ConFused on cals

[Lin7604]

I just got a Fitbit versa lite. Yesterday I wore it from when I got home till I woke up and it showed 2000 cals burned. How do I figure out if that’s in the zone to lose weight? I will eat 14-1500 cals a day approx,  how many cals a day do I need to burn to keep that deficit? 

[Odyssey13]

Hello and welcome to the forums @Lin7604 

Best article on the forums is here - click to go there - and it explains it better than I can. Glad you're with us. If you read that series of articles and have any questions, let us know.

Happy stepping!

[Lin7604]

Sorry that confuses me even more.  I’ve lost weight in the past just by logging on mfp daily my food. 14-1500 cals...   I’ve never seem this total calories Burnt ever as I do now on my Fitbit.  I just wasn’t sure what total cals for a day should be around to keep me at a deficit like I used to get using mfp as I don’t use that anymore..

[Odyssey13]

@Lin7604  the calories burned are from your steps and activities that Fitbit sees and it's based on your gender and age, too. You working with a health care professional or a group such as Weight Watchers? I know you would need to consume fewer calories than you burn in order to lose weight. It depends on a few variables, such as your general health and lifestyle, too. You plan on logging food intake with the Fitbit app?

[Lin7604]

No just on my own and I won’t be logging this time around either on mfp as I get too obsessive over it. I have a good eye for what my portions are as I’m a creature of habit and a very simple eater.  I just have never seen how many cals I burn in a day ever so had no clue what that number really meant 

[Odyssey13]

The most basic article explains how Fitbit estimates your burned calories, so click to read it. It is probably less confusing. We burn calories just by being alive and moving, so your Fitbit will start counting burned calories at midnight for the new day.

Lots of people have been able to lose weight doing it on their own. With a good eye, you're already ahead of the game. Best of luck to you!

[Dominique]

Fitbit attempts to estimate your energy expenditure (calories burned) everyday based on your personal data (age, gender, height, weight) and your activity. You can use an online calculator such as this one in order to double-check Fitbit’s estimate.

After a couple of weeks wearing your Fitbit, you should have a reasonable idea of what that number is for you, based on your typical activity level.

[Lin7604]

I understand my bmr and what cals I need to take in to lose or maintain, I just didn’t know how your total cals comes into play as I never knew what I actually burned in a day prior,  that link above gave me 1458 to maintain, 1211 to lose .... which I have a hard time accepting as I never have lost weight under 1400 cals in the past,  but either way if my Fitbit shows say my total cals was only 2000 what does that 2000 actually mean? The way I look at is 2000 - 1400 equals 600 which is too big of a deficit? Am I thinking this correct???

[Dominique]

If Fitbit says you are burning 2000 calories, you say you are eating 1400 calories, but your weight remains unchanged, then either Fitbit is overestimating your energy expenditure, or you are underestimating your caloric intake, or there’s a combination of both taking place.

The assumption is a daily deficit of 600 calories should result in a weight loss of 1.2 lb per week.

[Lin7604]

Ok so then my logical thinking is correct. That’s all I needed to know.  I just started my journey so I don’t know how the weight loss will go as of yet plus I have hormone issues that had made things difficult in general and trying to get under control.  I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and see how it goes. Thx