Fitbit and overall calories

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callumwalker1995
callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
DOes anyone know why my fitbit keeps counting calories burned and steps even when it is charging (not on my wrist)? This means I am struggling to understand how many calories I actually burn to work out my TDEE and how many cals I need to put on muscle/weight. FUrthermore, is how many calories you burn your actual TDEE and if you eat the same amount of cals as it says you've burned you'll be at maintenance?
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  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited August 2016
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    It will continue to count calories burned based on your BMR when you're not wearing it. The steps though...that's a new one on me.

    As for the calories burned: not likely. I'm currently running my Blaze through it's paces with that very idea in mind, eating back close to the adjustment. However, I'm not overly concerned with picking some fat back up right now, so if bodyfat is going to bother you, and you're trying to lean bulk or recomp, I'd err on the side of caution with that.
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
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    I'm bulking, would you not pay any attention to the calories burned then as to how much you eat?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    I wake up to roughly 400 calories burned every morning without taking single step. Are you sure it's adding steps when it's charging? I've heard of this happening when it's placed on table that has a fan on it or other vibrating appliances.
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I wake up to roughly 400 calories burned every morning without taking single step. Are you sure it's adding steps when it's charging? I've heard of this happening when it's placed on table that has a fan on it or other vibrating appliances.

    I wake up to about 580. I think I'm mistaken tbh with the steps
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    callumwalker1995 wrote: »
    I'm bulking, would you not pay any attention to the calories burned then as to how much you eat?

    Oh, I definitely am, but burns are often very overstated. My point was, it would really depend on what you're trying to do. Obviously, if the Fitbit overestimates your burn by an extra 600 kcals, you end up putting on even more bodyfat than you would during a bulk with a better burn estimate, which makes your cut more difficult later. Hence, erring on the side of caution if that concerns you.
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
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    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    callumwalker1995 wrote: »
    I'm bulking, would you not pay any attention to the calories burned then as to how much you eat?

    Oh, I definitely am, but burns are often very overstated. My point was, it would really depend on what you're trying to do. Obviously, if the Fitbit overestimates your burn by an extra 600 kcals, you end up putting on even more bodyfat than you would during a bulk with a better burn estimate, which makes your cut more difficult later. Hence, erring on the side of caution if that concerns you.

    I've averaged about 2900 cals burnt this week according to the fitbit
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I wake up to roughly 400 calories burned every morning without taking single step. Are you sure it's adding steps when it's charging? I've heard of this happening when it's placed on table that has a fan on it or other vibrating appliances.

    I think thats from sleep calories burned and possible tossing and turning if you wear it to bed. I dont get many if any steps while sleeping or it being charged.so if someone is charging it and its showing them having taken steps they need to contact fitbit
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    callumwalker1995 wrote: »
    Gallowmere1984 wrote: »
    callumwalker1995 wrote: »
    I'm bulking, would you not pay any attention to the calories burned then as to how much you eat?

    Oh, I definitely am, but burns are often very overstated. My point was, it would really depend on what you're trying to do. Obviously, if the Fitbit overestimates your burn by an extra 600 kcals, you end up putting on even more bodyfat than you would during a bulk with a better burn estimate, which makes your cut more difficult later. Hence, erring on the side of caution if that concerns you.

    I've averaged about 2900 cals burnt this week according to the fitbit

    I burn most days 2400,but that also includes what I burn asleep and during rest too
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    callumwalker1995 wrote: »
    DOes anyone know why my fitbit keeps counting calories burned and steps even when it is charging (not on my wrist)? This means I am struggling to understand how many calories I actually burn to work out my TDEE and how many cals I need to put on muscle/weight. FUrthermore, is how many calories you burn your actual TDEE and if you eat the same amount of cals as it says you've burned you'll be at maintenance?

    a good way to check is if you are losing weight you need to eat more,if you arent gaining or losing you are in maintenance and if you want to gain up your calories slowly. the fitbit is just an estimation just like MFP is. your tdee is from what I understand your BMR and your exercise calories together. why not try a TDEE calculator and see how many calories it gives you to gain? my fitbit has fits too and it makes me mad. I can overeat a bit one day and it will tell me Im at goal. others I can eat to goal and it will say Im over even if I get a lot of exercise that day. I stopped relying on it as much and just go with mfp. this thing aggravates me to no end sometimes. its a very faulty product(I have the charge HR)
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
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    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    callumwalker1995 wrote: »
    DOes anyone know why my fitbit keeps counting calories burned and steps even when it is charging (not on my wrist)? This means I am struggling to understand how many calories I actually burn to work out my TDEE and how many cals I need to put on muscle/weight. FUrthermore, is how many calories you burn your actual TDEE and if you eat the same amount of cals as it says you've burned you'll be at maintenance?

