Unsure Fitbit calorie adjustment

13»

Replies

  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    For what it's worth my Charge 2 seems bang on with my observed TDEE vs rate of loss. My cardio is primarily walking so maybe that's why?
  • DJ_Skywalker
    DJ_Skywalker Posts: 420 Member
    I just do not log or eat back my Fitbit calories. Sometimes my Fitbit counts steps and I am driving at the time ... so I cannot be sure it is accurate for me. I like my Fitbit though for the Heart Rate feature and for giving me an idea of how many steps I may be doing each day.
  • MommyMeggo
    MommyMeggo Posts: 1,222 Member
    Ask yourself, can you do what you are doing right now, forever? Because weight management is forever. It doesn't have a deadline. And if you can't do it forever, you shouldn't be doing it now.

    How I wish people would not only read this- but accept what it means.
    They dont. IRL its way worse to hear/discuss/digress...I have that one friend.
  • DJ_Skywalker
    DJ_Skywalker Posts: 420 Member
    I just do not log or eat back my Fitbit calories. Sometimes my Fitbit counts steps and I am driving at the time ... so I cannot be sure it is accurate for me. I like my Fitbit though for the Heart Rate feature and for giving me an idea of how many steps I may be doing each day.

    This would not be a sustainable or healthy approach for someone who is getting legitimate large adjustments (as may be OP's case). It would result in a dangerously low net calorie intake.

    But, what about those many people who do not have a Fitbit or for me as mine is new? I sit 8 hours at my desk and I feel the Fitbit is more a tool for me to get moving more
  • DJ_Skywalker
    DJ_Skywalker Posts: 420 Member
    I just do not log or eat back my Fitbit calories. Sometimes my Fitbit counts steps and I am driving at the time ... so I cannot be sure it is accurate for me. I like my Fitbit though for the Heart Rate feature and for giving me an idea of how many steps I may be doing each day.

    This would not be a sustainable or healthy approach for someone who is getting legitimate large adjustments (as may be OP's case). It would result in a dangerously low net calorie intake.

    But, what about those many people who do not have a Fitbit or for me as mine is new? I sit 8 hours at my desk and I feel the Fitbit is more a tool for me to get moving more

    I'm not sure I understand the question. People who don't have a Fitbit should also take steps to ensure their net calorie intake isn't too low. They can do this through using other reasonable methods to estimate their calorie burn.

    For people who burn a lot of calories, ignoring the calories burnt and eating as if they were a much less active person is unwise whether they're using a Fitbit to estimate their calorie burn or another method. OP, at least according to the details she is sharing, is someone who is getting very large activity adjustments. If these are legitimate, your proposed solution (just ignore it) isn't healthy or sustainable.

    Ahhh I totally get you!
    I will eat back half of my calories from any cardio I may do for that day. But, I figure my Fitbit counts those steps as well and only seems it would double the calories burned, like the steps I make during Zumba class while also logging the Zumba class as cardio workout.
    I do not think I am expressing myself clearly haha
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    I just do not log or eat back my Fitbit calories. Sometimes my Fitbit counts steps and I am driving at the time ... so I cannot be sure it is accurate for me. I like my Fitbit though for the Heart Rate feature and for giving me an idea of how many steps I may be doing each day.

    This would not be a sustainable or healthy approach for someone who is getting legitimate large adjustments (as may be OP's case). It would result in a dangerously low net calorie intake.

    But, what about those many people who do not have a Fitbit or for me as mine is new? I sit 8 hours at my desk and I feel the Fitbit is more a tool for me to get moving more

    I'm not sure I understand the question. People who don't have a Fitbit should also take steps to ensure their net calorie intake isn't too low. They can do this through using other reasonable methods to estimate their calorie burn.

    For people who burn a lot of calories, ignoring the calories burnt and eating as if they were a much less active person is unwise whether they're using a Fitbit to estimate their calorie burn or another method. OP, at least according to the details she is sharing, is someone who is getting very large activity adjustments. If these are legitimate, your proposed solution (just ignore it) isn't healthy or sustainable.

