Does Fitbit way overestimate calories burned?
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azulvioleta6 wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »
Burning 500 calories is light years away from a strenuous workout.
Ha, not in my world.
For me right now a workout that burns 450 calories is *very* intense.
Keep adjusting your expectations upwards.
A lot depends on your weight, too.
A 120lb runner would have to run 5.5 miles in an hour to hit 500 calories.
A 200lb runner runs 3.3 miles in an hour to hit 500 calories.
A 300lb walker walks 1.6 miles in an hour and hits 500 calories.
I run into cardiovascular limitations before being able to run 5.5 miles in an hour (even though I could run 3.2 in less than half that...). While most people don't have my specific disability, most people do have a maximum speed that they can reach, quite apart from weight. So no, not everyone could be able to burn 500 calories in a workout. Very few people who aren't obese can do it regularly in times under an hour.0 -
Can anyone define sedentary vs lightly active, beyond the short description given on MFP?
Try this link for defining sedentary vs lightly active.
http://antranik.org/proper-activity-level-for-calorie-intake/0 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »There is no such thing as starvation mode.
Burning 500 calories is light years away from a strenuous workout.
If a Zip is going through more than about 2 batteries a year, it is defective. This happened to me--I called FitBit and received a brand new Zip in less than a week.
You can't make blanket statements about other people and exercise, and you always, always do. It comes across as annoying and judgmental. Everyone on here is at a different part of their fitness journey. People are also differently abled, and differently sized.
Additionally, the amount of calories you burn depends on how much you weigh, how fit you are already, how long you exercise and a host of other factors.
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Can anyone define sedentary vs lightly active, beyond the short description given on MFP?
Try this link for defining sedentary vs lightly active.
http://antranik.org/proper-activity-level-for-calorie-intake/
According to that, I am active because of the amount of purposeful exercise I do. However, I spend most of my day, when I am not out walking or swimming, sitting so I have myself as lightly active. It works for me.
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PeachyCarol wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »There is no such thing as starvation mode.
Burning 500 calories is light years away from a strenuous workout.
If a Zip is going through more than about 2 batteries a year, it is defective. This happened to me--I called FitBit and received a brand new Zip in less than a week.
You can't make blanket statements about other people and exercise, and you always, always do. It comes across as annoying and judgmental. Everyone on here is at a different part of their fitness journey. People are also differently abled, and differently sized.
Additionally, the amount of calories you burn depends on how much you weigh, how fit you are already, how long you exercise and a host of other factors.
Cosigned. Also, for me, the actual activity determines how strenuous it feels (which is sometimes different than how strenuous it actually is). I can walk for an hour and burn just under 500 calories and be sweating like a pig and wiped out, or I can swim laps for an hour, burn almost 600 calories, and come out feeling fresh and ready to go.
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I freaking LOVE the Stairmaster for pure calories. A very moderate 1 hour and 15 minutes and I have my 500 cal in.0
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My Zip overestimates my TDEE by 1000. I think my Zip is just wonky (it also eats batteries like candy), but not all of them are. I do know I won't buy a Zip again based on this one.
I have the Zip, too, and it's pretty darned accurate. I have it strapped to me 24/7 and I've only replaced the battery once in four months. Definitely look into getting a replacement. Fitbit customer service is really decent, I've heard. 0 -
One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is check your setup data for typos. I was getting some really wierd suggestions and when I double checked I had entered a weight that was almost 300 pounds higher than my actual weight (something like 520 instead of 250).
So you fixed it by strapping on a 300 lb weight vest?0 -
snickerscharlie wrote: »My Zip overestimates my TDEE by 1000. I think my Zip is just wonky (it also eats batteries like candy), but not all of them are. I do know I won't buy a Zip again based on this one.
I have the Zip, too, and it's pretty darned accurate. I have it strapped to me 24/7 and I've only replaced the battery once in four months. Definitely look into getting a replacement. Fitbit customer service is really decent, I've heard.
