Fitbit allowing me TOO MANY calories???

[Clemily]

So I have the Fitbit set to adjust my calories throughout the day, based on my activity levels. I'm on a maintience diet, just trying to avoid gaining weight. Even so, the amount of calories I'm allowed seems INSANE. I'm allowed almost 2,500 calories when I meet my step goals/activity goals. That seems crazy for a 5 foot 7 woman. 

I never seem to be able to eat 2,500 calories in a day. And I feel like if I did, I'd start gaining weight! Fitbit seems to record this calorie deficit as unhealthy, but obviously I'm not hungry. Is there a way to adjust this? I feel like it's overestimating what I really need to consume. 

[HelenaFitbit]

Hey there @Clemily ! I'll be glad to help on this. 

We've had some reports regarding the "Calories Left" amount being too high, and our development team is aware of this issue. They'll be investigating this further and see what can be done to get this fixed. You can visit this thread to get more information and updates.

[janinemb]

It doesn't seem insane to me if you're 5'7" and meeting your step goal each day. 10,000 (or more) steps is quite a lot of activity really. Added to that you're maintaining and it sounds right to me! I'm 4 inches shorter than you (though several pounds heavier most likely) and can often get up to 3000 calories with exercise and walking. And that's with a deficit of 750 or 500 calories. 

It's also quite easy to add some extra healthy calories so you're eating enough. A small handful of nuts is one way, things like that 🙂 (easy for me to say but not to do, I hate nuts lol). I've been using fitbit to record everything for the last year and it's worked out pretty acurately so far and I've lost weight consistantly when I've stuck to it... few blips here and there 🙂

[12er]

Yup, i noticed this too. I eat about 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day and maintain. If i actually ate the amount of calories im told i can i would for sure gain weight. Try myfitnesspal app. They start with BMR calorie amount then add as you log workouts or syncs with your fitbit steps. It has lower calorie intakes and is more realistic. 

[Heybales]

That's not insane at all.

Are you aware that average maintenance for average woman (of which your height actually is tad taller) that is sedentary is about 2000.

You are taller and more active.

What exerience do you have with eating levels and burning levels outside of diets?

Because actually, the Fitbit is going to underestimate your daily burn.

All your non-moving time is given sleeping level calorie burn, called BMR.

But when awake non-moving you burn more - called RMR.

When standing non-moving you burn more.

When digesting/processing food you burn about 10% of calories you ate.

All of that is NOT accounted for. You actually burn more than Fitbit is estimating.

But many people that have dieted and undereaten for years have caused their bodies to burn less than needed. And / or to have lost some muscle mass from average, so you burn less that way too.

[Heybales]

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@12er wrote:

Yup, i noticed this too. I eat about 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day and maintain. If i actually ate the amount of calories im told i can i would for sure gain weight. Try myfitnesspal app. They start with BMR calorie amount then add as you log workouts or syncs with your fitbit steps. It has lower calorie intakes and is more realistic. 

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Actually no, MFP starts with BMR x activity factor of your selection for maintenance eating with no exercise being accounted for.

And if you sync Fitbit, it'll correct that maintenance to what Fitbit is reporting.

Maintenance will be exactly the same the way the math is done.

[Clemily]

I've looked at my BMR before, and it's about 1450, so I can see 2,000 being normal I suppose.

I've actually never dieted before, and have never (successfully) counted calories for more than a few days. On my less active days I can get close to eating what Fitbit reccomends, if I eat a calorie-dense dinner and have a glass of wine. But on my more active days, I'm just not hungry enough to eat 3,000 calories! 

I do eat a lot of "nutrient dense" foods (we drink whole milk, use real butter, lots of fresh veggies, etc.) and I'm on a medication that can surpress appetite - but my doctor has said she's not concerned since I weigh 150 lbs, which is in the medium-upper range of a healthy BMI.

If I'm not hungry, should I try to eat what FitBit says I should? anyway?

[Clemily]

You can look at my profile, I think my foods and activity are both public, so you should be able to see what I've been eating/drinking. I'm trying to use Fitbit to 1) encourage me to move more (I just switched to a VERY sedentary job) and 2) help me get adequate nutrition, specifically eating a well-balanced diet, and that I'm eating the right amount. 

