Just bought a fitbit. Just want to confirm
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BlueMacaroniArt
Posts: 122 Member
I lost a bunch of weight on here a few years ago but I have never had a fitbit before. I just want to make sure I understand the numbers. I did read the stickies at the top, I guess I'm just looking for a confirmation that I understand. I just bought an Alta.
I have MFP set to lose 1 lb a week set to lightly active as I have a desk job but a 2 year old the rest of the time so I don't usually get to sit down at night until he is in bed. Figured this was a fair assumption. it gave me 1900 calories to eat. I do have quite a bit to lose but I like the bigger numbers knowing if I am not hungry I can afford to leave a few out there and it not be bad for me.
Anyway - fitbit started with a 1697 estimate of calories i would burn. That would be what it calculated as my BMR, right? Where MFP is calculating a 2,400 TDEE - 500 deficit = 1900 food calories? So I should expect that BMR number to go up during the day assuming I do more in a day than stay alive? And I won't start earning any extra calories from fitbit until it goes over 2400? Is that the way it works? I'm assuming since my food calories are 1900 and i set it for 1 lb loss that its estimating maintenance at 2400 right now.
Sound about right? thanks guys!
I have MFP set to lose 1 lb a week set to lightly active as I have a desk job but a 2 year old the rest of the time so I don't usually get to sit down at night until he is in bed. Figured this was a fair assumption. it gave me 1900 calories to eat. I do have quite a bit to lose but I like the bigger numbers knowing if I am not hungry I can afford to leave a few out there and it not be bad for me.
Anyway - fitbit started with a 1697 estimate of calories i would burn. That would be what it calculated as my BMR, right? Where MFP is calculating a 2,400 TDEE - 500 deficit = 1900 food calories? So I should expect that BMR number to go up during the day assuming I do more in a day than stay alive? And I won't start earning any extra calories from fitbit until it goes over 2400? Is that the way it works? I'm assuming since my food calories are 1900 and i set it for 1 lb loss that its estimating maintenance at 2400 right now.
Sound about right? thanks guys!
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Replies
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2400 tdee sounds high. What are your stats?0
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hazleyes81 wrote: »2400 tdee sounds high. What are your stats?
5'4" 229 lbs lightly active... 39yo female0 -
That's what MFP gave me and what i get on a couple of other sites but it may very well be high. That's why i was trying to figure out how fitbit did the math. I'm not close to that number yet today. Its interesting.0
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Where are you seeing that number on Fitbit? Right now, my Surge says I've burned 1,390 calories and it is 3:28pm. That number will go up both due to BMR and activity as we get closer to 11:59pm. BMR is apportioned throughout the day on Fitbit, as far I understand.0
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midwesterner85 wrote: »Where are you seeing that number on Fitbit? Right now, my Surge says I've burned 1,390 calories and it is 3:28pm. That number will go up both due to BMR and activity as we get closer to 11:59pm. BMR is apportioned throughout the day on Fitbit, as far I understand.
I just bought it so it started with an estimate of 1697 for a whole day. Like the days before I got it are showing that number and it's worked into the average like its the number it's expecting I will get. It's not the number I am at right now, no. I was just wondering if that number it's estimating was supposed to represent my bmr at a sedentary rate?0 -
hazleyes81 wrote: »2400 tdee sounds high. What are your stats?
I'm 5'8 and 150lbs, and if I keep active through out the day, my TDEE hovers between 2500-26000 -
Christine_72 wrote: »hazleyes81 wrote: »2400 tdee sounds high. What are your stats?
I'm 5'8 and 150lbs, and if I keep active through out the day, my TDEE hovers between 2500-2600
Ok so what I said above about the numbers the Fitbit uses and how it works seems normal to you? It would make sense that my TDEE was similar to yours since you are taller but lighter.0 -
BlueMacaroniArt wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »hazleyes81 wrote: »2400 tdee sounds high. What are your stats?
I'm 5'8 and 150lbs, and if I keep active through out the day, my TDEE hovers between 2500-2600
Ok so what I said above about the numbers the Fitbit uses and how it works seems normal to you? It would make sense that my TDEE was similar to yours since you are taller but lighter.
