Calories Burned Messed Up?

[LadyBug7]

Could someone please explain why the calories count doesn't seem right?  One day I walked 6,385 steps, 2.58 miles, no active minutes, 10 floors.  Calories burned 2,086.  Next day I walked 8,509 steps, 3.44 miles, 1 active minute, 18 floors.  Calories burned 1,860.  So, doing less burns more calories?  Doesn't make sense.

[SilviaFitbit]

@LadyBug7 It's so cool to have you in the Community, I'll be more than happy to explain this to you  

Since, you mentioned that your calorie burn is just as high or higher on days when you are less active, it may be because you have calorie estimation enabled. Calorie estimation is used when no activities are logged or data is synced.

To  disable calorie estimation:

1. Log into your dashboard.
2. Click the gear symbol in the upper right.
3. Select Settings.
4. Scroll down the page to Preferences.
5. Change the Calorie Estimation setting to Disable.

Let me know if that does the trick! 

[LadyBug7]

Thank you!  I disabled it so we'll see what happens.  I appreciate your reply....

[SilviaFitbit]

@LadyBug7  Sure , let me know if you need further assistance  

[missyh]

Hi my name is Missy, I have my calories to eat set at 1850, but as soon as I wake up, of course there are calories already burned, but it shows my calories left for the day to be much less, do you know what's up with that?🌺

[SilviaFitbit]

Hello @missyh Awesome to see you active in the Community! 

The calories burned goal that you have set up is different from the calories that you're allow to eat. The calories eaten are based on the Food Plan that you set up plus the calories that you've burned. If you would like to set a calories eaten goal, do the following: 

- Go to your Dashboard

- Click the gear icon of Food Plan tile > click on the pen icon

- Click on Food Plan and below the Food Plan options, you'll see "Set my own calorie target" 

- Click on "Set my own calorie target" and you'll have that specific number of calories allow to it

Note: When you set your own calorie target, you won't have the option to eat more calories even though you're burning more than usual. 

Additionally, the calories burned that you're seeing in the morning are your BMR, perhaps this article might be helpful. 

Let me know if I can help you further 

[rightdx]

I've also noticed that my miles walked is only roughly correlated with calories burned.  My goal is to burn 3000 calories a day, which can take anywhere from 6 miles to 8 miles to accomplish.  At first I found this puzzling.  What I have since determined is that when I walk on a smooth sidewalk, it takes more miles to reach my goal of 3000 calories.  When I walk on the trails in the woods, with twists and turns, logs, boulders etc, it takes less miles.  I believe this is because the fitbit takes it's measurements from an internal accelerometer.  It can "feel" these irregular motions, which presumably burn more calories.  Fitbit  uses proprietary algorithims to calculate calories and does not simply rely on measuring steps taken or miles walked. 

[SilviaFitbit]

@rightdx Thanks for sharing your experience with us 

Fitbit trackers calculate distance by multiplying your walking steps and walking stride length. Similarly, your running steps are multiplied by your running stride length. This will not necessarily match a pre-measured distance, nor will it show exactly what a GPS device will show.

[PattyLynn]

I am having the same trouble.  I have disabled the option several times and the program continues to automatically add calories.  Do you know of anything else to do?

[SilviaFitbit]

@PattyLynn Hey there! Are you getting more calories when you're less active? Keep in mind that your calories will be calculated base on your BMR and the calories that you burned while doing activities. If you can provide me with some examples about what you're getting, I'll be happy to assist you 

[slysam]

The calories burned is not strictly step count. This can be confusing at first. Yes, you can have lower step days with a higher calorie burn. And two days with the same step count can have different calorie burns. It has to do with the activity tracked by the accelerometer (tracks movement side to side, forward and back and up and down) each minute of the day. Notice in the stride settings, it allows you to list one for running and one for walking. So not all steps are equal in calorie burn--some may be credited as more vigorous or running, while others less so. I have noticed impact of the movement seems to effect this as does up and down movements. It is mainly about how much and how fast you move each minute with your profile stats factored in.

[slysam]

Pattylynn, it should add calories burned every minute even with "calorie estimation" disabled. I have it disabled in my settings, if I leave my fitbit on a table all day I am credited with my Mifflin formula estimated BMR (well 2 calories less than, but pretty much). BMR is the calories someone with your stats (height, weight, age and gender) would typically burn if you rested in a dark room all day and did not move. The calories are used maintaining body temperature, supporting organs, etc. This is usually the biggest proportion of calories burned--for a sedentary person it can be 75%-80% of the total calorie burn. So any diet plan should be including some estimate of your BMR. The problem with "calorie estimation" if it is applied is that it can add more than just your BMR to your daily burn. And if you were truely sedentary (wearing the fitbit, but no activity registered for long enough) it would credit an inflated burn. I am not sure how often this really happens, but I also have it disabled just in case.