    Ahhh I totally get you!
    I will eat back half of my calories from any cardio I may do for that day. But, I figure my Fitbit counts those steps as well and only seems it would double the calories burned, like the steps I make during Zumba class while also logging the Zumba class as cardio workout.
    I do not think I am expressing myself clearly haha

    Got it, thanks for clarifying! Yeah, I don't think anyone *has* to use their Fitbit. The important thing is planning to eat to fuel your activity in some way, which it sounds like you're doing.
  • MarylandRose
    MarylandRose Posts: 239 Member
    I just do not log or eat back my Fitbit calories. Sometimes my Fitbit counts steps and I am driving at the time ... so I cannot be sure it is accurate for me. I like my Fitbit though for the Heart Rate feature and for giving me an idea of how many steps I may be doing each day.

    This would not be a sustainable or healthy approach for someone who is getting legitimate large adjustments (as may be OP's case). It would result in a dangerously low net calorie intake.

    But, what about those many people who do not have a Fitbit or for me as mine is new? I sit 8 hours at my desk and I feel the Fitbit is more a tool for me to get moving more

    I'm not sure I understand the question. People who don't have a Fitbit should also take steps to ensure their net calorie intake isn't too low. They can do this through using other reasonable methods to estimate their calorie burn.

    For people who burn a lot of calories, ignoring the calories burnt and eating as if they were a much less active person is unwise whether they're using a Fitbit to estimate their calorie burn or another method. OP, at least according to the details she is sharing, is someone who is getting very large activity adjustments. If these are legitimate, your proposed solution (just ignore it) isn't healthy or sustainable.

    Ahhh I totally get you!
    I will eat back half of my calories from any cardio I may do for that day. But, I figure my Fitbit counts those steps as well and only seems it would double the calories burned, like the steps I make during Zumba class while also logging the Zumba class as cardio workout.
    I do not think I am expressing myself clearly haha

    If you log the exercise separately, it overwrites the calories for the steps earned during that time. So Fitbit alone says "4000 steps were taken between 4 and 5 pm, 200 cals" and then you log "Zumba, 60 minutes, starting at 4pm, 350 cals" - it overwrites the basic calorie credit for steps in that timeframe because it now has more detailed information - ie, that you were working harder (moving your whole body, moving arms, jumping, etc) than just walking at a constant pace during that time. That keeps it from doubling up calories earned.
  • collectingblues
    collectingblues Posts: 2,541 Member
    angelsja wrote: »
    Grrr just forget it I'll never ask anything ever again on these bloody forums because previous posts get brought up you get badgered for "excersising too much" I asked a simple question and I've had it answered the end . !

    So because you're not getting what you want, you're running away.

    Yup. That seems healthy.
  • DJ_Skywalker
    DJ_Skywalker Posts: 420 Member
    I just do not log or eat back my Fitbit calories. Sometimes my Fitbit counts steps and I am driving at the time ... so I cannot be sure it is accurate for me. I like my Fitbit though for the Heart Rate feature and for giving me an idea of how many steps I may be doing each day.

    This would not be a sustainable or healthy approach for someone who is getting legitimate large adjustments (as may be OP's case). It would result in a dangerously low net calorie intake.

    But, what about those many people who do not have a Fitbit or for me as mine is new? I sit 8 hours at my desk and I feel the Fitbit is more a tool for me to get moving more

    I'm not sure I understand the question. People who don't have a Fitbit should also take steps to ensure their net calorie intake isn't too low. They can do this through using other reasonable methods to estimate their calorie burn.

    For people who burn a lot of calories, ignoring the calories burnt and eating as if they were a much less active person is unwise whether they're using a Fitbit to estimate their calorie burn or another method. OP, at least according to the details she is sharing, is someone who is getting very large activity adjustments. If these are legitimate, your proposed solution (just ignore it) isn't healthy or sustainable.

    Ahhh I totally get you!
    I will eat back half of my calories from any cardio I may do for that day. But, I figure my Fitbit counts those steps as well and only seems it would double the calories burned, like the steps I make during Zumba class while also logging the Zumba class as cardio workout.
    I do not think I am expressing myself clearly haha

    If you log the exercise separately, it overwrites the calories for the steps earned during that time. So Fitbit alone says "4000 steps were taken between 4 and 5 pm, 200 cals" and then you log "Zumba, 60 minutes, starting at 4pm, 350 cals" - it overwrites the basic calorie credit for steps in that timeframe because it now has more detailed information - ie, that you were working harder (moving your whole body, moving arms, jumping, etc) than just walking at a constant pace during that time. That keeps it from doubling up calories earned.

