Using activity trackers to assist in weightloss? (eg. garmin, fitbit)

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KateTii
KateTii Posts: 886 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all,

I have a Garmin vivosmart and it gives me a calorie count of what I burnt during the day (I'm assuming this is my TDEE?). Could I use the average numbers from this and base my calories off that? Has anyone done this before?

Replies

  • ariamythe
    ariamythe Posts: 130 Member
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    I wouldn't rely too much on those numbers. They're usually based strictly on number of steps and speed of activity (i.e. did you briefly do a lot of steps in a short time, indicating you're maybe working out or running, or did they all happen slow and casual) unless you tell the program what sort of exercise you're performing (and then, again, it's a rough average estimate for that activity). A lot of people on here take those tracker numbers with a grain of salt, especially when it comes to deciding to eat back calories.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
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    I find my FitBit is accurate to +/- 70 calories per day. I'm choosing about 500 calorie deficit from what it tells me my average day is. Just last night in fact I had a piece of chocolate and a small glass of red wine to bring me up to the 500 cal deficit.
  • ariamythe
    ariamythe Posts: 130 Member
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    WBB55 wrote: »
    Just last night in fact I had a piece of chocolate and a small glass of red wine to bring me up to the 500 cal deficit.

    I need more days like that. "I need to eat some chocolate and drink some wine ... it's for my health." :smiley: Sadly, I'm more often OVER than UNDER.
  • trina1049
    trina1049 Posts: 593 Member
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    I find my Fitbit Charger HR to be fairly accurate. The trackers do estimate your TDEE with the calorie deficit already built in when you set it and MFP up with your stats. They're all just guesstimates so eat back about half your calorie burn. You'll know how accurate it is by the amount of weight you're losing. If you're losing too slowly then increase your deficit; if too much, then decrease your deficit and eat more calories. Never go below 1200 calories and so that you're not losing too fast. You want to make sure that you're fueling your body with the proper nutrients.
  • JeffLauniere
    JeffLauniere Posts: 6 Member
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    I used to use a Fitbit, but then bought a Misfit about 6 months ago as it is waterproof. Love being able to walk or run, then get into the pool or Gulf of Mexico without having to take it off. I find it very accurate and have lost 61 pounds basing what I can eat on what my Misfit uploads to MFP.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    I eat all my fitbit calories, if anything it underestimates my TDEE ...but I have a year of data to base that off
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    I find my Jawbone to be pretty accurate.
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    KateTii wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I have a Garmin vivosmart and it gives me a calorie count of what I burnt during the day (I'm assuming this is my TDEE?). Could I use the average numbers from this and base my calories off that? Has anyone done this before?
    This is what I did. I keep rolling averages in Excel based on the burns from my band. I've been in maintenance for about a month and a half based on that TDEE and, although my weight has gone up and down, I'm .2 pounds from where I started. I relied completely on those numbers and haven't had to adjust yet.

  • Azexas
    Azexas Posts: 4,334 Member
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    I have the fitbit charge- the more I wear it, the more accurate it is. The fitbit shows calories burned throughout the day which is my TDEE. I'm assuming that is what your Garmin does as well. I take the number Fitbit gives me and then I eat a percentage off of that. I've used a few online calorie counters to kind of "double check" and they all come pretty close to the fitbit
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited July 2015
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    I tested my Fitbit Flex with real numbers. I took 28 days, added all calories eaten, adjusted for weight lost (add 3500 calories per lb lost) and divided it by 28. The number it gave me for my TDEE was 82 calories less than the number my Fitbit gave me for that same 28 day period. That is pretty accurate in my book. I have had mine for 17 months now so it is very accurate. The longer you wear one, the more accurate it is because it has real time data to work with, not just algorithms.
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    KateTii wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I have a Garmin vivosmart and it gives me a calorie count of what I burnt during the day (I'm assuming this is my TDEE?). Could I use the average numbers from this and base my calories off that? Has anyone done this before?
    This is what I did. I keep rolling averages in Excel based on the burns from my band. I've been in maintenance for about a month and a half based on that TDEE and, although my weight has gone up and down, I'm .2 pounds from where I started. I relied completely on those numbers and haven't had to adjust yet.

    I do this too, both my calories eaten and my Fitbit burns. I use the same spreadsheet where I record my blood glucose tests and weigh ins, along with notes about unusual events. My doctor loves my log! She always says she can monitor me just as well from those, but she loves seeing my smiling face so I still need to go into the office.
  • Tahlia68
    Tahlia68 Posts: 204 Member
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    I have a fitbit charge and it's very accurate with everything.

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