Argh...little annoyed with FitBit and MFP

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
    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
    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
    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
    I think 1 floor is 10 steps up.
  • Justifier
    Justifier Posts: 336 Member
    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
    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
    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

    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: 9,148 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    So why is it important to log on MFP what time you started your exercise?
  • h_jeffrey
    h_jeffrey Posts: 23 Member
    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
    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.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    For my workouts, especially cycling, I use endomondo and connect it to my fitbit account. MFP is also connected to my fitbit account and this gives me very accurate calorie burns with the combination of these three services. All the services are free (once you buy your device).

    It took me a while to figure out how to combine my information in a way that works well for me. Endomondo will calculate elevation as well as speed and time for your workouts. It is darn handy!
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    So why is it important to log on MFP what time you started your exercise?

    You have to enter the start time on MFP so that it doesn't double post the workouts and will sync it up with the activity on FitBit's site.
  • TheRealParisLove
    TheRealParisLove Posts: 1,907 Member
    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.

    The Fitbit Flex doesn't calculate floors, only steps. Other fitbit devices will calculate floors.
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    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

    This! Log all food and exercise on MFP and it will sync it up with FitBit's site.
  • blondie0922
    blondie0922 Posts: 25 Member
    For my workouts, especially cycling, I use endomondo and connect it to my fitbit account. MFP is also connected to my fitbit account and this gives me very accurate calorie burns with the combination of these three services. All the services are free (once you buy your device).

    It took me a while to figure out how to combine my information in a way that works well for me. Endomondo will calculate elevation as well as speed and time for your workouts. It is darn handy!

    I use all three of these also.
  • Koldnomore
    Koldnomore Posts: 1,613 Member
    Log food on MFP only. If you are doing activity that the FitBit can count well such as walking based things then just let the FB do it's thing. Don't worry about floors..the calories you get from the fitbit adjustment are likely overestimated by somewhere between 200-400 so you don't want to be adding extra. Don't eat them all either until you are sure that you are still losing weight.

    The only time you need to do any extra recording is when you are doing something that is not walking type activity - riding a bike for example. You then use your timer on the fitbit when you start and end your activity then go to the dashboard and create a new activity log for whatever activity you were doing based on the activity log that the FB created automatically. Once you have your correct activity log modified delete the other one (that one was only so you could get the time)

    If you enter exercise in MFP it messes up the syncing and you get credit twice. ONLY enter exercise in the dashboard.
  • jigsawxyouth
    jigsawxyouth Posts: 308 Member
    I always log my workouts (that I do at the gym, not when I go for my walks/strolls/runs) in MFP, usually because my FitBit doesn't give me accurate counts for times and calories burnt (I use a HRM to determine this)
    However, when I do add my workouts, MFP deducts what I entered from my adjusted FitBit calories burnt. I never get over-credit for my calories burnt since MFP does this for me.
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member

    If you enter exercise in MFP it messes up the syncing and you get credit twice. ONLY enter exercise in the dashboard.

    This is not true. MFP changed their settings so that you enter the time you started working out so that it does not count the workout twice.
  • thisguy159
    thisguy159 Posts: 6
    There is a ton of confusion about this hopefully the developers for both recognize that. Thanks everybody for help but I am getting more frustrated as I go.

    So if I would follow the guidelines outlined

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/section/65-fitbit-integration

    I should log my exercise. Lets say I walked up hill from 7 am to 8 am machine told me 1243 cal but i will be very conservative and say 650 i would log that into MFP. (BTW I did that)

    so how come the calories do not match FB says in have 1249 left MFP says 1014 cal left.

    I know i'm making this probably to complicated but thats the kind of guy i am. PS I can't wait till this comes out and all the cal burned will be way accurate.

    http://www.amiigo.co/
  • dawlschic007
    dawlschic007 Posts: 636 Member
    There is a ton of confusion about this hopefully the developers for both recognize that. Thanks everybody for help but I am getting more frustrated as I go.

    So if I would follow the guidelines outlined

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/help/section/65-fitbit-integration

    I should log my exercise. Lets say I walked up hill from 7 am to 8 am machine told me 1243 cal but i will be very conservative and say 650 i would log that into MFP. (BTW I did that)

    so how come the calories do not match FB says in have 1249 left MFP says 1014 cal left.

    I know i'm making this probably to complicated but thats the kind of guy i am. PS I can't wait till this comes out and all the cal burned will be way accurate.

    http://www.amiigo.co/

    Do you have your activity levels, weight loss goals, and calorie goals set up the same for both MFP and FitBit? Also, did you sync already?

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