New to MFP (using FitBit Surge), numerous questions I'd love some help with ...

DavidHawkins_78
DavidHawkins_78 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 19 in Getting Started
Hello Everyone,

I'm an exercise educated, though slightly confused newbie after some help to ensure I maximise the new tools I have and see the results I want. 4Kg drop, 0.5Kg per week over 10 weeks.

I bought my FitBit Surge this week and really love it, I completed the set up no bother and was using Weight Watchers on-line to manage my food diary. As part of the FitBit food plan initial set up they were asking about goals, outlining mine it's set to a 500 calorie a day deficit. I'll be exercising 5 times a week for a minimum of 60 minutes, so the actual mechanics of this are reasonably simple and familiar, it's successfully connected to (and logged data to) MFP also.

So I have some Fitbit details to state initially given I know loads of you are using these:
  • My FitBit states a daily goal of 2872 calories (Dashboard value)?!
  • BMR (9.99*84)+(6.25*172)-(4.92*36)+(5) = 1742
  • EER (Estimated Energy Requirements) 864-9.72*(36)+1*(14.2*84)+503*(1.72) = 2572
    (These are the calculations performed based on my details - aged 36, 84 Kg and 172 cm tall. Formula from the Fitbit Sourcecode API)

Here's some detail around the MyFitnessPal set up given to me using the goal wizard, ultimately the FitBit is providing calories burnt from exercise, which is fine.
  • Usually Sedative (desk job)
  • Normal Daily Activity = 2170
  • Calorie Deficit = 550
  • Daily Target = 1620
  • Exercise = 408 Calories (5 * 60 Minutes weekly total:2040)

Here's a daily example of the figures seen so far (and why I'm not 100% certain I've got this right!)
  • Goal = 1620
  • Food = 1501
  • Fitbit Exercise = 557
  • Remaining = 676 (1620 + 557 - 1501)

So what are the questions I'm after some help with?
  1. Do I care about the calorie deficit set with FitBit food plan? Does this impact MFP that both apps have an approx. 500 calories deficit set?
  2. Should I care about the 'calorie estimation' setting with FitBit?
  3. Should I still set the number of workouts in MFP, if using FitBit?
    (I'll rely of FitBit to log activity which will be treadmill, weights etc.)
  4. Should I enable 'Negative Adjustments' in MFP? (I'll wear the FitBit 24/7)
  5. Why has MFP set my daily target so low? (Age 36 / 84Kgs / 172cm), it's less than my BMR!
  6. Why does FitBit predicit I'll burn 2872 calories?

Before anyone says "You're asking about your FitBit in the wrong place! Ask the manufacturer", I thought it better to give all the detail in case it's helpful or related to the MFP questions - you could follow my train of thought.

Many thanks - Dave.

Replies

  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    DavidHawkins_78 wrote: »
    1. Do I care about the calorie deficit set with FitBit food plan? Does this impact MFP that both apps have an approx. 500 calories deficit set?
    2. Should I care about the 'calorie estimation' setting with FitBit?
    3. Should I still set the number of workouts in MFP, if using FitBit?
      (I'll rely of FitBit to log activity which will be treadmill, weights etc.)
    4. Should I enable 'Negative Adjustments' in MFP? (I'll wear the FitBit 24/7)
    5. Why has MFP set my daily target so low? (Age 36 / 84Kgs / 172cm), it's less than my BMR!
    6. Why does FitBit predicit I'll burn 2872 calories?

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

    Ignore your Fitbit calorie goal and follow MFP's, eating back your adjustments.

    Disable calorie estimation in Fitbit. It's only useful on days you forget to wear your Fitbit.

    Unless they've changed anything, the number of workouts in your MFP profile doesn't actually affect anything.

    You must enable negative calorie adjustments in your diary settings. If not, you'll never eat at a true deficit on days you burn fewer calories than your activity level.

    Your default MFP calorie goal is activity level minus deficit. Your Fitbit burn is TDEE. Adjustments are the difference between your Fitbit burn and your MFP activity level. Click on any adjustment to see the math MFP used to calculate it.
  • mitch22098
    mitch22098 Posts: 38 Member
    I would agree. I have been with MFP for a while and it worked well while I was sticking to it. The kind of workout is important as well, I only was doing 30 min a day of treadmill work and lost 70 pounds.
  • DavidHawkins_78
    DavidHawkins_78 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks for the feedback, I've joined that group and will have a good read around / contribute to the group where I can.
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    The way I have mine set up is to set both to sedentary and make sure the calorie goal is the same. I wear mine on my left wrist but have it set to dominant since that makes it a little less sensitive to movement (I tend to talk with my hands). FitBit keeps track of my calories burned, and sends the adjustments to MFP. MFP is where I enter all food. It uses the calories burned from FitBit to make adjustments over what it's set to, so on days where I'm more active, it adjusts accordingly. Don't pay attention to FitBit's calorie estimate. What it's doing is adjusting based on what it thinks you should be burning during the day, so it's going to be different than MFP. Now, doing all this, I still ended up dropping the base calorie amount for the day by 100 calories, and even with that, i'm usually short by the end of the day because I'm just not hungry enough to eat that little bit more. But it's definitely making a difference. On days where I just sit around the house, the calories I eat will normally be at a minimum. But days I work, and days where I exercise, it's good to know how much room I have in my calorie count for the day.

    Thing is, I don't understand the math behind all of this. I know it's been spelled out multiple times in multiple places, but I'm still not understanding how it all works. I just know what is working for me.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    dubird wrote: »
    I don't understand the math behind all of this. I know it's been spelled out multiple times in multiple places, but I'm still not understanding how it all works. I just know what is working for me.

    You can click on any adjustment to see the math MFP used to calculate it.

    Here's mine right now:
    Fitbit calories burned 1563
    based on 1090 calories burned as of 4:07 p.m.

    MyFitnessPal calories burned 1417

    Fitbit calorie adjustment 146

    My Fitbit burn is 1,090 calories. MFP projects that at 11:59 p.m., I will have burned 1,563 calories.
    My MFP calorie goal is 1,417. That's my activity level (sedentary) minus my deficit (zero, as I'm set to maintain).

    1563 - 1417 = 146.
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