Yes, it seems spot on for me going by my weight loss. But give your fitbit time to learn your routine before relying 100% on it's numbers. Maybe a week or so0 -
Also make sure your food logging is very accurate. When my weight loss stalled it was always because of sloppy logging..0
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Christine_72 wrote: »Also make sure your food logging is very accurate. When my weight loss stalled it was always because of sloppy logging..
I'm not sure my question is coming across. I'm not really questioning the mfp numbers. I'm pretty comfortable there. I guess I'm asking when the Fitbit adds calories? When it thinks you are going to go over your mfp assigned TDEE? Is that how the adjustment works to keep you at a constant deficit of the same size? I do appreciate your replies!0 -
BlueMacaroniArt wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Also make sure your food logging is very accurate. When my weight loss stalled it was always because of sloppy logging..
I'm not sure my question is coming across. I'm not really questioning the mfp numbers. I'm pretty comfortable there. I guess I'm asking when the Fitbit adds calories? When it thinks you are going to go over your mfp assigned TDEE? Is that how the adjustment works to keep you at a constant deficit of the same size? I do appreciate your replies!
Yes. Trust the numbers. That is what I find so great syncing fitbit with MFP, it's set and forget, it will work out the numbers for you.
My only advice would be to set your activity level to sedentary on mfp and make sure to have negative adjustments enabled.
I'm set at sedentary, even though I am far from it.0 -
Yeah I was just considering putting that back. That's how I used to do it but someone else advised me to Change it. I do have negative calories enabled. I guess it's better to get a big boost at the end of the day then overeat and get a negative the one day my kid lets me have a break lol thanks!0 -
Christine_72 wrote: »BlueMacaroniArt wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Also make sure your food logging is very accurate. When my weight loss stalled it was always because of sloppy logging..
I'm not sure my question is coming across. I'm not really questioning the mfp numbers. I'm pretty comfortable there. I guess I'm asking when the Fitbit adds calories? When it thinks you are going to go over your mfp assigned TDEE? Is that how the adjustment works to keep you at a constant deficit of the same size? I do appreciate your replies!
Yes. Trust the numbers. That is what I find so great syncing fitbit with MFP, it's set and forget, it will work out the numbers for you.
My only advice would be to set your activity level to sedentary on mfp and make sure to have negative adjustments enabled.
I'm set at sedentary, even though I am far from it.
I used to do this but then it adds too many calories if you are anything above that. I've found it better to set mine to my highest potential level (highly active, for me) so that on my rear days out will give me negative adjustments and it takes a lot of effort to "earn" extra calories. It's all about what works best for you, though.0 -
hazleyes81 wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »BlueMacaroniArt wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »Also make sure your food logging is very accurate. When my weight loss stalled it was always because of sloppy logging..
I'm not sure my question is coming across. I'm not really questioning the mfp numbers. I'm pretty comfortable there. I guess I'm asking when the Fitbit adds calories? When it thinks you are going to go over your mfp assigned TDEE? Is that how the adjustment works to keep you at a constant deficit of the same size? I do appreciate your replies!
Yes. Trust the numbers. That is what I find so great syncing fitbit with MFP, it's set and forget, it will work out the numbers for you.
My only advice would be to set your activity level to sedentary on mfp and make sure to have negative adjustments enabled.
I'm set at sedentary, even though I am far from it.
I used to do this but then it adds too many calories if you are anything above that. I've found it better to set mine to my highest potential level (highly active, for me) so that on my rear days out will give me negative adjustments and it takes a lot of effort to "earn" extra calories. It's all about what works best for you, though.
I used to have mine set to lightly active, but admittedly it put too much pressure on me lol Plus I always lost a chunk of calories most nights, because my active day pretty much stops at 5pm. I couldn't keep up that lightly active level til midnight like mfp expects you too.0 -
I keep mine at sedentary, but if I ever get to a weight where that results in MFP giving me only 1200 calories to eat (the minimum) I'll bump it up to lightly active because otherwise the Fitbit Calorie Adjustment math doesn't work right.0
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I put mine at lightly active because 1) it drives me crazy to see that low initial number and 2) I often would end up with crazy extra calories added especially if I didn't get my walk in until later in the day. I find it overwhelming to be looking at 1000 calories left after I've had dinner (or even just pre-logged it). I work better having a bit closer idea to start with. And even so, I generally have a positive adjustment of at least 200 calories. I think it's really what works best for you (but I would definitely turn on negative adjustments).0
