Argh...little annoyed with FitBit and MFP

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thisguy159
thisguy159 Posts: 6
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I can't figure out how the two really work. When I merged the accounts it said to add everything I do on MFP. So if I workout and go uphill for 60 min FB recognizes that as very active minutes but obviously doesn't know I'm going up. The instruction when I first set this up said to log the start time of my exercise which is fine but it also adds the calories. Can somebody help me here please!
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Replies

  • blondie0922
    blondie0922 Posts: 25 Member
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    If I remember correctly you have to go up 10 feet at a time for FB to add a "floor" to your counter. You should be able to change the calories burned to what you actual burned instead of using what FB suggested.
    Does this help?
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    I only log exercise separately on FitBit if I really want accuracy on calories for the day and I know for sure that I would have burned more than Fitbit says. I log it on the Fitbit site rather than on MFP and have no issues.
  • thisguy159
    thisguy159 Posts: 6
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    Thanks for the responses...

    Blondie...i didn't know that FB actually tracks that?!? I'm on a machine at the gym though so that doesn't help.

    Mokey...the instructions said to log all exercise on MFP when I first connected.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
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    I think 1 floor is 10 steps up.
  • Justifier
    Justifier Posts: 336 Member
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    If I remember correctly you have to go up 10 feet at a time for FB to add a "floor" to your counter. You should be able to change the calories burned to what you actual burned instead of using what FB suggested.
    Does this help?

    I have a FitBit Zip. How does it know whether I'm going "up" or not? I moved to a third floor apartment yesterday without an elevator, and I got the same steps and calories burned compared to a normal day at work (on my feet, but not rigorous activity).
  • blondie0922
    blondie0922 Posts: 25 Member
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    Blondie...i didn't know that FB actually tracks that?!? I'm on a machine at the gym though so that doesn't help.

    If you are on a machine you can either adjust the calories to what the machine suggested (not very accurate), use an online calories burn calculator or wear a HRM.

    I love my FB and wear it everyday. It is very accurate from what I have noticed.
  • abeerends
    abeerends Posts: 1 Member
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    Fitbit won't give you credit for going up flights on stairs on a treadmill or stair machine because you aren't actually gaining elevation.
  • blondie0922
    blondie0922 Posts: 25 Member
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    I have a FitBit Zip. How does it know whether I'm going "up" or not? I moved to a third floor apartment yesterday without an elevator, and I got the same steps and calories burned compared to a normal day at work (on my feet, but not rigorous activity).

    I don't think the Zip is able to detect floors. I have the One.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,134 Member
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    If I remember correctly you have to go up 10 feet at a time for FB to add a "floor" to your counter. You should be able to change the calories burned to what you actual burned instead of using what FB suggested.
    Does this help?

    I have a FitBit Zip. How does it know whether I'm going "up" or not? I moved to a third floor apartment yesterday without an elevator, and I got the same steps and calories burned compared to a normal day at work (on my feet, but not rigorous activity).

    It doesn't. Fitbit tracks change in altitude like a barometer. On cold, windy days, I get a lot of floors.
  • DaRealMcKoy
    DaRealMcKoy Posts: 56 Member
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    I have a FitBit Zip. How does it know whether I'm going "up" or not? I moved to a third floor apartment yesterday without an elevator, and I got the same steps and calories burned compared to a normal day at work (on my feet, but not rigorous activity).

    The Zip doesn't track elevation.
  • spookiefox
    spookiefox Posts: 215 Member
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    So, I can't figure out how the two really work. When I merged the accounts it said to add everything I do on MFP. So if I workout and go uphill for 60 min FB recognizes that as very active minutes but obviously doesn't know I'm going up. The instruction when I first set this up said to log the start time of my exercise which is fine but it also adds the calories. Can somebody help me here please!

    I don't know why it's obvious the FitBit can't tell you're going up. Some FitBits can, some can't.

