fitbit and adding in activities on MFP

TXHunny84
TXHunny84 Posts: 503 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Fitbit users only please***

Hi- I just got a fitbit and it's all synced with MFP. My question is- now that they are synced-if I walk on my treadmill for an hour and the calories burned are synced from my fitbit to mfp do I still input on MFP that I walked for one hour? Same question for logging activity on the fitbit site.... I noticed you can manually record activities you have done on my fitbit app. Wouldn't I be doubling and tripling what my calories burn is if my synced fitbit is adjusting my calories and then I am adding in what activities I am doing?... This was not clear in the "FAQs". Thank you for your help

Replies

  • catolerico
    catolerico Posts: 25
    I don't log any of my workouts on MFP; I just go with the calorie adjustment from my Fitbit. Less things to worry about logging and because the Fitbit is on my hip while I'm working out and knows exactly how many steps I did I feel it's a little more accurate than just saying I was on the elliptical for 60 minutes.
  • miked7344
    miked7344 Posts: 26 Member
    I do believe that when you log exercise now you report the time of the exercise and MFP reduces the fitbit adjustment accordingly.
  • bridgetinma
    bridgetinma Posts: 9 Member
    If it's a walking or running workout then I just rely on the Fitbit and don't log the activity into MFP. If it's a workout that the Fitbit can't capture, like bicycling or swimming, then I'll log that into MFP.

    If you prefer to log walking into MFP though, it will adjust the calories Fitbit passed based on the start time you enter for the exercise. You don't end up double dipping.
  • LeenaRuns
    LeenaRuns Posts: 1,309 Member
    I don't synch mine anymore--I just use it to get my TDEE and based my total calorie goals off that and don't add any exercise at all. But, to answer your question specifically, you can do it either way.
  • LainMac
    LainMac Posts: 412 Member
    My experiance is what BridgetInMA says.
  • jessilyn76
    jessilyn76 Posts: 532 Member
    I only log the exercise on MFP and let it sync with fitbit. I have checked the "allow negative fitbit adjustments" on settings and feel that it works pretty well. Same with food, I only log on MFP.
  • Stdavis53
    Stdavis53 Posts: 233 Member
    Any NON WALKING/RUNNING exercise, log onto the Fitbit website. It automatically adjusts your calories burned with the logged workout vs what you burned from walking to give a more accurate number. (as long as you record your times accurately) I personally log all activity on Fitbit's site, and all food on MFP. I manually type my workouts onto MFP so my friends can see where my calorie burns come from, but I don't physically log them on MFP.
  • SueGeer
    SueGeer Posts: 1,169 Member
    I don't log any of my workouts on MFP; I just go with the calorie adjustment from my Fitbit. Less things to worry about logging and because the Fitbit is on my hip while I'm working out and knows exactly how many steps I did I feel it's a little more accurate than just saying I was on the elliptical for 60 minutes.

    ^^^This is what I do. I don't log exercise anywhere, just let Fitbit automatically adjust......
  • DavidC1857
    DavidC1857 Posts: 149 Member
    They say you should log activities on MFP and it'll figure it out. That seems too complicated for me.

    I log all of my activities except strength training on the Fitbit site. If it's walking, I just use the timer and let FitBit make an activity record. Because the Fitbit does a pretty good job of figuring out walking. You don't even need to use the timer, but I like having the records for information. Any other activity I use the timer, and then use that information to create an appropriate activity log. The calorie adjustment then gets made on MFP.

    So 40 minutes on the exercise bike, I log that on the Fitbit page. Same with yard work, or anything else that would be more or less activity than just walking.

    I record strength training on MFP, but that is just for reference anyway.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
    I wear it for everything except swimming (obvs) and I use a HRM for specific exercises and enter those in MFP - this then overwrites the FitBit stats for those time frames and at the sync between the two, it seems to sort itself out with no duplication.

    I log everything here on MFP and the only exercises that appear on FitBit are the FitBolt desk exercises when I remember to do them... and that then gets incorporated in the syncing back and forth!

    Because there can be issues with the syncing from time to time, I prefer to have consistent entries from the HRM in here so that those exercise cals can be factored into my day.

