Does Fitbit steps count?
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striving4_success
Posts: 12 Member
So just a little back story. I gained 57 pounds when I had my son last year March. I lost 30 of it but got pregnant 8 months later and I just had my daughter in August. I'm now 50 pounds heavier and I'm ready to get rid of it. I'm not cleared to exercise yet but I've been going for walks every now and then. I have my Fitbit linked to mfb and I have my activity set to sedentary since I'm still on maternity leave. However on the days I walk over 10,000 steps, my exercise calories are up to 900 calories. My goal is already at 1950 to allot for breastfeeding but an extra 800-900 seems like a lot , so I'm not sure if I'm supposed to count that or not. Anyone else experience this? Any advice?
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Replies
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From what I've read on here that varies a lot by person and how active they have MFP set to (I think, but I could be wrong on the last bit, I'm sure someone will come along and tell me if I am!). The advice I've seen given most often is that MFP's calorie estimates for exercise are high for a lot of people. A lot of people eat back half of what MFP says with good results.
The only way to find out how accurate they are for you is to decide how much you're going to eat back every day, eat them back, and track the results for a couple months.
If your deficit is 1 pound a week and in two months you've lost 16 pounds eating half, try eating all of them. If you're maintaining don't eat any of them. If you're losing 8 pounds in two months you're eating exact the right amount. (Almost got my math wrong, I think it is right now)
Just be patient, keep going, and track the data. You'll need to adjust as time goes by, and weight loss is a marathon, not a sprint.
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And congratulations on your babies.2
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800 or 900 for 10,000 steps seems like a lot, but I know to some extent it depends on weight, height, and age.
You are supposed to eat back your Fitbit calories.
And before you get people telling you how inaccurate Fitbits are, there are plenty of us who find them to be quite accurate.
The only way to know for sure is to start out with maybe eating say three-fourths of the calories back and seeing how your weight loss progresses.
Normally, I'd recommend eating half, but since you're a new mom and breastfeeding, I think you should err on the side of caution so as not to endanger your milk supply or tax your energy levels.
If the scale doesn't move, eat less and try adjusting your stride length or switching your settings so you say that you wear your fitbit on your dominant hand. If you lose weight too quickly eating 3/4 of your calories, eat them all back.9 -
I've found my Fitbit to be pretty accurate. Before I had one I was losing two pounds a week even though I thought my deficit was for a pound. Once I got my fit bit the calorie and step estimates seemed to match what I was actually experiencing. I do take it with a grain of salt and assume my steps are actually less 200 to 500 a day since I've noticed it'll sometimes count random movement as steps.2
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I've found that my Fitbit counting incidental movement as steps doesn't really matter because it doesn't give me a corresponding calorie burn for those "steps" that would equate to anything meaningful.
Sure, it's extra step count if you're in a challenge with friends, but it's not adding anything to your calorie allowance, and to me, that's the important thing.6 -
I get between 450-650 calories from Fitbit steps. I usually do 12,000 - 16,000 steps. I eat back most of them and I'm losing.3
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GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »800 or 900 for 10,000 steps seems like a lot, but I know to some extent it depends on weight, height, and age.
You are supposed to eat back your Fitbit calories.
And before you get people telling you how inaccurate Fitbits are, there are plenty of us who find them to be quite accurate.
The only way to know for sure is to start out with maybe eating say three-fourths of the calories back and seeing how your weight loss progresses.
Normally, I'd recommend eating half, but since you're a new mom and breastfeeding, I think you should err on the side of caution so as not to endanger your milk supply or tax your energy levels.
If the scale doesn't move, eat less and try adjusting your stride length or switching your settings so you say that you wear your fitbit on your dominant hand. If you lose weight too quickly eating 3/4 of your calories, eat them all back.
^ This exactly. Especially the bolded part2 -
Thank you all!1
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I have MFP set to sedentary, and then let it add on the fitbit steps. I just checked what it added on for exercise for today, I have 13k steps and it has added on 549 calories.
I eat back very few of the exercise calories because it starts me off at 1200 for the day, and my basic level without exercise is only 1440, with an aim to loose 1- 2 lbs a week, so if I ate them all back it would still be a rather small deficit.0 -
I have MFP set to sedentary, and then let it add on the fitbit steps. I just checked what it added on for exercise for today, I have 13k steps and it has added on 549 calories.
I eat back very few of the exercise calories because it starts me off at 1200 for the day, and my basic level without exercise is only 1440, with an aim to loose 1- 2 lbs a week, so if I ate them all back it would still be a rather small deficit.
