Fitbit charge hr and logging exercise in mfp

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If I have synced my fit bit HR to my fitness pal, when I exercise do I then log my exercise in my fitness pal (as I did prior to owning a Fitbit) or just rely on the fitbit sinking and calorie adjustment to do the work for me. I don't want to cheat in any way!!!

Replies

  • keithcw_the_first
    keithcw_the_first Posts: 382 Member
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    I have been letting the charge HR do it's thing and I don't log any exercise in MFP.

    You might have to tweak your MFP goal a little bit depending on how accurate the Charge has been for you.

    I've been using my Charge to attempt gaining weight and it's been very helpful if I have a very active rest day and end up burning way more calories than I thought.

    As always you'll have to measure your progress and tweak as necessary if you find the results aren't matching your expectations.
  • Manbalski
    Manbalski Posts: 4 Member
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    So to tweak my question a bit, IF I DO log my exercise in map as before, am I duplicating calories burned and cheating, or are the synchd devices smart enough in how they interact that the calorie adjustment understands that I logged my exercise, and it won't allow me too many extra calories??
  • vgnfarmer
    vgnfarmer Posts: 108 Member
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    I think MFP says it will sync fine as long as you record exercise only in MFP (while wearing fitbit and put in accurate times) and then it will talk to fitbit about that exercise time and will not double. I don't put anything in though and just let calories adjust from fitbit.
  • Manbalski
    Manbalski Posts: 4 Member
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    Ok. Sorry if I'm being a dunce... It's just had to be as clea as I need to be when asking a q about something hats confusing to me to begin with (in text/writing to boot).

    If I ask my Fitbit to record an exercise (pressing button and holding) it has then recorded my workout. Now, if I log my exercise w/in mfp am I duplicating/doubling calories burned and getting an incorrect sense of how many calories I have yet to be allowed to eat/or deficit?
  • Katiebear_81
    Katiebear_81 Posts: 719 Member
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    As long as the duration of the exercise periods match, there should not be "double dipping".
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    Manbalski wrote: »
    Ok. Sorry if I'm being a dunce... It's just had to be as clea as I need to be when asking a q about something hats confusing to me to begin with (in text/writing to boot).

    If I ask my Fitbit to record an exercise (pressing button and holding) it has then recorded my workout. Now, if I log my exercise w/in mfp am I duplicating/doubling calories burned and getting an incorrect sense of how many calories I have yet to be allowed to eat/or deficit?

    Fitbit is already accounting for them. If you log them into MFP, count them as 1 calorie.
  • ncboiler89
    ncboiler89 Posts: 2,408 Member
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    I have been letting the charge HR do it's thing and I don't log any exercise in MFP.

    Same
  • vgnfarmer
    vgnfarmer Posts: 108 Member
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    I searched MFP and it said to manually log exercise on MFP and it will adjust to fitbit except for exercises that fitbit excels in such as step based walking, running, hiking. I'm totally confused with how this will all work w new charge HR and vibrating exercise mode so i'm just sticking to not logging anything
  • vgnfarmer
    vgnfarmer Posts: 108 Member
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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Manbalski wrote: »
    If I have synced my fit bit HR to my fitness pal, when I exercise do I then log my exercise in my fitness pal (as I did prior to owning a Fitbit) or just rely on the fitbit sinking and calorie adjustment to do the work for me.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

    No need to log any step-based activity—Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit (that's what I do) or in MFP—never both.

    Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit data during that time.
  • bareessentials56
    bareessentials56 Posts: 30 Member
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    If you do want to log activity in MFP then you need to put in the time that you did the activity for. Then MFP basically ignores any data sent from the fitbit during that time so you don't get a double up. To keep it simple I track food on MFP and exercise with my fitbit but if I go swimming from 12 pm - 1pm then I will log the swimming and say I did it during those times and then there won't be a double up on calories burnt.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited May 2015
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    editorgrrl wrote: »
    Manbalski wrote: »
    If I have synced my fit bit HR to my fitness pal, when I exercise do I then log my exercise in my fitness pal (as I did prior to owning a Fitbit) or just rely on the fitbit sinking and calorie adjustment to do the work for me.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

    No need to log any step-based activity—Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit (that's what I do) or in MFP—never both.

    Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit data during that time.

    This...

    Log food on MFP and use Fitbit for all your exercise (your calories will adjust automatically giving you the difference of what you can eat back if you choose in addition to the calories MFP setup for you).

  • Manbalski
    Manbalski Posts: 4 Member
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    Thanks everyone!
  • wpoveromo
    wpoveromo Posts: 2 Member
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    So I get the question here. Many people still want to use MFP to log cardio for several reasons. MFP already has a history of cardio activity, MFP is much more granular in tracking activities, FitBit open does not track EVERY exercise.

    So, if we want to still use MFP as the end-all-be-all for logging, how do we ensure FitBit isn't duplicating?
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    wpoveromo wrote: »
    So I get the question here. Many people still want to use MFP to log cardio for several reasons. MFP already has a history of cardio activity, MFP is much more granular in tracking activities, FitBit open does not track EVERY exercise.

    So, if we want to still use MFP as the end-all-be-all for logging, how do we ensure FitBit isn't duplicating?

    I'd suggest you not go with this for the cardio, or an exercises. If anything, most believe that MFP overstates your burns.

    If you're eating back those overstated burns, you're going to gain weight.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
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    Liftng4Lis wrote: »
    Manbalski wrote: »
    Ok. Sorry if I'm being a dunce... It's just had to be as clea as I need to be when asking a q about something hats confusing to me to begin with (in text/writing to boot).

    If I ask my Fitbit to record an exercise (pressing button and holding) it has then recorded my workout. Now, if I log my exercise w/in mfp am I duplicating/doubling calories burned and getting an incorrect sense of how many calories I have yet to be allowed to eat/or deficit?

    Fitbit is already accounting for them. If you log them into MFP, count them as 1 calorie.

    This.
  • muriellejq
    muriellejq Posts: 3 Member
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    great! I have been searching for an answer to this!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited April 2016
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    wpoveromo wrote: »
    So I get the question here. Many people still want to use MFP to log cardio for several reasons. MFP already has a history of cardio activity, MFP is much more granular in tracking activities, FitBit open does not track EVERY exercise.

    So, if we want to still use MFP as the end-all-be-all for logging, how do we ensure FitBit isn't duplicating?

    Everybody's different, so it'll take trial & error to find what works for you. I've used MFP + Fitbit for three years, lost the weight, and kept it off—by logging food in MFP and exercise in Fitbit.

    If you'd rather log exercise in MFP than Fitbit, it will not duplicate. You're asked for the start & end times, and Fitbit replaces your burn (which is TDEE) during that time with whatever MFP says you burned. For example, if you log a three-hour run as 1 calorie in MFP, then Fitbit changes your TDEE during those three hours to 1 calorie.