Fitbit
Sued0nim
Posts: 17,456 Member
Can you explain this ...I find it irritating (not affecting my weight)
I have walked 9520 steps by 16.21 today would normally earn me around 400 calories (roughly)
A 79 minute workout session logged in MFP for 600 calories overwrites 3500 of the fitbit steps so should leave me around 200-250 calories
So I would expect to have earned around 800 calories in activity and purposeful exercise
Instead I am getting around 450
It peeves me that I can't understand why some days this happens and others it doesn't
I have walked 9520 steps by 16.21 today would normally earn me around 400 calories (roughly)
A 79 minute workout session logged in MFP for 600 calories overwrites 3500 of the fitbit steps so should leave me around 200-250 calories
So I would expect to have earned around 800 calories in activity and purposeful exercise
Instead I am getting around 450
It peeves me that I can't understand why some days this happens and others it doesn't
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Replies
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what does it do if you take out the logged exercise and give it time to sync up ? Looks like Fitbit isn't honouring the time slot of the exercise perhaps. How many steps were in the workout time ?0
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I seem to recall several people complaining recently that MFP is no longer properly syncing with fitbit, especially with meals. Perhaps the syncing is even more buggy beyond foods?0
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I may have the reason why. Its how MFP estimates your numbers.
Lets say that based on height/weight/etc. and stated activity level, MFP thinks you will burn 2400 calories per day. Then MFP thinks you will burn 100/hour.
When MFP syncs with Fitbit, it says: a according to Fitbit you've burned 1400 already and its noon. There are 12 hours left in the day, so you'll burn 1200 more. So you'll end up at 1400 + 1200 or 2600, which is 200 more than MFP original thought. So you've earned 200 extra.
But then you log an activity in MFP, which is in addition to your standard 2400. So MFP says you logged 500 calories from 10am to 11am. So instead of 100 for that hour, you had 500. Meaning you'll end the day at 2400 + 400 or 2800. But Fitbit says you've burned 1400 total at noon, so 1400 + 1200 = 2600. Now the MFP estimate of 2800 makes it look like you're BEHIND schedule by 200.
If I have not lost you: When you log activity into MFP it adds those calories to your base expected calories to burn. When you log them in Fitbit, or just use your tracker, MFP gets the # that you've burned as of your last sync and uses that to update its end of day projection.0 -
Ps the end result is the same. Its kind of like A + B = C, which is the same thing as C - A = B.0
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what does it do if you take out the logged exercise and give it time to sync up ? Looks like Fitbit isn't honouring the time slot of the exercise perhaps. How many steps were in the workout time ?
Around 3500
I took the fitbit out and let it resynch 3 hours later and this is the result0 -
What I do is use the Fitbit to log my exercise with exercise mode, I don't log any exercise in MFP. That seems to work better for me that way.0
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StaciMarie1974 wrote: »I may have the reason why. Its how MFP estimates your numbers.
Lets say that based on height/weight/etc. and stated activity level, MFP thinks you will burn 2400 calories per day. Then MFP thinks you will burn 100/hour.
When MFP syncs with Fitbit, it says: a according to Fitbit you've burned 1400 already and its noon. There are 12 hours left in the day, so you'll burn 1200 more. So you'll end up at 1400 + 1200 or 2600, which is 200 more than MFP original thought. So you've earned 200 extra.
But then you log an activity in MFP, which is in addition to your standard 2400. So MFP says you logged 500 calories from 10am to 11am. So instead of 100 for that hour, you had 500. Meaning you'll end the day at 2400 + 400 or 2800. But Fitbit says you've burned 1400 total at noon, so 1400 + 1200 = 2600. Now the MFP estimate of 2800 makes it look like you're BEHIND schedule by 200.
If I have not lost you: When you log activity into MFP it adds those calories to your base expected calories to burn. When you log them in Fitbit, or just use your tracker, MFP gets the # that you've burned as of your last sync and uses that to update its end of day projection.
I think I kind of followed that
So when I synch at midnight it should correct itself right?
(I'm pretty sure it hasn't before when it's glitched like that)0 -
The end of day results should be fine. Or you could remove the entry from MFP and just log it in Fitbit. Then MFP won't 'change' your daily projection (from 2400 to 2800 in my example).
