"Food Plan" graphic and Colories "In vs Out" gauge are not the same

[SBATES]

"Food Plan" graphic shows OVER by 83 calories while the "Calories In vs Out" graphic incorrectly says "Under" (in 1341 out 1758).  Does anyone know why?  I emailed the "help" desk but they never really answered the question, only kept explaining that I had chosen a plan with a 500 calorie deficit.

[LCHFmom]

Fitbit tracks calories and food a bit differently than applications I think many of us are used to.  Fitbit estimates caloric intake throughout the day, as well as calorie burn.   I think we are used to looking at a fixed number that we trend upward to. 

As an example, if the calories you eat between breakfast and lunch are more than the fitbit estimates you have burned by that time of day -  you will see a result similar to what you are seeing.  

If you log into the tool even an hour later, the results can change. 

[j_l]

You have set a goal of 500 calorie deficit, correct?  Therefore if you have consumed 1341 calories and expended 1758, the Food Plan would show that your calorie consumption is 1341 and you are over your calorie allowance (to get a 500 calorie deficit), AND that the Calories In vs Out graph would show you are UNDER in your calorie expenditure by 83 calories.  Both figures are correct.  One is telling you that you have gone over your allowance, the other is telling you that you are under your needed calorie expenditure in order to have a 500 calorie deficit.  It is all in how those graphs are interpreted.  It is all in what is being measured.  Over what?  Over your calorie allowance.  Under what?  Under your needed calorie burn (to have a 500 calorie/day deficit.    

If this is as clear as mud, please post back and I'll see if I can do a better job of explaining.  

[Mary]

j l- I don't think that Calories In vs. Out graphic is referring to your expenditure being under.  I think it's saying what you said the Food Plan graphic is showing.  At least mine seems to work that way.  Like right now I've burned 496 calories and eaten nothing so it says I'm OVER because I don't have a 500 calorie deficit left.  So even though I've eaten nothing, I've 'overeaten' if you look at it in their logic.  In a few minutes when I hit 500 calories burned the gauge should move to the center green zone.  

Edited five minutes later:  Yes, now my gauge needle is straight up in the green zone.  

I don't really look at the Food Plan gauge so can't tell you what it's saying, OP.  Mine seems to be estimating my burn for the day based on my BMR and subtracting 500 and suggesting I eat that, possibly?

Edit:  I had to change my plan deficit from 750 to 500 to do that test above.  While in there, I noticed there is a short blurb about the In/Out gauge and the Food Plan.  I believe the Food Plan IS using an estimate of what you'll burn today, like I thought, according to what it says.  So the In/Out gauge is comparing what you've actually burned so far and logged so far for food, and the Food Plan tile is guessing what you can eat for the entire day based on your estimated burn for the whole day. 

[j_l]

I think we are saying exactly the same thing, only using different words.