FitBit Calorie Adjustment is super confusing.
Replies
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The fitbit "exercise" adjustment is NOT an exercise adjustment; it is a TDEE adjustment.
Set yourself up as @editorgrrl suggests, using 1lb loss (500Cal deficit) for MFP, with negative adjustments enabled and eat as per MFP's suggestions as long as your Fitbit and Mfp are synchronizing properly.
Since you want to set yourself to eat 200 Cal less than MFP suggests, and assuming you're up and about till midnight, eat to 200 Cal less than MFP suggests including eating back your complete exercise adjustment.
IF you are not setup as sedentary in MFP and if you do go to bed before midnight leave an extra 100 to 200 Cal buffer space to compensate for your reduced late evening activity level... this compensation should be minimal if you're setup at the sedentary level in MFP.
Read @heybales 's FAQ in the Fitbit group as to WHY you should be choosing all these settings.
For running and walking activities the Fitbit TDEE calculations are pretty darn accurate unless there is a settings or hardware issue.0 -
I have mine manually set at 1375. I have a BMR of 1575, which means if I laid in bed all day and did NOTHING, I would burn 1575cals.
I NEVER use MFP's recommendation for 1.5lb/week or 2lb/week because I feel that 1200cal/day isn't healthy for ANYONE.
So here's what your FitBit said:
-You burned 1575 calories doing nothing.
-You burned *something* doing your run (we're not sure exactly, but your FitBit webpage would have a chart showing its calculation)
-You burned *something else* doing dishes and getting dressed and walking to your car
Your FitBit says that those things added up to 2200 for the day. Is it possible you don't burn 600 calories running? We have similar stats and I probably would only burn about 400 ADDITIONAL calories (over and above my BMR for that period) running 5 miles.
No, I definitely burn that much. The treadmills says it (I enter height/weight) and matches up within 10-15cals of what MFP says too (when I used to manually enter my workouts) ..you're probably not running as fast as me.
I would trust my FitBit burn over what the treadmill says, personally. MFP is notorious for overestimating burn. Also, the more efficient/better you are at running -- ironically -- the fewer calories you burn (for the same distance) due to momentum and muscle adaptation and your heart simply getting better at delivering oxygen.
Oh I'm aware that as you adjust, you have to increase the challenge. I'm training for a half marathon, so I'm constantly increasing speed, distance and sometimes I throw in a bit of an incline. I run 5 miles now, at a speed of 6.5mph. I also do HIIT sprints 5-6 times per run, at a speed of 9mph. A month ago, I could barely run 3 miles. So I am getting better, running faster, and running longer, to achieve the "burn" I desire. Does that make sense?
Sure, but does it make sense that I suspect each of your runs is not exactly 600 calories? No matter what the treadmill says?
Not really, no. I never once said it was exactly. In fact, I've used the term "approx" more than once throughout this thread. The 600cal burn was something I used as a comparison. I'm saying that when I entered my info in the treadmill correctly and then worked out, that when I then added my workouts to MFP (before I had a FitBit) it was within 10-15cals of what the treadmill said. All of my info is also correct in MFP.
The point of your initial post was to state that because YOU only burn roughly 400 cals in 5 miles, that I must as well. Which is wildly assumptive and simply not correct.0 -
I have mine manually set at 1375. I have a BMR of 1575, which means if I laid in bed all day and did NOTHING, I would burn 1575cals.
I NEVER use MFP's recommendation for 1.5lb/week or 2lb/week because I feel that 1200cal/day isn't healthy for ANYONE.
So here's what your FitBit said:
-You burned 1575 calories doing nothing.
-You burned *something* doing your run (we're not sure exactly, but your FitBit webpage would have a chart showing its calculation)
-You burned *something else* doing dishes and getting dressed and walking to your car
Your FitBit says that those things added up to 2200 for the day. Is it possible you don't burn 600 calories running? We have similar stats and I probably would only burn about 400 ADDITIONAL calories (over and above my BMR for that period) running 5 miles.
No, I definitely burn that much. The treadmills says it (I enter height/weight) and matches up within 10-15cals of what MFP says too (when I used to manually enter my workouts) ..you're probably not running as fast as me.
I would trust my FitBit burn over what the treadmill says, personally. MFP is notorious for overestimating burn. Also, the more efficient/better you are at running -- ironically -- the fewer calories you burn (for the same distance) due to momentum and muscle adaptation and your heart simply getting better at delivering oxygen.
Oh I'm aware that as you adjust, you have to increase the challenge. I'm training for a half marathon, so I'm constantly increasing speed, distance and sometimes I throw in a bit of an incline. I run 5 miles now, at a speed of 6.5mph. I also do HIIT sprints 5-6 times per run, at a speed of 9mph. A month ago, I could barely run 3 miles. So I am getting better, running faster, and running longer, to achieve the "burn" I desire. Does that make sense?
Sure, but does it make sense that I suspect each of your runs is not exactly 600 calories? No matter what the treadmill says?
Not really, no. I never once said it was exactly. In fact, I've used the term "approx" more than once throughout this thread. The 600cal burn was something I used as a comparison. I'm saying that when I entered my info in the treadmill correctly and then worked out, that when I then added my workouts to MFP (before I had a FitBit) it was within 10-15cals of what the treadmill said. All of my info is also correct in MFP.
The point of your initial post was to state that because YOU only burn roughly 400 cals in 5 miles, that I must as well. Which is wildly assumptive and simply not correct.
