Fitbit HR giving me too much calories or ... ?
VeroniqueBoilard
Posts: 71 Member
Hi! Just looking for some experiences or pointer...
I used MFP on and off for a few years. I usually set myself at one pound a week and I used to have a polar HR device to add exercises calories. I weighted everything, when I guestimate I always added more, and it used to work and I would lose a little bit over a pound a week. I went from 252 pounds (5'4'', around 30 years old female) to 206 by using MFP on and off.
I stopped logging when my husband got cancer and regain up to 245 pounds (I guess I used food like an emotional crutch...).
I started MFP again around 6 weeks ago. Set myself at 2 pounds a week (for MFP thats 1250 calories) and started C25K to run three time a week. But this time, I have a fitbit (inspire hr). The device say I burn 2500 calories on average per day, more when I exercise. I have young kids so sometimes I don't "exercise" but have very active days.
ı ate back some of those calories. My net calories are always around 1250 per the data (I do have days where it's more 800 and others where it's 1700, If I calculate y it all average out). But I have not lost a single pound in 6 weeks.
I know I'm logging food correctly... could my HR reading not give an accurate amount of calorie burned? Could my running and water weight hide as much as 10 pounds of supposed weight loss?
A little bit of all of this? I think I could try to not eat back all calories from the HR, but that would mean I would net at around 900 calories most days!
Thank you all for your opinion/tips/ideas!
I used MFP on and off for a few years. I usually set myself at one pound a week and I used to have a polar HR device to add exercises calories. I weighted everything, when I guestimate I always added more, and it used to work and I would lose a little bit over a pound a week. I went from 252 pounds (5'4'', around 30 years old female) to 206 by using MFP on and off.
I stopped logging when my husband got cancer and regain up to 245 pounds (I guess I used food like an emotional crutch...).
I started MFP again around 6 weeks ago. Set myself at 2 pounds a week (for MFP thats 1250 calories) and started C25K to run three time a week. But this time, I have a fitbit (inspire hr). The device say I burn 2500 calories on average per day, more when I exercise. I have young kids so sometimes I don't "exercise" but have very active days.
ı ate back some of those calories. My net calories are always around 1250 per the data (I do have days where it's more 800 and others where it's 1700, If I calculate y it all average out). But I have not lost a single pound in 6 weeks.
I know I'm logging food correctly... could my HR reading not give an accurate amount of calorie burned? Could my running and water weight hide as much as 10 pounds of supposed weight loss?
A little bit of all of this? I think I could try to not eat back all calories from the HR, but that would mean I would net at around 900 calories most days!
Thank you all for your opinion/tips/ideas!
2
Replies
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How many steps/miles is it reporting when it tells you to eat around 2500 calories? Is it telling you to eat 2500 MORE calories or 2500 calories for the day?1
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At 245 pounds, fairly active: it is not unreasonable to think you burn 2500 on an average day. But there is also no harm in assuming the Fitbit has some error built in. So assume its off by 5-10% and leave 125-250 of the Fitbit calories uneaten.
Ps-I read it as your Fitbit says you burn 2500 total in a normal day. Not that you're eating 2500. If you're burning 2500 and eating 2500: there is your answer. Fitbit measures all day burn. If you have it connected to MFP then you'll see an adjustment for any daily burn over what MFP expects based on your stated activity level. You don't manually add ALL the Fitbit daily burn calories to MFP.
But setting yourself for a 1000 deficit weekly means you would have to be off by alot (1000 calories, that is) to maintain instead of losing. I mean, if you are burning 2500 and eating 1500: you have a 1000 deficit. If you think you're burning 2500 but in reality you're burning 2250 and eating 1500 you'd have a 750 deficit. So still a loss over time, but a little less.
So with that in mind, if you are sure your intake is accurate then I'd say to give it another 4-6 weeks. For accuracy, weigh all solid food. Measure liquids. Don't forget cooking oils, condiments, beverages. Be careful that you're using accurate database entries - user entered data can have errors. Don't log by size like 'small banana' instead by weight. Even packaged food like when it says 1 slice bread = 41 grams. Does it really? Are all the slices in the package the same? Usually not.
Feel free to open your diary for more particular logging advice.5 -
Ps-'net' calories in Myfitnesspal-land are only valid if accurate. If your total burn is not as high as your data suggests, then the reported 'net' is irrelevant. Do you truly have more than a 1000 calorie deficit per day? If so that is not great for you.
That is the real bottom line and stressing over the net number on an app may be a wasted effort.1 -
I’m trying to understand what you are saying. Are you saying the FitBit total calories burned are 2500 and your MFP NEAT goal is 1250 and you are averaging that but not losing weight even when logging accurately using a food scale? How many total calories are you eating on average?
Because regardless if FitBit is estimating too high for you (and with your stats the 2500 isn’t unreasonable), a 1250 goal is on the low end. You should be losing, if you are logging accurately.3 -
I recently upgraded my Fitbit flex to a Charge 3 and found that it gave me a lot more calories for basic daily activities than my old Fitbit did. I finally changed the setting to let it think it’s on my dominant wrist, even though it isn’t, and the calories I get for normal activities is back in the range where I expect it to be.2
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VeroniqueBoilard wrote: »Hi! Just looking for some experiences or pointer...
I used MFP on and off for a few years. I usually set myself at one pound a week and I used to have a polar HR device to add exercises calories. I weighted everything, when I guestimate I always added more, and it used to work and I would lose a little bit over a pound a week. I went from 252 pounds (5'4'', around 30 years old female) to 206 by using MFP on and off.
