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Logging "other" exercise

Aust1967
Aust1967 Posts: 68 Member
in Social Groups
In your experience, when you do "other" exercise (biking, Pilates, strength training, etc.), do you have better luck logging it in MFP (and letting it pull over to FitBit) or logging it in FitBit (and letting it pull over to MFP)?

Thanks!
Laura

Replies

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Depends.

    MFP logging means it shows on your wall to your friends to comment on.
    Fitbit logging means it comes across usually as some part of exercise adjustment and therefore doesn't show up on wall. But you can still make a post about your workout with stats without logging it.

    MFP logging means it has to sync successfully to Fitbit, replace their estimate of calorie burn, and then total day burn back to MFP for compare to what MFP thought you'd burn today.
    Fitbit logging means it has to sync to MFP as normal part of daily burn sync.

    Whether you use the apps or computer web access may have a factor on speed of above, and ease of doing it.

    I personally never had any syncing issues starting on MFP, within seconds after I logged workout on MFP, I'd go to Food tab and it would already have my adjustment in there correctly.
    But now I enter directly in to Fitbit, treating that as the exercise place, MFP as the eating place.
    Still about instant.

    As to syncing issues, I also use no app access, most syncing issues seem to be with folks using apps rather than web access.
  • Kimsied
    Kimsied Posts: 223 Member
    In your experience, when you do "other" exercise (biking, Pilates, strength training, etc.), do you have better luck logging it in MFP (and letting it pull over to FitBit) or logging it in FitBit (and letting it pull over to MFP)?

    Thanks!
    Laura

    I agree either way can work. It is mainly personal preference. I do think if you log multiple hours of exercise or non-exercise activity (driving, etc) it can be good to log those on fitbit so you don't run the risk of too high an allowance or confusing any friend/chart stalkers who wonder why you log non-exercise. The over crediting issue corrects itself if you enable negative adjustments though. It can seem a little counter-intuitive to see a negative adjustment if you spent a day on a raft trip, ski trip or long cycle ride so it can be less confusing if you log them on Fitbit. But then you may want the announcement on your feed on such a day.

    I have had issues with timely syncing in the past, and find it easier for me to log to fitbit directly. But I've tried both ways and both work most of the time. I don't like being dependent on a timely sync even though it usually happens. But another reason I log to fitbit is that I often make activity logs with the timer and need to log onto the fitbit website to see what they say anyway, so it is easier. I often use a heart rate monitor app that links and automatically logs to fitbit too, it can also log to MFP but I prefer to link this particular app to fitbit as it pulls useful information from my fitbit account including some I haven't noticed on fitbit.com.
  • Aust1967
    Aust1967 Posts: 68 Member
    Thanks a lot for the input! So far I have yet to do anything other than walking (at least not enough that I feel the need to log it) but this is all great info for when I need it - thanks again! :flowerforyou:
  • WannaBeFitSeniot
    WannaBeFitSeniot Posts: 2 Member
    Kimsied, would you mind saying which heart rate monitor you use. I've been shopping them trying to see which seem most reliable. Thank you.
  • Kimsied
    Kimsied Posts: 223 Member
    I currently use a Polar H7 bluetooth strap with the phone app Digifit ICardio. I have personally had good luck with the H7 strap once I got the correct size (it comes in two sizes XS-small and medium-XXL, I was surprised that I needed the XS-S). The sensors do have to be kept clean or they start giving erratic readings. I've had good luck with mine, but it is one of those products where when you look at the reviews some find it reliable and others buggy. I am not sure whether the device is buggy or whether it is user error (i.e. not wetting the sensor before use, not cleaning after use, etc.). I like the sync with Digifit because it automatically logs the exercise to Fitbit for me (it can also sync here, I sync it to Fitbit because I find the information Digifit pulls from Fitbit helpful). I can't use this setup with water exercise though. I have an old Polar F11 (now discontinued) that I use for water exercise that is a few years old and still going strong. I bought it on clearance after it was discontinued, so it may not be an option. I think most of the well known brands are pretty reliable. It kind of depends what activity you do and what features you need.

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