Anyone use a FitBit?

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paulalizzie
paulalizzie Posts: 17 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've just bought a Fitbit and have connected it to MFP.

MFP is showing that today I've walked 6000 Fitbit steps, but it's showing up as 0 (zero) calories. I kinda rely on burning calories each day, to add a little more food to my 1200 a day calorie limit.

Any idea why it's not registering calories burned?

Replies

  • weavingtheweb
    weavingtheweb Posts: 135 Member
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    Have you logged exercise on MFP as well? If so that overwrites your FitBit steps if done during the same time as those steps were taken.
  • PopeyeCT
    PopeyeCT Posts: 249 Member
    edited May 2015
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    Mine does the same thing. It can either transfer the steps, or the calories, but not both. It's just making sure you don't get double credit. I leave the steps off and let it transfer the calories, since Fitbit calculates calories on different things like heart rate and stairs climbed I figure that's more accurate than MFP step to calorie estimate.

    If I want to see my steps, I look on the Fitbit app (or just on the Fitbit itself).

    Link the accounts, set your activity to sedentary, and allow negative adjustments. After that, it runs itself pretty much.



  • weavingtheweb
    weavingtheweb Posts: 135 Member
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    @Popey112, I'm pretty sure that it sends your calories regardless.
    I have A Charge HR and steps for FitBit enabled. This morning I took maybe 200 steps before getting on my bike for a 40 minute ride. After syncing when I arrived at work those calories were added to MFP.
    If I walk only it takes about 3000 steps before I get a positive adjustment.
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
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    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy/p1

    All the info you'll ever need is in the link above. You may have to join the group to read it, but it explains everything well.

    I have my mfp calorie goal set at my bmr. I allow negative adjustments and I don't log any exercise here.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited May 2015
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    paulalizzie wrote: »
    MFP is showing that today I've walked 6000 Fitbit steps, but it's showing up as 0 (zero) calories. I kinda rely on burning calories each day, to add a little more food to my 1200 a day calorie limit.

    Adjustments are the difference between your Fitbit burn (which is TDEE) and your MFP activity level. Click on the adjustment to see the math MFP used to calculate it, but so far you've burned fewer calories than your activity level.

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited May 2015
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    PS. Set your goal to .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided—which is way more than 1,200 lbs.

    Your Fitbit burn is TDEE (aka your maintenance calories). If you eat at a reasonable deficit from that, you will lose weight.

    And 6,000 steps is sedentary.
  • paulalizzie
    paulalizzie Posts: 17 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies!

    This morning Fitbit and MFP seem to be talking to each other.

    Sorry for appearing dim, but should negative calories adjustment be enabled or disabled?

    Currently I have ENABLED negative adjustments in my MFP settings. Is that correct?

    At present, it's saying I have walked 2500 steps this morning, burning 91 calories.

    Thanks!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Yes, enable negative calorie adjustments. Otherwise you won't eat at a true deficit on less active days.
  • andielyn
    andielyn Posts: 233 Member
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    editorgrrl wrote: »
    And 6,000 steps is sedentary.

    Just curious, where did you find info on what the step count is for sedentary, lightly active, etc? I am dealing with anemia and maybe some bigger issues so I'm actually using my Fitbit to pace myself. Some sort of guidelines would be very helpful.

    (Sorry to hijack this thread :blush: )

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    andielyn wrote: »
    [Where did you find info on what the step count is for sedentary, lightly active, etc? I am dealing with anemia and maybe some bigger issues so I'm actually using my Fitbit to pace myself. Some sort of guidelines would be very helpful.

    Set your activity level to sedentary, and give it a week. If you get huge adjustments, you're not sedentary.

    If (and only if) you've enabled negative calorie adjustments, you can increase your activity level. You'll still be eating the same number of calories—you'll just start with more and get smaller adjustments.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    editorgrrl wrote: »
    PS. Set your goal to .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided—which is way more than 1,200 lbs.

    Your Fitbit burn is TDEE (aka your maintenance calories). If you eat at a reasonable deficit from that, you will lose weight.

    And 6,000 steps is sedentary.

    Where did you come up with that?

    This is what I've found:
    Based on currently available evidence, we propose the following preliminary indices be used to classify pedometer-determined physical activity in healthy adults: (i). <5000 steps/day may be used as a 'sedentary lifestyle index'; (ii). 5000-7499 steps/day is typical of daily activity excluding sports/exercise and might be considered 'low active'; (iii). 7500-9999 likely includes some volitional activities (and/or elevated occupational activity demands) and might be considered 'somewhat active'; and (iv). >or=10000 steps/day indicates the point that should be used to classify individuals as 'active'. Individuals who take >12500 steps/day are likely to be classified as 'highly active'.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    I was talking about setting one's MFP activity level when syncing with Fitbit. If you only get get 6,000 steps a day, you should set your activity level to sedentary: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided and enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

    It was in response to the OP asking why her Fitbit adjustment was zero.
  • paulalizzie
    paulalizzie Posts: 17 Member
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    Thanks!

    Yes, I have it sent to sedentary and I have enabled neg cal.

    One final question though! In MFP today, it says I've walked 4819 steps and according to MFP, that's worth 219 calories. That feels like a LOT of extra cals for what has not been a particularly active day. I haven't done any dedicated exercise yet, just walked around the office to meetings/up and down stairs etc.

    Just wondering if this feels right?
  • crackers8199
    crackers8199 Posts: 10 Member
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    paulalizzie wrote: »
    Thanks!

    Yes, I have it sent to sedentary and I have enabled neg cal.

    One final question though! In MFP today, it says I've walked 4819 steps and according to MFP, that's worth 219 calories. That feels like a LOT of extra cals for what has not been a particularly active day. I haven't done any dedicated exercise yet, just walked around the office to meetings/up and down stairs etc.

    Just wondering if this feels right?

    what fitbit do you have? if you have one with HR, it's taking that into account as well when calculating your calories burned...
  • paulalizzie
    paulalizzie Posts: 17 Member
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    It's Fitbit Flex. Not sure what HR is?
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    paulalizzie wrote: »
    It's Fitbit Flex. Not sure what HR is?

    HR = Heart Rate

    __________________

    Remember that your adjustment on MFP isn't directly tied to the number of steps you take. It's your estimated full day Fitbit Calorie burn - MFP's estimated calorie burn based on activity level setting. An example:

    Fitbit Full Day calorie burn - 2647
    MFP estimated Burn based on Lightly Active - 1924
    Adjustment - 723

    **The Fitbit Full Day calorie burn will be an estimate until midnight. It can go up or down until that point in time. This means your adjustment can go down or go up.***

  • paulalizzie
    paulalizzie Posts: 17 Member
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    Ah right, now that makes sense! So according to MFP now, I have 90 cals left for the day (taking estimated steps into account) so I will not eat those final calories, as I'm going out tonight but won't be doing much in the way of exercise. Thanks for your help!! Appreciated!

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