[janinemb]

Actually, all but your steps are set to private 🙂

[Heybales]

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@Clemily wrote:

I've looked at my BMR before, and it's about 1450, so I can see 2,000 being normal I suppose.

I've actually never dieted before, and have never (successfully) counted calories for more than a few days. On my less active days I can get close to eating what Fitbit reccomends, if I eat a calorie-dense dinner and have a glass of wine. But on my more active days, I'm just not hungry enough to eat 3,000 calories! 

I do eat a lot of "nutrient dense" foods (we drink whole milk, use real butter, lots of fresh veggies, etc.) and I'm on a medication that can surpress appetite - but my doctor has said she's not concerned since I weigh 150 lbs, which is in the medium-upper range of a healthy BMI.

If I'm not hungry, should I try to eat what FitBit says I should? anyway?

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If it's irregular, that's not a problem, but you'll be effecting your bodies ability to recover as well and be prepared for a good workout the next day.

If willing to go under one day, be willing to over another day. Balance is better.

If really doing that good of workouts, then at this point you are fueling your workouts for good performance.

You might look at something as simple as a Clif bar after your workout, if a meal isn't within 2 hrs. It's a good ratio of carbs:protein to prepare for good workout tomorrow.

Or a Equate, Boost, or Ensure nutritional shake, the regular version is again good ratio of carbs:protein.

All those are about 250 cal.

So long as you are aware that a good hard workout can make you not feel hungry. But that's where you listen to your brain, not your body.

Just because it may not feel hungry, doesn't mean enough calories won't do it a lot of good.

[Clemily · Accepted solution]

I have finally discovered the problem. 

When I intially got the Fitbit, I weighed 153 lbs, and told FitBit I wanted to maintain. Recently I weighed myself again, and came in at 150 lbs. That's well within a normal range for me, and I suspect it was just me shedding the holiday pounds I'd gained. I logged that in Fitbit, but didn't know I needed to change my "goal" weight. 

It was suggesting extra calories for me, because I was "underweight" and needed to gain 3 lbs to maintain 153 lbs. Changing my goal weight to 150 lbs. fixed the problem. 

[Heybales]

Too funny, well, not really.

That's a 'feature' I've never seen anyone comment on - wonder if it's even noticed.

I didn't log my final weight below goal weight before I started bulking, I'd probably not have noticed at all since I only watch the MFP calories from the sync.

[Clif_astronomer]

I have the opposite problem.  I am on a program to lose weight, my target being 200 lbs (I was 317).  I figured out for myself that if I ate 2000 calories per day I should lose weight given my moderate activity level (yard work, walking my dog on trails in the woods and parks).  I got myself into ketosis by cutting carbs to less than 50 grams per day and then gradually reduced my caloric intake so I was eating between 1900 and 2000 calories per day.  I started burning fat and off it came.  After doing this for about a year I am down to 225.  So it's working.  Trouble is the fitbit program consistently tells my that my caloric goal for the day is WAY less than 2000 calories, like around 1300.  It wants to starve me!  I have been happily ignoring its advice and eating my 1900 or so calories per day, 60% from fat, 30% from protein and 10% from carbs, feeling good, weight is still coming off and my health signs are all great.  Where in the world does the program get those goals? 

[12er]

So my fitbit app said i walked 21.9k steps yesterday for a total of 9.52 miles which i know i did not. The only walking i really do is to the break room, bathroom at work and to other people's cubicles. I walked about 1.5 miles to the supermarket last night and logged 2 hours of weight training. With all that info acquired and entered the app said i burned 3,213 calories which i know for sure i did not burn. I also logged 1,245 calories eaten and fitbit suggested i have another 1,968 calories left to eat. If i ate a total of 3,213 calories as fitbit suggests i would for sure gain weight. Im 5'6" 128 pounds and 40 years old.

[josephz2va]

I ignore the deficit and trying to get back to following my dietitian's plan of 1200 cals. My calorie deficit hits as high as 4,000 calories which is a ridiculous amount of calories to consume as I'm not athletically exercising. Not only that but I slip off the wagon unless I lock up my credit cards immediately after picking up my diet food for the whole week.

