Trusting Fitbit numbers and calories
jessi1199
Posts: 25 Member
I've been using fitbit off and on for a few years now. I can't say I've lost much weight, but I also can't blame that on fitbit (it's totally me and my lack of effort/motivation!). However, I do often wonder about totally trusting it's numbers, especially with strength workouts. I have the Blaze and I love that I can record a workout, even if it's not running or walking. However, I feel like I'm getting a ton of extra calories lately. Even with just regular activity sometimes I feel more is being added lately. I am set to lightly active and I feel like I used to be about even with calories if I hit 5,000-ish steps. Now, I will get 200-300 extra calories just from a day of 5,500 steps or so. And a 30-min. strength workout will get me another 250 cals...doesn't seem right for me to have earned 500-600 extra cals just from slight, basic daily activity and one half an hour strength routine. Trust me, I'm not one to not want to eat the cals, either!! LOL. I'm thinking about disconnecting the fitbit from MFP for a bit to see what the results are...just going with lightly active calories plus manually entering my exercise. BUT, every time I see people say to do that I think, "well, then, what in the world is the point of having a fitbit?!" If I can't trust the numbers, what is the purpose? I don't really know what my question is, here, but just kind of venting and wondering out loud if I should give it a break for a while. I do get really interested in the numbers, but it hasn't really motivated me or given me great results, either (although, again, that is not fitbit's fault).
Thoughts? What set up do you use with fitbit to get the best results? Connected to MFP or no? Maybe I shouldn't use it for strength workouts? Right now I am running a couple times per week and doing 21 day fix workouts 2-3 days per week. I feel like Blaze should be able to track both of those with accurate cals, but maybe that's too much to hope for...
Thoughts? What set up do you use with fitbit to get the best results? Connected to MFP or no? Maybe I shouldn't use it for strength workouts? Right now I am running a couple times per week and doing 21 day fix workouts 2-3 days per week. I feel like Blaze should be able to track both of those with accurate cals, but maybe that's too much to hope for...
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I have my fitbit connected to MFP but I have my activity level set to sedentary as the job of the fitbit is to track all my movements so I let it do its job.
I use it for tracking all my workouts....weight lifting included. Yesterday it gave me 30 calories for a quick session.
I am losing steadily as long as I log accurately based on the activity calories from my fitbit....for example I have lost 4lbs in the last month and based on the numbers it's bang on.1 -
Thank you! I thought about changing my level to sedentary. I don't really think that should matter since the overall number of calories shouldn't change. Basically I feel like lightly active is a good description of my level and I shouldn't be getting many extra calories, if any, on days with only 5,000-6,000 steps. I could be wrong, but I think I remember when I first got fitbit that it was about even at around 5,000 steps and level set to lightly active. I only got a positive adjustment with an exercise session on top of that. Good to know it's accurate for you!0
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Correct - the activity level setting on MFP has no bearing on the end of day eating goal, based on total burned.
You are correct that Strength training should be entered as Weights on Fitbit for accuracy - by HR is totally wrong use of formula. 500 per hour is badly inflated, as expected.
But, if this is 30 min for 3 x weekly - probably no big deal in the scheme of your otherwise active day.
If 30 min 6 x weekly, or longer - and not really that active otherwise - then not so good for inflation.
HR-based formula for calorie burn is only best chance of accuracy (not that it's accurate for other reasons potentially) for steady-state aerobic exercise, same HR for 2-4 min.
As you move from that intended use to anaerobic and HR bouncing all over, you start losing accuracy.
So just have to decide where the 21-day fix falls in that range.
Others manually log on Fitbit - for better use of database calorie calculations.
Weights is heavy for you, sets and reps 5-15 and rests 2-4 min long.
Circuit training is reps 15 up usually, and rests up to 2 min long or shorter, different lift to lift.
Calisthenics is usually 20 reps, rests up to 1 min, usually body weight for those reasons.0 -
Thanks, heybales! That is helpful information. I had heard that about weight training. Like you said, though, I'm only doing it 3 times per week, so it's probably not making that big a difference. I'm really just generally concerned about the calories fitbit gives me...BUT I really need to be very committed to trusting the numbers for a period of time before making this judgement. Ha!
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