Fitbit & MFP calorie adjustments confusion!
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Mitramonday
Posts: 48 Member
I'm feeling rather dumb at the moment... 
I have tried reading the MFP explanation of calorie adjustments, but I'm just not understanding it, or the examples they give. Is anyone able to give me an ABC explanation (with simple examples)? Thank you
I have tried reading the MFP explanation of calorie adjustments, but I'm just not understanding it, or the examples they give. Is anyone able to give me an ABC explanation (with simple examples)? Thank you 0
Replies
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I wish...1
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Let's say you tell MFP you're sedentary and it gives you a goal of 1,400 calories. If you sync your Fitbit to your MFP account, you will get calories added to your daily goal when you move enough to burn more calories than the estimate created based on your activity level would indicate. This is a more precise way to give yourself roughly the same deficit each day. If you enable negative adjustments, MFP will subtract calories if you move *less* than your activity level would indicate. This ensures you don't eat too much on days when you are less active than your activity level would suggest.
If your goal is 1,400 calories and your activity burns 200 more calories than MFP estimated you would burn, your new goal to eat will be 1,600 calories. This ensures that you *net* roughly the same number of calories each day.3 -
When you set up your MFP account, you tell MFP your height, weight, age, gender, and give a best guess as to your activity level before workouts. MFP uses this information to approximate what you burn in a day before exercise. You also select how much you want to lose per week. MFP subtracts the required amount of calories from what it estimates you would burn before exercise. This is how MFP comes to your NET calorie goal.
If your selected rate of loss would take you below the minimums (1200 women/1500 men), MFP will give you the the minimum calorie goal and your deficit will be lower then what you selected.
The Fitbit adjustment is:
Fitbit tracked calorie burn - MFP estimated calorie burn = +/-/0 adjustment
Example (using my own numbers):
MFP set to Lightly Active = 1812 calories
-250 deficit (0.5 lb per week loss) = 1562
MFP has rounded down and given me a NET 1560.
Anyway back to the 1812. MFP breaks this down for the adjustment math and it looks like this:
75.5 calories per hour
1.2583 calories per min
Now as of my last sync at 3:46 pm, Fitbit sent over a calorie burn of 1466 so far for the day. There is still 8 hrs 14 mins left that hasn't been accounted for yet.
75.5*8 = 604
1.2583 * 14 = 17.61
1466 from Fitbit + 621.61 estimate from MFP based on Activity level selection = 2087 MFP predicts Fitbit will say at the end of the night.
This math is adjusted with each sync of Fitbit.
2087 - 1812 = 275
I have burned 275 calories more than MFP estimated I would based on my activity level selection. To maintain my 250 calorie deficit, I should eat 275 calories more so that I NET 1560.1 -
How do you enable/disable negative calorie adjustments?0
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shadow2soul wrote: »When you set up your MFP account, you tell MFP your height, weight, age, gender, and give a best guess as to your activity level before workouts. MFP uses this information to approximate what you burn in a day before exercise. You also select how much you want to lose per week. MFP subtracts the required amount of calories from what it estimates you would burn before exercise. This is how MFP comes to your NET calorie goal.
If your selected rate of loss would take you below the minimums (1200 women/1500 men), MFP will give you the the minimum calorie goal and your deficit will be lower then what you selected.
The Fitbit adjustment is:
Fitbit tracked calorie burn - MFP estimated calorie burn = +/-/0 adjustment
Example (using my own numbers):
MFP set to Lightly Active = 1812 calories
-250 deficit (0.5 lb per week loss) = 1562
MFP has rounded down and given me a NET 1560.
Anyway back to the 1812. MFP breaks this down for the adjustment math and it looks like this:
75.5 calories per hour
1.2583 calories per min
Now as of my last sync at 3:46 pm, Fitbit sent over a calorie burn of 1466 so far for the day. There is still 8 hrs 14 mins left that hasn't been accounted for yet.
75.5*8 = 604
1.2583 * 14 = 17.61
1466 from Fitbit + 621.61 estimate from MFP based on Activity level selection = 2087 MFP predicts Fitbit will say at the end of the night.
This math is adjusted with each sync of Fitbit.
2087 - 1812 = 275
I have burned 275 calories more than MFP estimated I would based on my activity level selection. To maintain my 250 calorie deficit, I should eat 275 calories more so that I NET 1560.
I understand it completely but this overwhelmed me immensely.0 -
Kettle_Belle14 wrote: »How do you enable/disable negative calorie adjustments?
Grrrr Nevermind, answered my own question. It's not available for Apple Watch users yet. Boo.0 -
shadow2soul wrote: »When you set up your MFP account, you tell MFP your height, weight, age, gender, and give a best guess as to your activity level before workouts. MFP uses this information to approximate what you burn in a day before exercise. You also select how much you want to lose per week. MFP subtracts the required amount of calories from what it estimates you would burn before exercise. This is how MFP comes to your NET calorie goal.
