
    I'm not quite sure why you think it's wrong? Did you wear it while you were working, is your personal info properly entered? I wear mine all day and it usually hits my TDEE within 100 cals. It really does not sound off tbh.
  • Ascolti_la_musica
    Ascolti_la_musica Posts: 676 Member
    Did you wear the Fitbit while exercising?

    I use mine as an all-day indicator of activity. If I am walking a lot throughout the day, it tells me I have done so, and adjusts my calories. If I sit on my butt at the computer or with a book and a cat, it gives me a negative calorie adjustment. It all adds up just right by the end of the week. I don't log any exercise at all on MFP- I let Fitbit do that for me. If Fitbit says I burned more calories than I ate, I will expect to have lost weight. It has been right every week so far.
  • emmalousmom1
    emmalousmom1 Posts: 121 Member
    Did you wear the Fitbit while exercising?

    I use mine as an all-day indicator of activity. If I am walking a lot throughout the day, it tells me I have done so, and adjusts my calories. If I sit on my butt at the computer or with a book and a cat, it gives me a negative calorie adjustment. It all adds up just right by the end of the week. I don't log any exercise at all on MFP- I let Fitbit do that for me. If Fitbit says I burned more calories than I ate, I will expect to have lost weight. It has been right every week so far.
    what fitbit do you have?
  • DorisInTheDena
    DorisInTheDena Posts: 151 Member
    I don't enter activity in addition to my Fitbit. Fitbit adjusts automatically if you wear it all day. It also adjusts for the normal calories you burn. That may be what you are seeing.
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    Depends on the device. I had the flex and it overestimated my cals burned every day. Sometimes by several hundred calories.

    I have the One and it is pretty accurate. I enter my exercise on MFP to override what fitbit picks up because I do cardio/weight training and it cant accurately determine my cals burned. Other than that, I let the little guy do its magic. So far I have been using it 3 weeks and its been spot on every time.

    Fitbit overrides the estimated cal burn here on MFP based on its calculations of your daily activity. When I am a couch potato, I get a negative number so my cals to eat for the day go down. When I bust my chops I get a positive number because fitbit says I burned more and therefor my cals to eat go up.
  • careyann19
    careyann19 Posts: 21 Member
    I think that's what happened. I entered my activity and entered time started, but yes I've worn my fit bit since I've woken up. It just seemed like more calories burned than I would have expected. Not complaining, was just a little confused. Thank you for the replies!
  • careyann19
    careyann19 Posts: 21 Member
    I have the zip
  • MercenaryNoetic26
    MercenaryNoetic26 Posts: 2,747 Member
    Well it sure as heck isn't generous with me! I have "negative adjustments" enabled and Fitbit steals my calories :sad:

    Anyway, I have the Flex.
  • careyann19
    careyann19 Posts: 21 Member
    I know the One tracks your sleep. But what is the difference between the zip and the flex?
  • DorisInTheDena
    DorisInTheDena Posts: 151 Member
    I have the Ultra. They don't make it anymore. Not sure what the other two do.
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    The flex is the upgraded One. It sits on your wrist and does not have a display except for status lights. When worn, it looks like one of those charity rubber bracelets. It monitors sleep like the one but does not could floors climbed. Currently priced at $99 US.
  • MysticRealm
    MysticRealm Posts: 1,264 Member
    I think that's what happened. I entered my activity and entered time started, but yes I've worn my fit bit since I've woken up. It just seemed like more calories burned than I would have expected. Not complaining, was just a little confused. Thank you for the replies!

    When doing any exercise you want to 'time' it on your fitbit. So just as you start press and hold the button to start the timer (this is for the One, not sure if others are different) then do your exercise and as soon as you finish, stop the timer. This will log it as your activity. Don't then go onto fitbit website/app and log it again. I usually get about 130-140 cals burned for Jillian's workouts (ripped in 30, 30 DS)
  • Ascolti_la_musica
    Ascolti_la_musica Posts: 676 Member
    Did you wear the Fitbit while exercising?

    I use mine as an all-day indicator of activity. If I am walking a lot throughout the day, it tells me I have done so, and adjusts my calories. If I sit on my butt at the computer or with a book and a cat, it gives me a negative calorie adjustment. It all adds up just right by the end of the week. I don't log any exercise at all on MFP- I let Fitbit do that for me. If Fitbit says I burned more calories than I ate, I will expect to have lost weight. It has been right every week so far.
    what fitbit do you have?

    Fitbit One. It's about the size of a grasshopper, and stays attached to my bra all day.

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