    a good way to check is if you are losing weight you need to eat more,if you arent gaining or losing you are in maintenance and if you want to gain up your calories slowly. the fitbit is just an estimation just like MFP is. your tdee is from what I understand your BMR and your exercise calories together. why not try a TDEE calculator and see how many calories it gives you to gain? my fitbit has fits too and it makes me mad. I can overeat a bit one day and it will tell me Im at goal. others I can eat to goal and it will say Im over even if I get a lot of exercise that day. I stopped relying on it as much and just go with mfp. this thing aggravates me to no end sometimes. its a very faulty product(I have the charge HR)

    the tdee calculator is also tricky as some put my bulking as 3200 calories (Katch-McCardle method), legion nutrition at 3450 and iifym.com as 3800. I exercise 6x a week with an average time spent exercising as 175 minutes (based on last weeks' numbers), 146 lbs, 5 foot 9 and 20 years of age
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    well all I can say is write all those numbers down. try the lowest one first. give it a month, if you are losing weight then either go to the next number or you can keep adding 100 calories a week until you get to where you arent losing weight, once you notice some gain then I would use that number as your surplus .if you arent losing any weight but in maintenance mode then start with the 3200 and try that for awhile,if you dont gain then up calories by 100 every week until you do start gaining.
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
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    make sure you eat your exercise calories back to at least half.you want to be close to your surplus or its possible you will lose weight.
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
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    Yeah I didn't gain at 3200 so upped to 3500 gradually and still not gaining so I've upped to 3650
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    callumwalker1995 wrote: »
    Yeah I didn't gain at 3200 so upped to 3500 gradually and still not gaining so I've upped to 3650

    You suck! :tongue:
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
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    callumwalker1995 wrote: »
    Yeah I didn't gain at 3200 so upped to 3500 gradually and still not gaining so I've upped to 3650

    I hope like hell that I don't end up requiring that. Jesus, the 25-2700 I'm currently at is barely tolerable, though I've only been at it for a few days.
  • pinggolfer96
    pinggolfer96 Posts: 2,248 Member
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    My Fitbit gives me a 3500-5000 calorie burn daily. I'm pretty active but I don't trust it on days where it sometimes goes to 5k+
  • CharlieBeansmomTracey
    CharlieBeansmomTracey Posts: 7,682 Member
    edited August 2016
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    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    My Fitbit gives me a 3500-5000 calorie burn daily. I'm pretty active but I don't trust it on days where it sometimes goes to 5k+

    well since he tried higher calories and he wasnt gaining then upping it was the right idea. everything is an estimate anyway but I would have to work out from sunup to sundown to burn over 3000 calories lol.
  • mom22dogs
    mom22dogs Posts: 470 Member
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    I had that happen once. I live close to railroad tracks and had my fitbit charging on a tv tray, so it vibrates a lot when a train goes by. It sometimes feels like a small earthquake when trains go by.

    I wear my fitbit to bed to track sleep and I usually have about 300 steps logged by morning. I guess I move a lot in my sleep. So I know my fitbit isn't accurate for the step count. I got up and walked 1/4 mile this morning, plus the little bit of walking around my house, and it says 3300 steps already. I know that isn't accurate.
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    callumwalker1995 wrote: »
    Yeah I didn't gain at 3200 so upped to 3500 gradually and still not gaining so I've upped to 3650

    You suck! :tongue:

    I know :D I hate my metabolism lol, I can remember in high school I went for a number two 3x a day, once at school and it was an absolute nightmare
  • callumwalker1995
    callumwalker1995 Posts: 389 Member
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    CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »
    pinggolfer96 wrote: »
    My Fitbit gives me a 3500-5000 calorie burn daily. I'm pretty active but I don't trust it on days where it sometimes goes to 5k+

    well since he tried higher calories and he wasnt gaining then upping it was the right idea. everything is an estimate anyway but I would have to work out from sunup to sundown to burn over 3000 calories lol.

    burnt 3300 yesterday, eating that many calories though just feels like I'm waiting for the clock for the next time to eat haha!

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