Calorie Calculations on Fitbit

[hollyfred]

I am confused about how calories burned is calculated.  I have my stats current and have not changed them in the last few days, but the calorie calculation is very strange.  Yesterday I walked 14,027 steps, 26 floors, and burned 2,108 calories.  The day before that, I burned 2,497 calories yet only walked 8,962 steps and 7 floors.  How is it possible I burned nearly 400 calories less by walking about 5,000 more steps and about 20 additional floors?  The previous day to that shows 15,909 steps and 60 floors and I burned 2,549 calories.  So I only burned 50 additional calories than the day after by walking 7,000 additional steps and 53 additional floors???

Can anyone help me understand why these are so inconsistent?

Thanks,

Holly

[SunsetRunner · Accepted solution]

If you have a Fitbit with a Heart Rate monitor that will contribute greatly to the calculations by factoring in your exertion level based on your heart rate, it will also affect the calculation for your base metabolic rate when you aren't moving. Being stationary but with a higher heart rate will increase the predicted calorie burn rate. It's all estimates based on formulas derived from statistical analysis of 100's probably even 1000's of individuals.

I suspect that for the fitbit's without a HRM they would guesstimate your exertion based on how quickly you apear to be moving. So 1000 steps in 15 minutes with 15 minutes of rest will be worth more calories than 1000 steps spread over 30 minutes.

Build up enough of those higher worth calories per step in a day and you could close a 400 calorie gap.

I am not sure how much the floors climbed factors in to the calorie estimations, I suspect for the fitbit's that track your heart rate it probably has very little to no effect at all.

[HZlauer]

When I look at my dashboard on my computer I am able to see a graph of when fitbit attributes my calories burned thoughout the day. The 45 minutes I was on a treadmill shows a big spike. The hour I was walking through the grocery store, not much calorie burning going on.

I guess not all steps are the same.

[Dominique]

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@HZlauer wrote:

I guess not all steps are the same.

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Yes, Fitbit takes into account the intensity of your steps, even if your tracker is not HR-enabled. It’s not like there’s a fixed multiplier that converts steps into calories.