Calories burned estimation

[donnablack]

On a day when I left my Fitbit off by mistake for the whole day until just before going to bed, it registered 6 steps, no active minutes, and said that I burned 1798 calories. On a day when I wore it but only had light activity, it registered 4062 steps, 12 active minutes, and said I burned 1597 calories. How can it think I burned fewer calories by taking no steps at all?

Moderator edit: format

[slysam · Accepted solution]

It's because of the setting called "calories estimation" in oyur Fitbit profile settings. The default is for it to be enabled. When enabled, if you don't wear your fitbit all or much of the day it will estimate an activity calorie burn for you.  I think the Fitbit help section says the estiamte is based on your historical activity. Though it seems everyone I've seen post finds it assumes more of a moderately active activity level and is often higher than what they would see on a lighter activity day like your 4,062 step day. You can disable the setting if you don't want it to do this. I have it disabled in my settings ever since I learned about this function. With it disabled Fitbit still estimates a calorie burn, but if I fon't wear it or do not move than my burn is strictly based on my BMR estimate. It is intended so people still have a reasonable allowance on days that they don't wear their fitbit, since if set to lose it is your Fitbit calorie burn for the day minus your goal's deficit. So someone with a BMR of 1270 (like me) who is set to lose 1 pound a week would othyerwise have an intake goal of 770 for the day without calorie estimation. With calorie estimate, if my estimated burn was 1798 (your example) and my goal deficit was 500 calories, then my Fitbit allowance would be 1298. If I intended to follow my Fitbit allowance, the estimation allowance would be healthier on days I didn't wear my Fitbit device. I think it is mainly important if you follow whatever allowance Fitbit gives you. 

[wilywalker]

I am wondering why my calories burned is less when I have 10,200 steps than when I only have 9,000?

[Heybales]

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@wilywalker wrote:

I am wondering why my calories burned is less when I have 10,200 steps than when I only have 9,000?

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Were all the steps exactly the same stride length and impact and incline and such?

You can take less shorter steps that are easier and burn less calories.

What was the distance on those 2 days? That matters more than steps.

Because distance and time is pace. And pace and weight is calorie burn.

[Erowland]

I can't see the option to disable this anywhere! I went to dashboard then settings but can't see it 😞

[Rudi1752]

I can’t find the option to turn it off either.  I keep reading about scrolling down to preferences in settings and disabling the option.  What option?!  I don’t have one!

[Heybales]

There is no Disable or Turn off this option.

You burn calories daily merely being alive - your Fitbit is going to estimate something.

It needs to since it is suggesting an eating goal based on deficit from estimated daily calorie burn.

The options when not worn (or perhaps not synced all day, I did that), are:

Estimate per min burn time on historical Avg, weekdays and weekends have their own rate.

Estimate per min burn time just barely over sleeping BMR time.

That option at least on the website can be found when you go to Log Food.

Under Food Plan section the icon for Settings:

Change your Daily Calorie Estimate Setting

Personalized   Starts out low and lets you earn calories as you are active throughout the day.
Sedentary   Note: with this setting you can start the day with a very low calorie estimate.

[theLauraK]

Can someone explain where this setting is in the current (awful) interface?  This estimation business is driving me bananas! 

[tma93]

Can you advise how you disable it though? I have looked through all the settings on the app and I can't find how to turn it off for my Versa 4. It's not a handy 'default' to have. I only want my smart fitness watch to track the actual calories I am burning when I am wearing it otherwise how am I supposed to keep my calorie deficit accurate! 

[Heybales]

Please read each post in the thread to see why you cannot disable it, only
change which method it uses to estimate your daily burn.

It's all an estimate anyway - that thing on your wrist no matter by who, is
not recording how many calories you burn. It's calculating and estimating.