Active + steps stacking?

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matt_lax10
matt_lax10 Posts: 2 Member
edited August 2017 in Getting Started
Hey, I'm new here. I am wondering if calories from my fit bit activity and the extra calories for activity level (active) are stacking? I am set to lose 1lb a week, but I'm always close to 1,500 under for the day. I get around 15k to 20k steps a day, but that's while at work. Not an extra activity. I'm just wondering how accurate my allowed calories are. Thanks!

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  • Jdaiiz
    Jdaiiz Posts: 6 Member
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    I get this too! I just try to get up to the original goal of 1,200 as best as I can, and assume the extra is if your body is telling you that you need more or as a bonus to help loss if you don't need more. Hope that makes sense xD
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
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    matt_lax10 wrote: »
    Hey, I'm new here. I am wondering if calories from my fit bit activity and the extra calories for activity level (active) are stacking? I am set to lose 1lb a week, but I'm always close to 1,500 under for the day. I get around 15k to 20k steps a day, but that's while at work. Not an extra activity. I'm just wondering how accurate my allowed calories are. Thanks!

    A few thoughts:

    I used a fibit one for several years and found it to be pretty accurate (calories determined by fitbit and logging in MFP resulted in expected weight loss, so that is why I considered it pretty accurate).

    Some of the newer HR model activity trackers are giving way more calories for the same types of exercises than the soley step based models, so if you are using one of those you may be looking at inflated numbers.

    As long as you have your MFP and fitbit accounts both set for the same weight loss goal/ week then it seems to sync calories between them well. Make sure if you log any exercises in MFP that you put the correct start time for it or else that may end up double counted.

  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,012 Member
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    Yeah, Fitbit will only adjust your calories for activity that takes you above and beyond your activity setting. I log food on MFP and exercise on Fitbit (and I only log the activity if it wasn't step based) and it seems to work fine for me. As the previous poster mentioned, make sure your goals and activity setting are the same on both apps.

    I know some people say their Fitbits were not at all accurate, but mine has worked really well for me. The real test will be your rate of loss over 4-6 weeks. If you are losing quicker than expected, eat back more calories or vice versa. Good luck!
  • Polo265
    Polo265 Posts: 287 Member
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    I have both Fitbit and MFP set to sedentary. I don't manually log any extra activity and allow MFP to import all of my step based activity. Throughout the day, I get extra eating calories from my step based activity, which I generally eat.
  • matt_lax10
    matt_lax10 Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks for all the replies, I did experiment a little, and it does look like it holds off adding any extra calories for me until I hit around 10,000 steps. In case anyone was wondering
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    What you'll discover with having MFP set to what would otherwise be a correct activity level, is in the evening when you stop moving, hit the couch and/or bed time.

    MFP is still counting on you burning at the same rate as all day long. But of course you aren't.

    So if you meet your calorie goal at say 9 pm - those final 3 hours at a high burn rate will be corrected upon the first Fitbit sync the next morning - and Fitbit correctly shows it as BMR level burn.

    So for 3 hours your burn rate was 1.4 or 1.6 higher than reality.

    You'll find yourself in the red the next morning when you review the prior day.

    So 2 ways - that amount of difference doesn't change if you stop moving about the same time - so just plan on leaving that much in the green when you hit your final goal amount. You'll be closer the next morning.

    Or, change the MFP activity level to Sedentary and MFP will still correct itself and the end of day eating goal will be the same - and if your daily burn is about the same amount it won't matter that you have big adjustments during the day, you'll know where they end up.

    Or third option I suppose - hit your goal at midnight.

    Also - recommend that if you are manually logging a workout - do it on Fitbit, it's database usage is better and while they pared it down in size, they have more intensity options available for most used items.
    Stuff the Fitbit will get wrong for calorie burn using HR-based or step-based calorie burn - like lifting or intervals or swimming - that type of thing.

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