Fitbit overestimating

Katrina090
Katrina090 Posts: 32 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm just wondering whether anyone else thinks the fitbit overestimates
Today I've walked to work, (40 mins)
And then sat down for a few hours at work, then spent 7 hours actually on my feet and moving (I working in a cigarette kiosk, so constantly moving in a small space
Myfitnesspal has given me back 700 calories... anyone think this is too much or is it about right? I don't know what to think

Replies

  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
    This is my pet hate but i am drawn to it like a moth to a flame, if you exercise do it to the best of your ability then rest and do it again, you will get better, if i could be bothered with a hrm or any such device which i can't i couldn't care less if it said i was burning 1 calorie or a 1000

    I cannot see what difference it makes how many calories your are burning from exercise, exercise to get fitter, just put in the effort
  • Katrina090
    Katrina090 Posts: 32 Member
    Because if you're supposed to be eating back exercise calories I want to know what I should be eating, I want it to be as accurate as possible
  • MomOfRose
    MomOfRose Posts: 89 Member
    If your normal life includes the walking to work and the walking around for 7 hours, then make sure you adjust your MFP settings to show that you're more active. You're body's used to that, so you want MFP to be giving you "credit" for any exercise OVER your normal expenditure.
  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
    You getting concerned with numbers we have all done it and it is not a good idea, separate your exercise from your diet it is the best and simplest way, exercise the best you can and log your food, weigh yourself every few weeks and adjust your diet

    I can run 5k in a certain time if this burns 250 calories or 500 doesn't make a difference, if i was logging at 500 but found out it was only 250 what would i do? run 10k in the same time? not possible, exercise to get fitter use your diet for the weight

    There are so many variables per person it is not worth the effort, log your food do your exercise and adjust
  • Katrina090
    Katrina090 Posts: 32 Member
    It varies to be honest but I'm set at lightly active
  • Followingsea
    Followingsea Posts: 407 Member
    I assume my Fitbit is gospel because that way I don't have to worry about estimating my (often wildly variable) TDEE and getting it way wrong.

    Eating to a deficit of -500 calories under what the Fitbit says I burn leads to a consistent 1 lb a week loss.

    Eating what Fitbit says is my maintenance leads to maintaining a steady weight.

    So for me, it's pretty much dead on target.
  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
    no.no.no exercise as much as you can/want log your food and see your results, then adjust your diet it is that simple, you cannot spend the rest of your life logging how many steps you have taken in a day, this forum is littered with threads about people who log everything and haven't achieved their goal, we are individuals, log one thing your food and adjust when needed
  • Followingsea
    Followingsea Posts: 407 Member
    no.no.no exercise as much as you can/want log your food and see your results, then adjust your diet it is that simple, you cannot spend the rest of your life logging how many steps you have taken in a day, this forum is littered with threads about people who log everything and haven't achieved their goal, we are individuals, log one thing your food and adjust when needed

    I don't manually log how many steps I take in a day*, that happens automatically whenever I get within fifteen feet of my computer. I just have to remember to periodically charge the tracker. It's completely passive on my end.







    *okay, I totally manually log how many steps I have taken in a day because I freaking love crunching numbers and I actually find Excel fun. But that's my damage, and that's separate from the MFP thing.
  • teachmom32
    teachmom32 Posts: 183 Member
    I had/have a Bodybugg and every time I've used it, I've stopped losing weight. Last year I was down about 20 pounds, started using my bodybugg, thinking I burned so many calories and I'll just eat 500 less than that and I completely stalled. This year, I said forget that. I'm just going to eat less and if I exercise, I'll log it and eat back 25-50% of the calories. Now I'm finally losing again. In fact, I've lost almost 14 pounds since January 1. I was way too fixated on the numbers when I wore my bodybugg. If your fitbit helps you lose weight, keep using it. If it becomes an unhealthy obsession, stop using it.
  • hilts1969
    hilts1969 Posts: 465 Member
    What i am saying is you are losing a pound a week using the calculations if you weren't losing you would probably adjust your food intake, exercise should be something to gain fitness and be enjoyable, i don't know anyone sane who says i must burn 200 calories of exercise today because i have put it into mfp so presses stop as soon as their HRM says 200 calories burnt

    you try to run a bit quicker or longer or as much as you feel you can do, if your are still putting on weight staying the same adjust your diet

    i exercise 4 times a week because it is convenient and allows me to rest, i am not going to alter this, if i lose too much or too litlle i eat less/better, HRM and the like are pretty useless except for those with heart problems
  • kkcruickshank
    kkcruickshank Posts: 59 Member
    I've had my Fitbit since August and up until recently, I felt like the numbers were right. But in the last two months I've been questioning how realistic the calorie burn actually is give my amount of activity. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts.
  • marina80498
    marina80498 Posts: 4 Member
    Remember the FitBit shows total calories, not just exercise calories. Right now my FitBit says 2152 for the day, while MFP shows 611. Since my basal rate (per FitBit) is about 60, and I am about 20 hours into the day, FitBit is a little high, but not too bad. What FitBit gives you is a way to catch the unfocused walking, like walking up and down all the aisles in the grocery store. I use a different App (Runkeeper) to log actual workouts, and Runkeeper and FitBit meet in MFP. And FitBit is good for encouragement with family members across the country. I cannot match my son's speeds, but with short little legs I can beat his steps.

    And best yet, the three together are working for me. I have been stuck in a weight rut forever.
  • vivaldirules
    vivaldirules Posts: 169 Member
    I am on my third fitbit (all gifts) and I hate them. I exercise and know how long and how intensely I work out and don't need help estimating the calorie burn from it. The rest is passive and not intentional. I have no interest in the possible calories I burn from that. I don't trust the estimates and do Not want to rely on them. I run, cycle, lift, etc. for exercise and that's what's important to me. The fitbit is an expensive, time wasting toy for me.
  • dauvis
    dauvis Posts: 57
    Looking over my spreadsheet. Ever since I got mine, I should have lost 27 pounds with the deficit I had. I've lost about 25 pounds in that time. To me that seems to be pretty close especially considering that I don't log my food as if I was doing a chemistry experiment. Of course, YMMV.
  • Katrina090
    Katrina090 Posts: 32 Member
    Thank you everyone, I'll see how it goes and then alter things if I need to

Categories