I'm sorry I'm not helpful to you. I hope you find the answers you're seeking. Good luck with the training
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Fitbit adjustment is:
Total Fitbit Calorie Burn - MFP estimated calorie burn (based on activity level) = adjustment
^That's it. There is nothing more to it.
How did you determine that your BMR was 1575?0 -
The fitbit is doing what it is supposed to do based on the numbers. But you can always unsync the fitbit and go back to manually entering your exercise if that worked for you.0
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If my caloric goal in MFP already includes a 500cal/day deficit, (as I said, 1375c/day is justtttt above my Basal Metabolic Rate) how do I fix this? I think I'm basically double dipping now in terms of deficits.
Sounds like it's working as intended.
You just were active enough the rest of the day it seems.
Like when I wake up I have negative 100 calorie adjustment.
By around 5pm it's negative 50. Cause I'm fairly sedentary
If I burn 100 calories on the treadmill my fit bit adjustment to mfp won't be plus 100 it will be plus 50.
That's what it sounds like your having issues with. The Fitbit adjustment is for the entire day not just your specific run exercise.
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Okay, so based on your FitBit your TDEE yesterday was 2200 calories. Your adjusted calorie goal was 1673 calories. That results in a daily calorie deficit of 527 calories or just about a pound per week weight loss.
Do you have MFP set for a 1lb/week rate of weight loss?
^^ this
If your activity happens later in the day it affects the TDEE...trust your fitbit, it's accurate 0 -
There are syncing issues going on for awhile now - both ways.
I don't see where anyone asked you, and you didn't share yet - what the adjustment is based on.
Go to MFP exercise tab, Fitbit calorie adjustment - and look at the more info (tap in app, "i" in web account) - and look at the values as to what MFP has for Fitbit reported calorie burn and the time.
If that's not right - forget any of the math being right.
Also, the math can start appearing flaky if you use a manually set eating goal - though it can still be right.
You don't have to use the block of calories that MFP uses, if you want your own between deficit - say 380, to whatever you burn.
But you do then have to understand how the math is done.
And the FAQ in Fitbit group, 2nd section, shows that math.0 -
So I don't understand where you got your BMR? Additionally, from my experience with my fitbit, yours is functioning properly. Your beef seems to be that the treadmill and MFP claim your burn is much higher then your fitbit does. The reality is the treadmill and MFP both tend to wildly over estimate your burn.
Fitbits calculations are more accurate, and as technology has improved the newer fitbits are more accurate. If you want to eat more, then eat more, but honestly the calculations listed have all been dead on. You seem to be seeking someone/anyones approval to eat more, you don't need it, just eat more, don't complain when your weightloss is 1/2 lb or no pounds.
Like others have said you want to loose weight, follow MFP calorie guide, heck I'm 5'10" and am down from 269 to 202 and now only consume 1300~calories per day. I walk/jog 7 miles a day, and when I choose to eat correctly I don't go to bed hungry. I log everything now and I try not to eat back any exercise calories.
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I've read that if you're using a fitbit and you manually enter your calories into mfp instead of following the "guided' calories, then your numbers will be off.
Enter your stats, let mfp give you it's recommended calories and trust your fitbit.
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No, you can enter a different eating goal based on a different deficit - and get the correct results with numbers.
The problem comes when you enter a manual eating goal based off an average weekly TDEE figure where you want to eat the same amount daily, and then MFP adjusts your eating goal based on Fitbit daily burn.
That's when it gets screwed up.
But if you want a 375 cal deficit instead of 250 or 500, just change setting to maintenance instead of weight loss goal, and whatever MFP was going to give you for your maintenance calories is now your eating goal.
Now subtract 375 or whatever, manually set your eating goal to that lower amount.
Now let MFP make adjustments with Fitbit daily burn, and you'll still get 375 cal deficit no matter what MFP does with Fitbit calorie adjustments or logged exercise.
That works even if not using Fitbit but only MFP method.
Just have to update your eating goal as weight is lost manually, since it won't happen automatically.0 -
editorgrrl wrote: »Hey, I used to have a FitBit in 2014, and wore it for around 8 months. If I ran approx 5 miles, and the treadmill showed that I had burnt roughly "600" calories, then my MFP calorie adjustment when it synced with my FitBit was also around "600" calories.
I've used Fitbit + MFP since 2013, and it's never worked like that. Your Fitbit burn is TDEE, and adjustments are the difference between your Fitbit burn and your MFP activity level (sedentary, lightly active, etc.).
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. No need to log any step-based activity—your Fitbit is tracking it for you. Log non-step exercise (like swimming or biking) either in Fitbit or in MFP—never both. Exercise logged in MFP overwrites your Fitbit burn during that time.
You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users
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It was doing that for me too but somehow I changed it on mfp by playing around my goals. Now mfp gives me more calories to eat than Fitbit so I dunno. I follow the Fitbit and have lost 12.5 lbs so I am gonna stick with it.0
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janejellyroll wrote: »How many calories did you burn the rest of your day (not counting the run)? I can run, burn a ton of calories, and still have a low burn day overall if I'm not moving very much (um, not that I'd ever do that!)
My TOTAL tdee was 2200, my run accounts for roughly 600 of that, meaning that I burnt an additional 1600cals throughout the day.
If your total is 2200, and your desired deficit is 500 (a pound), you would be eating roughly 1700. This is pretty close to what the fitbit adjustment gave you (1,673), so I don't see the problem. It only shows that aside from your run you were pretty inactive. If the deficit is being doubled like you assume your MFP would show 1200 as your budget.0
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