Logging exercise - All the gear, no idea!

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Change_is_Good_
Change_is_Good_ Posts: 272 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I have a Fitbit charge on my wrist all the time, a Myzone chest strap HR monitor which connects to Google Fit which I wear when I exercise. This is mostly running at the mo since I'm using the Couch to 5k app and then I have Strava for the maps, pace data etc. All recommendations from different friends.

I had all the apps synced to MFP that I could, but then it just looked like I had done 3x the exercise. I've stripped it back to just the Fitbit, but it's giving me calories for dawdling round the house, which doesn't seem right. What does everyone connect to MFP to log their exercise? Or do you enter in manually? Or not at all?

I know the calories burned are just an estimate, but I would rather under estimate any extra calories I've "earned".

I originally used the TDEE calculator on sedentary to set my calories as I did little to no exercise or wasn't consistent. Would I be better recalculating to show I now exercise and not logging exercise? What happens if I have a lazy week and don't do as much?

I'm so confused, I know there will be a million different opinions, but lets have 'em!

Replies

  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    What are you actually trying to monitor and record?
    • Your 24x7 TDEE using your Fitbit? (Which is why it's recording calorie burns from everyday life and not just exercise.)
    • Just your exercise calorie burns?

    Both TDEE sites and MyFitnessPal methods have pros and cons.
    As you have realised TDEE is far simpler but if your exercise (and/or activity) is erratic then you need to look over a far longer timescale to find your average. With the MFP method you at least know your exercise duration accurately, with the TDEE method you are estimating in advance the duration, intensity and type of exercise if you do different kinds of workouts.

    MyFitnessPal method is far better for me as my exercise volume is very variable. For example, over the last two weeks my cycling varied from one week under 3hrs to next week 11hrs, I don't want to average that out and have to over-eat one week and under-eat the next to balance things out.

    I prefer not to sync anything to MyFitnessPal and log my exercise manually for clarity and control but if you want to sync something just choose what kind of data you actually want and disconnect the rest.
  • jamloche
    jamloche Posts: 109 Member
    edited April 2020
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    This is probably more of a technical question (how to fix the glitch-y-ness of linking all these programs together), which I cannot help with. However, I can tell you a story ... it's what I do.

    I had a fitbit Blaze linked up with the MyFitnessPal app, and I had the same results you described ... the fitbit was making ridiculously large adjustments to my daily calories and doubling up on exercises that I logged manually here at MFP. I tried to fiddle with all the settings, but then I came to an epiphany. The fitbit was helpful. The MFP app was helpful. They just weren't MORE helpful together. In this case, 2+2 did NOT equal 4. Technology is never quite as shiny as they promise

    I suggest you take the most conservative of all the "calories burned" estimates (probably from the HR monitor), then cut that number in half and manually log the exercise. Maybe cut it even less than half. Come up with a number that hurts just a little, because it seems a bit too low. Over time you can make adjustments based on your actual weight-loss results.

    ETA - I just realized that someone else posted a comment similar to mine while I was typing. It turns out we both came to the same conclusion.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    jamloche wrote: »
    This is probably more of a technical question (how to fix the glitch-y-ness of linking all these programs together), which I cannot help with. However, I can tell you a story ... it's what I do.

    I had a fitbit Blaze linked up with the MyFitnessPal app, and I had the same results you described ... the fitbit was making ridiculously large adjustments to my daily calories and doubling up on exercises that I logged manually here at MFP. I tried to fiddle with all the settings, but then I came to an epiphany. The fitbit was helpful. The MFP app was helpful. They just weren't MORE helpful together. In this case, 2+2 did NOT equal 4. Technology is never quite as shiny as they promise

    I suggest you take the most conservative of all the "calories burned" estimates (probably from the HR monitor), then cut that number in half and manually log the exercise. Maybe cut it even less than half. Come up with a number that hurts just a little, because it seems a bit too low. Over time you can make adjustments based on your actual weight-loss results.

    ETA - I just realized that someone else posted a comment similar to mine while I was typing. It turns out we both came to the same conclusion.

    The bolded was the mistake. Your Fitbit was already doing that job.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,233 Member
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    I have had a Fitbit synced to mfp for years (also a Garmin at other times).

    Your Fitbit is estimating your TDEE including any exercise you do.

    Mfp is estimating how many calories you burn NOT including exercise.

    If your Fitbit and mfp are linked, the difference between those two numbers becomes your exercise adjustment (which includes your workouts and any activity that is higher than whatever your mfp activity setting is).

    Yes you will probably get some calories for puttering around the house (particularly if you set yourself to sedentary and take more than 3-4K-ish steps during the day).

    I have found using a linked tracker is the easiest and most consistent way for me to count my level of activity. I don’t have to worry about how many extra calories to log on a day I did x/y/z that isn’t exercise (or how much to take away if I’m stuck in the house on quarantine for 11 weeks). The tracker just estimates everything (in the same way) all the time. I can be completely sedentary or run a marathon and never fuss with anything (as I have done).

    If you do choose to go with this-pick ONE thing to link. Probably the Fitbit. Don’t log exercise on mfp in addition to that. Give it 6 weeks or so. Adjust as necessary.

    You don’t want you system to over or undercount. You want it to be consistent (that’s the most important) but you want it to be reasonable. Activity takes energy.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,233 Member
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    And mfp isn’t designed to link with multiple systems. Mfp doesn’t have anything to determine what is a duplicate entry/activity.

    So if you want to link something, just pick ONE thing. I suggest the all day tracker because your TDEE is way more affected by what you do the 23 hours you aren’t working out. But choose ONE that is whatever you wish (or nothing).
  • Change_is_Good_
    Change_is_Good_ Posts: 272 Member
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    Thanks all. Much appreciated. Less is definitely more in this case, I've gone for the Fitbit, lets see how I get on

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