confused about fitbit

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angelb1983
angelb1983 Posts: 160 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have been working my butt off all week and lost only 1 pound...which I guess is ok, but I prefer 2 pounds. Anyway, does anyone have a fitbit? If so, do you eat close to what it tells you or do you try set yourself lower? This is what confuses me. Sometimes fitbit says to eat 2000+ calories based on my activity level. I always try to keep it below 1800. Should I be eating close to fitbits suggestion or set myself to specific calories?

I know there will be a group of people that think you have to eat super low in calories, I know that isn't true in my case. I have lost weight before by eating between 1700 and 2000 but that was before I had a fitbit. Years ago I set myself to BMR and just added the MFP's estimate when I jogged. It worked great and I dropped weight without a problem. I don't know if Im setting myself too low now out of fear that if I actually eat what fitbit says I will not lose or if the 5-ish years from then to now really make that big of a difference in how quickly you lose. I was probably in upper 20's when I lost easily and now Im almost 34.

Anyway, I guess my question is, can you trust fitbit transferring calories to MFP. Can I eat all or mostly all of those and still lose? Like I said, I have lost before by eating quite a few calories but 1) I was younger and 2) I didn't have a fitbit then so I just guessed.

Would love to hear from people that use their fitbit regularly and have experience with trial and error. Thank you all so much!!

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    The numbers are estimates and results will vary by person. Your best bet is to eat what Fitbit is telling you to eat for a month and then adjust based on results.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    It totally depends on how accurate you are with your logging too.
  • angelb1983
    angelb1983 Posts: 160 Member
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    thank you jemhh. I will try to get the bravery to eat that many calories at least for a week, Im not sure I have the nerve to eat that much for a month...unless Im seeing losses.
  • InkAndApples
    InkAndApples Posts: 201 Member
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    I eat all the calories my Fitbit gives me and only lose slightly below schedule (0.9lbs per week rather than 1lb on average) but that could quote easily be due to logging errors and overall I'm happy with that for a simple life.

    All you can do is try it out and base any adjustments on real data - I use a trending weight app and weigh daily to iron out fluctuations.
  • angelb1983
    angelb1983 Posts: 160 Member
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    Very true Francl27. This becomes more difficult when eating out. I have been doing so much better not eating out though. I also know I should probably be measuring more too. I tend to just try to guess. "1 cup of mashed potatoes....thats probably about a cup". For some reason that never clicked with me until now how much that may add up if Im not being exact.
  • angelb1983
    angelb1983 Posts: 160 Member
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    InkandApples, I suppose you are right. I should be happy with a one pound loss. Eating fitbit allowance does not feel restrictive and its best to eat like this while losing a little than eating very restrictive and feeling you have to binge.

    MFP is set to 1200 and it adds based on my activity level. Is that the same for you all?
  • KonaKat
    KonaKat Posts: 3,411 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I started with MFP and then got the Alta HR primarily for the purpose of monitoring my heart rate 24/7 via the graph as I have a heart issue. I just recently started using the FitBit for exercise. I have the accounts linked and go by the calories listed by MFP as it imports the exercise from FitBit.

    I have a goal set of 30 active minutes as defined by FitBit and the CDC for five days a week, but I've actually been exercising 7 days a week for the past two weeks with an average of 46 active minutes a day. I do not eat back all the calories that MFP gives me for the exercise imported from the FitBit.

    The scale this morning showed a loss of 3 pounds over the past week, MFP starts my day with 1210 and adds to it as I exercise. I use MFP to track my food and calories and the FitBit Alta HR to track exercise and heart rate activity. I don't expect the same loss next week as I can go a week or two without a loss and then lose several pounds. Overall progress is what is important.
  • InkAndApples
    InkAndApples Posts: 201 Member
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    Mine is 1200 for 1lb per week and sedantary, I prefer to let Fitbit sort out my calorie adjustment as the data has shown it works accurately for me.

    I don't feel restricted at all as most days I get 500 or so extra calories to eat, it works great for me.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Go to the Fitbit users group and read the posts about proper syncing by HeyBales so you know you have everything set up properly.

    If you've just started using your Fitbit, give it a few weeks to get to know you, but do trust the adjustment and see what your scale does.

    If you don't get scale performance as expected, you can make adjustments to your Fitbit (like fiddling with your age/height/stride length/saying you wear it on your dominant hand when you don't) that accurately reflects your calorie burn.

    I have a Charge2 and find it completely accurate.
  • mr_bob_1974
    mr_bob_1974 Posts: 14 Member
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    I also have a fitbit Charge 2 and if I ate the amount of calories it recommends, i'd be gaining weight. I feel like the amount of calories it recommends are more than I was eating before I started my fitness journey! It's crazy. I can only totally ignore it.
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
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    ​I always eat back 100% of the Fitbit Calorie adjustment in maintenance. I ate back all of them when I was losing a few pounds and had no problem netting about 1600 Cals per day to lose those pounds when I had MFP set to lose 0.5 pounds per week.

    For comparison, I am 55, 5'8", 150 lbs. and my maintenance net Calories are about 1820 at MFP Sedentary. I normally gross 2300 Calories logged for food and earn on average about a 500 Fitbit Calorie adjustment above MFP Sedentary activity level setting.

    I do use a food scale to weigh all solids, measuring cups and spoons to measure liquids, and verify all food items I log through outside web sources and Nutrition Facts labels. I trust that my Calorie Intake is pretty accurate using MFP, and I trust my Calorie Output is pretty accurate using the Fitbit Charge 2.

    I would recommend reading through the first three posts in this thread on the MFP Fitbit Users group...

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10098937/faq-syncing-logging-food-exercise-calorie-adjustments-activity-levels-accuracy

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users​
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,013 Member
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    Just wanted to add, 1 lb per week is kind of a perfect rate of loss. Weight loss isn't linear, some weeks you will lose more, some weeks you will lose less, some weeks you might even gain, even if you are always perfect. Keep on keeping on :)
  • angelb1983
    angelb1983 Posts: 160 Member
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    Thank you all for your suggestions. I'm not new with fitbit I have had one for years but Im just kinda scared to trust it. BUT....Im so excited...my home scale must be different than the weight watchers scale. I weighed in today at a weight watchers meeting and lost 2.2 pounds. Im very content with that! Weird thing is, Im not on weight watchers but I go there to hear suggestions and have them weigh me in for accountability.
    I agree one pound is great. I have no idea why sometimes I get discouraged by it.
    I will have to check a fitbit thread. I didn't know there was such thing and I even searched for stuff before making a post and couldn't find anything. Thanks again!
  • PAV8888
    PAV8888 Posts: 13,666 Member
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    Base your decisions based on your weight trend over time, NOT your day to day weight fluctuations which is all that your scale shows you EVEN if you weigh yourself once a week.

    Connect fitbit.com to trendweight.com to automatically pass your weight information to the web site. Or www.weightgrapher.com for manual entry. Libra for android. Happy scale for iphone.

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