Do NOT understand Fitbit calorie adjustment

healthy_life2015
healthy_life2015 Posts: 215 Member
edited November 14 in Fitness and Exercise
I am royally confused by how Fitbit calculates my calorie adjustment. A couple of things I have noticed:

1. On Saturday, I walked 11,214 steps for an adjustment of 156. On Sunday I walked 10,921 for an adjustment of 193. What? Fewer steps = more calories burned? no way.

2. If I do other cardio, my adjustment is lower. I just tested this: My calorie adjustment was 427, then I added 250 cals worth of cardio, and it dropped the adjustment to 395. Not a huge difference, but I don't think it should be different at all. (I entered the time of cardio when I was not wearing the fitbit)

(I am using the fitbit zip)

What gives?

Replies

  • newmom_2012
    newmom_2012 Posts: 96 Member
    On Sunday when you had fewer steps but a higher calorie adjustment, did you have more active minutes that day?

    As for adding cardiovascular I have no idea. I don't really use that feature.
  • healthy_life2015
    healthy_life2015 Posts: 215 Member
    newmom_2012 wrote: »
    On Sunday when you had fewer steps but a higher calorie adjustment, did you have more active minutes that day?

    As for adding cardiovascular I have no idea. I don't really use that feature.

    I had basically the exact same active minutes both days (1 minute more on Saturday) hmmmm
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    But it measures intensity of activity too - is that why it's different

    Also it knocks down my workout calories if I haven't acheived my set activity level outside the times I workout
  • klkateri
    klkateri Posts: 432 Member
    Thanks for this thread... I was wondering the same thing!! I have a flex and am still in the process of learning all it's tricks and what not. I do have to say, it's given me a pretty accurate picture of my activity level and I've lost several pounds already so I give it a general thumbs up despite some of the wacky numbers I get.
  • healthy_life2015
    healthy_life2015 Posts: 215 Member
    klkateri wrote: »
    Thanks for this thread... I was wondering the same thing!! I have a flex and am still in the process of learning all it's tricks and what not. I do have to say, it's given me a pretty accurate picture of my activity level and I've lost several pounds already so I give it a general thumbs up despite some of the wacky numbers I get.

    I'm with you on this. I like it in general and try to focus on my steps goal. It keeps me motivated to move during the day which is after all why I have it. I am just not at all impressed with how it calculates calories burned. The whole thing mystifies me.
  • Shalaurise
    Shalaurise Posts: 707 Member
    The one thing I would be careful of is the flights climbed. Mine seems to be SUPER inaccurate. Not sure how it determines this, but it is wrong more frequently than it is right.

    *haven't left my single story apartment all day* 5 flights climbed... umm, go home fitbit, you are drunk.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited March 2015
    I log my cardio exercise in Fitbit which over writes "steps"! I do this because the type of exercise I do does not count steps or very few. And this give me a "log" of all the exercise I do for each week..

    MFP has a different TDEE than Fitbit's TDEE but for me that does not matter because I am not tracking fitness in MFP because I only eat a small portion of those calories back... Fitbit charge also takes into account intensity (stairs/steps) so it will give your calorie burn based on this...

    Just remember that none of these gadgets are spot on 100% of the time!

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