I stopped logging when my husband got cancer and regain up to 245 pounds (I guess I used food like an emotional crutch...).
I started MFP again around 6 weeks ago. Set myself at 2 pounds a week (for MFP thats 1250 calories) and started C25K to run three time a week. But this time, I have a fitbit (inspire hr). The device say I burn 2500 calories on average per day, more when I exercise. I have young kids so sometimes I don't "exercise" but have very active days.
ı ate back some of those calories. My net calories are always around 1250 per the data (I do have days where it's more 800 and others where it's 1700, If I calculate y it all average out). But I have not lost a single pound in 6 weeks.
I know I'm logging food correctly... could my HR reading not give an accurate amount of calorie burned? Could my running and water weight hide as much as 10 pounds of supposed weight loss?
A little bit of all of this? I think I could try to not eat back all calories from the HR, but that would mean I would net at around 900 calories most days!
Thank you all for your opinion/tips/ideas!
Since it sounds like a big part of your daily burn (TDEE) is from non-exercise daily stuff - the HR-based calorie burn really shouldn't be getting used.
It should be using distance-based calorie burn, unless HR goes high enough and it thinks you are working out - in which case a workout may get auto-created for you if you have that type of model.
If you are getting auto-workouts created and it is using HR-based calorie burn for barely getting high - that is the most inflated area.
But you probably also get lots of steps from daily - and if stride length is off - distance could easily be inflated.
Ever walked a known 1/2 to 1 mile and confirmed Fitbit had the distance right? You'd want to do that walk at the mid-point of your pace range, like 2 mph.
If stride-length is set for that mid-point pace, it can adjust better from grocery store shuffle to exercise level walk.
Initial workout water weight can add up to 5 lbs depending on stress body is feeling - but that maxes out.
Cortisol induced water weight gain from other stresses all combined have been shown to slowly creep up to 20 lbs.
That could mask a lot of fat weight lost on the scale - hence the need to do measurements too.
And if in the wrong part of the month to make water weight changes worse, well, there that's too.
For the workouts when HR-based calorie burn would be used (frankly distance would still be more accurate for walking/running) - Fitbit determining your resting-HR and having history on your workouts will improve the estimates.2 -
Yes I'll clarify, sorry. MFP says that at an inactive level I should eat 1250 for a 1000 calories deficit (so 2250 would be maintaining). Before, I would eat the amount MFP gave me + specific exercise calories (if I go for a run, Zumba class, etc.) that I would feed to MFP myself.
Now with Fitbit it calculate I burn 2500 calories at least a day (around 8000-10000 steps). So it gives me at least an extra 250 calories.WinoGelato wrote: »I’m trying to understand what you are saying. Are you saying the FitBit total calories burned are 2500 and your MFP NEAT goal is 1250 and you are averaging that but not losing weight even when logging accurately using a food scale? How many total calories are you eating on average?
Because regardless if FitBit is estimating too high for you (and with your stats the 2500 isn’t unreasonable), a 1250 goal is on the low end. You should be losing, if you are logging accurately.
I know I'm perplexed too! I look back and I ate at least 1750 calories daily... no wonder I thought it was "easy" this time around!Since it sounds like a big part of your daily burn (TDEE) is from non-exercise daily stuff - the HR-based calorie burn really shouldn't be getting used.
It should be using distance-based calorie burn, unless HR goes high enough and it thinks you are working out - in which case a workout may get auto-created for you if you have that type of model.
If you are getting auto-workouts created and it is using HR-based calorie burn for barely getting high - that is the most inflated area.
But you probably also get lots of steps from daily - and if stride length is off - distance could easily be inflated.
Ever walked a known 1/2 to 1 mile and confirmed Fitbit had the distance right? You'd want to do that walk at the mid-point of your pace range, like 2 mph.
If stride-length is set for that mid-point pace, it can adjust better from grocery store shuffle to exercise level walk.
Initial workout water weight can add up to 5 lbs depending on stress body is feeling - but that maxes out.
Cortisol induced water weight gain from other stresses all combined have been shown to slowly creep up to 20 lbs.
That could mask a lot of fat weight lost on the scale - hence the need to do measurements too.
And if in the wrong part of the month to make water weight changes worse, well, there that's too.
For the workouts when HR-based calorie burn would be used (frankly distance would still be more accurate for walking/running) - Fitbit determining your resting-HR and having history on your workouts will improve the estimates.
Thank you!! I will try to play with the settings, maybe deactivate the auto-workout feature. I changed my Fitbit recently and forgot to feed it my average stride length. I will also do the test to see if the distance is accurate!
I'm thinking the slight inaccuracy + water weight might be it...
I forgot to mention I also take an antidepressant since the cancer, not supposed to cause weight gain, but it might have an effect too?
Anyway, thank you for your answers everyone, I love this community
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Half the med's my mom takes several of her Dr's will claim can't cause the side-effect she is wondering about.
But then her and the pharmacists will lightly dig into the med info and see a common or not so common (but not at rare level) listing of her side effect.
If she had followed several Dr's initial device she'd be blind by now likely.
The distrust of Dr's on somewhat common things continues.1 -
Just to give an update: I played with the settings, confirmed everthing was exact (weight, height, stride length, etc.) and I now get upto 500 calories less a day ! Something was definetly off, I feel now I'm closer to actual calories burned!
Sucks to have went a month with inacurate data and slowed weight loss, but at least I have an explanation now!
I also took measurement so I will follow that too !3
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