Confused about calorie allowance...

[chett41]

So if i dont record my exercise and i eventually log X amount of steps, then i am allotted a few more calories depending on how many steps i go over. However, it seems that when i log my walking exercises (where i just walk at a pace of about 3.4-3.5 MPH i seem to be getting more calories to consume. Should i not be logging my exercise walk or should i? Thank you

[Coldfists]

When you record walking as an exercise it adds steps to your total, so if you are wearing your fitbit during the walk and then recording it as an exercise it is counting double.  You can have fitbit track your walk while you're doing it to avoid this, but if you use the "log previous" it will give you double the steps that you actually made.

[chett41]

Thanks for the reply, i was very confused by this!

[Raviv]

Just to clarify, it does not count double when you manually add exercise.  It will ask the starting time and duration of the exercise because it overrides the Fitbit's data for that time period and enters what you add instead.  It will keep the number of steps, but it will use whatever you manually enter to determine calories burned during that time.

I do this at least three times a week because my workouts are all over the place as far as pace and stride, so I enter the time, mileage and calories manually.  Sometimes it's only a small bit of difference between my data and what was automatically calculated, and sometimes it's very different.  But it is never doubled as long as you enter the correct starting time and duration.

You only need to add data manually when you think Fitbit isn't going to be accurate, and then make sure you have the time frame correct.

[Coldfists]

Oh, that's good to know - when I added mine it was because I had forgotten to wear my fitbit so there wasn't anything to overwrite.  I guess in that case you really have to pay attention to the time you put in.  Normally when I log my excercise I just worry about the duration and not the actual time.  Sorry for the misleading information.

[chett41]

so what about when i go for an exercise walk and i turn on the GPS function that tracks my steps around the path that i walk and shows the path i walk with all of the actuals like pace, distance, calories burned, shows the path in red highlight. 

[Raviv]

As far as overriding that data?  I'm not sure how much it would keep and how much it would override.  But it shouldn't double up on the calories burned unless you enter the start time and duration incorrectly.