If your selected rate of loss would take you below the minimums (1200 women/1500 men), MFP will give you the the minimum calorie goal and your deficit will be lower then what you selected.
The Fitbit adjustment is:
Fitbit tracked calorie burn - MFP estimated calorie burn = +/-/0 adjustment
Example (using my own numbers):
MFP set to Lightly Active = 1812 calories
-250 deficit (0.5 lb per week loss) = 1562
MFP has rounded down and given me a NET 1560.
Anyway back to the 1812. MFP breaks this down for the adjustment math and it looks like this:
75.5 calories per hour
1.2583 calories per min
Now as of my last sync at 3:46 pm, Fitbit sent over a calorie burn of 1466 so far for the day. There is still 8 hrs 14 mins left that hasn't been accounted for yet.
75.5*8 = 604
1.2583 * 14 = 17.61
1466 from Fitbit + 621.61 estimate from MFP based on Activity level selection = 2087 MFP predicts Fitbit will say at the end of the night.
This math is adjusted with each sync of Fitbit.
2087 - 1812 = 275
I have burned 275 calories more than MFP estimated I would based on my activity level selection. To maintain my 250 calorie deficit, I should eat 275 calories more so that I NET 1560.
I understand it completely but this overwhelmed me immensely.
Sorry. I wasn't trying to overwhelm anyone. :flowerforyou:0 -
shadow2soul wrote: »When you set up your MFP account, you tell MFP your height, weight, age, gender, and give a best guess as to your activity level before workouts. MFP uses this information to approximate what you burn in a day before exercise. You also select how much you want to lose per week. MFP subtracts the required amount of calories from what it estimates you would burn before exercise. This is how MFP comes to your NET calorie goal.
If your selected rate of loss would take you below the minimums (1200 women/1500 men), MFP will give you the the minimum calorie goal and your deficit will be lower then what you selected.
The Fitbit adjustment is:
Fitbit tracked calorie burn - MFP estimated calorie burn = +/-/0 adjustment
Example (using my own numbers):
MFP set to Lightly Active = 1812 calories
-250 deficit (0.5 lb per week loss) = 1562
MFP has rounded down and given me a NET 1560.
Anyway back to the 1812. MFP breaks this down for the adjustment math and it looks like this:
75.5 calories per hour
1.2583 calories per min
Now as of my last sync at 3:46 pm, Fitbit sent over a calorie burn of 1466 so far for the day. There is still 8 hrs 14 mins left that hasn't been accounted for yet.
75.5*8 = 604
1.2583 * 14 = 17.61
1466 from Fitbit + 621.61 estimate from MFP based on Activity level selection = 2087 MFP predicts Fitbit will say at the end of the night.
This math is adjusted with each sync of Fitbit.
2087 - 1812 = 275
I have burned 275 calories more than MFP estimated I would based on my activity level selection. To maintain my 250 calorie deficit, I should eat 275 calories more so that I NET 1560.
Thank you.....I think that will help me, but I'll need to read it several times before I totally get it
! 0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Let's say you tell MFP you're sedentary and it gives you a goal of 1,400 calories. If you sync your Fitbit to your MFP account, you will get calories added to your daily goal when you move enough to burn more calories than the estimate created based on your activity level would indicate. This is a more precise way to give yourself roughly the same deficit each day. If you enable negative adjustments, MFP will subtract calories if you move *less* than your activity level would indicate. This ensures you don't eat too much on days when you are less active than your activity level would suggest.
If your goal is 1,400 calories and your activity burns 200 more calories than MFP estimated you would burn, your new goal to eat will be 1,600 calories. This ensures that you *net* roughly the same number of calories each day.
Wow - that makes sense now! But where do you allow negative adjustments? (not really sure that I want to know, but....
) 0 -
Okay, all that makes sense so I will add one more to it.
I use a FitBit and wear it while running so it tracks steps. I also use a running App (Runtastic) to track my runs. Both sync to MFP and somehow MFP knows how to handle it without going double. I call it magic. Now I also have a chest strap HR monitor that also syncs to the App and my blaze also has a HR monitor. I can't even fathom how those figure in, too much math there for me.0 -
Mitramonday wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Let's say you tell MFP you're sedentary and it gives you a goal of 1,400 calories. If you sync your Fitbit to your MFP account, you will get calories added to your daily goal when you move enough to burn more calories than the estimate created based on your activity level would indicate. This is a more precise way to give yourself roughly the same deficit each day. If you enable negative adjustments, MFP will subtract calories if you move *less* than your activity level would indicate. This ensures you don't eat too much on days when you are less active than your activity level would suggest.
If your goal is 1,400 calories and your activity burns 200 more calories than MFP estimated you would burn, your new goal to eat will be 1,600 calories. This ensures that you *net* roughly the same number of calories each day.
Wow - that makes sense now! But where do you allow negative adjustments? (not really sure that I want to know, but.... )
If you're on the website, go to Settings>Diary Settings and you should see it under "Calorie Adjustments."1
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