[CoderDonna]

I'm confused about the "enabled" vs. "disabled" - so you want the fitbit to count your BMR into your daily burn, PLUS you want it to count your activities/exercise calories, right? So I'm not sure what disabling the calorie estimation does. Remove the BMR burn? Force you to add the calorie burn from your activities manually, but keep the BMR burn? Sorry - I'm very literal in my thinking and I need things to be specific.

Thank you --

Donna

[rightdx]

CoderDonna,

I haven't been able to find a comprehensive explanation of the calorie estimation feature, but have gleened bits and pieces here and there. 

So here is my interpretation: 

The calorie estimation feature is mainly for when you forget to (or choose not to) wear your fitbit on any particular day.  It will kick in with an estimate of how many calories it thinks you would have burned if you actually had been using it.  The longer you've used fitbit, the larger the database it has on you, and the more "accurate" the estimation (or so they claim).  My guess is that it just spits out an average number, whoop de doo!

Supposedly, if you have the feature enabled and you are wearing your fitbit, you will get your real data, and not an estimate.

However, even the fitbit people will admit that if you have it enabled, and you are having a lightly active day, the estimation may kick in and give you an erroneously high reading.   In other words, if you're not moving, fitbit thinks you left it at home and simply adds more calories.

Calorie estimation has nothing to do with BMR calories vs active calories.  You will still get both in either setting.

Personally, I have my calorie estimation turned off.  So far, I haven't forgotten to wear my fitbit.  And If I did, I wouldn't want to rely on a "guestimate". 

If you're a casual user, then you might like this feature.  But I'm an addict -- I prefer hard numbers, lol.

[capi]

Hi I am having an issue with my FB, for the past couple of days I manually enter my workout, and calories burned using my HRM, however the calories are not adding up to the total number of burned calories, i noticed because I added them, then I deleted my workout and the number of calories stayed the same, is anyone out there having the same issue? is this a bug??

thank u

[SilviaFitbit]

@capi Hey there! Well, if you're using your Fitbit while doing the workout your Fitbit tracker will keep track of this activity. So, you should be only logging activities that aren't step based in order to improve the accuracy of this activity's contribution to your caloric burn. 

When you're logging the activity and it's not giving you calories or anything it's because your tracker has the same data so there's nothing extra that you're going to receive. When you manually log an activity what you're doing is overriding the information that your tracker had. 

[slysam]

CoderDonna, disabling calorie estimation just means the Fitbit will not add estimated activity burn on days when it picks up no activity. Enabled, if you leave your fitbit at home it estimates a calorie burn that includes activity. It is apparently based on your average activity, but a lot of people find it overly generous. People have had higher calorie burns on days when they are sick in bed binge watching Netflix than a light activity day. I have had it disabled for years. If I don't wear my Fitbit, my calorie burn is just my BMR. When I do, I likely don't notice much difference compared to people with it enabled unless it is an unusually inactive day.

[slysam]

Capi, it may be that there was actually very little difference between what Fitbit would have credited and what you logged. I have had workouts where my Fitbit One and Polar HRM gave matching estimates (sometimes) and commonly within 20 calories of each other. The workouts I have seen this with include TurboJam/TurboKick, jumping rope, brisk walking on flat ground, Jillean Micheal's Baish Fat Boost Metabolism, intervals of walking and jogging. Where fitbit falls short for me are when hills or added resistance are added. I admit I haven't been logging workouts in recent weeks. The test would be to log something with a ridiculous calorie burn (like 1 calorie for an hour workout or something that would be much higher than your fitbit could possibly estimate for your stats). See it logging changes your total, then see what deleting the logged activity does to your total.

[Ginny57]

Hi anyone here ..can you explain what floors mean..  I just do not know.. TY in advance!!    ~~~~   Ginny

Moderator: Format edited 

[SilviaFitbit]

@Ginny57 I'll be happy to explain this to you. Your tracker detects floors using an altimeter, which is a sensor that calculates altitude change based on atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure decreases with increasing elevation, so the tracker calculates elevation gain based on the reduction in atmospheric pressure. Your tracker registers a floor when it detects continuous motion combined with an elevation gain of about 10 feet.