Activity Trackers - How do I use them?

cazziecoo
cazziecoo Posts: 29 Member
edited November 9 in Health and Weight Loss
I want to buy an activity tracker such as a fitbit or fit bug but I don't understand how they help weight loss. Where do you set your baseline calories at if you are going to get extra calories from your daily steps?

Replies

  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    They are just a tool to help you keep track of how many calories you are burning in a 24 hour period.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    I have a Fitbit Flex & a Jawbone UP24. Probably Fit Bug is similar?

    Your Fitbit burn and UP total burn are your TDEE (total daily energy expenditure)—more accurate than any online calculator. Your default MFP calorie goal is your activity level minus your deficit.

    When you connect your accounts, MFP compares your tracker burn to your activity level and adjusts your calories up or down. So your daily calorie goal is always TDEE minus your deficit.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    They give you a better understanding of how many calories your body burns in a 24 hour period, so you can eat accordingly.

    My BodyMedia was such a great investment. It consistently tells me I maintain my weight at ~2,000 calories, instead of 1770 as MFP says. I've trusted the numbers of my BodyMedia for two years now and haven't gained a pound, so it seems accurate to me. When I eat at a deficit, I lose pretty close to what it says, too.
  • ihad
    ihad Posts: 7,463 Member
    cazziecoo wrote: »
    I want to buy an activity tracker such as a fitbit or fit bug but I don't understand how they help weight loss. Where do you set your baseline calories at if you are going to get extra calories from your daily steps?

    They help weight loss by giving you a more consistent and generally accurate assessment of your activity level and calories burned. They also help with motivation and awareness, as you are faced with clear feedback amd benchmarking on your activity level.

    There are different ways you can set them up. Establish a low baseline calorie level at your sedentary level and let the tracker add calories, or set a higher level and let it add or subtract them relative to your activity level.

    This is a good place to learn more: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users


  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Just got the UP24 and love it.
  • cazziecoo
    cazziecoo Posts: 29 Member
    thanks for your replies! so what would i set my calories at on mfp to begin with would i use my BMR?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    cazziecoo wrote: »
    what would i set my calories at on mfp to begin with?

    Input your details here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided and set your goal for .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you need to lose.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    They are tools. How useful any of them are depends on what you do ... that includes their caloric estimations.
  • cazziecoo
    cazziecoo Posts: 29 Member
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    cazziecoo wrote: »
    what would i set my calories at on mfp to begin with?

    Input your details here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided and set your goal for .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you need to lose.

    why .5lbs for every 25lbs to lose? just wondering
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    cazziecoo wrote: »
    thanks for your replies! so what would i set my calories at on mfp to begin with would i use my BMR?
    Get a tracker that syncs with MFP and set "negative calorie adjustment" to on so as you sync your data throughout the day it updates your calorie goal on MFP automatically.

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited January 2015
    The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works.

    Also, a smaller deficit will help you transition to maintenance.
  • cazziecoo
    cazziecoo Posts: 29 Member
    SmartAlec03211988 wrote: »
    cazziecoo wrote: »
    thanks for your replies! so what would i set my calories at on mfp to begin with would i use my BMR?
    Get a tracker that syncs with MFP and set "negative calorie adjustment" to on so as you sync your data throughout the day it updates your calorie goal on MFP automatically.

    so what you're saying is that it doesn't matter what I set my calorie goal at as long as negative calorie adjustment is enabled it will give me the correct amount?
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    cazziecoo wrote: »
    so what you're saying is that it doesn't matter what I set my calorie goal at as long as negative calorie adjustment is enabled it will give me the correct amount?

    Yes. As @ihad‌ said above, it's a matter of personal preference. But negative calorie adjustments will never drop your calories below 1,200.

    Enable them at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • Revonue
    Revonue Posts: 135 Member
    I use mine to more accurately track calories burned during exercise (it came with a heart rate monitor).

    But as others said, it does give you a better view of calories burned during the day.
  • cazziecoo
    cazziecoo Posts: 29 Member
    Hi again guys! I am still a little confused!

    I guess the question I am trying to ask is on MFP should I set my activity level to my 'true' activity level and the fit bit/bug will adjust my calories according to that or should i set my settings to sedentary?

    I downloaded an app called Pacer which uses the same ideas but just detects your steps on your iPhone to see how I like it before I invest in a watch and it asks me to select my activity level on there.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    I personally set my activity level to "sedentary" since the activity tracker is going to adjust for my actual activity anyway.

    Entirely up to you though - I did have it set to my true activity level once. I found it motivating to get out and move more just so my activity tracker would add more calories to my daily goal.
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