Do you enter workouts and FitBit ??

JBP71
JBP71 Posts: 3 Member
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
I have my FitBit synced with MyFitnessPro and it logs my steps and also logs calories burned with steps. If I leave my FitBit on when I run on the treadmill I would think it would double count burned calories. What does everyone else do ? Take Fitbit off when on treadmill or leave on and it counts steps in addition to the manual entry of treadmill time and calories burned ??? Thanks

Replies

  • redwoodkestrel
    redwoodkestrel Posts: 339 Member
    Don't manually enter the workout. Your Fitbit captures your run on the treadmill because it's step-based, and will give you earned calories because it's synced with MFP. And it's more accurate than the calories burned for a generic MFP workout entry.

    For example, I go running almost every day, but I NEVER log running as an exercise in MFP, because I wear my Fitbit, and it's synced with MFP, so it gives me the calories burned.
  • redwoodkestrel
    redwoodkestrel Posts: 339 Member
    However, you *should* enter workouts that are NOT step-based, e.g., if you go for a bicycle ride one day and you're wearing your Fitbit, your Fitbit will not accurately record that workout, because it's not step-based. So you need to be accurate in your start and stop times for the workout, and when you enter it, anything that DID record on your Fitbit during that time won't give you burned calories - so you won't get double "credit."
  • JBP71
    JBP71 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks !
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    As long as you keep your hands off the bars, you needn't log it. If you do put your hands on something to steady you though, your fitbit won't get a good reading.

    And for any non-step based workout (circuit training, biking, swimming, etc.), you would definitely log it, because I found that Fitibit was crap at detecting anything other than walking and running.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    There is no need to manually log walking/running when using a Fitbit or similar activity tracking device.

    However, if you do decide to log it, you will be asked for start time and duration so that it can overwrite whatever fitbit thought you burned during that time period. You could literally log a 1 calorie burn for a 30 min time segment and fitbit would even get rid of your BMR calories for that 30 mins. So there is no need to even take it off when you workout.
  • Mhgretsch
    Mhgretsch Posts: 259 Member
    I trust fitbit more than the calorie burn counters on any gym equipment, so I stopped logging my workouts about 6 months ago and go strictly off of what fitbit says I burn. If anything, I think it may be a bit understated, and I'm ok with that.
  • sympha01
    sympha01 Posts: 942 Member
    Everyone's different, but I'd be more conservative than assuming the Fitbit understates walking. It understates EVERYTHING ELSE, but not walking, I think. Because this year's goal for me is to increase my training intensity, I recently upgraded to a VivoSmart with a chest-strap HRM. I did a 5 mile walk about 3.25 mph and tracked it simultaneously on multiple platforms, including Fitbit. Here's what I found:

    VivoSmart (HRM connected): 172
    HRM alone: 228
    MFP Database: 456
    MapMyWalk: 597
    Fitbit: 706

    Now, I have a body idiosyncrasy that because my heart rate -- even my working heart rate -- tends to be super low for my age (even walking at a reasonably brisk pace, my HR rarely goes over 90 bpm, and then only for <1 minute at a time), HRM-based estimates do tend to "penalize" me for that with lower calorie burn estimates, but still.

    It should give you pause before assuming that a Fitbit underestimates walking calories. In my experience, walking was the only activity I did that Fitibit really "liked" and encouraged. It consistently told me I was working above 6 METS, when most compendia suggest that walking at that pace is more like 3.5 METS. Sure I'm an arm swinger, but not a WILD arm swinger, more of a natural light swinging gait. So.
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