Calories Changed to negative OVERNIGHT??

mgf74
mgf74 Posts: 2 Member
edited November 19 in Health and Weight Loss
Hello,

Last night after my fb and mfp were both synced a few hours later I still had 101 calories left to eat. Which I did not want to eat but knew that I had to so I had a 100 calorie snack. after it was logged it said I had 1 calories left which I thought was great! I worked out, ate right and all of my calories for the day and when I got up this morning I am now -19 I don't understand? I knew I never should have eaten that snack LOL Can someone please explain why it would change??

Replies

  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    I don't know how you got a -19, but if you don't feel like eating 100 calories then don't! You don't HAVE to eat them as you seem to think.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    This is a result of the software trying to guess how many calories you will burn between now and the end of the day. Prior to going to bed, it assumed that you would be awake until the end of the day, but since you went to sleep, you burned less than it thought you would. You have two choices. Either you can leave yourself a few extra calories at the end of the day, or you can just stay awake all the time.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    -19 isn't something to worry about :smile: This happens for me the odd time with Fitbit and mfp syncing, Fitbit estimates me with a higher burn as all my activities happen earlier in the day and then in the evening when I finally sit down it realises its given me a few too many, hence the negative deficit, but only on the days I've eaten too close to calorie total, usually I have a few hundred to spare so its not an issue.
  • Jgasmic
    Jgasmic Posts: 219 Member
    I have noticed that with my Fitbit, too. I think it expects me to keep up the same rate of activity throughout the remaining hours of the day, so it takes calories away as the day/night goes on. The Fitbit group may have a more accurate answer for you.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    Every time you sync your Fitbit, MFP uses your total burn up to that point to estimate what your burn will be. If you move more than that, the adjustment goes up. If you move less, it goes down. My adjustment right now is -110, since I obviously spent most of the past 7.5 hours asleep. That will change when I go to work and start getting active through the day.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    mgf74 wrote: »
    Last night after my fb and mfp were both synced a few hours later I still had 101 calories left to eat.

    when I got up this morning I am now -19 I don't understand? Can someone please explain why it would change??


    Do you have MFP & Fitbit set to the same time zone?
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/timezone
    https://www.fitbit.com/user/profile/edit

    Also, my adjustments were wonky at first. They got better—almost as if MFP was "learning" my routine.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • janerfitnesspal145
    janerfitnesspal145 Posts: 55 Member
    As some of the above replies have stated, Fitbit shows estimated calories burned up until midnight. For the current day, on the MFP Exercise tab, click the "i" next to Fitbit Calorie Adjustment and it gives an explanation of the calorie estimate for the current day. Once you hit midnight and you've synced Fitbit to MFP, the estimate changes to actual, which explains why you can go over if you are right at calories before you go to bed. If I'm getting close and don't want to go over ('cause I'm snacking!), I check my Fitbit for the calories, subtract my BMR to know exactly what my calorie burn really is instead of the estimate.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Depending what time I go to bed, my remaining cals can adjust downward anywhere from 50-100 cals between bedtime and midnight so that if I don't leave a buffer, when I wake up the next morning I will have a negative number.

    Once you're aware of it you'll get used to it but it was annoying at first.
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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    In the MFP app, you can see your nutrition for the past 7 days—not just today. All that matters is your weekly deficit.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    TimothyFish wrote: »
    This is a result of the software trying to guess how many calories you will burn between now and the end of the day. Prior to going to bed, it assumed that you would be awake until the end of the day, but since you went to sleep, you burned less than it thought you would. You have two choices. Either you can leave yourself a few extra calories at the end of the day, or you can just stay awake all the time.

    this

  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Every time you sync your Fitbit, MFP uses your total burn up to that point to estimate what your burn will be. If you move more than that, the adjustment goes up. If you move less, it goes down. My adjustment right now is -110, since I obviously spent most of the past 7.5 hours asleep. That will change when I go to work and start getting active through the day.

    And this.
  • mgf74
    mgf74 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks everyone! @healthygeek I only ate the calories because I thought I was supposed to. They were exercise calories given back. I am so confused over all of this. I thought that I needed to eat them to stay within my weight loss deficit :#
  • aComputerHero
    aComputerHero Posts: 20 Member
    The estimation is way too basic. Something like:

    m = minutes in day so far
    M = 14400 (minutes in a full day)
    c = calories burned so far

    Daily Estimate = (M / m) * c

    You have to leave about 100 on the table if you use a Fitbit and fall asleep before midnight.
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 14,304 Member
    mgf74 wrote: »
    Thanks everyone! @healthygeek I only ate the calories because I thought I was supposed to. They were exercise calories given back. I am so confused over all of this. I thought that I needed to eat them to stay within my weight loss deficit :#

    Your number changed from positive to negative because you went to bed before midnight.

    Fitbit/MFP when they synchronize assume your will continue to function at the activity level you've set yourself up in MFP from the time of synchronization till midnight.

    You went to bed, and as a result you were less active.

    Now: SHOULD you have eaten back the calories is a different story!

    If your weight loss remains within parameters and you have been eating back your exercise calories... CONTINUE TO DO SO. If your weight loss is slower than you expect and you are not particularly hungry... probably not.

    In any case, I am fairly sure you are not discussing actual exercise calories; you are probably discussing the "fitbit adjustment".

    For most people the fitbit adjustment is accurate and can be eaten back while achieving the weight loss goal you've set in MFP.
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