Fitbit App data seems a bit rubbish... Does having a device help?

[cooellenper]

Hello,

Having been inspired by someone I follow online, I decided to download the fitbit app to check it all out before investing in a device.

Now the app looks great, but there's some bits that just don't make sense... My biggest concern is that the calories burned info seems to be a load of codswallop!

For example - 30:00mins on the stationary bike in the gym. 1km - 4km will say something like 98 calories, then 5km will suddenly jump to 323 calories. Surely that's not right?

Like I said though, I don't have am actual fitbit device yet.

Is it worth getting one?

Obviously they're meant to track activity so I'm assuming it will help, but the apparent rubbishness of this aspect of the app is making me doubtful.

Thanks,
Ellen

[SebringDon]

@cooellenper

Fitbit uses the generally-accepted Metabolic Equivalent Tracking, or MET, standard. They're in good company, as these links for the Harvard School of Public Health Simple MET Table and the National Cancer Institute Detailed MET Table illustrate. Calorie burn isn't just a function of distance, it's also a function of speed. In the case of biking, the first table shows a MET of 6 to 10, depending on how fast you're riding. That means each minute you're burning 6 to 10 times as many calories as if you were laying in bed. So covering more distance in the same amount of time will certainly burn more calories, and it's not just a straight line. It takes a lot more calories to get moving a little faster than it does to just get moving in the first place.

Is it worth getting one? Thirty-three pounds in six months worth so far, for me. Learn to use the Food Plan (link in my signature) and it's worth its weight in health. 🙂

Hope this helps!