Note this is also why MFP changes your Fitbit adjustment as the day goes on, especially if you're 'done' moving. Say you are a couch potato from 6pm to midnight. MFP assumes your burn rate is 100/hour but maybe you're most active between noon and 6pm, then only burn 75/hour after 6pm. Your adjustment will go down when your actual evening activity is less than your stated activity level. (Even if you are an active person, you're not active every hour.)0 -
I did a little test. NB I don't have -ve adjustments enabled. According to the little (i) icon I had burned 1578 cals up to 4.30pm and it predicted 2214 for the day. MFP was expecting 2056 hence I got an adjustment of 158.
I then added an hour of exercise for 1.30pm burning 400 calories and the Fitbit adjustment of 158 disappeared.
MFP now thinks I'm going to do 2456 for the day (2056 + 400) which is more than Fitbit expects on its account - 2424 (without the hour from 1.30 to 2.30), hence no adjustment.0 -
I had the same issue as you last week when I logged my workout on MFP, I had a negative number all morning and it bothered me so much I just deleted the exercise log. It righted itself by midday.
As I've understood it this was the reason it's better to log exercise in fitbit rather than MFP. The prorated/estimated calorie burn for the day needs to be static on one website and not the other, otherwise it knocks the adjustment out of whack.0 -
If you're constantly burning more than MFP expects, it will end up the same. Just a question of whether the extra calories are in the form of a Fitbit adjustment or another adjustment. I mean, if you REALLY burn 2800 in a day, then it won't matter if its 2400 base - 50 Fitbit + 450 other exercise or if its 2400 base + 400 Fitbit.
If you're logging a lot of exercise though, then your Fitbit # may often be negative and this can be a problem if you do not have negative adjustments enabled. If negatives are not enabled, then it would be 2400 base + 450 other exercise logged and you might eat away part of your deficit and not realize it.0 -
I had the same issue as you last week when I logged my workout on MFP, I had a negative number all morning and it bothered me so much I just deleted the exercise log. It righted itself by midday.
As I've understood it this was the reason it's better to log exercise in fitbit rather than MFP. The prorated/estimated calorie burn for the day needs to be static on one website and not the other, otherwise it knocks the adjustment out of whack.
Yeah, I don't know the calculations, but it seems to work better for me to log exercise with the exercise mode in Fitbit rather than on MFP. After some experimenting, I set my MFP calories manually to about what I burn during a day I don't do anything except sit at home on the computer and turned negative adjustments off. That way, whatever extra I do is logged with Fitbit and it makes the adjustments as needed. That makes it easier for me to plan for my day since I'm not checking MFP and finding the calories are actually less then I thought. When I see that, I freak out and get frustrated, adjust my food, and then find I'm 400ish calories short for the day at the end of the day. And that's UNDER what my deficit is. So it's just easier for me to keep negative adjustments off. YMMV.0 -
Oh no! I just purchased a Fit Bit Zip that I am waiting to be delivered and I didn't understand anything in this thread!!! Now I'm worried I won't understand how to use my Fit Bit w/ MFP!0
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Fitbit has been giving me way to many calories for the last 4 or 6 months, at around 130 calories per mile when it should be closer to 80 calories per mile.
I ignore it now, as well as all other exercise calories, and just go with the TDEE method. I still let it synch, though. It makes me feel better on days when I overshoot my TDEE goal to see that I'm still hundreds of calories below what MFP/Fitbit thinks I should be eating.0 -
StaciMarie1974 wrote: »I may have the reason why. Its how MFP estimates your numbers.
Lets say that based on height/weight/etc. and stated activity level, MFP thinks you will burn 2400 calories per day. Then MFP thinks you will burn 100/hour.
When MFP syncs with Fitbit, it says: a according to Fitbit you've burned 1400 already and its noon. There are 12 hours left in the day, so you'll burn 1200 more. So you'll end up at 1400 + 1200 or 2600, which is 200 more than MFP original thought. So you've earned 200 extra.
But then you log an activity in MFP, which is in addition to your standard 2400. So MFP says you logged 500 calories from 10am to 11am. So instead of 100 for that hour, you had 500. Meaning you'll end the day at 2400 + 400 or 2800. But Fitbit says you've burned 1400 total at noon, so 1400 + 1200 = 2600. Now the MFP estimate of 2800 makes it look like you're BEHIND schedule by 200.
If I have not lost you: When you log activity into MFP it adds those calories to your base expected calories to burn. When you log them in Fitbit, or just use your tracker, MFP gets the # that you've burned as of your last sync and uses that to update its end of day projection.
