FitBit Question: Do I trust the numbers?

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troyindallas
troyindallas Posts: 18 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
My wife got me a Fitbit ChargeHR for Valentine's Day. I am amazed how active I already was, without noticing it. I have it linked to MyFitnessPal. It is adding calories to my daily allotment in a scary way. I have increased some of my calories because of the Valentine's weekend and my weight loss really increased in the last two days. Do I really trust theses numbers and was I really just not getting enough calories to see these increases before? It would be great if I had more calories to include a few wanted extras, but I don't want to sink myself. I usually am allowed 1920 cal. a day, it has been adding almost 750-900 a day. If this is correct, tracking food with MFP really isn't completely effective without accurate calorie burn data. I have been relying on MFP data and the gym machines, but I am thinking I wasn't eating enough. I am about to buy my wife one of these babies!

Replies

  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    There was a thread about Fitbit accuracy just the other day, saying they were generally very good: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084218/fitbit-accuracy/p1

    You'll probably be fine eating back the calories. If you find you stop losing weight, or you're just not comfortable eating them all back, then only eat back some. Personally I eat back as many as I want - if I don't eat them all I don't force myself to. But it's not very often that I come in under my calories and don't want something more to eat! :P
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    Have you set your stride length, do you have MFP and fitbit set to same goals and time zones

    Are you logging non step based exercise separately by time on MFP?

    I trust my non hr fitbit but jury is out on the charge purely because the formula that underpins the HR= calorie burn can't work in all circumstances eg chest band HRM are for steady state cardio but not accurate for weight training

    All you can do is see if the numbers stack up over time ...eg a couple of months

    Personally I'd eat half not all and adjust from there
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    DemoraFairy wrote: »
    There was a thread about Fitbit accuracy just the other day, saying they were generally very good: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084218/fitbit-accuracy/p1

    You'll probably be fine eating back the calories. If you find you stop losing weight, or you're just not comfortable eating them all back, then only eat back some. Personally I eat back as many as I want - if I don't eat them all I don't force myself to. But it's not very often that I come in under my calories and don't want something more to eat! :P

    I think there might just be a difference when it's the HR monitor ones though
  • DemoraFairy
    DemoraFairy Posts: 1,806 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    DemoraFairy wrote: »
    There was a thread about Fitbit accuracy just the other day, saying they were generally very good: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084218/fitbit-accuracy/p1

    You'll probably be fine eating back the calories. If you find you stop losing weight, or you're just not comfortable eating them all back, then only eat back some. Personally I eat back as many as I want - if I don't eat them all I don't force myself to. But it's not very often that I come in under my calories and don't want something more to eat! :P

    I think there might just be a difference when it's the HR monitor ones though

    Oh, maybe. I thought having a HR monitor made it more accurate. A couple of people in that thread say they find their Charge to be accurate.
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
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    I am really pleased with my HR.. I have actually started losing weight again since I switched from my Flex to Charge HR.. I was stalled at the same weight for several weeks/almost 2 months.

    And when I went to the dr and the nurse took my heart rate, she said my Fitbit was spot on.. of course that was resting heart rate, so when your actually working out it may fluctuate. I normally try to eat back some if not all of my extra cals.
  • dougpconnell219
    dougpconnell219 Posts: 566 Member
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    I generally eat back half or less of my hr calorie allotment.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    DemoraFairy wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    DemoraFairy wrote: »
    There was a thread about Fitbit accuracy just the other day, saying they were generally very good: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10084218/fitbit-accuracy/p1

    You'll probably be fine eating back the calories. If you find you stop losing weight, or you're just not comfortable eating them all back, then only eat back some. Personally I eat back as many as I want - if I don't eat them all I don't force myself to. But it's not very often that I come in under my calories and don't want something more to eat! :P

    I think there might just be a difference when it's the HR monitor ones though

    Oh, maybe. I thought having a HR monitor made it more accurate. A couple of people in that thread say they find their Charge to be accurate.

    I would imagine that depends what you're doing ...jogging or cycling probably ...HIIT, weights probably not ..HR is not directly correlated to calorie burn

    That's why you should see how it works for you over time ...if you're losing weight over months then yes it's accurate enough, if not then adjust
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
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    I have a flex, not the HR, and I have lost 22# eating back most of what Fitbit gives me (sometimes I'm just not hungry.)

    I can't speak for the HR, though.
  • louisedbatchelor1983
    louisedbatchelor1983 Posts: 42 Member
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    I have the flex, QQ I wear my flex during my exercises, then I also log the excercise manually for boxing/bootcamp/crossfit etc... So am I doubling up??
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    louisedbatchelor1983 wrote: »
    I have the flex, QQ I wear my flex during my exercises, then I also log the excercise manually for boxing/bootcamp/crossfit etc... So am I doubling up??

    No..when you log them on MFP you enter the time and the calories and it overwrites steps logged in fitbit
  • troyindallas
    troyindallas Posts: 18 Member
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    Thank you all for the input. I will keep doing what I am doing and only eat when I am hungry from the give back.

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