@tess5036 If your exercise calories are accurate... You can eat them ALL back and still end up at a NET of 1200 calories. Eating back your exercise calories is not eating extra per se, it's putting you back at 1200 calories.
For example- Your goal is 1200 calories, you exercise and burn 500 calories which now puts you at 700 net calories for the day. Eating back those 500 cals will put you back at 1200 calories at the end of the day.4 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I have MFP set to sedentary, and then let it add on the fitbit steps. I just checked what it added on for exercise for today, I have 13k steps and it has added on 549 calories.
I eat back very few of the exercise calories because it starts me off at 1200 for the day, and my basic level without exercise is only 1440, with an aim to loose 1- 2 lbs a week, so if I ate them all back it would still be a rather small deficit.
@tess5036 If your exercise calories are accurate... You can eat them ALL back and still end up at a NET of 1200 calories. Eating back your exercise calories is not eating extra per se, it's putting you back at 1200 calories.
For example- Your goal is 1200 calories, you exercise and burn 500 calories which now puts you at 700 net calories for the day. Eating back those 500 cals will put you back at 1200 calories at the end of the day.
Thank you for your reply. However, this is my logic.....MFP starts me off at 1200 calories for the day as a minimum. As my BMR is only 1440, that would only give me a deficit of 220 a day, which is below even a 1lb a week loss. I would like a larger deficit than this, as I still have a lot to loose (started 250 ish, now 192). I am to keep the deficit at about 750 - 1, 000. I do this by only eating a small proportion of my exercise back. If I ate it all back, then the deficit would remain at 240 calories per day.
I do value your input, do if you have further thoughts I would be happy to hear them and them on board.1 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I have MFP set to sedentary, and then let it add on the fitbit steps. I just checked what it added on for exercise for today, I have 13k steps and it has added on 549 calories.
I eat back very few of the exercise calories because it starts me off at 1200 for the day, and my basic level without exercise is only 1440, with an aim to loose 1- 2 lbs a week, so if I ate them all back it would still be a rather small deficit.
@tess5036 If your exercise calories are accurate... You can eat them ALL back and still end up at a NET of 1200 calories. Eating back your exercise calories is not eating extra per se, it's putting you back at 1200 calories.
For example- Your goal is 1200 calories, you exercise and burn 500 calories which now puts you at 700 net calories for the day. Eating back those 500 cals will put you back at 1200 calories at the end of the day.
Thank you for your reply. However, this is my logic.....MFP starts me off at 1200 calories for the day as a minimum. As my BMR is only 1440, that would only give me a deficit of 220 a day, which is below even a 1lb a week loss. I would like a larger deficit than this, as I still have a lot to loose (started 250 ish, now 192). I am to keep the deficit at about 750 - 1, 000. I do this by only eating a small proportion of my exercise back. If I ate it all back, then the deficit would remain at 240 calories per day.
I do value you input, do if you have further thoughts I would be happy to hear them and them on board.
A lot of this depends on your current weight. A deficit of 750-1,000 isn't healthy and sustainable for everyone.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I have MFP set to sedentary, and then let it add on the fitbit steps. I just checked what it added on for exercise for today, I have 13k steps and it has added on 549 calories.
I eat back very few of the exercise calories because it starts me off at 1200 for the day, and my basic level without exercise is only 1440, with an aim to loose 1- 2 lbs a week, so if I ate them all back it would still be a rather small deficit.
@tess5036 If your exercise calories are accurate... You can eat them ALL back and still end up at a NET of 1200 calories. Eating back your exercise calories is not eating extra per se, it's putting you back at 1200 calories.
For example- Your goal is 1200 calories, you exercise and burn 500 calories which now puts you at 700 net calories for the day. Eating back those 500 cals will put you back at 1200 calories at the end of the day.
Thank you for your reply. However, this is my logic.....MFP starts me off at 1200 calories for the day as a minimum. As my BMR is only 1440, that would only give me a deficit of 220 a day, which is below even a 1lb a week loss. I would like a larger deficit than this, as I still have a lot to loose (started 250 ish, now 192). I am to keep the deficit at about 750 - 1, 000. I do this by only eating a small proportion of my exercise back. If I ate it all back, then the deficit would remain at 240 calories per day.
I do value you input, do if you have further thoughts I would be happy to hear them and them on board.
A lot of this depends on your current weight. A deficit of 750-1,000 isn't healthy and sustainable for everyone.
