Do you have to enter exercise with a fitbit?

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Lembasts
Lembasts Posts: 5 Member
in Getting Started
Hi,
I'm new to MFP. I notice there is a section to enter exercise manually. If I am wearing a fitbit which is tied to MFP do I still have to enter exercise manually or just let the fitbit stats do the work?
Thanks
David

Replies

  • _runnerbean_
    _runnerbean_ Posts: 640 Member
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    If your exercise is walking you don't need to add it to MFP- just go by the Fitbit count. Set your mfp activity level to sedentary then use the Fitbit to add extra calories for exercise.
    If you do add an exercise manually on MFP make sure you include the time of day. E.g. If I go for a 30 min run at 5pm I might take 3000 steps. If I log it as a run on MFP starting at 5pm then MFP will disregard the Fitbit calories from 5pm to 5.30pm. If you don't do the time thing the calories can be added twice.
  • MsArriabella
    MsArriabella Posts: 469 Member
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    Personally I let Fitbit take care of it. If you do decide to log exercise manually I believe the Fitbit calories will adjust so they aren't double counted.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    Personal choice. You do not enter step based exercise because that is what fitbit is designed to track. Some people like to add other exercises manually because they want more calories to eat. If that works for you then great. Personally eating a massive amount of extra calories never worked for me so I just let Fitbit do its thing and never added extra exercise when I had them linked and was satisfied with the amount it gave me.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Anything that's not step-based (ie swimming or strength training) should be entered manually, then FitBit will adjust whatever calories MFP gives you.
  • winejunky143
    winejunky143 Posts: 153 Member
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    I use MFP to input my food then check my fitbit to see if I've eaten enough considering the exercise I've done. Usually my fitbit picks up all my activity but it doesn't recognize when I do Insanity so I enter that into MFP and put what time I'm going to start and how long I'll be doing the exercise and then fitbit knows to track that excercise. I watch my macros using MFP but as far as calories go I pay more attention to fitbit to see if I'm over or under budget.
  • AFGP11
    AFGP11 Posts: 142 Member
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    I log my strength training but not my running. I think it gives too many calories for exercise either way though just like MFP. I never eat back strength training calories because I don't trust it.
  • Lembasts
    Lembasts Posts: 5 Member
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    Thanks - The other exercise I do is 1) cardio on a stationary bike, 2) weights and 3) Yoga
    Fitbit already calculates the calories so what would I enter if I entered these manually please?
    Thanks
    David
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    You would enter nothing.

    Make a wall post on your MFP account if you want your friends list to see your workouts, give more details than available by merely logging a workout.

    Don't log manually on MFP or Fitbit.

    Unless you do a whole lot of time with heavy for you lifting - then manually log it on Fitbit.
    It's small compared to cardio, but that's correct.

    Neither step-based nor HR-based calorie burn is going to be correct for strength training (or intervals).
    But if it's a small % of your daily calories, the inaccuracy doesn't amount to much.
    If you are otherwise a lump on a log all day except for 90 min of lifting - then it's more meaningful.

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