It is, but they would only give me a replacement Zip and I don't want one because this bad one has burned me on that particular item. I keep comparing it to my old Ultra and not understanding how I had a 2300 TDEE with it but have 3000 TDEE with the Zip for similar activity (weight has gone down). How does someone weighing less burn more for the same exercise?0 -
One thing I haven't seen mentioned yet is check your setup data for typos. I was getting some really wierd suggestions and when I double checked I had entered a weight that was almost 300 pounds higher than my actual weight (something like 520 instead of 250).
LOL I learned that one. I accidentally entered my weight here on MFP as 105 lb. instead of 205. I caught it right away and changed it back. I checked Fitbit, and it was already corrected there too. What I didn't check was Map My Fitness. I couldn't figure out why a 5 mile hike only gave me 200 exercise calories. Turns out my weight never got corrected over there.
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I deliberately set my activity level to sedentary on MFP even though I now usually walk 8 to 10 miles per day.
I did this because I want my caloric allotment on MFP to give me the base calories I can eat each day without adding in any exercise. I then let my Fitbit calculate my additional calories earned from walking and give me that 'credit' on MFP. I can then easily decide how many calories to eat back in any given day. 0 -
I noticed that some activity trackers actually do overestimate steps. I've tried a few--while wearing them at the same time, some reported up to 10,000 steps per day more than others. I also used a footpod and gps to verify steps and distance.
Things like brushing your teeth, riding/driving a car, typing, etc., could increase steps recorded. Things like walking while pushing a cart or stroller can actually cheat you out of steps. Interestingly, the trackers that were best at estimating distances walked, were the worst at adding steps for tooth brushing and driving.
It may be worth a test to see if it's recording when you are brushing your teeth, driving your car, etc. Another check would be to walk a mile and check the number of steps and calories burned. If it records running, do a similar test for running.
And, don't forget, this is only half of the equation. We're all very different. What works for others, may not be accurate for you. Depending on age and lifestyle, BMR represents 45 to 70 percent of daily total energy expenditure, and it is determined mainly by the individual’s age, gender, body size and body composition [1]. There's a big difference between 45 and 70, and that's only part of the calculation for total energy requirements. That means that even if you calibrate the device for age, gender, weight, (most likely), and body composition (not as likely), there's still another 30 to 55 percent of energy requirements to estimate.
[1] FAO/WHO/UNU. 2004. Human energy requirements. Rome, 17-24 October 20010 -
ScreeField wrote: »I noticed that some activity trackers actually do overestimate steps. I've tried a few--while wearing them at the same time, some reported up to 10,000 steps per day more than others.
Things like brushing your teeth and riding/driving a car could increase steps recorded. Things like walking while pushing a cart or stroller can actually cheat you out of steps.
It may be worth a test to see if it's recording when you are brushing your teeth, driving your car, etc. Another check would be to walk a mile and check the number of steps and calories burned. If it records running, do a similar test for running.
I have done stuff like that. I walked and manually counted steps at the same time, I held my arm completely still while walking (holding my phone set to the Fitbit app), I have sat down in a chair and swung my arm like I do when walking, etc. The counts I got were dead on and I did not get any false steps when just swinging my arm. I am sure I get the occasional false step if I jerk my arm and there will be some steps that don't get counted, but they seem to cancel each other out to where the total for the day is pretty accurate.
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ScreeField wrote: »Things like brushing your teeth, riding/driving a car, typing, etc., could increase steps recorded. Things like walking while pushing a cart or stroller can actually cheat you out of steps.
Do not overthink your step count—it's only a metric. All that matters is the accuracy of your burn. Enable negative calorie adjustments, trust your Fitbit for several weeks, and reevaluate your progress.0 -
UltimateRBF wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »There is no such thing as starvation mode.
Burning 500 calories is light years away from a strenuous workout.
If a Zip is going through more than about 2 batteries a year, it is defective. This happened to me--I called FitBit and received a brand new Zip in less than a week.
I'm not sure what qualifies you to make this statement. Especially since the definition of strenuous is a highly relative term.
My fitbit tells me I burn just shy of 500 calories for an approximate 30 minute run/jog. It's plenty strenuous. For fitter people it would be a cakewalk.