    Ahhh good to know! Thank you! x
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    PAV8888 wrote: »
    You get to choose:
    either the pure MFP way OR the MFP assisted by Fitbit way.

    You actually choose neither. Or rather you're choosing the guaranteed wrong way.

    Mfp way: log exercise manually and eat it. But you don't do that.

    MFP assisted by Fitbit way: Integrate both and eat based on Fitbit TDEE.

    The mechanism used by integration to transfer the information from one to the other has the unfortunate name of exercise adjustment. Really, it should just be called Fitbit Daily adjustment.

    As you said above, you don't trust it, so you also don't do that.

    So no. Don't put the blame on what I said because you're ignoring what I said.

    You are choosing to do neither method because the whole thing is confusing and you are unsure and you are operating under a self imposed deadline that has nothing to do with healthy choices.

    What I said is that *IF* you are using Fitbit integration (which apparently you're set up to do and are doing even though you're ignoring the numbers you're given as a result) you should not log your exercise activities separately on MFP.

    This is a technical not conceptual issue.

    Because if you enter manual exercise on MFP such manual exercise takes precedence over what Fitbit had detected in that same time frame. In other words you pollute your Fitbit data unless you then go to the Fitbit site and delete the imported MFP exercise!

    My advice is clear cut.

    Eat your Fitbit calories less an approximate 500 Cal deficit from that. Evaluate trending weight change over 4 to 6 weeks ànd make adjustments if your results are substantially different than expected.

    NOT so. If you integrate an activity tracker and turn on "negative adjustments" You will be able to see your purposeful activity as line items and the fitbit adjustment as a +/-

    If you have a specific tracker that paces back info about individual exercises from the tracker to MFP, let me know.

    The way that Fitbit works is that if you have a cardio exercise that you have individually entered on MFP integration propagates it to Fitbit and over writes what Fitbit detected during the stated time frame with the caloric value you gave.

    In other words you are manually changing what Fitbit detected on its own.

    You can counteract that by logging back on Fitbit and deleting the exercise that was imported from MFP at which point it reverts to the originally detected calories while leaving the activity logged and detailed on mfp.

    I thought that this procedure is somewhat complicated for the OP.


    One of the possible side effects of really large deficits, especially if not supported by abundant energy reserves, is an increase in ED type ideation. This can often resolve by a decrease to the extremity of the deficit.

    The distinction between net and total calories may apply to the concept of receiving an adequate amount and variety of micronutrients, but it doesn't change the possibility of a large deficit all by itself triggering ED ideation in previously unaffected individuals.

    Red, green, and purple polkadots are tools for us to reach our goals. When they become goals in and of themselves and they affect our mood and even more so our sense of self worth we do need to take a step back and re evaluate.

    It sounds like the problem is with the Fitbit App, not with MFP, in that Fitbit is trying to do what MFP is also doing..

    I have my misfit and Garmin synced... I used to have my jawbone synced as well, but it choked, my misfit passes daily activity total, and my Garmin additionally passes Purposeful activity. I'll post a screenshot when I get to my phone.

    I had to remove strava and Mapmyrun from MFP, not because my daily calories were messed up, because negative adjustments worked just fine, but because the output ended up looking like

    Misfit
    16000 steps
    -3800 calories

    Garmin
    4 mile run 33 minutes
    500 calories

    Strava
    4 Mile run 32 minutes
    900 calories

    MapmyRun
    4.2 mile Run 34 minutes
    1300 calories

    oytlmvtgau79.png
  • no44s4me
    no44s4me Posts: 73 Member
    One suggestion I would make is to use Trendweight along with MFP and your Fitbit to evaluate your efforts. I've had a FB for about 3 years, and it has my TDEE pegged at about 200 cals more a day than my actual results. Easy enough to adjust. In the end, there all just tools.