Just got a fitbit One....don't understand calories

Krislynell
Krislynell Posts: 38 Member
edited October 2016 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all. I was using MFP for about 5 weeks, logging my food and my exercise, (walking). I was averaging about 1500 net calories a day, and i lost about 10 to 12 pounds. Because I'm pretty much on my feet at work, plus I walk about 30 to 40 minutes every other day, I had my activity set at lightly active.

Last week, I bought myself a Fitbit One, because i saw some posts about changing my activity to sedentary and letting the fitbit calories add to my mfp calories, i did that. I get about 8 to 11k steps a day between work and walking. With the fitbit added calories, I get up to 1800 calories for the day. This seems too high to me. am still confused as to what I should have my activity level set up, now that I have my fitbit linked with mfp.

Any advice is appreciated.....

Edited to add:
SW:229
CW:211.6
GW?????

Replies

  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    Make sure negative calorie adjustments are enabled in your mfp settings. I set mine to sedentary and let them fight it out.

    You might be net 1500 but eating 1800 total. The in/out dial in the fitbit app can be helpful to visualise what's going on.
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,109 Member
    I have mine set to sedentary and have negative calories enabled. It seems to be pretty accurate for me. I eat back most of my adjustment. I log food on mfp and exercise on fitbit.
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
    I don't have my synced. I enter my exercise and food in mfp and just track steps separately with the fitbit. My main goal is just to be more aware to move more with the fitbit.
  • evesmom2
    evesmom2 Posts: 231 Member
    I can't find the "negative calories enabled" I know it is there, I've seen it before, but now I can't find it
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    evesmom2 wrote: »
    I can't find the "negative calories enabled" I know it is there, I've seen it before, but now I can't find it

    If you're using a computer, it's under settings, diary settings and about half way down the page there is a checkbox for it.
  • evesmom2
    evesmom2 Posts: 231 Member
    RAinWA wrote: »
    evesmom2 wrote: »
    I can't find the "negative calories enabled" I know it is there, I've seen it before, but now I can't find it

    If you're using a computer, it's under settings, diary settings and about half way down the page there is a checkbox for it.

    Yes, I'm using a computer. But it isn't where you said it should be.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    evesmom2 wrote: »
    RAinWA wrote: »
    evesmom2 wrote: »
    I can't find the "negative calories enabled" I know it is there, I've seen it before, but now I can't find it

    If you're using a computer, it's under settings, diary settings and about half way down the page there is a checkbox for it.

    Yes, I'm using a computer. But it isn't where you said it should be.

    It's here http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,722 Member
    evesmom2 wrote: »
    RAinWA wrote: »
    evesmom2 wrote: »
    I can't find the "negative calories enabled" I know it is there, I've seen it before, but now I can't find it

    If you're using a computer, it's under settings, diary settings and about half way down the page there is a checkbox for it.

    Yes, I'm using a computer. But it isn't where you said it should be.

    It's right under where it says "Calorie Adjustments".
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    Krislynell wrote: »
    Hi all. I was using MFP for about 5 weeks, logging my food and my exercise, (walking). I was averaging about 1500 net calories a day, and i lost about 10 to 12 pounds. Because I'm pretty much on my feet at work, plus I walk about 30 to 40 minutes every other day, I had my activity set at lightly active.

    Last week, I bought myself a Fitbit One, because i saw some posts about changing my activity to sedentary and letting the fitbit calories add to my mfp calories, i did that. I get about 8 to 11k steps a day between work and walking. With the fitbit added calories, I get up to 1800 calories for the day. This seems too high to me. am still confused as to what I should have my activity level set up, now that I have my fitbit linked with mfp.

    Any advice is appreciated.....

    Edited to add:
    SW:229
    CW:211.6
    GW?????

    Why does that seem too high? If you're set to lose 1 pound/week and it's telling you to eat 1800 cals/day, that means it thinks you're burning 2300 cals/day. For someone who weighs more than 200 pounds and is walking about 10K steps/day, that sounds totally reasonable.

    (My start weight was 190. Current weight 173. I've been eating 1750 cals/day on average and losing 1.5-2 pounds/week. Which suggests to me that I'm burning 2500-2700 cals/day. I get 16K-20K steps/day.)
  • evesmom2
    evesmom2 Posts: 231 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    evesmom2 wrote: »
    RAinWA wrote: »
    evesmom2 wrote: »
    I can't find the "negative calories enabled" I know it is there, I've seen it before, but now I can't find it

    If you're using a computer, it's under settings, diary settings and about half way down the page there is a checkbox for it.

    Yes, I'm using a computer. But it isn't where you said it should be.

    It's right under where it says "Calorie Adjustments".

    It wasn't there. I had to unlink and unistall everything and start over. Now it is there and checked. weird
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Krislynell wrote: »
    Hi all. I was using MFP for about 5 weeks, logging my food and my exercise, (walking). I was averaging about 1500 net calories a day, and i lost about 10 to 12 pounds. Because I'm pretty much on my feet at work, plus I walk about 30 to 40 minutes every other day, I had my activity set at lightly active.

    Last week, I bought myself a Fitbit One, because i saw some posts about changing my activity to sedentary and letting the fitbit calories add to my mfp calories, i did that. I get about 8 to 11k steps a day between work and walking. With the fitbit added calories, I get up to 1800 calories for the day. This seems too high to me. am still confused as to what I should have my activity level set up, now that I have my fitbit linked with mfp.

    Any advice is appreciated.....

    Edited to add:
    SW:229
    CW:211.6
    GW?????

    Yes eat them, you're pretty active averaging 8-10k steps and the adjustment is based on your activity but maintains your defecit

    Personally for a couple of months I'd eat all but 100 till next day because Fitbit learns your movements over time and also extrapolates the adjustments based on what you've done so far ...so if you're active at work but a sloth at home you might find the next day the synch removes some of your calories from the previous day
  • Krislynell
    Krislynell Posts: 38 Member
    Thank you for your help. So am I correct at keeping the activity level at sedentary and letting the fitbit add calories?
  • Charlot4444
    Charlot4444 Posts: 170 Member
    I'm curious too. I have a Fitbit charge hr... And I feel it gives me a lot of calories. I'm set to sedentary. Have negative calories allowed. 1 lb a week loss. I get 1270. But Fitbit then adds 1800+ calories for me to eat. Am I really suppose to eat that total? 3070.... Seems crazy high. I weigh 160 ish get 30000+ steps (some of that Zumba)

    Sorry to highjack this OP, didn't think a brand new post was needed for a similar question. (Can pm me and tell me to get lost if you want)
  • Krislynell
    Krislynell Posts: 38 Member
    Charlot4444 wrote: »
    I'm curious too. I have a Fitbit charge hr... And I feel it gives me a lot of calories. I'm set to sedentary. Have negative calories allowed. 1 lb a week loss. I get 1270. But Fitbit then adds 1800+ calories for me to eat. Am I really suppose to eat that total? 3070.... Seems crazy high. I weigh 160 ish get 30000+ steps (some of that Zumba)

    Sorry to highjack this OP, didn't think a brand new post was needed for a similar question. (Can pm me and tell me to get lost if you want)

    I was worried about the same. After the mfp allowed amount plus what fitbit added on, I was allowed upwards of 1800 to 2000. To me, that 2000 was what I thought maintenance would be and I don't want to maintain, I want to lose! So this morning, I unlinked the fitbit and mfp. I'm going to shoot for 1600 calories plus add my walks to mfp like I used to. I might eat half of the exercise calories. I'm going to continue to wear my fitbit and shoot for 10000 steps a day but that's all I'll use it for. For now.

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