    As soon as you link them, MFP adds that time of day column... for that purpose. Seems to work fine for me - I rarely get a huge adjustment this way unless I am commuting into the city for the day - and that seems to work out about right for me.
  • nomorechub68
    nomorechub68 Posts: 42
    I know I had the same 'confusion' when I 1st got my fitbit....I had trouble finding the answers as well. It finally got down to what others are saying...Yoou don't have to log anything anymore...unless it is something the fitbit cannot capture...like swimming or biking...or maybe time lifting weights. You can enter a start time and and end time and choose the activity and fitbit will adjust for calories.
    Hope that helps...
  • DavidC1857
    DavidC1857 Posts: 149 Member
    Just an additional note. If you are relying just on the Fitbit site, you do need to actually log anything that isn't just walking. It doesn't record the bike at all. I've read that it doesn't record the elliptical well, if at all. So if you are not creating activity logs for those, you are missing calories burned. I think the Fitbit activity database is pretty extensive as well.

    Personally, I log a lot of things people wouldn't think about. It takes more effort to push a mower than to walk. So I use the timer and then create an activity log for that. An hour or two of push mowing can add up. I also log driving or riding in the car, so that it removes any extraneous "bumps in the road' steps.
  • goddesskatrina
    goddesskatrina Posts: 4 Member
    Hello! I am trying to sync mfp with my fitbit flex but I am not sure what is going on. My food & water intake is not transferring over from mfp to fb. I want to make sure I am burning enough calories as the scale is going up & down. Please give me a detailed tutorial if you don't mind. I do appreciate it! Thanks! feel free to friend me on mfp & I am goddess on fb.
  • pkingfox
    pkingfox Posts: 25
    The way I understand it.....MFP pulls data in from fb but fb does NOTpull food etc from MFP.....i am new to using both, so i could be way wrong here. Hope this helps....it seems sort of confusing but I am loving all of the data I am getting from both. Please friend me, I would love to keep up with your thoughts ideas etc. Take care :-) Patti
  • TXHunny84
    TXHunny84 Posts: 503 Member
    If it's a walking or running workout then I just rely on the Fitbit and don't log the activity into MFP. If it's a workout that the Fitbit can't capture, like bicycling or swimming, then I'll log that into MFP.

    If you prefer to log walking into MFP though, it will adjust the calories Fitbit passed based on the start time you enter for the exercise. You don't end up double dipping.

    Ok- When I logged my exercise on MFP it DID double dip....and the calories burned on my fitbit didn't change to a lower number?... Did I do something wrong?
  • TXHunny84
    TXHunny84 Posts: 503 Member
    I wear it for everything except swimming (obvs) and I use a HRM for specific exercises and enter those in MFP - this then overwrites the FitBit stats for those time frames and at the sync between the two, it seems to sort itself out with no duplication.

    I log everything here on MFP and the only exercises that appear on FitBit are the FitBolt desk exercises when I remember to do them... and that then gets incorporated in the syncing back and forth!

    Because there can be issues with the syncing from time to time, I prefer to have consistent entries from the HRM in here so that those exercise cals can be factored into my day.

    As soon as you link them, MFP adds that time of day column... for that purpose. Seems to work fine for me - I rarely get a huge adjustment this way unless I am commuting into the city for the day - and that seems to work out about right for me.

    Yes- I used the time of day column and everything and it showed as a double dip on MFP and in the fitbit when it synced so I had two seperate calories burns?... I did one workout not two...
  • tppchef
    tppchef Posts: 107 Member
    Any NON WALKING/RUNNING exercise, log onto the Fitbit website. It automatically adjusts your calories burned with the logged workout vs what you burned from walking to give a more accurate number. (as long as you record your times accurately) I personally log all activity on Fitbit's site, and all food on MFP. I manually type my workouts onto MFP so my friends can see where my calorie burns come from, but I don't physically log them on MFP.

    This is how I also log my food-exercise!
  • pkingfox
    pkingfox Posts: 25
    I have just been logging non-walking activities on FB not MFP and have not seen any doubles....I do however log ALL activities with times in FB - otherwise I don't think it will pick up the cal expenditure.
  • skinnyme47
    skinnyme47 Posts: 802 Member
    I log food on MFP only and exercise is picked up by Fitbit (only). Fitbit is for walking, running and jogging. Anything else can be logged on Fitbit . Fitbit will send an adjustment to MFP (it will appear on your exercise tab). I do put on the page you type on to your My Fitness Pal Buddies, that I walked so many steps, so many floors climbed, etc so they know.
  • TXHunny84
    TXHunny84 Posts: 503 Member
    I have just been logging non-walking activities on FB not MFP and have not seen any doubles....I do however log ALL activities with times in FB - otherwise I don't think it will pick up the cal expenditure.

    Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Yesterday I wanted to record a walk I did...so I was on the fb app and went to Activity and logged "Walking, 1 hour, 3.5 miles" Then it added in additional calories burned to my total burn for the day.... Shouldn't that number not have changed since it was recording my steps and cals burned etc as I was doing it?...not adding more?...

    I can't tell if I am making sense with my question-sorry if I am confusing you.
  • TXHunny84
    TXHunny84 Posts: 503 Member
    I log food on MFP only and exercise is picked up by Fitbit (only). Fitbit is for walking, running and jogging. Anything else can be logged on Fitbit . Fitbit will send an adjustment to MFP.

    When you log exercise activity (walking) on fitbit so you have a record of it- does your calories for the day increase also?... Or are you only supposed to log activity that the fitbit can not read or if you weren't wearing it?... It has walking as an activity listed so I thought I should be recording it.
  • skinnyme47
    skinnyme47 Posts: 802 Member
    I don't think it doubles it, when you log the time you walked from start to finish, it just says during this time out of all the calories you burned all day, this is how many you got for this walk. There is a group you can join on MFP called Fitbit Users that might help.
  • TXHunny84
    TXHunny84 Posts: 503 Member
    I don't think it doubles it, when you log the time you walked from start to finish, it just says during this time out of all the calories you burned all day, this is how many you got for this walk. There is a group you can join on MFP called Fitbit Users that might help.

    Thank you I'll look for that group
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I have just been logging non-walking activities on FB not MFP and have not seen any doubles....I do however log ALL activities with times in FB - otherwise I don't think it will pick up the cal expenditure.

    Maybe I'm doing something wrong. Yesterday I wanted to record a walk I did...so I was on the fb app and went to Activity and logged "Walking, 1 hour, 3.5 miles" Then it added in additional calories burned to my total burn for the day.... Shouldn't that number not have changed since it was recording my steps and cals burned etc as I was doing it?...not adding more?...

    I can't tell if I am making sense with my question-sorry if I am confusing you.

    I rarely record any exercise - especially not walking because that's what FitBit tracks best. However - when I do log, I log it on MFP - not FitBit's site. The adjustment to take away the calories isn't instant - you have to wait for it to sync again (usually within 15 minutes) and at that point it should realize (if you put in the time and length correctly) that you have a manual entry and adjust accordingly.
  • deja_blu
    deja_blu Posts: 359 Member
    I do believe that when you log exercise now you report the time of the exercise and MFP reduces the FitBit adjustment accordingly.

    This. If you are using the stopwatch function on your FitBit to record your exercises, then it should make it easier for you to record them on MFP (just look on your dashboard). The adjustment calories aren't really helpful if you are using them as a guide for eating back calories or tracking activity.
  • Rachelmilloy
    Rachelmilloy Posts: 159 Member
    Bump
  • c_crosby
    c_crosby Posts: 1 Member
    I just bought a Fitbit Flex. I normally log my workouts into my dashboard. However, I can't manually add a workout. The dashboard doesn't give me that option. Can someone help?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I just got a fitbit and it's all synced with MFP. If I walk on my treadmill for an hour and the calories burned are synced from my fitbit to mfp do I still input on MFP that I walked for one hour?
    You don't need to log step-based activities. Non-step activities (such as biking or swimming) should be logged either in Fitbit (I do this) or in MFP--never both. That would be "double dipping." If you log an activity in MFP, you'll be asked for start & end times. Then MFP will override your Fitbit data during that time.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I just bought a Fitbit Flex. I normally log my workouts into my dashboard. However, I can't manually add a workout. The dashboard doesn't give me that option. Can someone help?
    Are you taking about the website? You log using the "log" tab (to the right of the "dashboard" tab).
  • memes_74
    memes_74 Posts: 18 Member
    I log all activities on mfp...today I ran on the treadmill...at first when fitbit synced it sent over my calories after I entered the exercise in mfp and what times they automatically adjusted correctly.

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