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How do I record my cardio start time?

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DeniseOmari
DeniseOmari Posts: 10
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I saw this on the FitBit page and need some help... How do I do this in MFP? And in FitBit? I am new to FitBit (just purchased my Flex today).

Record start times for all cardio exercises

In order for your Fitbit tracker to accurately calculate your calorie burn, you'll need to record a start time for all cardio exercises you log on MyFitnessPal. If you use a MyFitnessPal mobile app, make sure you update to the latest version so that you can record start times from the app as well.

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  • ywalchle
    ywalchle Posts: 101 Member
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    Enter it into MFP the way you would have before you starting using fitbit, but make sure you put the correct start time in. They will communicate between each other to give you the correct calorie burn :)
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
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    If you have synced MFP to FB, when you enter an exercise on MFP, you will pick the exercise, enter the start time that you did the exercise, enter the minutes that you did the exercise and enter cals burned.

    This will then be sent to FB so it can be overridden with your actual exercise cals.

    You should only do this for non step based exercises because FB does a great job determining cals burned while walking, running, elliptical, dancing etc.

    If you dont have MFP and FB synced you do it here: https://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/30
  • DeniseOmari
    DeniseOmari Posts: 10
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    Thanks so much!
  • TBrat674
    TBrat674 Posts: 1
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    I actually use another app called "Map My Fitness"...you can sync it to both your FitBit and MFP accounts. I LOVE IT!!
  • littlegreeneighbour
    littlegreeneighbour Posts: 21 Member
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    I use Runtastic Mountain Bike next to Fitbit and MFP. I guess Runtastic logs the time for me?
  • ahoier
    ahoier Posts: 312 Member
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    Still confused about this.....is this an "old" message, that hasn't been updated? I just checked my updates today on my phone and I have the latest MFP version....and there is no way to set a "Start time" for my cardio activities......

    When I go to Add > Cardio > Elliptical Trainer, there's only an option to set my "duration" of my activity.....and then the readout of how many calories MFP "thinks" I should have burned (likely based on my weight, height, and age......)

    So is this what the notice is referring to? I've already been logging cardio this way for the past ~2 years lol (as of September 18! Wooohooo!) on Myfitnesspal.......but yea, I don't see any other way of adding a "Start time" within MFP......
  • chipdogwa
    chipdogwa Posts: 6 Member
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    Start time will only show up if you are using another program and they are linked to each other. I have to enter manually for my fitbit but Runtastic enters it for me.
  • ahoier
    ahoier Posts: 312 Member
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    Thank you! LOL. I just now checked the app, and after "linking" MFP with Fitbit....it now shows the "Start time"entry both online and within the app ;)
  • BillArtman
    BillArtman Posts: 13
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    I have MyFitnessPal connected to my Fibit One. Can someone please explain why I need to enter the start time of my cardio exercise, etc. into MyFitnessPal? Does the start time effect something else?

    Thanks.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    I have MyFitnessPal connected to my Fibit One. Can someone please explain why I need to enter the start time of my cardio exercise, etc. into MyFitnessPal? Does the start time effect something else?

    Thanks.

    Manually creating an activity in Fitbit or MFP requires a start time and duration. Either place same effect.

    Because whatever you enter for calories will replace whatever Fitbit estimated for that time.

    Obvious example is you didn't wear it in the pool - obviously you burned more calories than the BMR burn Fitbit would give you.
    Or you did Spin bike or elliptical, Fitbit saw half or no steps, and calorie count based on walking is way off.
    Or lifting and it saw few steps despite all the work done.

    Walking and running level should be close enough, but more intense or hills or backpack would benefit from manually created activity, otherwise don't worry about creating your own in those cases.
    Just need to replace non-step workouts.

    And if you enter it directly on Fitbit, watch the am or pm time. It default to am. So do a 1 hr run at 7 pm, enter it as 7 am accidentaly, you just doubled or close to it likely your calorie count, steps, miles.
  • BillArtman
    BillArtman Posts: 13
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    Thanks for your info.
  • MariaElizabettaAwakes
    MariaElizabettaAwakes Posts: 1 Member
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    when i enter my exercise in mfp, it duplicates in fitbit so it looks like i did twice as much. can someone from the actual company please tell me what i'm supposed to do in 2020?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    MariaElizabettaAwakes wrote: »
    when i enter my exercise in mfp, it duplicates in fitbit so it looks like i did twice as much. can someone from the actual company please tell me what i'm supposed to do in 2020?

    Fitbit is a replace-only system - there is no duplication.

    Don't log workouts on MFP. Anyway.
    Simple.

    If you need your friends list to see you did a workout - just a make a wall post about it - more interesting and inspiring than a 1 liner.

    On Fitbit so you know.
    There is the original Activity Record with the stats for that chunk of time if you started the exercise logging on the device, a snapshot you might say, of steps, distance, calories, HR info. Can also include notes for workout in case you care about performance and comparing prior workouts.

    You manually log a workout there or on MFP and it syncs over - it creates a Workout Record for a start time & duration.
    It replaces in the daily stats whatever you input - which if it syncs over is calories only. If you entered on Fitbit could be distance and steps if walking or running.

    But the snapshot remains - even if the data in the daily stats was replaced.

    So there is no double entry. You can look and leave both items there, and they can be the same or different info - one contains actual stats, one contains just calories.

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