    You should be entering your food at MFP and EVERYTHING ELSE at FitBit. FitBit will make an adjustment at MFP to account for your exercise, which will show as "FitBit adjustment" under exercise.
  • brraanndi
    brraanndi Posts: 325 Member
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    So, I can't figure out how the two really work. When I merged the accounts it said to add everything I do on MFP. So if I workout and go uphill for 60 min FB recognizes that as very active minutes but obviously doesn't know I'm going up. The instruction when I first set this up said to log the start time of my exercise which is fine but it also adds the calories. Can somebody help me here please!

    Not sure what the problem is? FB will add calories to MFP if it thinks you burned more than what your work shows on MFP?

    As long as you aren't logging your exercise on both, you can log it on either system.
  • kingtermite
    kingtermite Posts: 82 Member
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    1 floor is recorded by FB only if you gain 10 feet in elevation. So it won't register on a treadmill.


    I don't add manual calorie burn, even for things FB doesn't compute (because it does compute "some"). Just let it go and do its thing. If it undervalues your calorie burn, don't sweat it. You still DID the exercise and BURNED the calories.

    Calorie burn as well as calorie logged for food are nothing more than estimates anyway....don't sweat minor to moderate differences.
  • Justifier
    Justifier Posts: 336 Member
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    I have a FitBit Zip. How does it know whether I'm going "up" or not? I moved to a third floor apartment yesterday without an elevator, and I got the same steps and calories burned compared to a normal day at work (on my feet, but not rigorous activity).

    The Zip doesn't track elevation.

    Ok, that's fine. I'll just treat the stair climbing as a bonus. I definitely ate enough to make up for it yesterday.
  • spookiefox
    spookiefox Posts: 215 Member
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    If I remember correctly you have to go up 10 feet at a time for FB to add a "floor" to your counter. You should be able to change the calories burned to what you actual burned instead of using what FB suggested.
    Does this help?

    I have a FitBit Zip. How does it know whether I'm going "up" or not? I moved to a third floor apartment yesterday without an elevator, and I got the same steps and calories burned compared to a normal day at work (on my feet, but not rigorous activity).

    It doesn't. Fitbit tracks change in altitude like a barometer. On cold, windy days, I get a lot of floors.
    Yeah, but it doesn't adjust calories because of "floors."
  • jadesdca
    jadesdca Posts: 17 Member
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    I always log my workouts in MFP, and it syncs with FB. So in MFP, you can add an exercise such as treadmill, uphill by entering the time and calories, and it will sync with FB. Fitbit will only add floors if you're actually gaining elevation, so log it in MFP.
  • spookiefox
    spookiefox Posts: 215 Member
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    Thanks for the responses...

    Blondie...i didn't know that FB actually tracks that?!? I'm on a machine at the gym though so that doesn't help.

    Mokey...the instructions said to log all exercise on MFP when I first connected.

    No, it says to only log food at MFP. Log exercise at FitBit.

    I've had the original, Ultra, One, and Flex. Love FitBit. I'm hoping Flex will end my unfortunate tendency to put them through the washer with my work pants! LOL
  • thisguy159
    thisguy159 Posts: 6
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    So why is it important to log on MFP what time you started your exercise?
  • h_jeffrey
    h_jeffrey Posts: 23 Member
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    Thanks for the responses...

    Blondie...i didn't know that FB actually tracks that?!? I'm on a machine at the gym though so that doesn't help.

    Mokey...the instructions said to log all exercise on MFP when I first connected.

    No, it says to only log food at MFP. Log exercise at FitBit.

    I've had the original, Ultra, One, and Flex. Love FitBit. I'm hoping Flex will end my unfortunate tendency to put them through the washer with my work pants! LOL

    Actually, they recommend logging your food AND exercise on MFP. That will sync with your Fitbit account.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/443853-welcome-to-the-fitbit-users-group-and-how-to-get-started
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
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    You log on Fitbit when you started your exercise. It will ask you right on the activity sheet to do that but that's only if you want to over ride what Fitbit gave you. If I'm doing any kind of walking/running exercise I just let Fitbit do it's thing. If I'm cycling I over ride it because it thinks I was sitting on the couch because I'm not taking steps.

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