Fitbit vs Exercise...What numbers do I use!?!

LovinMyMiners
LovinMyMiners Posts: 17 Member
edited November 19 in Getting Started
I am currently using a Fitbit Flex, it logs in my steps and rewards me with additional calories. But this really doesn't take the place of actual exercising, I know this...but for example, I went out Saturday and bumped the volleyball around with my daughter for about 30 minutes and on Sunday I walked for an hour.
Without boring you further...my question is this. Shall I just leave the Fitbit numbers in or do I add in the actual activity I did for the day...(Volleyball and the walking the dog).
To me, it seems as if I am logging in the same numbers and really want to do this right so in turn I don't want to cheat or overall fool myself that I am doing good.
Thank you and happy, healthy day to all...

Replies

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    edited June 2015
    Walking the dog, don't log, as that's what you Fitbit accounts for. Volleyball, yes.
  • cyronius
    cyronius Posts: 157 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Walking the dog, don't log, as that's what you Fitbit accounts for. Volleyball, yes.

    And log it on your fitbit account, not MFP. It has better calculations, and the numbers will sync with MFP automatically as part of the calorie adjustment
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,267 Member
    Not sure if fitbit is like my Jawbone but for me I have "time activities" where I push a button to start the timer and push to stop it...then I edit the activity for what it was, perceived effort (which I typically put as "in the zone") and it gives me my "extra" calories for it.

    For example I went for a walk with my husband yesterday (yes it logs my steps) but I timed the activity...it was 31mins at moderate effort and it gave me 213 calories...if I change that effort to "in the zone" it gives me 243...same with weight lifting...
  • IsMollyReallyHungry
    IsMollyReallyHungry Posts: 15,385 Member
    When I do intential exercise I log it and MFP and/or fitbit makes adjustments to the fitbit amount accordingly. So it does not matter, fitbit is adjusting the number to a more accurate number. None of these numbers can be actual but I believe the fitbit number is more accurate for sure and love it! Enjoy!
  • ACyclingAdmin
    ACyclingAdmin Posts: 444 Member
    Check out the fitbit group : http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

    And read http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy#Item_120

    That helped me quite a bit on understanding how to incorporate the fitbit calorie adjustments.
  • thankyou4thevenom
    thankyou4thevenom Posts: 1,581 Member
    edited June 2015
    LovinMyMiners wrote: »
    I am currently using a Fitbit Flex, it logs in my steps and rewards me with additional calories. But this really doesn't take the place of actual exercising, I know this...but for example, I went out Saturday and bumped the volleyball around with my daughter for about 30 minutes and on Sunday I walked for an hour.
    Without boring you further...my question is this. Shall I just leave the Fitbit numbers in or do I add in the actual activity I did for the day...(Volleyball and the walking the dog).
    To me, it seems as if I am logging in the same numbers and really want to do this right so in turn I don't want to cheat or overall fool myself that I am doing good.
    Thank you and happy, healthy day to all...

    If the activity (such as walking or running in my case) is step based you're quite okay to just go with what the FitBit gives you. It's a step based activity tracker and will calculate your burn.

    Now here's the thing. If you've got negative adjustments allowed you'll not get the same calories twice. My Runkeeper logs a run on here and my FitBit calorie count here adjusts for it. So if my Runkeeper says I've burnt 500 cals and my FitBit thinks my activity burnt less than that by 100 cals, it'll insert a negative adjustment of that much. If you just want to log the exercise just log it and let the FitBit adjust your cals.

    That of course can be over ridden by using the activity button on the FitBit. So if you're doing a non step based exercise (swimming etc) use the exercise mode and then the calories can be logged separately and will add to your TDEE rather than have the FitBit take them off.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    LovinMyMiners wrote: »
    I am currently using a Fitbit Flex, it logs in my steps and rewards me with additional calories.

    Shall I just leave the Fitbit numbers in or do I add in the actual activity I did for the day...(Volleyball and the walking the dog). To me, it seems as if I am logging in the same numbers and really want to do this right so in turn I don't want to cheat or overall fool myself that I am doing good.

    Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

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

    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. Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time, so you're never double-dipping your burns.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • LovinMyMiners
    LovinMyMiners Posts: 17 Member
    Thank you all for your sound input...
  • BlueInkDot
    BlueInkDot Posts: 702 Member
    If you're talking about like... looking up activities in the MFP database - that method is ridiculously inaccurate. Your fitbit is going to have far more accurate numbers because it's specific to YOU. Your height, weight, age, and gender are all entered into the system, and it can read exactly how much intensity you put into your workout. If you're wearing your fitbit all day, then you know what your total burn for the day was, and therefore you can know that you just need to eat at a slight deficit of that number.

    For example - I wear a bodybugg made by bodymedia - I usually burn between 2000 and 2500 calories per day, so I should be eating between maybe... 1700 and 2000 calories per day, depending. Make sense? :smile:
  • LovinMyMiners
    LovinMyMiners Posts: 17 Member
    Thank you BlueInkDot...and to the rest of you. I appreciate all the sound advice.
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