7:30 pm and only 1400 calories burned today?

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FLBeachluvr
FLBeachluvr Posts: 110 Member
edited August 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Granted I know I have a desk job but I try to get up and move around and walk in place throughout the day. When I got home from work I did 40 minutes on the treadmill, made dinner, cleaned up the dishes, made the bed and according to my Fitbit Charge HR I've only burned 1437 calories. I will do a little more moving around before I got to bed around 10 pm and I know the calories burned for today won't reset until midnight but this seems awfully low to me. I am a 54 year old woman, 5'3" and 145 lbs.

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  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    edited August 2016
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    My TDEE at 5'7" and 164 lbs, with no exercise is 1600 [according to my Fitbit]. You're shorter and a bit older than I am, so that actually makes sense.
  • FLBeachluvr
    FLBeachluvr Posts: 110 Member
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    Frustrating as that is WITH exercise :s
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
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    Oh, that does sound low :/
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,900 Member
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    If you set mfp to not lose any weight the total calories for the day should correspond fairly closely with the total calories your Fitbit estimates you to burn based on the following step counts

    Under 5000 steps corresponds to sedentary
    Under 8500 steps corresponds loosely to lightly active
    Under 12500 to active
    Over 15500 you're starting to exceed the very active setting on mfp

    These counts are fairly loose and a step in place doesn't quite spend the same calories as an actual step that moves you along and so it should trick Fitbit to showing a larger than actual burn. But they should be in the ballpark.

    If your numbers are too far off I would look into verifying that I've entered my information correctly into Fitbit in terms of heights age weight stride length etc I would also verified that the heart rate monitoring is showing something relatively speaking correct
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,900 Member
    edited August 2016
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    All this counts AT midnight.

    Because Fitbit doesn't add in your base calories for being alive until after they have been burned whereas MFP assumes in the morning that you will live till midnight

    ETA: Fitbit is showing your activity related plus BMR calories as spent after they have been burned whereas Mfp assumes you will burn your stated activity level to end of day.
  • SophieSmall95
    SophieSmall95 Posts: 233 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    All this counts AT midnight.

    Because Fitbit doesn't add in your base calories for being alive until the very end of the day whereas MFP assumes in the morning that you will live till midnight

    Hahaha. Such a funny way to put it! Thanks for the laugh.
  • FLBeachluvr
    FLBeachluvr Posts: 110 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    If you set mfp to not lose any weight the total calories for the day should correspond fairly closely with the total calories your Fitbit estimates you to burn based on the following step counts

    Under 5000 steps corresponds to sedentary
    Under 8500 steps corresponds loosely to lightly active
    Under 12500 to active
    Over 15500 you're starting to exceed the very active setting on mfp

    These counts are fairly loose and a step in place doesn't quite spend the same calories as an actual step that moves you along and so it should trick Fitbit to showing a larger than actual burn. But they should be in the ballpark.

    If your numbers are too far off I would look into verifying that I've entered my information correctly into Fitbit in terms of heights age weight stride length etc I would also verified that the heart rate monitoring is showing something relatively speaking correct

    I do have it set in MFP as sedentary as I average around 5826 steps per day. Everything is entered correctly into Fitbit and the heart rate shows a resting rate of 61.

    I just tried setting MFP to maintain weight and it would have me eating 1530 so maybe that is correct.

    Just seems like I'm struggling everyday to get even a 250 calorie deficit even with exercise. :/

  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,900 Member
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    keharty wrote: »
    Just seems like I'm struggling everyday to get even a 250 calorie deficit even with exercise. :/

    Workouts are quite good and you get your heart rate going. However a half hour walk before work at what you would judge to be a fast pace, followed by a half hour walk during lunch, and a half hour walk before or after dinner would move your step count closer to 10000.

    Such an increase in activity might make your deficit more easy to tolerate
  • FLBeachluvr
    FLBeachluvr Posts: 110 Member
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    PAV8888 wrote: »
    keharty wrote: »
    Just seems like I'm struggling everyday to get even a 250 calorie deficit even with exercise. :/

    Workouts are quite good and you get your heart rate going. However a half hour walk before work at what you would judge to be a fast pace, followed by a half hour walk during lunch, and a half hour walk before or after dinner would move your step count closer to 10000.

    Such an increase in activity might make your deficit more easy to tolerate

    No can do on the walk before work as I already get up at 5:45 am. Right now walks at lunch are also out as I live in Central Florida and there's no way I can walk in my work clothes when the heat index is 105. My co-workers probably wouldn't appreciate the smell when I got back. At least for now I'm stuck walking around inside the office while my co-workers are at lunch and then exercising after work.
  • JustMissTracy
    JustMissTracy Posts: 6,338 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I'm 5'2, 47 years old; I haven't worked out today, and only left my house for a half hour...and I've burned 1446 so far...I'd say maybe your Charge isn't synching properly, maybe?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Can you go for a walk outside after work? Don't come home until you've reached at least 10,000 steps :wink:
    5800 steps would definitely put you at sedentary level. I don't start getting positive adjustments on mfp until i hit around 3500 steps, or something close to that. I have the fitbit Alta.
  • FLBeachluvr
    FLBeachluvr Posts: 110 Member
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    Can you go for a walk outside after work? Don't come home until you've reached at least 10,000 steps :wink:
    5800 steps would definitely put you at sedentary level. I don't start getting positive adjustments on mfp until i hit around 3500 steps, or something close to that. I have the fitbit Alta.

