Fitbit calorie adjustment seems a bit high..

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Reigine94
Reigine94 Posts: 4 Member
in Getting Started
Hi,

I'm not entirely sure how to change any of the settings as I've just bought a fitbit to replace using the step count on my iphone. I've done 6401 steps today and it says I've burnt an extra 248 calories which seems very high! A few days ago I walked 7642 steps using my iphone and that added an extra 122 calories. Has anyone got any suggestions? Sorry if this has been answered before, I did have a dig around and couldn't find what I was looking for.

Thanks :)

Replies

  • Phanntom
    Phanntom Posts: 28 Member
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    The accuracy of the fitbit is questioned by my son also. Just in his morning dealings of fixing breakfast for his kids and getting them out the door, he'll look and find it shows maybe 10k steps, which he knows he hasn't done. I'm not even sure he's using it anymore for just this reason.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    The calories burned is an estimation of what MFP assumes you'll burn throughout the day based on what you've walked so far. It will rise or fall depending on your activity for the rest of the day. I can easily come home from work with 600+ calories added but only end up with 350 because I don't do anything the rest of the day.
  • Phanntom
    Phanntom Posts: 28 Member
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    I use the iPod Nano with it's built-in program for walking and find it to be very accurate. It's programed to track, time, distance (mi or km), steps, calories burned and maybe something else.

    While like all iPod's it has music, radio, weather etc., the only thing I actually use of it, is the Activity function.
  • Phanntom
    Phanntom Posts: 28 Member
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    Ah ha....great explanation....I'm going to pass this on to my son....all makes sense now.
  • mfesloca
    mfesloca Posts: 21 Member
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    Like malibu said, it's adding calories assuming that you'll continue walking like you were, so if your activity level is way up in the morning and way down in the afternoon and evening that number will change.

    Aside from that, though, 248 calories for 6401 steps doesn't seem all that high. I don't know your height or weight, but I know mine. I take about 2200 steps in one mile and burn about 80 calories walking at a pretty slow pace. So 6401 steps would be almost 3 miles or about 240 calories.

    In regard to what Phanntom was saying about her son getting way more steps counted, if he has a Flex it could be a function of being worn on the wrist. It's easy for it to register hand movements--which there are a lot of when getting kids ready for school--as steps. To help with this I've started taking the tracker out of the wrist band and putting it in my bra or pocket.

    Edit: Name mixup.
  • RHachicho
    RHachicho Posts: 1,115 Member
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    Don't question it so much. Honestly people have this weird assumption that you have to strain to burn calories. You really really don't. A person will burn quite the sum of excess calories in a 2 hour walk. Which for me is abotu 17,000 steps. That for me a 227 lb 6ft 4 male comes out at 811 calories.

    Honestly if you really want to lose weight fast. Spend lots and lots of time walking. Yeah running does burn more calories/hour. But most people can keep walking for very long periods and only maintain running for a limited duration. I do 2 hours per day. by that calculator i burn. 5677 calories per week just walking. Never mind my cardio and lifting. And since walking is such low intensity. That is pure fat burning.
  • Reigine94
    Reigine94 Posts: 4 Member
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    I think I understand what's going on now :) Hopefully the number will even out soon! and for the people who said that's about right for that many steps, I was just a bit unsure because the counter on my iphone had been counting at a much lower rate.

    Thank you so much for all your replies
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
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    it is a guestimate - and assumes a certain amount of continued activity throughout the day. So if you were to veg out and lay on the couch from now until midnight, that adjustment would go down.

    Better to estimate where you'll be at the end of the day by looking at your past end of day #s.
  • Phanntom
    Phanntom Posts: 28 Member
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    He does wear it on his wrist and I'll recommend he remove it and put it in his bra (which HE'LL need if he doesn't start losing some weight). I'm sure this is where the discrepancy is coming from.
  • heather_hearts_travel
    heather_hearts_travel Posts: 864 Member
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    When I first got my fitbit, it would give me a crazy number of stairs climbed when I knew I hadn't climbed any. Plugging the charger into the laptop, plugging the fitbit into the charger and holding down the button (on a Fitbit One) will reset it, and it should behave after that. Mine and my husband's did.

    Sometimes the calorie count does sound high, but as others have said, it adjusts through the day.
  • mfesloca
    mfesloca Posts: 21 Member
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    He does wear it on his wrist and I'll recommend he remove it and put it in his bra (which HE'LL need if he doesn't start losing some weight). I'm sure this is where the discrepancy is coming from.

