Please Remind Me: FitBit & Exercise - How-To Document

Bootjockey
Bootjockey Posts: 208 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi All,

Can someone please remind me the proper way to document exercise while wearing a FitBit?

Here's my scenario:

I wear my FitBit from when I get up until when I go to bed at night.

Example: Today, I ran on the track at the Y from 5:35 until 7:30. 1:55.

Should I add this to FitBit.com site as exercise? It seems to double the number of "exercise calories" show in MyFitnessPal.

Or should I document it in MyFitnessPal?

Or should I not document it at all, since it counts steps while running on your FitBit?

Thanks for your input. I just can't remember, since I usually just do walking, and only recently added any significant amount of running to my program.

Thank-you!

-David / BootJockey
http://www.facebook.com/doitnowlifestyle

Replies

  • Bootjockey
    Bootjockey Posts: 208 Member
    Anyone have any thoughts on this?

    -David / BootJockey
  • swinler
    swinler Posts: 15
    I don't document any exercise from walking / running based activity. I just let Fitbit and MFP sort that out for themselves. That approach works well for me.
  • PaliDNAnge
    PaliDNAnge Posts: 81 Member
    I wear my Fitbit all day, and I record my walking and running workouts. From what I understand, Fitbit and MFP figure out the math so that it's not counted twice. I have noticed sometimes it takes a day for the numbers to fix themselves.
  • maca416
    maca416 Posts: 142 Member
    Unless your cycling etc just let fitbit log it for you.

    If you log cycling etc just put it in MFP exercise but make sure you add the start time & duration of the none walking/running exercise.
  • donnaleighh
    donnaleighh Posts: 178 Member
    What works for me is the following.

    Synch FB to MFP. have MFP set to sedentary and enable negative adjustments. Any exercise that is not walking, I use a HRM and then log the amount in to MFP (as long as the times coordinate, that will overrun the amount on the fitbit site). But you can also just enter it into dashboard (this just means that the activity will show up as a number on MFP and not in narrative - which i why I
    prefer the other way round).

    Works a treat for me like this.

    There is a Fit Users Group here also which is good for sharing information. Hope it helps.
  • blucero96
    blucero96 Posts: 1
    I'm confused too! I log everything on mfp I don't log walking or things like that, just work outs at the gym. Like a Zumba class or how many calories I burn on the elliptical. But when I sync my fb it shows more exercise calories burned. So is that just what I've burned above my gym workouts?
  • Bootjockey
    Bootjockey Posts: 208 Member
    That's what I've always done too, and what I've continued to do since I started running. But I thought I'd ask the question. :-)

    Thanks!

    -David / BootJockey
  • Bootjockey
    Bootjockey Posts: 208 Member
    Hi there!

    That's what I do too, put it on in the morning, take it off at night. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who does it that way.

    Thanks! Have a great day!

    -David / BootJockey
  • Bootjockey
    Bootjockey Posts: 208 Member
    I've noticed that the FitBit doesn't record cycling (or stair machines either.) I'm guessing that it's just the nature of how a pedometer (even a fancy one) works. :-)

    Thank-you!

    -David / BootJockey
    Unless your cycling etc just let fitbit log it for you.

    If you log cycling etc just put it in MFP exercise but make sure you add the start time & duration of the none walking/running exercise.
  • Bootjockey
    Bootjockey Posts: 208 Member
    Thank-you, Donna!

    -David / BootJockey
    What works for me is the following.

    Synch FB to MFP. have MFP set to sedentary and enable negative adjustments. Any exercise that is not walking, I use a HRM and then log the amount in to MFP (as long as the times coordinate, that will overrun the amount on the fitbit site). But you can also just enter it into dashboard (this just means that the activity will show up as a number on MFP and not in narrative - which i why I
    prefer the other way round).

    Works a treat for me like this.

