Fitbit, calorie trackers.

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hoffmancourtneynicole
hoffmancourtneynicole Posts: 4
in Fitness and Exercise
I have a fitbit flex and was curious how accurately it tracks burned calories?

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  • hearthemelody
    hearthemelody Posts: 1,025 Member
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    I find it to be pretty accurate.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Calorie burns are based upon lots of factors......height, weight, age, gender, exertion level....and more.

    FitBits are activity trackers (a fancy pedometer). They track the number of steps you take & based upon that they give you a daily calorie total. If your exercise is walking, running (step related).... this isn't a terrible estimate....likely better than MFP.

    HRMs (heart rate monitors) are designed for steady state cardio. If you have a model with a chest strap it will compare your resting heart rate against your heart rate will exercising.....this is used for exertion level. So, it should be more accurate for cardio. However, neither device is terribly accurate for strength training.

    Log your exercise & watch the scale. If you are not losing.....calorie burns are inflated.....if you are tired (lethargic)....calorie burns are too low. This is trial & error.
  • LoveJaded2
    LoveJaded2 Posts: 6 Member
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    I have a Polar HRT and I love it. While strength training, I find it accurate - as I do supersets (two different lifts back-to-back as one set) and it is in line with what my HR should be doing. If I'm not burning 100 calories every 10 minutes, I pack up and head home - as I'm not putting in enough work (in my book) to warrant staying at the gym.

    I'll usually start with my HIIT sprints on the treadmill + incline training, then move over to upper body - then finish with lower body and heavy sets. again, 100 calories per every 10 minutes is what I'm going for - and the HRT helps me achieve/track it pretty accurately.
  • misko555
    misko555 Posts: 12 Member
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    I think it isn't the most accurate tracker on the market, but for $99 it's quite accurate
    More on flex: http://progressgear.com/category/fitness-trackers/fitbit/flex/

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