My BMR says 1,875 kcal per day but to get to where I need to get which is 45 pounds less than I am now, 1,200 cals a day.

[Clemily]

What "level" of difficulty did you choose for your weight loss? 1500 sounds
like you BMR.

--
*Emily Selway*
www.theselways.com
Campus Staff
Cru at Ohio University
and Southeast Ohio

[Heybales]

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@Clif_astronomer wrote:

I have the opposite problem.  I am on a program to lose weight, my target being 200 lbs (I was 317).  I figured out for myself that if I ate 2000 calories per day I should lose weight given my moderate activity level (yard work, walking my dog on trails in the woods and parks).  I got myself into ketosis by cutting carbs to less than 50 grams per day and then gradually reduced my caloric intake so I was eating between 1900 and 2000 calories per day.  I started burning fat and off it came.  After doing this for about a year I am down to 225.  So it's working.  Trouble is the fitbit program consistently tells my that my caloric goal for the day is WAY less than 2000 calories, like around 1300.  It wants to starve me!  I have been happily ignoring its advice and eating my 1900 or so calories per day, 60% from fat, 30% from protein and 10% from carbs, feeling good, weight is still coming off and my health signs are all great.  Where in the world does the program get those goals? 

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You set them during profile setup to cause the math to make those goals.

Calorie deficit of 250, 500, 750, or 1000. You likely selected Aggressive or Intense or whataver that level is.

You can change it to more reasonable.

[Heybales]

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@12er wrote:

So my fitbit app said i walked 21.9k steps yesterday for a total of 9.52 miles which i know i did not. The only walking i really do is to the break room, bathroom at work and to other people's cubicles. I walked about 1.5 miles to the supermarket last night and logged 2 hours of weight training. With all that info acquired and entered the app said i burned 3,213 calories which i know for sure i did not burn. I also logged 1,245 calories eaten and fitbit suggested i have another 1,968 calories left to eat. If i ate a total of 3,213 calories as fitbit suggests i would for sure gain weight. Im 5'6" 128 pounds and 40 years old.

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2 hrs of weight training was logged as how many calories?

Did you accept the database entry or input your own estimate?

Since distance is based on steps seen, whether real steps or other movements, have you checked for steps counted when you know you didn't get any?

You didn't mention what device, but the wrist ones can pick up movement that is not steps at all but counts as steps, inflating distance, inflating calorie burn, inflating eating goal.

And do you know if it's really 1.5 mile walk to market? And how far did device show for it specifically?

You may have the stride length way off too, the default based on calc's not being correct for you.

[Heybales]

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@josephz2va wrote:

I ignore the deficit and trying to get back to following my dietitian's plan of 1200 cals. My calorie deficit hits as high as 4,000 calories which is a ridiculous amount of calories to consume as I'm not athletically exercising. Not only that but I slip off the wagon unless I lock up my credit cards immediately after picking up my diet food for the whole week.

My BMR says 1,875 kcal per day but to get to where I need to get which is 45 pounds less than I am now, 1,200 cals a day.

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Egads, maintenance is going to suck big time for you.

[12er]

oh, you think i havent been doing this for a while and dont know what im doing. Weight training was logged throught myfitnesspal at 340 calories and also i put in the same numbers in fitbit and got close the the same numbers of calories from both. So either fitbit or myfitness report about the same calorie numbers and i use my fitnesspal's numbers. 

I have not checked steps counted and actual movement as i sit at a desk and move my arm all day. So i im pretty confident the steps fitbit records isnt what ive actually taken.

Once again you are correct fitbit inflates steps taken by movement and not by actual steps taken. We both know this so what is your point? Ive had the flex and now im wearing the Charge HR. 

Yes, i know the distance to the supermarket as ive used stava to show me that and also my car as i drive there.

One last thing. I just did a 16.9 Mountaing bike ride tonight in which i used my polar chest heart rate monitor and the fitbit charge HR. The reading were at times off by 40 heart beats per minute. To check which was right or wrong i did the manual 15 second X4 on my jugular. Polar was right, Charge HR WAY off. Charge HR has no clue as to accurately read heart rate to determane calories as it cannot properly read heart rate when i cycling without moving my are back and forth or moving my arm while brushing my teath rather than actually doing some sort of activity. Dont be naive.