Marianna93637 wrote: »

Thank you!
I have a Charge HR.

Question about Zumba and calories. Fitbit says I'm only burning 390-413 calories in 1 hour of Zumba (I've only had it for 2 days, so I know it's adjusting, or so I heard).
But I find it strange that I would burn the same doing Zumba as I am burning by walking. I was told by some people that zumba is not going to be calculated accurately (it will be underestimated) as would yoga, Pilates, etc because although it counts the steps it doesn't really count the jumping around, arm movement, twists and turns, etc. I thought it's supposed to look at heart rate and arm movement and steps?
So I'm very confused. I would think a Zumba class would burn at least 500 calories, it definitely feels like it.

Also, another question: I've read here that you push a button to record a workout? You mean to push the one button that's on the band and then push it at the end? I push this button all the time to see my heart rate and calories burnt, so I don't get it. Forgive me if I sound ignorant, I just want to figure out what's the best way to calculate my workouts.

I take at least 3 Zumba classes / week, planning on increasing it to 4-5, so it's a huge part of my calorie burn and I'd like to make sure it is accurately accounted for.
I just figured a few things out, ( like where to find things) but now I have some strange facts:
Monday night Zumba: 424 calories. 5482 steps, 57 minutes - ok this is good
Tuesday night Zumba: 390 calories, 0 steps!!! 55 active minutes.
Same instructor, same everything. Why didn't it count any steps??

Somehow I have 2 15 minute walks from Tuesday, but I only did one.
Walk 1: 95 calories burned, o steps!! 15 active minutes average heart rate 95
walk 2: 91 calories burned, 1591 steps, 14 active minutes, average heart rate 114.

Even if the walk is doubled, why are the stats so different? And why is it duplicated?

If it's new on you, and still adjusting, then you aren't burning the same doing the workout as a walk - it's merely estimating you are based on what it thinks your fitness level is. Is your average HR the same doing a class and a walk?
If walk is lower, then actually your walk would be less calories.

Those comments about those workouts not being accurate is based on step-based devices and whoever not knowing what they were talking about - not HR-based devices.
Yoga and Pilates could still be off though - because your HR could be high not because it's a hard workout, but rather just the nature of it. Like the Bikram hot yoga - HR is high because of heat/humidity, not because of effort.

Never go by feel either, nor sweating level - that's really useless. You could do something really intense, and then merely sit down and feel really tired for a good long 5 minutes. But you aren't burning tons of calories sitting there - you merely feel tired.
Elevated HR to supply more oxygen to working muscles must be matched with elevated breathing rate to give that increased oxygen.

As you proved out - steps, or lack of, doesn't prevent HR-based calorie burn from being used. And 400-430 / hr probably isn't that far off depending on how fit you are.

Zumba is one of those types of exercise that it's hard to make it more intense once you match the speed of the beat - you can only move so fast to the music.

But what is the avgHR and maxHR for the Zumba, you noted it for the walking, which seems right, kind of low.
But if the Fitbit isn't reading correctly, or missing a bunch of heart beats - then it's estimate based on low HR could be correct. Except the HR isn't correctly seen.

As to why steps are missed, look at your daily graph per 5 min increments and see if there are really no steps during that time.
And I'd suggest moving this out to general topics instead of buried in the FAQ which isn't really noticed by majority nor the place for general issues.

jimarcher1964 wrote: »

Heybales, your information and willingness to help here is amazing, thank you!

I noticed that you made some important points a few times. First, pressing the activity button essentially acts like a marker to create a record over recorded data for a time range. Second, calorie burn estimates for different types of workouts are best made based on different sensors, such as steps vs HR.

In the case of my new Surge (as you probably know), there is essentially more than one activity button. I select the exercise I'm about to do, then start it. Some activities (walking, running, cycling) are GPS based and others are not, but there are at least several of each. So I have to think that selecting the type of activity does more than just decide of the GPS tracking should be on.

What I am wondering is, does FitBit make adjustments to which data contributes to it's calorie burn estimate, or otherwise change how that estimate is derived, based upon the exercise type I select?

If so, is it reasonable to conclude that there is less need to manually create records with corrected calorie estimates?
Additionally, I'm wondering if FitBit Surge uses the GPS to adjust the stride length. I would think that after a few sessions of walking or running, it could do that, but I can't find any information about whether it does or not. I realize that stride length may be less important when the GPS is able to track distance, but it still seems like a good correction for it to make.

While it would be smart to allow a step based self-calibration of walking and running stride length (because you'd have to know it was happening and maintain the desired stride until finished) based on GPS distance - not seen any indication that it is.
It still appears to be based on impact and hang time even with Surge.
Your weight and calculated (or manually entered) stride length give calculated impact and hang time expected - and then that actual step is compared and that indicates if that step was longer or shorter than expected and adjusted as such.
It's why you can shuffle stride and then really overreach stride and as long as steps seen are correct - the distance and therefore calorie burn will be different.
And if you start the HRM and it thinks a workout going on - calorie burn will be HR-based anyway.

You can confirm if the default stride length is being auto-adjusted.
Manually enter a walk or run of set distance. Fitbit will take that distance divided by stride length and put in a new step stat to replace what was actually seen.

If you keep the Activity Record to know the start/end times, you can make the Workout Record match exactly, and then compare. Activity Record is snapshot of original stats, Workout Record replaces those with whatever is entered or calculated. No doubling up as some are concerned.

And accurate walking stride length is so important to the other non-exercise 22-23 hrs of your day. Well, minus sleepy time I guess.

Your ability to pick an exercise doesn't change the fact the HR-based calorie burn will be used and not step-based - it merely enable GPS for some events, and pre-labels the Activity Record, compared to other devices with generic label.
But no, it does exactly what you suggest, GPS on or off, hence inside options on those you mentioned. And ability to swap out others that you indicate if inside or out for GPS option to be enabled.

You can test that by picking the wrong workout, like outside biking, and then go for a walk - calorie count will be the same as if you picked a walk.

That fuel gauge is about useless - as it represents that moment in time you view it. And rarely does what you burn match up with what you eat, with your deficit being the difference.

If over budget, it means you had a deficit, but not as big as you wanted.

Hopefully with only 10 lbs to go you made it reasonable by selecting 250 cal deficit, or 1/2 lb weekly.
Make it unreasonable if you'd like to lose muscle mass too.

So really - hide that tile in your settings.
Use Fitbit for activity stuff, MFP for eating stuff.
So merely look at how much MFP says you have left to eat. Forget what Fitbit is trying to tell you.

kherbert32 wrote: »

Do you log exercise if you kept your device on during the exercise?

No.

But you can either device start or manually log an Activity Record so the stats for that workout stand out from daily stats - for review later.

Reread the FAQ for Activity Record.