    There is a Fit Users Group here also which is good for sharing information. Hope it helps.
  • Bootjockey
    Bootjockey Posts: 208 Member
    I'm not sure either. What I've always done is just let the FitBit record whatever it's going to record. It does know "active" "very active", etc, just based on the number of steps in the period of time. I think that's probably "good enough." :-)

    -David / BootJockey
    I'm confused too! I log everything on mfp I don't log walking or things like that, just work outs at the gym. Like a Zumba class or how many calories I burn on the elliptical. But when I sync my fb it shows more exercise calories burned. So is that just what I've burned above my gym workouts?
  • beanrider
    beanrider Posts: 66 Member
    HI, I am new to fitbit, only used for a week, but i have found that if i log it on MFP, not fitbit, it "corrects" the calories burned. Probably not the right word, but it subtracts from my fitbit exercise calories rather than adding to the daily count i get from my regular activity. Hope that makes sense, it is hard to explain. It was my understanding that that was the reason to try to accurately put in your exercise time. Good luck, and congrats on your great loss!!
  • artcwolf
    artcwolf Posts: 20 Member
    I wear my fitbit from time i get up to the time i go to bed. I log any exercise in MFP and let it sync with the fitbit. I allow negative adjustments. It works just fine for me. Just make sure you enter it into MFP not into fitbit.
  • rebasporty
    rebasporty Posts: 287 Member
    I wear mine from sun up to sun down as well. I only log my activity in MFP and it syncs with Fitbit. I don't seem to have any issues with it working properly.
  • ashandstuff
    ashandstuff Posts: 442 Member
    I've had my fitbit flex for a little over two weeks now and here is what I can tell you:

    Sync MFP and Fitbit apps together. The Fitbit will automatically sync ANY WALKING/RUNNING type movements you do, (not cycling or standing) automatically to MFP.

    Then, so I can remember what I did later on, select the specific workouts on MFP like "walking for 30 minutes at 3.0mph." You should notice that the calories automatically logged by Fitbit are now put into the workout catagories you log in MFP.

    AKA: the apps work really well together. Any excerise you do, make sure to log it in MFP. NOT FITBIT. The calories will adjust accordingly and will not be counted twice.

    If you wear Fitbit all day long, you will get more calorie burns than you would if you only wore it to the gym or during workouts. This is because Fitbit accounts for the natural loss of calories you do just by being alive! :] And it's nice to see how much you actually burn off walking around at work/school/shopping for groceries. It really does add up!

    Note: Sometimes I have to reload the Exercise tab on MFP to make sure the calories are categorized correctly. :]
  • jcs0530
    jcs0530 Posts: 70 Member
    My Fitbit adjustments are always lower than what MFP tells me I should get. I stopped logging in my excercise on MFP and only take the Fitbit adjustment. To me less is better. The less I earn, the less apt I will be to eat more.
  • Bootjockey
    Bootjockey Posts: 208 Member
    That's been my experience too, Bean!

    Thanks for your kind words, and for sharing your thoughts!

    -David / BootJockey
    HI, I am new to fitbit, only used for a week, but i have found that if i log it on MFP, not fitbit, it "corrects" the calories burned. Probably not the right word, but it subtracts from my fitbit exercise calories rather than adding to the daily count i get from my regular activity. Hope that makes sense, it is hard to explain. It was my understanding that that was the reason to try to accurately put in your exercise time. Good luck, and congrats on your great loss!!
  • landwomble
    landwomble Posts: 1
    This is probably a dumb question, but I'm confused! Been using MFP manually for a couple of weeks and Iike it. I just bought a fitbit flex and linked it to it, and tried it out for the first time.
    What I was expecting to happen is when I'd been out for a walk, for that activity to show up in MFP as an exercise in my diary.
    Instead, what I can see is from "My Home..Check In" it shows the total number of steps - but this doesn't appear to actually do anything in MFP?
    Does it just behind the scenes work out my steps from fitbit and subtract the appropriate number of calories automatically?

    Do I need to go into the check-in and manually add an activity if I've been out for a walk for 30 mins or so or just leave it to it?
    If I've been on a proper run, do I manually add the run and times in MFP and it then uses fitbit data to calculate accurate calories etc?

    On the Check In section there's a text box for "today's entry". What does this do?

    Sorry for the daft questions but I think I'm just missing something...
  • chrisdionne
    chrisdionne Posts: 1
    I too have asked the same questions and am hoping for a reply to clear up my confusion

    Chris

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