My Fitbit is confusing me!

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Jaygee13
Jaygee13 Posts: 19 Member
edited June 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
I've tried looking this up and I'm obviously not searching right because I can't find anything so...

I've only had my Fitbit a couple of days, it's linked up with mfp but they are saying different things. Today Fitbit says I can only eat 600 more cals whereas mfp says I can eat 1000 with the Fitbit adjustment (that I won't eat back). Which do I listen to?

Thanks :)

Replies

  • sllm1
    sllm1 Posts: 2,114 Member
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    I use the calorie numbers from MFP. I just track steps and sleep with the FitBit.
  • Spice1973
    Spice1973 Posts: 83 Member
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    The fitbit will add more calories for you to eat throughout the day. It starts out lower and adds more throughout the day depending on your activity. My fitbit and myfitnesspal end up being pretty much the same at the end of the day. You can look at how it works if you go to your food plan and click on the settings in the top right hand corner of your food plan.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I just look at the calories on MFP.
  • PopeyeCT
    PopeyeCT Posts: 249 Member
    edited June 2015
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    MFP plans your entire day ahead of time, expecting you to burn the amount of calories that correspond to your selected activity level. It's sort of like MFP gives you the credit at the beginning of the day, and you need to make the payments.

    Fitbit keeps a running total as you go through the day. You don't get any credit in Fitbit. You have to earn it before you spend it.

    The two will converge as the day progresses. But you'll find it easier to plan your meals using MFP, especially if you do your exercising in the afternoon or evening Fitbit won't show you caught up until then.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    Not sure I follow, here's my situation :-

    I only log food in MFP
    Negative adjustments disabled
    If I log exercise I enter the times to avoid double counting, but this is rare.

    Just now Fitbit.com says I have 1294 kcals left to eat
    MFP says I have 1194 calories remaining

    MFP says I have eaten 951, my goal is 1320, I have exercised off 825 leaving 126 net. 1320 - 126 = 1194

    Fitbit.com says I have burned 2351 and eaten 951 so far today. It expects me to eat 2245. 2245 - 951 = 1294

    No idea if that helps :-)
  • craziecritter
    craziecritter Posts: 202 Member
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    I also use my fitbit for steps and use MFP for calories. I don't input any food or etc into fitbit.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    sllm1 wrote: »
    I use the calorie numbers from MFP. I just track steps and sleep with the FitBit.

    +1

    Fitbit to make sure I get my steps, MFP to track my eating. I find Fitbit overestimates calories- If I ate the 2000 a day it says I could, I would gain weight.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    If it's off by that much and it's bugging you, then you might need to go into your Fitbit settings and make sure that your weekly weight loss goal matches the one you have on MFP. It won't be exact (mine has a 40 calorie difference between the two) but it should be a lot closer to what it is now. Like others I just go by what MFP tells me to eat.
  • KiwiAlexP
    KiwiAlexP Posts: 185 Member
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    I only worked out how to change the daily goals on the fitbit yesterday (after having the fitbit for 9 months) so now within about 30 calories of MFP - under settings on the food plan tile you can change the plan intensity to match the goals in MFP. But saying that I still just go by the MFP totals
  • belinda_73
    belinda_73 Posts: 148 Member
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    Kiwi, how did you get your picture like that? that's cute.
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    I follow mfp calories not my activity tracker...just because I don't agree with them starting me with a base of 1200...so bogus.

    Log your food here...keep in goal here and let it sync with Fitbit...which will bring over your extra calories.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
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    SezxyStef wrote: »
    I follow mfp calories not my activity tracker...just because I don't agree with them starting me with a base of 1200...so bogus.

    Log your food here...keep in goal here and let it sync with Fitbit...which will bring over your extra calories.
    and again
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Jaygee13 wrote: »
    I've only had my Fitbit a couple of days, it's linked up with mfp but they are saying different things. Today Fitbit says I can only eat 600 more cals whereas mfp says I can eat 1000 with the Fitbit adjustment (that I won't eat back). Which do I listen to?

    Fitbit prorates your calories by time of day—and goes way below 1,200. Ignore it and follow your MFP calorie goal.

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

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