    HAH!

    OP, when you were using your iPhone to count steps and calories did you input height and weight? Those things can make a huge difference.
  • Wantingtolose1
    Wantingtolose1 Posts: 139 Member
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    I have the fitbit zip that clips on your pants and find it very accurate as sometimes I'll watch the steps go up as I walk to test it. The reason I bought this one over the wrist ones is because of what was mentioned earlier as I has heard it counts steps when your wrist moves. Putting it in a pocket or something like that should hopefully make it more accurate for your son. In your case the reason why your iPhone adjustment and the fitbit one might be different is because the iPhone adjustment would be based on just those steps you have taken where the fitbit adjustment assumes you are going to be that active all day and then estimates how many calories you are going to burn accordingly and give you an adjustment that way. I normally sync mine at the end of day (after dinner) especially if I want to eat back some of those calories as it will be more accurate then what it states in the mornings.
  • redwoodkestrel
    redwoodkestrel Posts: 339 Member
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    It also takes about a week for your Fitbit to get a feel for you and your day-to-day activity level. I know with mine, in the beginning, I would get very different calorie allotments for the day from it vs. MFP. But once it got to "know" me, it evened out and now the calories between it and MFP are much more aligned.

    ALSO: if you don't want your Fitbit to estimate your calories for the whole day, and instead give you the calories as you earn them throughout the day, you can turn off calorie estimation in your settings. This helps it from giving you LOTS of calories at the beginning of the day (if that's when you do the bulk of your exercising), and then taking away calories throughout the day if you're not moving at that same level. What it means instead is that you'll start your day with it giving you hardly any calories to eat, but as you move and exercise, it will add to the calories you can eat for the day. As long as you keep a pretty consistent activity level day-to-day, this method works just fine.
  • Reigine94
    Reigine94 Posts: 4 Member
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    It also takes about a week for your Fitbit to get a feel for you and your day-to-day activity level. I know with mine, in the beginning, I would get very different calorie allotments for the day from it vs. MFP. But once it got to "know" me, it evened out and now the calories between it and MFP are much more aligned.

    ALSO: if you don't want your Fitbit to estimate your calories for the whole day, and instead give you the calories as you earn them throughout the day, you can turn off calorie estimation in your settings. This helps it from giving you LOTS of calories at the beginning of the day (if that's when you do the bulk of your exercising), and then taking away calories throughout the day if you're not moving at that same level. What it means instead is that you'll start your day with it giving you hardly any calories to eat, but as you move and exercise, it will add to the calories you can eat for the day. As long as you keep a pretty consistent activity level day-to-day, this method works just fine.

    I've just looked at my settings and apparently I've had the calorie estimation disabled the whole time. I hope it does even out over time as that amount of calories for just a bit of walking seems silly, especially when my phone was telling me so much less!

    Thank you again for all your replies, this has been really helpful
  • lkw0311
    lkw0311 Posts: 43 Member
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    I see the same thing with the Fitbit, which is why I stick to MFP for calorie counts. The Fitbit is good for recording steps and thats about what I mostly use it for.
  • mfesloca
    mfesloca Posts: 21 Member
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    ALSO: if you don't want your Fitbit to estimate your calories for the whole day, and instead give you the calories as you earn them throughout the day, you can turn off calorie estimation in your settings.

    Where can I do this? I see the "Enable Negative Adjustments" part, but nothing about estimation.

    Edit: Oops! On the Fitbit website. I get it. Thanks anyway!
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    I have the fitbit zip that clips on your pants and find it very accurate as sometimes I'll watch the steps go up as I walk to test it. The reason I bought this one over the wrist ones is because of what was mentioned earlier as I has heard it counts steps when your wrist moves. Putting it in a pocket or something like that should hopefully make it more accurate for your son. In your case the reason why your iPhone adjustment and the fitbit one might be different is because the iPhone adjustment would be based on just those steps you have taken where the fitbit adjustment assumes you are going to be that active all day and then estimates how many calories you are going to burn accordingly and give you an adjustment that way. I normally sync mine at the end of day (after dinner) especially if I want to eat back some of those calories as it will be more accurate then what it states in the mornings.

    I just switched from the Zip to the Flex a month ago and IMO it actually undercounts for me. I wore both for a weekend, when I'm doing the most walking at work, and the Zip had about 3000 more steps than the Flex recorded.

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