Fitbit Accuracy

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tmarie514
tmarie514 Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone else wear the Fitbit Force and feel that it severely over-estimates caloric burn?

I fear that if I adjust my calories based on my Fitbit data and averages that I"ll be eating way too much and end up gaining weight...

Replies

  • Mav3rick54
    Mav3rick54 Posts: 180 Member
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    Sync it to MFP and the calories will self adjust.
  • bsenka
    bsenka Posts: 33
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    All calories expended calculators give you numbers that are far too generous. Fitbit is no exception. HRMs are equally terrible, and MFP's database is too. No matter what number any of these sources give you, cut that number at least in half if you were really working hard, more if it was less strenuous.
  • MarKayDee
    MarKayDee Posts: 196
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    All calories expended calculators give you numbers that are far too generous. Fitbit is no exception. HRMs are equally terrible, and MFP's database is too. No matter what number any of these sources give you, cut that number at least in half if you were really working hard, more if it was less strenuous.

    If I cut my daily calories burned in half I would have only burned 1000cal in a 24 hour period, which is pretty much impossible.
  • bsenka
    bsenka Posts: 33
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    From EXERCISE?? Unless you're an extreme endurance racer, you've probably never burned 1000 calories in a single day.
  • MarKayDee
    MarKayDee Posts: 196
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    No, not from exercise, for the whole day.
  • fushigi1988
    fushigi1988 Posts: 519 Member
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    I have a Fitbit One, and it's pretty accurate steps wise.
    On calorie burn it's always a bit on the low side, I have it set to maintain weight on the food log tab, and I slowly lose if I stick to that number.
    Do you manually add exercise?
  • bsenka
    bsenka Posts: 33
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    No, not from exercise, for the whole day.

    That's exactly what I'm talking about. When a device (or database) tells you that you've burned X number of calories doing a given exercise, the part they're leaving out is you would have burned most of those calories anyway if you didn't even get off the couch.
  • MarKayDee
    MarKayDee Posts: 196
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    No, not from exercise, for the whole day.

    That's exactly what I'm talking about. When a device (or database) tells you that you've burned X number of calories doing a given exercise, the part they're leaving out is you would have burned most of those calories anyway if you didn't even get off the couch.

    Oh, I misunderstood what you meant. Personally I don't look at my specific exercise burns I look at my overall burn for the day, and then subtract my calorie intake from that to make sure I am at a reasonable deficit.
  • bsenka
    bsenka Posts: 33
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    That sounds like a more sensible way to go about it. I wish you the best in reaching your goals.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I've found mine not accurate at all... mostly it just doesn't make sense at times - like on days when I walk more and have more 'very intense minutes' or whatever, I've burned less calories than days when I walked one less mile and had no very intense minutes.

    So... take it with a grain of salt.
  • airforceman1978
    airforceman1978 Posts: 100 Member
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    I love my fit bit as long as you walk I find it within 10% and that's pretty good it is on the low side but nothing is 100% until they come out with nanobots LOL
  • Cattfish42
    Cattfish42 Posts: 11 Member
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    bsenka, do you actually have some sort of proof that everything is overestimated other than a "really really big gut feeling?"
  • fitfoodbyjessi
    fitfoodbyjessi Posts: 4 Member
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    I'm the opposite, I feel like it severely underestimates the caloric burn. It's good at tracking steps and sleep, nothing else really. If I want a general idea of what I burned I'll wear my Polar Strap.
  • Cattfish42
    Cattfish42 Posts: 11 Member
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    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/upgrade-your-life/accurate-fitness-trackers-150220254.html

    Looks like 20%
  • cjchip
    cjchip Posts: 3
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    I bought a Jawbone UP and it seriously over estimates your carlorie burn. Without exercise it would show by mid-day that I burned 1800 calories. Seriously, if that were the case.. i wouldn't need MFP!
    It understated steps, although the sleep montior was very cool - but it was an overpriced pedometer and I returned it.
  • tmarie514
    tmarie514 Posts: 11 Member
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    Thanks for that feedback - I do manually add my exercise unless I run, i just let it calculate on runs.

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