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runmamarun7
runmamarun7 Posts: 27 Member
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There was no response on my other post, so I was wondering if someone could help me please? I am getting a ton of conflicting advice. I was wondering if I can eat back my calories that fitbit adjusts for me on mfp? for example I ran today for 30 minutes, spent an hour or so shoveling, and did various running around, I did not log any of my exercise on mfp, so my fitbit gave me a calorie adjustment of 800 or so calories saying I burned that many today, I know I did not burn that many shoveling and running, so I assume the rest is from just walking around etc. Can I eat these calories back? I do not want to eat them all back, just a portion. I want to make sure I am not eating too many, nor too little calories. I really do not want to mess with my weight loss. :wink:

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  • marielaem
    marielaem Posts: 202 Member
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    I would like input on this as well, as the difference between MFP cals and Fitbit cals is puzzling me. I do the 5:2 and was maintaining fine - don't know if it is coincidence, but since getting the Fitbit I've gained a few pounds and it also seems to have screwed up my MFP stats. I have never been one to "eat back" calories. Maybe the fact that the Fitbit logs all calories used - even for just being alive - explains the differences?
  • 1Cor1510
    1Cor1510 Posts: 413 Member
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    I have been using my fitbit amount of calories to eat, not necessarily the MFP numbers because sometimes fitbit and MFP don't sync right away, so I watch the fitbit number, and try to eat my set deficit (750 cals per day) based on the fitbit amount.

    I got my fitbit on January 15, but a week or so ago, I put in all the numbers since I started:
    cals burned per fitbit and food input per MFP, and divided that by the 3500 cals per lb, and compared it to my actual weight loss and it was .2 lbs difference. Pretty close!!! The difference is probably from a low estimate on food, but overall, I was happy with the numbers the fitbit is giving me. I add in cleaning, shoveling, etc. If it's extra activity over and above walking, I add it on MFP, and then the fitbit counts it in my burn for the day.

    Hope that helps.
  • 1Cor1510
    1Cor1510 Posts: 413 Member
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    I did not log any of my exercise on mfp, so my fitbit gave me a calorie adjustment of 800 or so calories saying I burned that many today, I know I did not burn that many shoveling and running, so I assume the rest is from just walking around etc. Can I eat these calories back? I do not want to eat them all back, just a portion. I want to make sure I am not eating too many, nor too little calories. I really do not want to mess with my weight loss. :wink:
    To expand on this, I'm assuming the fitbit is giving me my TDEE for the day. As long as I'm eating at a 750 cal deficit to the TDEE I am happy, so some days I get to eat more, some less based on that overall number for the day.
  • aqwas
    aqwas Posts: 7
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    Without an attached HRM, the Fitbit can only guess at what we're doing based on how it is jiggled. I have the Fitbit Flex and I now take its advisement of calories burned with a grain of salt. The Fitbit app itself (as opposed to the MFP app) is pretty strict. I see that calorie advice as the lowest I can go. But the MFP app... synching with the Fitbit, MFP gives me a lot of calories to play with, and I have been taking too many of them. I'm still learning as I go here and need to see the Fitbit feedback as a great advisement of my general activity level but not necessarily carte blanche to eat all of my extra calories on a day when I move around a lot, but really haven't done any cardio.

    If I hit 10,000 "steps", I'm happy at this stage. That's a good and realistic goal for me. Ambitious even, since I had major hip surgery last summer and I'm still working up to a comfortable 10,000 step day.
  • runmamarun7
    runmamarun7 Posts: 27 Member
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    I agree! I have been wearing the flex and I have noticed a few things, 1. It's great, but by no means replaces a heart rate monitor. 2. Sometimes its calories burned seem way off, in fact I believe it underestimates them greatly on my part (but I'm ok with that) 3. You can definitely not rely on it if you want to eat all your calories back. Here's what I have found, that is working for me. I figured out my TDEE and subtracted 500 from that, I usually exercise 6 days a week, I eat between 1500-1800 per day (that I exercise) sometimes more, I have been having 1 meal a week these last couple of weeks out to dinner with my family that brings my calories way over for that particular day. I am still losing 1.5 - 2 pounds per week, so right now , I am going to stick with this method.
    The flex is a lot of fun, I like to see my steps, I really like the sleep and alarm features, but it is just a really expensive pedometer in my mind. Don't get me wrong, I do love it, but it does not do anything other than estimate. I had to put a little more work into figuring out what was going to work for me, more than just strapping it on and signing up :)

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