I completely agree, with the level of weight I have to loose this seems to be ok, as it leads to about 1.5- 2 a week, as my weigh decreases I will also decrease the deficit to aim for a lower loss per week (targeting 1% of body weight).1 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I have MFP set to sedentary, and then let it add on the fitbit steps. I just checked what it added on for exercise for today, I have 13k steps and it has added on 549 calories.
I eat back very few of the exercise calories because it starts me off at 1200 for the day, and my basic level without exercise is only 1440, with an aim to loose 1- 2 lbs a week, so if I ate them all back it would still be a rather small deficit.
@tess5036 If your exercise calories are accurate... You can eat them ALL back and still end up at a NET of 1200 calories. Eating back your exercise calories is not eating extra per se, it's putting you back at 1200 calories.
For example- Your goal is 1200 calories, you exercise and burn 500 calories which now puts you at 700 net calories for the day. Eating back those 500 cals will put you back at 1200 calories at the end of the day.
Thank you for your reply. However, this is my logic.....MFP starts me off at 1200 calories for the day as a minimum. As my BMR is only 1440, that would only give me a deficit of 220 a day, which is below even a 1lb a week loss. I would like a larger deficit than this, as I still have a lot to loose (started 250 ish, now 192). I am to keep the deficit at about 750 - 1, 000. I do this by only eating a small proportion of my exercise back. If I ate it all back, then the deficit would remain at 240 calories per day.
I do value your input, do if you have further thoughts I would be happy to hear them and them on board.
Your deficit should be calculated from your tdee, not bmr. BMR is the calories you would burn in a coma. If you get up and move around all day, your deficit is well more than 240.5 -
Christine_72 wrote: »I have MFP set to sedentary, and then let it add on the fitbit steps. I just checked what it added on for exercise for today, I have 13k steps and it has added on 549 calories.
I eat back very few of the exercise calories because it starts me off at 1200 for the day, and my basic level without exercise is only 1440, with an aim to loose 1- 2 lbs a week, so if I ate them all back it would still be a rather small deficit.
@tess5036 If your exercise calories are accurate... You can eat them ALL back and still end up at a NET of 1200 calories. Eating back your exercise calories is not eating extra per se, it's putting you back at 1200 calories.
For example- Your goal is 1200 calories, you exercise and burn 500 calories which now puts you at 700 net calories for the day. Eating back those 500 cals will put you back at 1200 calories at the end of the day.
Thank you for your reply. However, this is my logic.....MFP starts me off at 1200 calories for the day as a minimum. As my BMR is only 1440, that would only give me a deficit of 220 a day, which is below even a 1lb a week loss. I would like a larger deficit than this, as I still have a lot to loose (started 250 ish, now 192). I am to keep the deficit at about 750 - 1, 000. I do this by only eating a small proportion of my exercise back. If I ate it all back, then the deficit would remain at 240 calories per day.
I do value your input, do if you have further thoughts I would be happy to hear them and them on board.
Your logic has started off on a foundation of misunderstanding.
You don't start from your BMR and create a deficit - that's sleeping all day calorie burn level.
Your deficit is bigger than 240, because that's not how MFP works.
Have you thought about the future if you have a lot to loose - the fact that when you move less mass around you burn less?
If eating 1200 now with exercise is required to lose - what happens 20 lbs down the road when you must eat even less to keep losing?
Start exercising massive amounts more?
What happens if sick and can't exercise, or vacation, or family emergencies?
It's going to be a game of how low can you go.
Which is a great recipe for future failure - just stating the facts of what happens to the majority.
Should attempt to lose when eating the most you can - not the bare minimum.3 -
From what I've read on here that varies a lot by person and how active they have MFP set to (I think, but I could be wrong on the last bit, I'm sure someone will come along and tell me if I am!). The advice I've seen given most often is that MFP's calorie estimates for exercise are high for a lot of people. A lot of people eat back half of what MFP says with good results.
I'm not wiring to be argumentive, I'm trying to clear some stuff up. Please read this with that in mind.
Everyone is supposed to eat their exercise calories back, and most people do. Of course, everyone is supposed to stay under the speed limit, too, but people make their own decisions based on a lot of things.
The advice that active people should eat their calories back, that's just a math thing. If you go it and burn X calories without replacing them and have a too-big deficit ... if you do that once, it's not a big deal. If you do that most days, it's a big deal.
It's the last part I really wanted to touch on. Your 100% right. But you don't have to take MFP's wild guess at how many calories your exercise burned. You can find a better estimate for most things, and you can enter that instead.1 -
I completely agree, with the level of weight I have to loose this seems to be ok, as it leads to about 1.5- 2 a week, as my weigh decreases I will also decrease the deficit to aim for a lower loss per week (targeting 1% of body weight).
