FitBit adding way too many calories...

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highervibes
highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I just synced my FitBit with MFP and according to my FitBit, I burned 2000ish calories for the day, and given it's already 8:30 I *might* hit 2200-2250. I have my calories set to 1800 on MFP but FitBit added some 557 for "exercise" that would have me eating at maintenance.... maybe even above. Help?

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  • scrapjen
    scrapjen Posts: 387 Member
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    ... It's hard for me to tell for sure (I've done 60minElliptical, 1 session 30DS Level 1, I haven't had any other days where I've done this same workout, I usually do more *Ü*) ... my total burn is at 2560 which seems about normal/a little low for me (I have done some non-exercise activity too, some shopping, housework, and ping pong). As far as exact calorie counts for the specific activities, they seem the usual (20minElliptical session coming in around 160 calories, my machine says 200 but I just go with the FB burn).

    When I FINALLY synced yesterday (I didn't get a workout in on the 4th of July) I only had 300 credit from Fitbit, which was probably accurate (just some basic walking around throughout the day) with a total burn of 2093 for the day.

    Sorry I'm not more help. I know technically you are supposed to eat back your exercise calories, but as long as my actual caloric intake is 2000 or above, I often don't eat back any more if I can control myself. I don't worry about my NET being lower if it's because of a large exercise credit ... and heaven knows I have plenty of days where I'm barely breaking even, even with counting every credit!
  • conniemaxwell5
    conniemaxwell5 Posts: 943 Member
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    With a fitbit or other such device you don't eat back your exercise calories because they're already included in the total burned for the day. You just maintain a deficit from the calories it recorded. Basically the calories the device says you've burned is your TDEE for the day. If you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, eat at a deficit of 20%, if you have less to lose try 10-15%. Track for a month and take your average and you have a pretty consistent number to go by. Make sure you are keeping your weight updated because that's part of the calculation.

    Example - if fitbit says you burned 2500 calories for the day and you have 40 pounds to lose, you should eat 2000 calories (20% of 2500 = 500 calorie deficit, which would result in about 1 pound a week of weight loss).
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    With a fitbit or other such device you don't eat back your exercise calories because they're already included in the total burned for the day. You just maintain a deficit from the calories it recorded. Basically the calories the device says you've burned is your TDEE for the day. If you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, eat at a deficit of 20%, if you have less to lose try 10-15%. Track for a month and take your average and you have a pretty consistent number to go by. Make sure you are keeping your weight updated because that's part of the calculation.

    Example - if fitbit says you burned 2500 calories for the day and you have 40 pounds to lose, you should eat 2000 calories (20% of 2500 = 500 calorie deficit, which would result in about 1 pound a week of weight loss).

    Gotcha! So basically it tells you your TDEE calories and you cut from that. That will work out with my 1800 allotment, since I regularly burn between 2200-2300
  • 2bmeagain12
    2bmeagain12 Posts: 284 Member
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    With a fitbit or other such device you don't eat back your exercise calories because they're already included in the total burned for the day. You just maintain a deficit from the calories it recorded. Basically the calories the device says you've burned is your TDEE for the day. If you have a substantial amount of weight to lose, eat at a deficit of 20%, if you have less to lose try 10-15%. Track for a month and take your average and you have a pretty consistent number to go by. Make sure you are keeping your weight updated because that's part of the calculation.

    Example - if fitbit says you burned 2500 calories for the day and you have 40 pounds to lose, you should eat 2000 calories (20% of 2500 = 500 calorie deficit, which would result in about 1 pound a week of weight loss).

    Gotcha! So basically it tells you your TDEE calories and you cut from that. That will work out with my 1800 allotment, since I regularly burn between 2200-2300

    YES! I take the weekly reports to see last week's average daily burn (TDEE), I add that to all of the previous week's to get a running average. I subtract 750 (1.5/week loss) and use that number to update MFP with my caloric goal.

    I also use the FitBit app on my phone to better monitor my daily "allowance" depending on how active/inactive a day I'm having. I love the "Goal Zone" area, and try to stay in the zone.
  • hifi898
    hifi898 Posts: 54
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    bump for later

    I'm so happy I found this thread because I've been using a FitBit for about 2 weeks now, and am seeing a pattern of calories burned with me, but tend to get too hung up on the "Should I eat my exercise calories back or not" question. I've been treating it as my TDEE and have adjusted my intake calories accordingly.

    2lbs in 2 weeks! Slow and steady!
  • Bettina2020
    Bettina2020 Posts: 1
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    What is TDEE?
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    What is TDEE?

    Total Daily Energy Expenditure. So all your calories in a 24hr period including sleeping, digesting, breathing and all your activity. You wan't to eat below this number to lose weight :)
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
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    I use the fitbit, watching this thread
  • Bekahmardis
    Bekahmardis Posts: 602 Member
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    I do the same thing - I check my weekly stats and change my MFP goal accordingly. I'm in maintenance mode now and it's working great!
  • mzthang77
    mzthang77 Posts: 43 Member
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    So do you guys link your fitbit with MFP? What activity level do you use? I have tried linking them so many times and my calories end up way to high each time
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    So do you guys link your fitbit with MFP? What activity level do you use? I have tried linking them so many times and my calories end up way to high each time

    Mine is link but I always delete the exercise calories because if I ate them all back I would be at maintenance. I wish there was a way to set a deficit so that FitBit would only send calories I SHOULD eat back. Like setting it to whatever my burn was -500 so when I see excercise calories, I know I've got more than a 500 cal deficit. Did that make any sense? lol
  • mzthang77
    mzthang77 Posts: 43 Member
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    I am totally with you!!!!
  • jmugs
    jmugs Posts: 3 Member
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    Yes! I just noticed that after having a decent breakfast and lunch I still have 1400 calories to eat...but my goal is 1300! All I've done so far was put away the groceries my husband picked up and putter around the house, so while my calorie burn is over 700, that's just my TDEE.
    My MFP food goal is 1300, but today MFP says I can eat 1939 calories, while FB says I can eat about 1400 today.
    I would like to MFP to sync my daily calorie goal from FB. It syncs everything else! Is this possible?
  • highervibes
    highervibes Posts: 2,219 Member
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    Yes! I just noticed that after having a decent breakfast and lunch I still have 1400 calories to eat...but my goal is 1300! All I've done so far was put away the groceries my husband picked up and putter around the house, so while my calorie burn is over 700, that's just my TDEE.
    My MFP food goal is 1300, but today MFP says I can eat 1939 calories, while FB says I can eat about 1400 today.
    I would like to MFP to sync my daily calorie goal from FB. It syncs everything else! Is this possible?

    That's what I'd like also. For now I just ignore my "net" numbers because my FitBit regularly reports that my TDEE is anywhere between 2200-2300. If I have a super high day of 20K steps and I've burned 2700, I'll eat the difference (chances are I'm hungry too! lol)
  • TuRboJamEVeRydaY
    TuRboJamEVeRydaY Posts: 19 Member
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    The other way seems MUCH easier! The more I burn from exercise the more I eat.
  • lizstar07
    lizstar07 Posts: 2
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    I'm confused about all of this and hoping someone can help me understand. I use FB and MFP. I enter my calories for exercise only in MFP and at the correct time so as not to double dip on calories. On days where I have done a LOT of walking (above and beyond my running workout) like today, I see a Fitbit calorie adjustment such as 503 calories burned. I am weary of trusting this "credit". Am I being paranoid??

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