    Right now it's just too hot to walk outside unless I go after dark. We are having a blistering summer here in Central Florida. I'm mainly walking on the treadmill in my nice, air conditioned gym. On the weekends I get up early and go for a bike ride before it gets unbearably hot.

    Another thing I just noticed, in looking back at my calories burned before I got my new Fitbit (I had a Flex but wasn't wearing it) the dashboard shows 1261 calories burned so that must be the base it's giving me (BMR).

    Guess I'll just keep plugging away...

    P.S. Being post-menopausal isn't helping with losing weight either ;)



  • MiMi_5151
    MiMi_5151 Posts: 41 Member
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    52 yrs old, 5'6", 187 lbs. I averaged 15,000 steps and 2800 calories burned daily on my last weekly progress report from Fitbit.

    I've been getting 5000 steps before leaving for work ;) Most weekdays, I get up at 4am and do a 25 min T25 Alpha workout and then get breakfast/lunch/backpacks ready for 3 kids and we're out the door at 7am. I'm on my feet a lot at work (veterinarian). I go home, get dinner/evening chores done, then take the dog for a 3 mile walk. I'm in central Texas so the heat index has been 100-105F for the past several weeks. I just wait until the sun is low in the sky before heading out. The heat index may still be 100, but at least I'm not in direct sunlight. I come home a sweaty mess, take a cool shower, then relax during what's left of the evening.
  • FLBeachluvr
    FLBeachluvr Posts: 110 Member
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    MiMi_5151 wrote: »
    52 yrs old, 5'6", 187 lbs. I averaged 15,000 steps and 2800 calories burned daily on my last weekly progress report from Fitbit.

    I've been getting 5000 steps before leaving for work ;) Most weekdays, I get up at 4am and do a 25 min T25 Alpha workout and then get breakfast/lunch/backpacks ready for 3 kids and we're out the door at 7am. I'm on my feet a lot at work (veterinarian). I go home, get dinner/evening chores done, then take the dog for a 3 mile walk. I'm in central Texas so the heat index has been 100-105F for the past several weeks. I just wait until the sun is low in the sky before heading out. The heat index may still be 100, but at least I'm not in direct sunlight. I come home a sweaty mess, take a cool shower, then relax during what's left of the evening.

    Holy cow! You are a better woman than me lol. I struggle with getting up at 5:45. Going out when the sun is low is a must in our kind of heat. How many hours of sleep do you get with getting up so early? I'm tired everyday with getting around 7 hours.
  • MiMi_5151
    MiMi_5151 Posts: 41 Member
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    How many hours of sleep do you get with getting up so early?

    Weeknights - about 6 hours, if I'm lucky. However, I will get 10-11 hours on the weekends and will not turn down any opportunity for a nap.
  • FLBeachluvr
    FLBeachluvr Posts: 110 Member
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    MiMi_5151 wrote: »
    How many hours of sleep do you get with getting up so early?

    Weeknights - about 6 hours, if I'm lucky. However, I will get 10-11 hours on the weekends and will not turn down any opportunity for a nap.

    Ha! I wish I could sleep in on the weekends but I'm usually up around 6:30 and can't nap. My kids are all grown though.

  • MidlifeMe
    MidlifeMe Posts: 4 Member
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    May I just comment - it sucks getting older! Actually, at 45 I do enjoy life. But the declining calorie burn is a real bummer! Your post caught my eye because I had just about the same day as you with just over 1400 calories burned. The two things I've found that really up the calorie burn are weight training and HIIT classes. Walking is nice and clears my head, but the calorie burn is pretty low. HIIT classes are hard, but short and way more calories burned in the time. You might even sleep until 6:00. :)
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,900 Member
    edited August 2016
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    keharty wrote: »
    Another thing I just noticed, in looking back at my calories burned before I got my new Fitbit (I had a Flex but wasn't wearing it) the dashboard shows 1261 calories burned so that must be the base it's giving me (BMR).

    Fitbit assigns BMR to each five minute period in a day. Then senses movement and increments your five minute period by a factor that accounts for the movement sensed and/or the heart rate if it has switched to "activity mode" (or at least that's what I believe based on observation and online sources... it's not like Fitbit took a front page ad to disclose what they do

    So, at midnight, your TDEE per Fitbit will equal your BMR plus whatever activity it detected.
    MFP at sedentary assigns you BMR calories x 1.25. It increases those by whatever exercise you choose to log in MFP.

    When you have your Fitbit and MFP accounts connected, final daily adjustment happens at midnight and the values I described above are compared to each other.

    An adjustment either just up, or both up and down if negative calories are enabled, takes place at midnight based on whether Fitbit thought you spent more or less calories than MFP did.

    Adjustments you see before midnight are subject to change as the day continues because MFP assumes that every remaining minute of the day you will spend at least BMR x 1.25, whereas Fitbit will only give you BMR x 1.0 if you fall asleep, or watch TV without engaging in any movement.

    The factors (depending on your MFP activity settings) are: 1.25 sedentary, 1.4 lightly active, 1.6 active, 1.8 very active.
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
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    What time is this at? If it's 9pm, you still have 3 hours left and can expect to burn 200 more calories for a total burn of 1600. If it's 6pm, you still have 6 hours left and can expect to burn 1467 more calories for a total of 1867. (These are very crude projections based on the 1400 calorie total for the hours already past.)