So, I am 5'10" (taller than average so I am noting it). My BMR is roughly about yours around 1450 - to lose 2 lbs a week, MFP sets me at 1200. I can eat most to all of my exercise calories and still lose around 2 lbs a week eating a total of 1600-1800 calories, sometimes even 2000 or so depending on what exercise I did that day.
I am pointing this out in hopes that you will be careful and adjust as needed. If I eat too low it makes me binge not too long into the future, I find if I eat only 1400 cals a day (total) then after a few days I am ravenous.
I do about 45-60 min of exercise 5 days a week (Fitness Blender usually) and average 5-7K steps a day.
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NorthCascades wrote: »From what I've read on here that varies a lot by person and how active they have MFP set to (I think, but I could be wrong on the last bit, I'm sure someone will come along and tell me if I am!). The advice I've seen given most often is that MFP's calorie estimates for exercise are high for a lot of people. A lot of people eat back half of what MFP says with good results.
I'm not wiring to be argumentive, I'm trying to clear some stuff up. Please read this with that in mind.
Everyone is supposed to eat their exercise calories back, and most people do. Of course, everyone is supposed to stay under the speed limit, too, but people make their own decisions based on a lot of things.
The advice that active people should eat their calories back, that's just a math thing. If you go it and burn X calories without replacing them and have a too-big deficit ... if you do that once, it's not a big deal. If you do that most days, it's a big deal.
It's the last part I really wanted to touch on. Your 100% right. But you don't have to take MFP's wild guess at how many calories your exercise burned. You can find a better estimate for most things, and you can enter that instead.
Oh I totally agree! I eat my calories back from exercise most days myself.
I think what I was saying with the activity level bit was if the OP had set themselves to be active, when they really should have set themselves to lightly active, then eating the calories MFP gives then AND the calories from the Fitbit would be too much. Because MFP assumes a certain amount of activity for each level of activity of which exercise is on top of. I should have been more clear (I hope this was clearer) and I appreciate the call out!
I'm just new to posting, though I've been lurking for a while, so I didn't want to sound like a know-it-all when really I'm a know-it-some.
I always appreciate corrections. I don't want to give out incorrect information!
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1950 doesn't seem like a lot for someone who is breastfeeding.
if it were me I would eat them all and see how it goes...
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janejellyroll wrote: »Christine_72 wrote: »I have MFP set to sedentary, and then let it add on the fitbit steps. I just checked what it added on for exercise for today, I have 13k steps and it has added on 549 calories.
I eat back very few of the exercise calories because it starts me off at 1200 for the day, and my basic level without exercise is only 1440, with an aim to loose 1- 2 lbs a week, so if I ate them all back it would still be a rather small deficit.
@tess5036 If your exercise calories are accurate... You can eat them ALL back and still end up at a NET of 1200 calories. Eating back your exercise calories is not eating extra per se, it's putting you back at 1200 calories.
For example- Your goal is 1200 calories, you exercise and burn 500 calories which now puts you at 700 net calories for the day. Eating back those 500 cals will put you back at 1200 calories at the end of the day.
Thank you for your reply. However, this is my logic.....MFP starts me off at 1200 calories for the day as a minimum. As my BMR is only 1440, that would only give me a deficit of 220 a day, which is below even a 1lb a week loss. I would like a larger deficit than this, as I still have a lot to loose (started 250 ish, now 192). I am to keep the deficit at about 750 - 1, 000. I do this by only eating a small proportion of my exercise back. If I ate it all back, then the deficit would remain at 240 calories per day.
I do value you input, do if you have further thoughts I would be happy to hear them and them on board.
A lot of this depends on your current weight. A deficit of 750-1,000 isn't healthy and sustainable for everyone.
I completely agree, with the level of weight I have to loose this seems to be ok, as it leads to about 1.5- 2 a week, as my weigh decreases I will also decrease the deficit to aim for a lower loss per week (targeting 1% of body weight).
I will add one more comment because I do somewhat the same thing. Had she set her activity level to active it would still give her 1200 calorie minimum and the fitbit would not give her any exercise calories to eat back.
Now, for a much heavier person there would be a difference in the calories they are alloted depending on whether they set their activity level to sedentary or active. In that case they should eat their exercise calories back.
I saw someone post that they wish MFP would add a statement when giving the 1200 minimum calorie allotment that states that their deficit is under their goal. I think that would help clear up confusion for some people who have set their loss at 2 pounds, but are only eating at a 200 to 500 calorie deficit due to the minimum 1200 calorie rule.1
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