Second Chance for my FITBIT

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fitnh
fitnh Posts: 238 Member
in Motivation and Support
I have had a fitbit for a while now, but stopped using it because I quickly realized it was strictly for use as a pedometer. I would wear it swimming and kayaking and it would never track that exercise. I thought it would be able to use my arm motion........Nope. I got annoyed and tucked it away for a good 6 months!

Now, I am going to give it a second chance (believe in second chances)...you know a new year a new chance at enjoying my fitbit!

I am looking for a little friendly competition on fitbit....I have two great friends already and looking for a few more. Feel free to add me!

http://www.fitbit.com/user/269DHJ

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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    You have to log all non-step activities. MFP says do it in MFP. I do it in Fitbit. It'll take trial & error to find what works for you.
  • fitnh
    fitnh Posts: 238 Member
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    Oh thanks for that information....I will check that out!!!!
  • kathym1122
    kathym1122 Posts: 14 Member
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    I log all my activities on fitbit. Lower cal count I think it's more accurate.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    MFP has a "Fitbit Users" group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Here's a Fitbit 101 I posted there:

    When you set up your MFP account, you specified an activity level: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided MFP used your answer, plus your age, sex & height, to estimate how many calories you burn every day (your TDEE). Then you set your weight-loss goal, and MFP subtracted the appropriate deficit to calculate your daily calorie goal.

    Once you link an activity tracker to your MFP account (via the "Apps" tab at the top of every page), you start getting calorie adjustments. If your tracker says you burned more calories than MFP estimated, you get a positive adjustment (meaning more calories to eat). If you enable negative calorie adjustments and you burn less than the MFP estimate, you will lose calories. (But negative calorie adjustments will never drop your daily calories below 1,200.)

    I wasn't losing much weight when I got my first activity tracker. At first, the adjustments didn't seem very accurate. But they got better, almost as if the system was "learning" my routine. It took a lot of trial & error to find the settings that worked best for me. But then everything clicked. I changed my MFP settings from sedentary to lightly active (even though I have a desk job), and now my adjustments are pretty minimal. And I'm losing!

    I find my step goal really motivating. If I get home at night and see I'm thisclose to making goal, I'll walk around the block. A little bit more every day really adds up.

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