ambsnic17 wrote: »

Negative calorie adjustment?? Not sure what you mean. I have a Fitbit zip, so no HR monitor on it.

On MFP you set for negative calorie adjustments for more details see the FAQ stickie:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy

ambsnic17 wrote: »

So I started using my Fitbit again. Didn't sync it to MFP like suggested, plus it won't sync to it anyway!! Lol here's my concern : it's saying my overall burn is a little over 1500???? Really???? When calculated my tdee on scooby it said it was roughly 2000. So I'm so confused what to do now! I know it's only been a couple of days and I need to give it more time which I will, but that's a big difference! I'm quickly reminded why I stopped using it the first time. Seriously thinking of getting a HRM instead. Any insight to help me understand would be great!

Since started using it again - are correct stats in it?
Meaning on the website, and then a sync since then, so device has them too.

Don't be surprised that Fitbit giving infinite levels may not match up with Scooby giving rough 5 level TDEE chart where you picked the level.
And if you used the Harris BMR which is inflated, then it's higher for that reason compared to Fitbit using Mifflin BMR which is more accurate, especially as weight goes up.

What is your workout routine that the 1500 came from?
Exercise type and time, you never commented on that yet.

And what is daily activity like?
Moving around, standing, desk job?

It's just a matter of fact it underestimates all daily burn outside exercise at the least.
As Amanda stated - go look at your Fitbit daily burn graph per 5 minutes. Look at the steps section first, and sleep is obvious, but find a block of time with no steps during the day.
Now switch to calories view - same calorie burn as sleeping. Which isn't correct in real life. You could even be standing - which really isn't correct then. But your lifestyle with much movement isn't going to be effected badly like that. Standing all day for work, yes, constant movement, no.

So the walking will be accurate enough - though you may want to confirm the distance on treadmill sometime is within 5% of what Fitbit reports.
The daily stuff is great too.

So you have a whole half-hour out of a whole 24 hr day that is possibly in question, not missing, just not as accurate perhaps as it could be. That doesn't require a HRM or new device frankly - unless you just want one.

Is JMBR resistance focused, or cardio focused?

Meaning, are you stepping around a lot, even with weights and movement?
Or you have long periods of no movement doing lifts?

Don't check out the sleep tab, when you look at that graph you'll know what I'm talking about when I say look at calorie burn during the time you are sleeping.

So a 30 min workout isn't causing a 500-600 cal difference daily.

Are you logging your food by weight, except liquids by measure only?

And don't let it stress you out - if it turns out you really burn more than it estimates - it's still useful to track weekly in case life changes things up.
Since you always want to learn to eat correctly for your level of activity.

Because if you were eating 500-600 more daily - you'd gain 1 lb in 1 week easily. But that didn't happen, so therefore either you are burning more because it needs to be manually logged.

And I'd suggest the JMBR does need to be, because going by the few steps that are seen - you are burning way more.

Now - if the rests between lifts in that workout are 2-4 minutes long, reps are 5-15, with sets - then that is logged as Weights on Fitbit.
If the rests are upwards of 1 min, reps around 15 or higher, and more circuit style - then that is Circuit Training on Fitbit.

Both of those will indeed increase your calorie burn. Not by 500-600 though, but a decent amount - so still extra calories somewhere.

That's why I ask about accuracy of food logging, like if playing it on the safe side always overestimating what you ate - then you really aren't eating 2100, but less by some amount. Or eating out frequently and getting very rough estimates of calories.
That could take care of the rest easily.

So it could be combo - Fitbit is underestimating your actual burn by corrections that should be made anyway. And you are overestimating how much you eat.
So you actually burn somewhere between that range of 1500-2100.

And while accuracy would be useful, you can actually go on with current food logging accuracy and just figure you aren't burning what you really eat, but figure out the % of difference and use it when you take an actual deficit.

Well - because you wouldn't be syncing them - it really doesn't matter if the sync is working or not.
You merely want an average daily burn from Fitbit once you have corrected for exercise you need to.

You must have the Fitbit set to Personalized in your Food/weight loss plan.
That means it is estimated daily burn (because it's not midnight yet, obviously must estimate before you hit it, right) based on past historical average, so an average calorie burn per minute based on what the day normally ends up looking like.
Obviously history gets better the more you use it, if days are anywhere near similar.

But it also means that when you go to bed, you aren't burning that many calories / min while sleeping.

Since you are merely looking for weekly totals/averages - it really doesn't matter what you set it too, because your eating goals are on MFP anyway.

But the other setting is Sedentary - then it assumes your per min calorie burn is going to be barely above BMR or sleeping.
Which when you view it before bed, is going to be right on for rest of the night then.

The selection of choice makes a difference during the day depending on how often you sync.

But since the intent is NOT to sync - again, doesn't matter.

The purpose of the Fitbit is to give you a better idea of your average daily TDEE, so you can set a reasonable deficit or maintenance if resetting. Better than you guessing from 5 rough levels.
You don't do that daily though - weekly, based on your weekly Fitbit reports.
Hence the need NOT to sync.