I think I kind of followed that
So when I synch at midnight it should correct itself right?
(I'm pretty sure it hasn't before when it's glitched like that)
The timing of my walking messes with my FB/MFP as well - but it does synch up by night. It's annoying as hell tho to see a negative correction in the morning, or not "earn" as many calories after my morning 2 mile walk, just because my last walk of the night with the dog was before midnight the night before and not at 1 AM lol.
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If you have any issues once you get it, feel free to message me. Have used my Fitbit for a while now. (Since late 2013.) We're a family of Fitbits. 3 Ones, a Flex and a Zip.DoreenaV1975 wrote: »Oh no! I just purchased a Fit Bit Zip that I am waiting to be delivered and I didn't understand anything in this thread!!! Now I'm worried I won't understand how to use my Fit Bit w/ MFP!
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StaciMarie1974 wrote: »If you have any issues once you get it, feel free to message me. Have used my Fitbit for a while now. (Since late 2013.) We're a family of Fitbits. 3 Ones, a Flex and a Zip.DoreenaV1975 wrote: »Oh no! I just purchased a Fit Bit Zip that I am waiting to be delivered and I didn't understand anything in this thread!!! Now I'm worried I won't understand how to use my Fit Bit w/ MFP!
Thank you @StaciMarie1974 ... I'll take you up on that offer, but you might regret it, LOL!
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I honestly don't bother logging any exercises. You do the exercises to loose weight, and I feel like logging them and seeing the extra calories pop up somehow gives me permission to eat more? I do sync my steps from my fitbit charge with MFP but that mostly to help me stay active.0
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jeepinshawn wrote: »I honestly don't bother logging any exercises. You do the exercises to loose weight, and I feel like logging them and seeing the extra calories pop up somehow gives me permission to eat more? I do sync my steps from my fitbit charge with MFP but that mostly to help me stay active.
Well, depending on how you arrived at your calorie goal, your exercise IS "permission" to eat more. MFP is designed to eat your exercise calories back so that your net calories don't go too low. If you are using the calorie goal provided by MFP, it makes perfect sense to eat (at least a portion) of those calories back.0 -
jeepinshawn wrote: »I honestly don't bother logging any exercises. You do the exercises to loose weight, and I feel like logging them and seeing the extra calories pop up somehow gives me permission to eat more? I do sync my steps from my fitbit charge with MFP but that mostly to help me stay active.
That's daft
I've always eaten back exercise
I'm at goal and have been since February
I'm actually having to eat more than I'm logging to hit maintenance
If I didn't log and eat back I'd keep losing weight and I don't want to0 -
I'm counting yesterday as a a glitch ...it all went wrong ...so I've deleted fitbit calories and just left it as my 600 from my HRM
I'm going to continue logging in MFP as that's worked for me before
Maybe my changing time zones on vacation made it hiccup
We will see0 -
jeepinshawn wrote: »I honestly don't bother logging any exercises. You do the exercises to loose weight, and I feel like logging them and seeing the extra calories pop up somehow gives me permission to eat more? I do sync my steps from my fitbit charge with MFP but that mostly to help me stay active.
That's daft
I've always eaten back exercise
I'm at goal and have been since February
I'm actually having to eat more than I'm logging to hit maintenance
If I didn't log and eat back I'd keep losing weight and I don't want to
It sounds like you posted in the wrong section then. If your at maintenance, then you would probably get more appropriate responses in that forum. In the general diet and weight loss side I figure everyone here is wanting to loose weight. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
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jeepinshawn wrote: »jeepinshawn wrote: »I honestly don't bother logging any exercises. You do the exercises to loose weight, and I feel like logging them and seeing the extra calories pop up somehow gives me permission to eat more? I do sync my steps from my fitbit charge with MFP but that mostly to help me stay active.
That's daft
I've always eaten back exercise
I'm at goal and have been since February
I'm actually having to eat more than I'm logging to hit maintenance
If I didn't log and eat back I'd keep losing weight and I don't want to
It sounds like you posted in the wrong section then. If your at maintenance, then you would probably get more appropriate responses in that forum. In the general diet and weight loss side I figure everyone here is wanting to loose weight. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
Nope I didn't
But thanks
Doesn't matter what my overall goal is ...my issue was a fitbit one . This is the board I hang out in the most0
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