We are pleased to announce that as of March 4, 2025, an updated Rich Text Editor has been introduced in the MyFitnessPal Community. To learn more about the changes, please click here. We look forward to sharing this new feature with you!

fitbit calorie adjustment??

SSAHM
SSAHM Posts: 172 Member
edited February 28 in Fitness and Exercise
Can someone explain to me in layman's terms how the fitbit calorie adjustment is calculated??

Replies

  • oneblackwing
    oneblackwing Posts: 9 Member
    Basically... MFP says you have x amount of calories. Fitbit starts the day saying you have zero. As you do things (even just living and breathing) this number will go up. If it goes above MFP's X amount you will get a positive adjustment. If it is below (likely in morning with negative adjustments on), it will be a negative adjustment.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    MFP has a Fitbit Users group: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Your MFP calorie goal is your activity level minus your deficit. Your Fitbit burn is your TDEE (aka maintenance calories)—way more accurate than any online calculator. Your adjustment is your Fitbit burn minus your activity level.
  • SSAHM
    SSAHM Posts: 172 Member
    Ok so at around 9:22 this morning I had burned roughly 1000 calories according to my fitbit. My goal on mfp is 1990. It adjusted it to give me an extra 170ish calories for the day. Does this work on if I kept up the rate of burn I had by 9:22 then I would be over my calories for the day so it's giving me extra now? (if that makes sense)
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    MFP looks at your Fitbit burn, then decides how many calories you'll burn by midnight. If you click on your adjustment, you'll see the calculations.

    My adjustments got more accurate each day, as if the system was "learning" my routine. So give it at least a week, then reevaluate.
  • SSAHM
    SSAHM Posts: 172 Member
    Ok thankyou that makes a bit more sense now. I thought that's how it worked but I thought I better check :-)
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    If [your Fitbit burn] goes above MFP's X amount you will get a positive adjustment. If it is below (likely in morning with negative adjustments on), it will be a negative adjustment.
    If you don't enable negative calorie adjustments, you probably won't eat at a deficit on less active days: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    I log exercise in Fitbit, not MFP. It will take trial & error to find what works for you.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories