Fitbit calorie confusion

troodle_doodle
troodle_doodle Posts: 13 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I'm a smart person, why can't I figure this out?!!

I have a Fitbit Charge 2, have had it since last December. And for the whole time I've been ignoring its calorie estimation for me and going by MFP instead. But here's the problem: the Fitbit consistently tells me that I've burned more calories than MFP, and so by sticking with MFP, instead of trusting my Fitbit's accuracy, I've continued to drop weight, when I'm supposed to be maintaining. I need this to stop, I'm getting too skinny.

But I cannot work out how you use the Fitbit to eat accurately throughout the day, when the way it works is that it won't be until midnight that my total days calories are accurately calculated. With me so far? If it gets to late evening, how do I know if I can or should eat? How do I know I'm matching the numbers, when they aren't showing up in entirety until the end of that day?

Maybe I'm making this too complicated, but I need to figure this out, because I like a fair amount of accuracy, and this is the whole point in me using MFP and Fitbit, so I get the CICO balance right.

Replies

  • troodle_doodle
    troodle_doodle Posts: 13 Member
    That's kinda clever!
  • Fflpnari
    Fflpnari Posts: 975 Member
    With my fitbit, I go and look at last weeks average. I don't change calories daily. I average 2000 intake and I go by weekly output average. Eating the same daily keeps my hunger in check
  • capaul42
    capaul42 Posts: 1,390 Member
    I sync regularly through the day and find I have at most an extra 50 calories not accounted for. Usually I'm within 20 or so.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Just take what you've been losing per week, multiple by 500, and add that number to your average daily intake.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Go to your Fitbit dashboard and look at the 'calories left' number (not the 'in/out' thing, that's completely useless). That one takes into account whatever you'll burn the rest of the day if you're not doing anything. It's been 100% accurate for me, as opposed to MFP.

    That way if it's getting late and it says '200 calories' left, you know you can safely have a snack (you NEVER 'lose' calories unless you eat something).

  • CaffeineAngel
    CaffeineAngel Posts: 17 Member
    It's pretty confusing. I've been trying to work out my maintenance calories for a long time and not really been successful. Once any DOMs-related water retention went away (I started lifting free weights as opposed to gym machines) I started to realise I was getting a bit on the skinny side, not to mention over all a bit tired and prone to want to "eat all the things!" randomly.

    I had originally set up a target of 2000 cals/ day - most women burn that in a day. Turns out that was a bit on the low side clearly. I've somewhat resolved to eat/ weigh everything I eat at 2000 cals, but won't deny myself a glass of wine or snack if I feel hungry that day and it seems to be working.

    I honestly don't know what to say lol. For myself I wind up walking around 2 hours a day, go to the gym 3-4 times a week, work four days a week and otherwise just do general everyday things. I don't really see how I could burn more than 2000 cals/ day doing that (33 y/o, 5'6 and 120ish ibs. Female) and my Fitbit one informs me I burn around 2300-2400 cals/ day. MFP tends to estimate armound 2100-2150. The conclusion I came to is that Fitbit was likely more accurate than MFP, which I hadn't expected.

    As said, I just resolved to keep weighing food where I can, aim for 2000 cals as it means I have a calorie buffer if on gym days or going out I feel like having a bit extra. It just gave me a headache thinking any more into it.

    If anyone wants to point out walking 2 hours a day, plus work plus gym might burn more than 2k cals - yeah fair enough. Usually I just find that estimates are indeed estimates and vary too much to be reliable (as I'm on the smaller side, it was suggested somewhere I'll burn as little as 30 cals/ mile, others more than double that. Couldn't care less - walking with an iphone playing an audio book or music is my stress relief time), so I'll stick with what works.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    My Fitbit Charge 2 thinks I burn 2100-2700 cals/day. Granted I've been fairly active (I've only had it for 3 weeks), e.g he 2700 cals day included a 3 mile run and 2 hrs of walking (22k steps total for the day) but still, based on what my weight is doing it seems like I probably burn 1800-2000/day. (44y/o female, 5'7", 131 lbs.)
  • ChelzFit
    ChelzFit Posts: 292 Member
    macchiatto wrote: »
    My Fitbit Charge 2 thinks I burn 2100-2700 cals/day. Granted I've been fairly active (I've only had it for 3 weeks), e.g he 2700 cals day included a 3 mile run and 2 hrs of walking (22k steps total for the day) but still, based on what my weight is doing it seems like I probably burn 1800-2000/day. (44y/o female, 5'7", 131 lbs.)
    I am same height/weight as you, 34 years old and mine says I burn anywhere from 2,400-2,500 a day so that is probably right for you. I only get about 10,000 steps a day and workout out 4 days a week. I maintain on this many calories.
  • macchiatto
    macchiatto Posts: 2,890 Member
    ChelzFit wrote: »
    macchiatto wrote: »
    My Fitbit Charge 2 thinks I burn 2100-2700 cals/day. Granted I've been fairly active (I've only had it for 3 weeks), e.g he 2700 cals day included a 3 mile run and 2 hrs of walking (22k steps total for the day) but still, based on what my weight is doing it seems like I probably burn 1800-2000/day. (44y/o female, 5'7", 131 lbs.)
    I am same height/weight as you, 34 years old and mine says I burn anywhere from 2,400-2,500 a day so that is probably right for you. I only get about 10,000 steps a day and workout out 4 days a week. I maintain on this many calories.

    Thanks! We'll see what my weight does over time. I think if it were accurate, I would be seeing more of a loss at this point; I've only lost 1.2 lbs over the past 3 weeks and I've averaged around 1700 calories/day. (Though I know weight loss is not linear.)

    And I just noticed my typo; I'm 40, not 44! (I will be 41 next month. I don't need to prematurely age myself any more than that. ;) )
  • troodle_doodle
    troodle_doodle Posts: 13 Member
    Thanks so much, everyone!! I think if you do a lot of resistance training, calorie estimation based on your height/weight/age/sex isn't going to be accurate. I've done a TDEE calculation based on my body fat % and that seems higher, but obviously still not high enough, since I'm getting thinner & thinner.
  • lemonychild
    lemonychild Posts: 654 Member
    since December? then you should have a trend. I know that if i hit 12k a day i burn 2500 its consistent almost to the t every day. if i walk more, i eat more
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    macchiatto wrote: »
    My Fitbit Charge 2 thinks I burn 2100-2700 cals/day. Granted I've been fairly active (I've only had it for 3 weeks), e.g he 2700 cals day included a 3 mile run and 2 hrs of walking (22k steps total for the day) but still, based on what my weight is doing it seems like I probably burn 1800-2000/day. (44y/o female, 5'7", 131 lbs.)

    Sounds about right to me. I'm 5'5", 140 lbs, 39yo, and I'd burn 2500 too with 22k steps (but I don't run).

    I've had my Fitbit Charge 2 for 4 months and it seems accurate for me at least (but I also weigh and log 95% of what I eat, and otherwise overestimate, so I know that my logging is pretty accurate too).

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