Charge HR burned calories REALLY high
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suppakana
Posts: 307 Member
Hi all! I've had my Charge HR for a few days now and have been trying to eat all of the calorie adjustments it's been making in MFP...
But I'm not sure its adjustments are quite right. It's saying I've burned 2600-2700 average each day so far (today it's at 2750 and counting - at 7:30pm)... I'm used to trying to eat 1800-1900 calories, not 2200-2600.
Any advice? Or should I just try its numbers for a week or two and see what happens? How do you even eat 2600 calories without resorting to junk food (potato chips, etc.)?
But I'm not sure its adjustments are quite right. It's saying I've burned 2600-2700 average each day so far (today it's at 2750 and counting - at 7:30pm)... I'm used to trying to eat 1800-1900 calories, not 2200-2600.
Any advice? Or should I just try its numbers for a week or two and see what happens? How do you even eat 2600 calories without resorting to junk food (potato chips, etc.)?
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Height, weight, age? What's a typical day for you like?
If it helps ease your fear a bit, I'm 5'4.5", 25yrs old, approx 146 lbs. My 30 day average burn is 2579 (my loss has confirmed this to be pretty spot on).
I go to the gym in the morning and do either Zombies,Run!5k or Stronglifts 5x5 depending on the day. I'm at the gym 5-6 days out of the week for typically an hour (sometimes an hour and a half if I go swimming).
At home, I spend a lot of time at my computer. If I had to guess at least 2-4 hrs of my day.
I take a nap usually about mid day that is anywhere from 30 mins to an hour 30 mins (same time/duration my boys take their naps).
Once or twice a week, if it's nice out, I will take out the double stroller and walk them to the nearest park (little over a quarter of a mile away if I take the shortest path...however it is full of extremely steep hills).
If I'm feeling really ambitious, I might throw in a cardio or yoga workout at home. I'm going to today, because I over ate. Not sure if I just want to march around the house like mad or wait till I put my boys to bed and use xbox Fitness or a dvd.
Okay, the whole point of me saying all that is so that you can see that depending on how active you are, the calorie readout you're getting is actually possible.
As for how do you eat that number, well it comes down to food choices. Have you seen the calories in ribeye steaks? (so yummy, but man oh man do I have to really work for them). There are healthy foods like nuts and such which are higher in calories. Someone on these forums has a really nice list.0 -
I, too, was shocked by how many calories Fitbit was saying I could eat. But I eat all my adjustments, lost the weight, and have maintained for nine months. Which means my Fitbit burn = TDEE.
Trust your Fitbit for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress. We should all be looking for the maximum number of calories at which we lose weight—never the minimum.0 -
I'm having the same kind of apprehension, I recently got a Flex and it's telling me to eat about 2000 calories per day which really scares me because I'm used to eating 1200-1300 (currently working on working up to maintenance which I thought would be more like 1600). But from what I've heard, people seem to think that it's accurate and you can trust it as long as you are measuring and logging your food properly.0
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21y/o, ~190 lbs, 5'5.5" ... With the exception of walking from my car to class, and occasionally working out, I'm 100% sedentary (which is why burning 3k calories today confuses me so much! Like yeah I went for a 30 minute run but 3k!?)shadow2soul wrote: »Height, weight, age? What's a typical day for you like?editorgrrl wrote: »I, too, was shocked by how many calories Fitbit was saying I could eat. But I eat all my adjustments, lost the weight, and have maintained for nine months. Which means my Fitbit burn = TDEE.
Trust your Fitbit for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress. We should all be looking for the maximum number of calories at which we lose weight—never the minimum.beachlandia wrote: »I'm having the same kind of apprehension, I recently got a Flex and it's telling me to eat about 2000 calories per day which really scares me because I'm used to eating 1200-1300 (currently working on working up to maintenance which I thought would be more like 1600). But from what I've heard, people seem to think that it's accurate and you can trust it as long as you are measuring and logging your food properly.
Thank you all for your input!!! It makes me feel a lot better. I'm still feeling trepidation, but I'm gonna try eating what it tells me to! What an adventure. I'll give it a 3-4 week trial run
You're all amazing!!!0 -
Thanks for this post. I just got my fitbit Charge yesterday and was totally shocked at the calories per day it gave me. On MFP I've been trying to stay around 1500 per day and haven't lost anything in months but according to fitbit I can eat an additional 300 per day and lose. It doesn't seem right.
Also my daily steps seems really high so far also. Does it know when I'm actually walking or just when my arm moves (i.e. in the shower shaving or washing / drying my hair)? Thanks for any answers.
I guess I'll just try for a week or so and see if I can get the hang of it.
Do you guys just use MFP and sync through that or do you also go to the fitbit site and look at those stats as well?
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Thanks for this post. I just got my fitbit Charge yesterday and was totally shocked at the calories per day it gave me. On MFP I've been trying to stay around 1500 per day and haven't lost anything in months but according to fitbit I can eat an additional 300 per day and lose. It doesn't seem right.
Also my daily steps seems really high so far also. Does it know when I'm actually walking or just when my arm moves (i.e. in the shower shaving or washing / drying my hair)? Thanks for any answers.
I guess I'll just try for a week or so and see if I can get the hang of it.
Do you guys just use MFP and sync through that or do you also go to the fitbit site and look at those stats as well?
Make sure you tell it whether it's on your dominant hand. That reduces the amount of false steps that it will report. Depending on the movement, it can tell the difference between general movement and walking, so the step count should usually be pretty accurate on that front.
The other way to increase step accuracy is to make sure to measure your stride length and add it to your settings. The stickies have information on how to do this. I've found this to greatly improve its step accuracy and reduce the amount of false steps, because it better knows how long a stride should be.0 -
Hi all! I've had my Charge HR for a few days now and have been trying to eat all of the calorie adjustments it's been making in MFP...
But I'm not sure its adjustments are quite right. It's saying I've burned 2600-2700 average each day so far (today it's at 2750 and counting - at 7:30pm)... I'm used to trying to eat 1800-1900 calories, not 2200-2600.
Any advice? Or should I just try its numbers for a week or two and see what happens? How do you even eat 2600 calories without resorting to junk food (potato chips, etc.)?
It might be abnormally high for the first couple of days, until it starts dialing in to what you're doing. You can improve its accuracy by tweaking the settings for things like stride length and which hand you're wearing it on. I know for mine, the first couple of days registered something crazy like 3500 calories, but it's since leveled out to a TDEE of around 2400 calories (5'9" and kind of lightly active) on typical days.
Eating that much without junk food is actually pretty easy, just eat calorie dense foods. Trade your skim milk for whole milk or cream. Eat a steak (or increase the size of it). Use a full fat dressing on your salad and add cheese and avocado to it, etc. These things will increase your calories without adding a lot of bulk.0 -
Ok I will throw some figures out on this too...I too get massive "cash back"....so had my FB Charge HR for 8 ish weeks now....love it BTW.....but I do get laods back to eat....this week has been the worst....here is my example...
I work in a factory...making and wrapping chocolate....I also maintain the machines....it is a hard nights graft some times...well I did a proper nights work on Thurdays....in total I did just short of 18000 steps for the day......double my usual over the last 7 weeks (been office working for that time) anyways my adjustment was 3877....giving me 5427 calories to eat for the day......I am 5'10 41 yrs old....240lbs......if I ate 5400 calories I would be hugeeeee......
I have found my FB to over estimate every day.....unless someone can explain 5400 calories for a 17 stone bloke.....
Oh and before you jump.....I do weigh my food....90% of time...only meals I cannot weigh are at work...one meal a night 4 nights a week at the most......some nights I take my own...I weigh condiments and butter etc....and I log fluids......so I log accurately...I am an engineer...who lives on data every day....to me false data is no good to wipe my *kitten* on...so please trust me I log accurately.....0 -
Hi fat john 73 , yep I can see how your calorie burn can be so high using the charge HR . 17 stones, in my language is 107 kg. for your height it's probably a little too heavy. Jon, your heart rate is working overtime to maintain your load. Though you run around a lot it's quite possible that your resting heart rate is still too high. The charge HR and all heart rate monitors use your heart beat to calculate your calorie consumption. In your case it's quite possible that when you do run around at work your heart rate is too high. Fat Jon 73, you need to get your resting heart rate down, both for resting and running around. The best way to do this is to see your doctor FIRST and embark on an exercise and diet regime that will get you there first. I hope this helps you out0
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Ok I will throw some figures out on this too...I too get massive "cash back"....so had my FB Charge HR for 8 ish weeks now....love it BTW.....but I do get laods back to eat....this week has been the worst....here is my example...
