Fitbit Activity Calorie Question

JessaLee0324
JessaLee0324 Posts: 118 Member
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I have the Charge and was extremely surprised by the amount of calories it says I burn in a day. If it is accurate, I burn 2000 a day.

So, my question is -- what do you set your MFP calorie goal at in order to be able to use up the calories Fitbit gives back? I set my MFP calorie goal @ 1450 for a couple weeks and ate back all of my activity calories. Guess what? I got fat. Unless my calorie tracking is really off, I was averaging 1930 a day while my so called burn was 2032.

What gives? Should I have set my MFP goal to something else (sedentary --- 1200 a day?)

Replies

  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
    It really doesn't matter what you set MFP at, because if you enable negative Fitbit calorie adjustments, it should come out to the same. I'd say set it to a level that is pretty close to your typical Fitbit number with the smallest adjustment possible, so that you don't end up with huge calorie adjustment numbers to eat back at the end of the day. But it's really up to you.

    If you're truly burning 2000 calories a day, you won't gain weight eating 1450. You're either eating more than you think or burning less than you think.
  • SandyCoils
    SandyCoils Posts: 164 Member
    Well, I had my MFP account before I got my FitBit, so MFP set my cals at 1740 to lose .5 pounds a week. When I set up my FitBit I used the same info and chose "sedentary" for both (MFP & FitBit). My FitBit will add/subtract cals based on how active I am throughout the day. No matter what, I still try to stay under the 1740 original cals that MFP set up for me. If FitBit takes away some of those cals, then I try to do enough exercise to get those cals back. If not, then I go by the lowest allowance after the FitBit activity (or non-activity) is considered. So, I could lose cals if I have a slow day and I have to be on top of that. If I have a decent day of activity, I eat a few of those cals back - feels like a reward. LOL
  • JessaLee0324
    JessaLee0324 Posts: 118 Member
    I guess I don't understand what you guys mean.

    I should set my MFP to 2000 daily calories?

    According to all the TDEE calculators out there, they say my TDEE is about 1850-1900 a day. And to set my calorie goal to about 1624 in order to lose weight.

    So if I set my MFP @ 1624 -- I will end up getting more calories to burn from Fitbits # correct? It seems to me that I wouldn't want that because 1624 is a deficit from my TDEE (which already includes my activity).

    I'm soooooo confused!!!
  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
    I let MFP set itself to what it thinks it should be (currently: Sedentary, lose 1# per week = 1400 calories) and then I eat back most of what my Fitbit gives me. I don't use TDEE so someone with more experience with that might be able to help you.
  • JessaLee0324
    JessaLee0324 Posts: 118 Member
    Makes sense. Maybe I'll give that a go.
  • higgins8283801
    higgins8283801 Posts: 844 Member
    When I was losing, I may have burned 2400 calories a day, but fitbit only let me eat 1700 or so of those and that pretty much equaled what mfp said once mfp added exercise.

    It was always pretty accurate for me.
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
    edited February 2015
    I had this same issue.. Did you actually set up your goals in the FitBit Dashboard?? Like did you tell it you wanted to lose 1 lbs per week (-500 cals/day, 1.5 lbs per week (-750 cals/day, etc)??

    IF you did not set up that you wanted to lose weight then it will only go by your maintenance or actual calories burned in a day and adjust MFP to that #.

    So if your FitBit says you burned 2032 in a day, you will need to eat at a -500 calorie deficit to lose 1 lbs per week. So you would try to stay under 1532 for the day.

    You can set up a deficit in the FitBit site that will then correctly adjust your MFP calories.

    The way to do this is from your FitBit Dashboard.. click on the box that tells how many calories in vs. calories out.(you may have to click "see more").. then the second box down is the food plan.. if you click the right arrow twice it will have a button that says "edit plan". This button will help you set up your deficit within FitBit. I would suggest setting it the same as your MFP (like 1 lbs per week, 1.5 lbs per week, or whatever you have it set to).

    HOPE THIS HELPS!
  • JessaLee0324
    JessaLee0324 Posts: 118 Member
    Thanks.
    I just went in and set both MFP & Fitbit for a 1lb a week loss. I set my MFP to sedentary though....should I set it to lightly active or is sedentary right? I'm not sedentary -- I just don't want to over do anything...
  • SandyCoils
    SandyCoils Posts: 164 Member
    Angierae75 wrote: »
    I let MFP set itself to what it thinks it should be (currently: Sedentary, lose 1# per week = 1400 calories) and then I eat back most of what my Fitbit gives me. I don't use TDEE so someone with more experience with that might be able to help you.

    This is exactly what I did. I set up initially on MFP, told it what I wanted because I knew I couldn't make it on 1 pound a week cals. I did .5 pounds a week and sedentary. Then I just did the same with my FitBit. I have no idea what TDEE even is. I stick with what I know. If I become more active and lose weight faster than expected, then great, but I'm not trying to kill myself in the process. If I'm having a slow day my FitBit will also take available cals away from me. I just obey the lowest number that either has and I've been staying on track with that - so far so good.

  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
    The difference between setting it for sedentary vs lightly active is that MFP will start your day off with a little more calories. You may see FitBit taking away some calories at first thing in the morning if you have enabled negative calorie adjustments, but as you become more active throughout the day you will start earning more from FitBit.. Hope that made sense..

    IMO I would set it to sedentary and just eat the extra calories adjusted from FitBit throughout the day. After a week or so, you will get used to it and know what you are comfortable with.
  • SandyCoils
    SandyCoils Posts: 164 Member
    shellma00 wrote: »
    The difference between setting it for sedentary vs lightly active is that MFP will start your day off with a little more calories. You may see FitBit taking away some calories at first thing in the morning if you have enabled negative calorie adjustments, but as you become more active throughout the day you will start earning more from FitBit.. Hope that made sense..

    IMO I would set it to sedentary and just eat the extra calories adjusted from FitBit throughout the day. After a week or so, you will get used to it and know what you are comfortable with.

    Good explanation. Doesn't FitBit give "real-time" calculations and adjustments vs MFP giving just a daily reccomendation/prediction?

  • Angierae75
    Angierae75 Posts: 417 Member
    With your Fitbit and MFP linked, the extra calories your Fitbit gives you will translate over to MFP. I am set to sedentary but if i hit my 10k steps goal I usually get around 300-400 extra calories to eat.
  • JessaLee0324
    JessaLee0324 Posts: 118 Member
    You guys rock. Thanks for the prompt info!
    I normally ignore what FITBIT says about my eating and just watch for what it give me on MFP. That should be ok right?
  • shellma00
    shellma00 Posts: 1,684 Member
    SandyCoils wrote: »
    shellma00 wrote: »
    The difference between setting it for sedentary vs lightly active is that MFP will start your day off with a little more calories. You may see FitBit taking away some calories at first thing in the morning if you have enabled negative calorie adjustments, but as you become more active throughout the day you will start earning more from FitBit.. Hope that made sense..

    IMO I would set it to sedentary and just eat the extra calories adjusted from FitBit throughout the day. After a week or so, you will get used to it and know what you are comfortable with.

    Good explanation. Doesn't FitBit give "real-time" calculations and adjustments vs MFP giving just a daily reccomendation/prediction?

    Yes, I think this is correct.. I think MFP does the daily prediction based on your history.

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