Charge HR and calorie count

mg4734
mg4734 Posts: 4
edited November 10 in Social Groups
Hey everyone,

I feel as if my charge HR is causing a fairly significant inaccuracy in my remaining calorie count. The device seems to be recording a lot of active minutes relative to the steps I've taken (and the intensity I know I worked at), which is causing the calorie burn estimation to be higher than I expected by 300+ (compared to when I use my iPhone step count to track calorie burn). I have the device set to Dominant wrist to reduce sensitivity. Anyone else feel as if they are experiencing this issue?

Replies

  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Since calories is based on distance, and distance is based on steps and impact amount, the question is - do your steps seem accurate enough?

    Do you see steps where there were none?
    Otherwise, it's probably correct.

    That's what that setting effects - step accuracy.

    I can't comment on the app you used prior to it's accuracy. A static stride length that never changes is going to be highly inaccurate, so you would have had to have tested taking smaller steps for known distance, and then longer ones, to see if it could tell the difference.
  • mg4734
    mg4734 Posts: 4
    I know that on a device such as the One or the Charge that relies solely on step count that the inaccuracy would be related to the step count. I'm concerned that based on the heart rate function of the Charge HR, it is overestimating the amount of calories I burn because of both the step issue you pointed out, and it's calculation of my exertion via heart rate. The Charge HR has been recording an absurd amount of "active minutes" relative to what I saw on my One
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    The HR estimation of calorie burn comes in to play at high HR's, during what they hope is really just exercise.
    Because below exercise level, HR is bad estimator of calorie burn, and steps is better.

    So that could be an issue if out of shape, or on meds that inflate the HR higher than it really needs to be.
    Calories that should be calculated using, well, steps and distance and mass, are being estimated with inflated HR, and therefore inflated calorie burn.

    If calorie burn is 6 x resting calorie burn, you get VAM time, 3 x is Active Minutes time.
  • mg4734
    mg4734 Posts: 4
    I was thinking that it's telling me I'm burning more calories than I really am because I am quite out of shape. Thanks, that makes sense
  • ColwellCat
    ColwellCat Posts: 84 Member
    I am slightly concerned about this. While I am moderately fit, my heart rate is naturally quite high. I've only had the HR for 1 day thus far, but it's happily put me in the "fat burning zone" at a very low level of activity, standing around etc. Can I modify the zones? I had read that you could customize the zones, but it seems there is just 1 arbitrary custom zone that is irrelevant to the calorie calculation.
  • sharondtd
    sharondtd Posts: 548 Member
    If you figure out how to set the zones, it would be great to know!
    As to the burn and so on, I saw a dramatic rise in calories burned for several days for no reason I could figure, then it leveled off. Theory: fitbit adjusted it? I DO see more calories burned and a higher heart rate when my pain level is higher. I use my brain to adjust for that, figuring if my heart rate is higher due to pain, I'm not actually burning more calories. My heart rate and reported burn goes up on the sections of my walks that are up steep hills, and that's the very reason why I got the HR.
  • retirehappy
    retirehappy Posts: 4,757 Member
    Here you go ladies, that and several others things can be reset here:

    https://www.fitbit.com/settings/device
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    You can modify the zones, but that merely changes where the time is put, and where the alarms are put.

    It doesn't change the calorie burn that is still given for a certain HR sadly.

    If your HR is say 10-15 bpm faster than it really needs to be for a certain level of exercise, then you will get an inflated calorie burn no matter what.

    But you can at least get an idea of how far off it is.

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/774337-how-to-test-hrm-for-how-accurate-calorie-burn-is
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