Ok, @Dominique will post a great link that has a four part article on the ins and out of how Fitbit works with this.
The short answer is this. Calories is, is just the calories you log into Fitbit.
Your calories burned is your BMR + Daily Activity + Exercise.
By default there is one more Calories left. This is your BMR + Daily activity + exercise - calorie deficit - Calories in.
The is a very important setting on the Fitbit.com web site, under the weight log, under food plan there is a gear with an Arrow. If you hit this, there are too settings. Sedentary, and Personalize. By default it is set to Sedentary. Which is the what shows the Calories left above.
The problem with Sedentary is if it's 4:00 PM, and you have not done much that day, the calories left will be very low. For example, I would have eat 1000 calories by 4:00 PM, and only burned 1800 calories that day so far. With a 1000 calorie deficit I would be 200 calories over... I ate nothing for the rest of the day, as my body burned calories keeping me warm, breathing etc. (BMR calories) I would probably burn another 300 calories so by Midnight, I have burned 2100 calories. Now I'm 100 caloried under. But what if at 6:00 I exercise and burn 1000 calories. So now suddently at 8:00 I have burned 2800 calories and only eaten 1000, now I need to eat 800 more.... But wait, what about the 300 colories of the BMR... So by midnight, I have burned 3100 calories. With the 1000 calorie deficit, It 9:00 PM, and now I'm need to eat 1100 calories..
So with the sedentary setting, you will be constanly chasing calories at the end of the day. But you also have to earn the calories to eat them. So in the morning at 6:00 AM, since you have only burn a few calories breathing, stay warm, pumping blood, it will show you have 600 calores left today....
I like the personalized setting. It looks at past exercise, and calories eaten, and it bases the calories left on what you usually do every day. The problem is if you exercise ever day and burn 900 calories, and then you don't one day, you can over eat. With the other setting you can't over eat, but you may not be able to reach your goal, and have dinner. And the fitbit has no problem telling you can't eat more than 800 calories a day, which is far too low and dangerous.
Personalized for me knows I eat 1800 calories a day, so when I get up in the morning, it will tell me I have 1800 calories left to eat. it's only when I take a rest day, does it suddently say, I've eaten too much. But I never have to chase calories at the end of the day.
It's my understanding Myfitnesspal tells you can eat this many calories today. And that's it. Personalized setting is pretty similar. But it will adjust based on activity levels.
John | Texas,USA | Surge | Aria | Blaze | Windows | iPhone | Always consult with a doctor regarding all medical issues. Keep active!!!