Worry about yourself.
Seriously. My 8 mile bike ride was barely in the 300 calories burned range, and there were some moments were I put serious consideration into getting off my bike and walking it up the hills. A toddler could have run past me on the hills, but I didn't stop. I was huffing, puffing, sweating, and possibly also muttering expletives. And then it said I burned 301 calories and I was like "NO! That was like 500 ... 1000!" *dies on living room floor*
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I find a 500 calorie workout quite strenuous. That's what I burn in an hour of hard zumba, where I am dripping in sweat and my shirt is soaked, per my Polar FT7 HRM.0
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PrizePopple wrote: »
Seriously. My 8 mile bike ride was barely in the 300 calories burned range, and there were some moments were I put serious consideration into getting off my bike and walking it up the hills. A toddler could have run past me on the hills, but I didn't stop. I was huffing, puffing, sweating, and possibly also muttering expletives. And then it said I burned 301 calories and I was like "NO! That was like 500 ... 1000!" *dies on living room floor*
Hahaha this totally made me chuckle. Yup. Been there...lol
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So, I probably fall somewhere between sedentary and lightly active. Or maybe I think I'm sedentary but I'm lightly active. I have it set to sedentary because I don't think what I need is MORE calorie allowance.
Yesterday was basically a couch potato day, and it said I burned 148 cals in exercise. I did walk the dog for 12 minutes, but it wasn't remotely strenuous.
On a day when I had a strenuous workout, it said I burned 528 exercise cals.
Other days, where I was basically at home not doing much but not sitting around the whole day either, it says 3-400 exercise cals. These are the days that feel off to me.
You sound like me, I found out that my normal daily activity was more active than I had assumed. I'm sure there's an official guide somewhere, but in actual use I found (+/- 1000):
3000 steps=sedentary. For me this would be if I was sick. I think of it as being in bed or on the couch all day, but actually it's getting a cup of tea, getting a blanket, hey where's the heating pad, I guess I could manage a load of laundry, etc.
8000 steps=lightly active. I think of this as not doing much, but it's really it's vacuuming, couple of loads of laundry, up and down the stairs ten times, shopping and errands, 10 minute dog walk. Or normal weekday commute, which I think of as car and train, but in reality also includes a trek from the parking lot to the train and 15 minutes walk between stepping off the train and arriving at my desk, trips around the office all day and the return trip.
12000 steps=active. To reach this I need to do some kind of deliberate exercise.0 -
PrizePopple wrote: »UltimateRBF wrote: »azulvioleta6 wrote: »There is no such thing as starvation mode.
Burning 500 calories is light years away from a strenuous workout.
If a Zip is going through more than about 2 batteries a year, it is defective. This happened to me--I called FitBit and received a brand new Zip in less than a week.
I'm not sure what qualifies you to make this statement. Especially since the definition of strenuous is a highly relative term.
My fitbit tells me I burn just shy of 500 calories for an approximate 30 minute run/jog. It's plenty strenuous. For fitter people it would be a cakewalk.
Worry about yourself.
Seriously. My 8 mile bike ride was barely in the 300 calories burned range, and there were some moments were I put serious consideration into getting off my bike and walking it up the hills. A toddler could have run past me on the hills, but I didn't stop. I was huffing, puffing, sweating, and possibly also muttering expletives. And then it said I burned 301 calories and I was like "NO! That was like 500 ... 1000!" *dies on living room floor*
If my workout was a bike ride, my maximum burn would be more like 10, since I would fall off by the end of the driveway
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Can anyone define sedentary vs lightly active, beyond the short description given on MFP?
Try this link for defining sedentary vs lightly active.
http://antranik.org/proper-activity-level-for-calorie-intake/
According to that, I am active because of the amount of purposeful exercise I do. However, I spend most of my day, when I am not out walking or swimming, sitting so I have myself as lightly active. It works for me.
Fair enough. Sound like you've got it figured out. Here's a couple of more links for the OP just in case the previous link isn't accurate for her.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14715035
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18562971
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