Calorie help

calikid32190
calikid32190 Posts: 19 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Ok to start I do know a lot of the basics of calories that for example 3500 calories is a pound and I have been using my fitness pal for the last 2 and a half months and I have lost 2 pounds per week based on my goal that I set I was 173 when I started and am 153 which 150 was my goal but I think I'm fine with 153. So my questions is I just got a Fitbit yesterday and set up all my stuff and according to Fitbit in order to maintain my weight I need to eat only 1665 calories which has me completely confused because fitness pal had me at 1660 when I was trying to lose 2 pounds per week not maintain my weight. On my fitness pal I have it set to maintain my weight and it has me at 2620 calories which makes a lot more sense because your close to 3500 but not going over it where 1665 is about half of that so why are the 2 showing me different things for the same weight and goal. Second question also about Fitbit is supposedly I burned 661 calorie from 12:00am to 8:45am that whole time I was sleeping which doesn't make sense it makes me Question why I was running my cardio when I would burn 200 calories in 12 mins when I could just burn 600 in about 8 hours and if this is right can I take that 661 that it says I have already burned and add it to my 2620 that would mean I could have 3220 and even though I would be 3500 Cals away from a pound the 3500 would be pushed out more correct because the 3220 is from just adding 600 calories burned. If anyone could help me with some of these questions I would greatly appreciate it.

Replies

  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
    The best place to get these questions answered is in one of the fitbit groups. People there can really help you.
    calikid32190 wrote: »
    On my fitness pal I have it set to maintain my weight and it has me at 2620 calories which makes a lot more sense because your close to 3500 but not going over it where 1665 is about half of that so why are the 2 showing me different things for the same weight and goal.
    Second question also about Fitbit is supposedly I burned 661 calorie from 12:00am to 8:45am that whole time I was sleeping which doesn't make sense it makes me Question why I was running my cardio when I would burn 200 calories in 12 mins when I could just burn 600 in about 8 hours and if this is right can I take that 661 that it says I have already burned and add it to my 2620 that would mean I could have 3220 and even though I would be 3500 Cals away from a pound the 3500 would be pushed out more correct because the 3220 is from just adding 600 calories burned. If anyone could help me with some of these questions I would greatly appreciate it.

    Both these quotes however make it clear to me that you do not know what TDEE and BMR are. I am in the app which unfortunatly makes it hard to link to the web, but I highly suggest you google TDEE and BMR.
  • SunnyPacheco
    SunnyPacheco Posts: 142 Member
    AsISmile wrote: »
    Both these quotes however make it clear to me that you do not know what TDEE and BMR are. I am in the app which unfortunatly makes it hard to link to the web, but I highly suggest you google TDEE and BMR.

    This. You burned 600 calories in 8 hours because you exist. That is your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is essentially how many calories you burn daily by simply being a person that is alive based on your height, age, and weight. You can't eat that 600 cals back because you would be overeating unless you're going to burn that 600 calories with exercise in order to maintain.

    What do you have your activity level in MFP set to? If you have it set to lightly active or above it's already taking exercise calories burned into account to a certain degree. I suspect the 1600 that FitBit is giving you may be your BMR, but we'd need your stats to better assess.
  • calikid32190
    calikid32190 Posts: 19 Member
    My activity level is set to active in mfp and mfp has been working for the past 2 months so I know I have the right stuff in its just Fitbit is choosing for me to have less calories for some reason and thanks for clearing up that you can't eat back those calories. The only ones you can eat back are the ones you burn.
  • calikid32190
    calikid32190 Posts: 19 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Here are some screenshots of my stuff for Fitbit and I think your right about the bmr because that number that was 1620 has changed throughout the day and I think it changes throughout the day to give you an accurate amount of calories you need. So is Fitbit more accurate then mfp I put active and maybe that's true then cuz I've lost 2 pounds per week using mfp so I must have picked the right activity level cuz over the past 2 and a half months I've lost 20 pounds.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

    Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

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

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
  • calikid32190
    calikid32190 Posts: 19 Member
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    Connect your accounts at http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit

    Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/change_goals_guided

    Enable negative calorie adjustments: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

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

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

    Thank you I did this and now mfp has me at 2200 Cals instead of 2600 and it says Fitbit has me at -365 on excercise not sure what that means
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    calikid32190 wrote: »
    Now mfp has me at 2200 Cals instead of 2600 and it says Fitbit has me at -365 on excercise not sure what that means

    Your default calorie goal is activity level minus deficit. Your Fitbit burn is TDEE (total daily energy expenditure), the calories necessary to maintain your current weight. Adjustments are the difference between your Fitbit burn and your MFP activity level.

    Click the adjustment in your diary to see the math MFP used to calculate it.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    I bought a fitbit as soon as I started maintenance two years ago. I do love it. But it took me a little while to get it going properly.

    If you link it to My Fitness Pal and turn off the deficit function so it can't take calories away from you if you forget to wear it, it works fantastically well.

    Set yourself to sedentary and calculate your calories in MFP. Link the two accounts from the Fitbit site. Fitbit will synch with MFP and add calories in when you walk more than 3500 steps. The more you walk, the more you get to eat. There are instructions on the site.

    By setting yourself to sedentary, it adds extra calories in all day as you walk more.

    Log extra exercise that the fitbit doesn't measure well (biking or swimming, for example) in MFP. It will register properly in fitbit. It will synch constantly if you have a smart phone with you.

    Good luck and congratulations on hitting your goal.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    nxd10 wrote: »
    Log extra exercise that the fitbit doesn't measure well (biking or swimming, for example) in MFP. It will register properly in fitbit.

    No need to log any step-based activity—Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit (that's what I do) or in MFP—never both. Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time.

    If you want your Fitbit exercise to appear in your newsfeed, post a status update. That way you get the best of both worlds—an accurate burn + likes.
  • LisaKunz
    LisaKunz Posts: 73 Member
    I wear my fitbit all day except when I ride my bike at night. I log my bike ride in MFP. But then MFP takes AWAY some of the calories I earned throughout the day from the fitbit! I have that calorie deficit thing turned off. What's up??
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    LisaKunz wrote: »
    I wear my fitbit all day except when I ride my bike at night. I log my bike ride in MFP. But then MFP takes AWAY some of the calories I earned throughout the day from the fitbit!

    Adjustments are the difference between your Fitbit burn (which is TDEE) and your MFP activity level. Click on the adjustment in your diary to see the math MFP used to calculate it.

    Leave your Fitbit n during your bike ride—and try logging it in Fitbit rather than in MFP. Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    edited July 2015
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    nxd10 wrote: »
    Log extra exercise that the fitbit doesn't measure well (biking or swimming, for example) in MFP. It will register properly in fitbit.

    No need to log any step-based activity—Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit (that's what I do) or in MFP—never both. Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time.

    If you want your Fitbit exercise to appear in your newsfeed, post a status update. That way you get the best of both worlds—an accurate burn + likes.

    Yes. But my examples were non-stepbased activities. You can log it either place and the time over-writes the steps. But Fitbit obviously doesn't log swimming activities because its' not waterproof. And it's lousy at bicycles. So you have to manually log that somewhere. I do it in MFP and it overwrites base for that time period and gives an accurate count. I assume it works similarly if you log in fitibit.

    My experience is different than editorgrrl. I suspect it has to do with exactly how you've set up your synch. I followed the instructions on the Fitbit website 2 years ago and it's worked flawlessly. But you do have to get it right.

    And I definitely don't want my burns on my newsfeed.

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