I work in a factory...making and wrapping chocolate....I also maintain the machines....it is a hard nights graft some times...well I did a proper nights work on Thurdays....in total I did just short of 18000 steps for the day......double my usual over the last 7 weeks (been office working for that time) anyways my adjustment was 3877....giving me 5427 calories to eat for the day......I am 5'10 41 yrs old....240lbs......if I ate 5400 calories I would be hugeeeee......
I have found my FB to over estimate every day.....unless someone can explain 5400 calories for a 17 stone bloke.....
Oh and before you jump.....I do weigh my food....90% of time...only meals I cannot weigh are at work...one meal a night 4 nights a week at the most......some nights I take my own...I weigh condiments and butter etc....and I log fluids......so I log accurately...I am an engineer...who lives on data every day....to me false data is no good to wipe my *kitten* on...so please trust me I log accurately.....
If I remember correctly, you mentioned previously that you can't wear your Charge HR on your wrist at work, so you've devised a way to wear it on your ankle. (If I'm remembering incorrectly, then... never mind.) Anyway, if that is the case, I wonder if you've used some kind of independent method (such as a chest strap monitor worn at the same time) to confirm that the heart rate detected on your ankle worn Charge HR is accurate. The reason I ask is that I tried wearing mine in my bra when I went shopping. A quick check trying this approach at home seemed to give reasonable HR values, so I wore it that way on a shopping trip and on an exercise walk. When I looked at the heart rate detected during those activities it was clearly inaccurate. It was mostly way too high. So, I got an inflated calorie burn for those periods. (Now, I turn off the HR function and put the Fitbit in my pocket when I go shopping.)0 -
Hi all.
I am 6'2". 17st. 41 years old.
I am obese on any doctor's BMI chart! But I am not. I played rugby from 7yrs old to 38. Kickboxing and gym since.
I do weight training 5 days a week for about 40 mins a time. I go at 0600hrs so go from exercise to exercise quickly, keeping my heart rate up.
My PT at the gym gave us a meal plan. It involves eating low fat, medium carbs high protein 5 to 6 times a day. Drinking 2ltrs of water a day.
I eat almonds and cashews through the morning and afternoon too. High in good fats and protein.
My goal isn't weight loss but fat loss. Using scales that show weight, muscle % and fat % I can see improvement.
I got a FB charge HR yesterday so will post results later.0 -
beirutbomber wrote: »Hi fat john 73 , yep I can see how your calorie burn can be so high using the charge HR . 17 stones, in my language is 107 kg. for your height it's probably a little too heavy. Jon, your heart rate is working overtime to maintain your load. Though you run around a lot it's quite possible that your resting heart rate is still too high. The charge HR and all heart rate monitors use your heart beat to calculate your calorie consumption. In your case it's quite possible that when you do run around at work your heart rate is too high. Fat Jon 73, you need to get your resting heart rate down, both for resting and running around. The best way to do this is to see your doctor FIRST and embark on an exercise and diet regime that will get you there first. I hope this helps you out
Actually, you need a high enough HR and enough steps for HR based calculations to kick in.
Otherwise it's more accurate step based that is used.
Even if you hit the activity button, if HR and steps isn't high enough, the activity logging is stopped according to several that tested for me.
And I could still see moving that mass around all night logging that big of a calorie burn.
BUT - were the distance from that steps decently accurate? If not, may have calculated bigger burn than reality.0 -
Ok I will throw some figures out on this too...I too get massive "cash back"....so had my FB Charge HR for 8 ish weeks now....love it BTW.....but I do get laods back to eat....this week has been the worst....here is my example...
I work in a factory...making and wrapping chocolate....I also maintain the machines....it is a hard nights graft some times...well I did a proper nights work on Thurdays....in total I did just short of 18000 steps for the day......double my usual over the last 7 weeks (been office working for that time) anyways my adjustment was 3877....giving me 5427 calories to eat for the day......I am 5'10 41 yrs old....240lbs......if I ate 5400 calories I would be hugeeeee......
I have found my FB to over estimate every day.....unless someone can explain 5400 calories for a 17 stone bloke.....
Oh and before you jump.....I do weigh my food....90% of time...only meals I cannot weigh are at work...one meal a night 4 nights a week at the most......some nights I take my own...I weigh condiments and butter etc....and I log fluids......so I log accurately...I am an engineer...who lives on data every day....to me false data is no good to wipe my *kitten* on...so please trust me I log accurately.....
8 hrs at avg 3 mph for 107 kg is about 3000 calorie burn.
So if it thought you walked 24 miles, 3000 added on to your normal day is probably right on for 5400 daily burn.
