HELP!! Recently switched from Fitbit to Apple Watch.

sjf93056
sjf93056 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have used various Fitbits over the past 3 or so years. The last one being the Charge 2. I had a lot of success a few years back losing weight with the Fitbit/MyFitnessPal combo.

My husband got me an Apple Watch Series 3 for Christmas and I have restarted my weight loss journey. I am trying to get motivated, however, I have noticed the calories earned back through exercise are far fewer with the Apple Watch than with the Fitbit even with the same amount of steps. What is causing this?

I am finding this to be hurting my motivation as I feel I am working so hard for next to nothing. Any insight or tips to get these numbers closer would be appreciated.

Replies

  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited January 2018
    There was a similar post to this one the other day. The consensus was that the new tracker will take a few weeks to adjust to you and give you a more accurate burn. Apparently the iwatch doesn't count steps as burning too much in the way of calories but I'm sure there will be other replies which will explain that.

    Don't let any tracker hurt your motivation, you know how much you could eat before to lose, why would that change now?
  • MegaMooseEsq
    MegaMooseEsq Posts: 3,118 Member
    RunRutheeRun wrote: »
    There was a similar post to this one the other day. The consensus was that the new tracker will take a few weeks to adjust to you and give you a more accurate burn. Apparently the iwatch doesn't count steps as burning too much in the way of calories but I'm sure there will be other replies which will explain that.

    Don't let any tracker hurt your motivation, you know how much you could eat before to lose, why would that change now?

    I can personally confirm this to be the case, having moved from the Charge 2 to an Apple Watch 3 last year. Give it time, play around with it, and I think you’ll get used to the differences.
  • smartin114
    smartin114 Posts: 10 Member
    Also, make sure you have your weight, age and other health info in the health app on your phone. This helps the watch calculate specifically for you.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    Fitbits tend to overestimate, and the Apple Watch tends to be a little more conservative. It's true that yes, the Watch needs to learn you, but it's also true that it's not necessarily going to give you inflated calories.

    But keep moving! You knew what you were doing before, and it was working, so just keep at it.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    AW doesn't think steps outside of a workout are a big indicator of activity worth giving extra cals for. Each tracker has a different approach and their calculations on your BMR and TDEE will all be different, and this is how AW differs from Fitbit. Also unlike Fitbit, for deliberate exercise you should start and stop a workout, as it will do a more thorough job of tracking. I ran the two alongside for a while and Fitbit was always 1-200 cals more generous, and I can tell you I would not have lost as well if I had gone with Fitbit's numbers. Remember that only the numbers the devices are giving you have changed, your body and what you choose to put in it are still completely within your control. The fact is, outside of those added by deliberate workouts (so if you go for a deliberate walk e.g., start a walking workout and stop it when you are done), AW isn't going to be adding many calories to your MFP total.

    In closing, I love the AW. I lost 40lbs last year and have kept it off for 9 months now by tracking closely and using the data it provides me, as well as chasing the achievement streaks.
  • kelfly
    kelfly Posts: 15 Member
    I’ve had an Apple Watch for 2 years but never really used it except as a ‘watch’. (It was a gift). I’m a bit of a technology miss too. I’d really like to start to use it to help with tracking my exercise etc but don’t really know what it can even do. Any beginner advise other than trying to find a boring manual of sorts online? Thanks.
  • ITUSGirl51
    ITUSGirl51 Posts: 191 Member
    I’ve been using the Apple Watch 3 for about 6 weeks. I never used a Fitbit. It will only sync workouts, not step calories. If it does give you a few calories for steps as soon as you log a workout, it will delete those calories.

    I think the Apple Watch active calories are accurate for walking and step calories. They are low for elliptical workout calories. It bases it on heart rate so if my heart rate is elevated when I start the elliptical it will be more accurate, but if I start with it in the 70s the calorie burn will be off by 25-50 %.

    I’m getting used to it not syncing with MFP. I had MFP set to sedentary with a 1 lb loss per week. My Apple Watch is showing about double the active calories that I’m getting credit for in MFP and I have been feeling extremely hungry. These last few weeks I’ve lost 1.5 to 2 lbs per week! That’s too much. No wonder I’m starving!

    I’ve changed my activity level to slightly active in hopes that I will still lose 1 lb a week and not be so hungry. I’m making sure at least half my AW active calories are not being deducted from MFP.

    It’s taken time to get used to it, but it does motivate me to move. I setup a move goal on my watch that is doable, but takes some movement to meet. I no longer expect it to give me all my active calories back to MFP. It doesn’t need to, to make me want to move.
  • MelanieCN77
    MelanieCN77 Posts: 4,047 Member
    kelfly wrote: »
    I’ve had an Apple Watch for 2 years but never really used it except as a ‘watch’. (It was a gift). I’m a bit of a technology miss too. I’d really like to start to use it to help with tracking my exercise etc but don’t really know what it can even do. Any beginner advise other than trying to find a boring manual of sorts online? Thanks.

    Just start? Add an activity watch face and pay attention to it. Use the workout tracker. Report back in a couple weeks.
  • threec
    threec Posts: 97 Member
    edited January 2018
    ITUSGirl51 wrote: »
    I’ve been using the Apple Watch 3 for about 6 weeks. I never used a Fitbit. It will only sync workouts, not step calories. If it does give you a few calories for steps as soon as you log a workout, it will delete those calories.

    I think the Apple Watch active calories are accurate for walking and step calories. They are low for elliptical workout calories. It bases it on heart rate so if my heart rate is elevated when I start the elliptical it will be more accurate, but if I start with it in the 70s the calorie burn will be off by 25-50 %.

    I’m getting used to it not syncing with MFP. I had MFP set to sedentary with a 1 lb loss per week. My Apple Watch is showing about double the active calories that I’m getting credit for in MFP and I have been feeling extremely hungry. These last few weeks I’ve lost 1.5 to 2 lbs per week! That’s too much. No wonder I’m starving!

    I’ve changed my activity level to slightly active in hopes that I will still lose 1 lb a week and not be so hungry. I’m making sure at least half my AW active calories are not being deducted from MFP.

    It’s taken time to get used to it, but it does motivate me to move. I setup a move goal on my watch that is doable, but takes some movement to meet. I no longer expect it to give me all my active calories back to MFP. It doesn’t need to, to make me want to move.


    Mine syncs steps on mfp and gives me about the same calories for it my Fitbit did, just had to change it to log steps from the Watch in mfp step settings
  • BlaqueDiamond1989
    BlaqueDiamond1989 Posts: 57 Member
    I just invested in a series 3 apple watch, and I love it. I have never used a wearable before, so this is kind of a bias opinion I guess. I love the different achievements you can earn from doing different types of activities. Having this watch has actually encouraged me to go harder with my fitness goals. If I don't complete all my rings daily, I feel guilty. LOL. Hopefully you will get on track with your new device and get the results you seek. Like others have said, keep doing what you were doing before. Just use the watch as extra motivation for you to stay active.
  • sjf93056
    sjf93056 Posts: 2 Member
    Thanks everyone for your input! I have already seen results using the Apple Watch so I’m feeling better about it. It was also a big adjustment to go from eating whatever I wanted to tracking everything again and now I believe my body is getting used to it. Those first couple of days I felt very hungry which was why I was questioning it.

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