Active + steps stacking?

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.

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.

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.