Now - I'm betting unlikely you could walk 3 mph for 8 hrs at work to reach 24 miles.
So if Fitbit thought you got anywhere near that distance, either you had extra weight you were carrying that fooled it and actually makes it a decent estimate still, or the distance for stride is off for you and therefore the calorie burn is off too.
You have access to treadmill?0 -
Ok I will throw some figures out on this too...I too get massive "cash back"....so had my FB Charge HR for 8 ish weeks now....love it BTW.....but I do get laods back to eat....this week has been the worst....here is my example...
I work in a factory...making and wrapping chocolate....I also maintain the machines....it is a hard nights graft some times...well I did a proper nights work on Thurdays....in total I did just short of 18000 steps for the day......double my usual over the last 7 weeks (been office working for that time) anyways my adjustment was 3877....giving me 5427 calories to eat for the day......I am 5'10 41 yrs old....240lbs......if I ate 5400 calories I would be hugeeeee......
I have found my FB to over estimate every day.....unless someone can explain 5400 calories for a 17 stone bloke.....
Oh and before you jump.....I do weigh my food....90% of time...only meals I cannot weigh are at work...one meal a night 4 nights a week at the most......some nights I take my own...I weigh condiments and butter etc....and I log fluids......so I log accurately...I am an engineer...who lives on data every day....to me false data is no good to wipe my *kitten* on...so please trust me I log accurately.....
8 hrs at avg 3 mph for 107 kg is about 3000 calorie burn.
So if it thought you walked 24 miles, 3000 added on to your normal day is probably right on for 5400 daily burn.
Now - I'm betting unlikely you could walk 3 mph for 8 hrs at work to reach 24 miles.
So if Fitbit thought you got anywhere near that distance, either you had extra weight you were carrying that fooled it and actually makes it a decent estimate still, or the distance for stride is off for you and therefore the calorie burn is off too.
You have access to treadmill?
I do all my training on a treadmill.......bought it about 5 yrs ago.....following a car crash...to use for walking.....I put on 3 stone following the crash.....found MFP and lost 5 stone then./........I am now back for round 2...lol
So my routine now.....I use the treadmill to walk still mainly.....used to do what I thought was OK...walk fast walks...little runs at 7mph to get heart up etc.....but nothing set....just me playing really........this time round I have been working upto starting a c25k for a few weeks and I started that 3 weeks ago.....I repeated week 1 to let my wife join me...and about to start week 3 tomorrow...I do my treadmill work 4 times a week now.....adding weights on 2 or 3 off days....I know for me my cardio work is more important for health at present....so I am focusing on getting that right.......so far so good.....the regular routine is helping me loads with exercise and knowing what I am doing is working......my goal is to be able to run 1 mile without stopping or dying at the end of it...lol.....
I have had my FB for 7 weeks now....and after 4 weeks I did input my stride length....as suggested by someone when asking about my adjustment concerns.....my stride length entered was around 1.9 feet....I measured this using the treadmill.....I walked for a specific distance...then divided that by my steps......so I do believe my stride length is set correctly....
I have played with it on my ankle and wrist on the treadmill....and I get roughly the same HR and distance etc........so its seems good to me....the treadmill also has a polar HR hand on it.....this is usually higher than my FB....but its the same when on wrist or ankle......
Nancy....
If I remember correctly, you mentioned previously that you can't wear your Charge HR on your wrist at work, so you've devised a way to wear it on your ankle. (If I'm remembering incorrectly, then... never mind.) Anyway, if that is the case, I wonder if you've used some kind of independent method (such as a chest strap monitor worn at the same time) to confirm that the heart rate detected on your ankle worn Charge HR is accurate. The reason I ask is that I tried wearing mine in my bra when I went shopping. A quick check trying this approach at home seemed to give reasonable HR values, so I wore it that way on a shopping trip and on an exercise walk. When I looked at the heart rate detected during those activities it was clearly inaccurate. It was mostly way too high. So, I got an inflated calorie burn for those periods. (Now, I turn off the HR function and put the Fitbit in my pocket when I go shopping.)
Good memory...I do wear my FB on my ankle at work......I have tried it in several places to fin a good spt...and I do believe my ankle is actually more accurate than my wrist....I have done the same activity with it in both places and found my wrist gave more steps......due to the fact I talk with my hands a lot....lol.....very animated...lol......so I believe my ankle misses this and is more accurate.....
The reason I chose ankle...the FB measures blood flow through an artery if I have read correctly.....and the ankle is very similar in build to the wrist.....a junction that has all bits running closer together......so in essence is the same.....I find I can wear it closer / tighter there too....again meaning there is no movements of the FB to give false results......
I have enquired about this and many believe it is just as good as the wrist....I hope I am right.....
Here is a snip from that high day...for info..............5.4 miles walked.....my job involves bending, lifting turning small steps....and walking between machines... I am on the go for 9 hrs......
I am set in MFP to Sedentary....it give me a base of 1550 a day...then add my adjustment......
My resting according to FB....is 65 to 69 highest so far....(apart from this week....I started with a cold on Monday....my resting rate jumped to 74 by Tue.....)
My stride length could be the issue...it is the only thing that explains my adjustment issue......
I figure thou...if it give me a false figure every day......then I will soon be able to understand the figures still...as there should still be a trend but I can work out then how much over by too.....so can adjust accordingly......
Hope this answers anyone's queries.....
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The FAQ in the stickies has the process for measuring the stride length you should use, using a treadmill.
But, I think you should test the device on ankle theory for seeing all steps, it only picked up about 1/2 the steps for me - which makes perfect sense.
The device is impact sensitive, each impact is a step.
But walking with it on your ankle, it's only going to see the impact of 1 leg hitting the ground, but Fitbit counts a stride as each foot hitting.
But because walking has a foot on the ground all the time, picture the fact that as the non-device leg impacts down, the device leg is still on the ground, not getting that impact.
I'd just confirm on a walk outside sometime, note the steps it says, then count 100 steps of that foot, and look at the count again.
It should be 200 higher if it's was seeing steps of both feet, but I'm betting like mine, it'll be might close to 100.
You should also pretend like you are Maxwell Smart and have a shoe phone when checking that count. Actually talk to the shoe. See how many people notice. ;-)0 -
The FAQ in the stickies has the process for measuring the stride length you should use, using a treadmill.
But, I think you should test the device on ankle theory for seeing all steps, it only picked up about 1/2 the steps for me - which makes perfect sense.
The device is impact sensitive, each impact is a step.
But walking with it on your ankle, it's only going to see the impact of 1 leg hitting the ground, but Fitbit counts a stride as each foot hitting.
But because walking has a foot on the ground all the time, picture the fact that as the non-device leg impacts down, the device leg is still on the ground, not getting that impact.
I'd just confirm on a walk outside sometime, note the steps it says, then count 100 steps of that foot, and look at the count again.
It should be 200 higher if it's was seeing steps of both feet, but I'm betting like mine, it'll be might close to 100.
You should also pretend like you are Maxwell Smart and have a shoe phone when checking that count. Actually talk to the shoe. See how many people notice. ;-)
I will have a go at this, this week.....and post results.....but.......if I understand right......if it only see's one leg impact, your saying though that my Fitbit will undercount on my ankle????......giving my an adjustment lower than it should be..........so you think I should of had more than the 5400 to eat the other day....????0 -
I just did a very quick test - tucked the Fitbit in my sock and took 100 steps. It counted 100 steps. So, it was seeing the impact of both feet, at least for me when walking around the house. Don't know about the heart rate accuracy. I didn't really try to make sure it was positioned for that. I wonder, though, if it isn't seeing too high an impact (at least on 1/2 the steps) - thus calculating too high an energy burn - due to being much more directly connected to where the impact is coming from.
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I just did a very quick test - tucked the Fitbit in my sock and took 100 steps. It counted 100 steps. So, it was seeing the impact of both feet, at least for me when walking around the house. Don't know about the heart rate accuracy. I didn't really try to make sure it was positioned for that. I wonder, though, if it isn't seeing too high an impact (at least on 1/2 the steps) - thus calculating too high an energy burn - due to being much more directly connected to where the impact is coming from.
That's good to know, shows the different devices obviously react differently.
Plus walking form differences.
So my normal Minnie the Moocher walk doesn't work well.
So if it is seeing all steps, but indeed as you are wondering, seeing too much impact, the distance and calorie burn could be off.
That's where comparing to an online calc for calorie burn for pace, time, weight, incline would be good - they should be close.
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Here is a snip of my last 2 treadmill workouts......Today I did exactly the same routine on the treadmill as I did yesterday....Yesterday on wrist (weights in-between) today on Ankle........they seem as close as possible to me......apart from distance.......its 0.2 of a mile out....but steps taken are similar and burn similar......
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