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. 

[Yelf]

I Guess im assuming Fitbit is "close" to accurate... because i am literally wearing 2 watches atm The Versa 2 and Galaxy Watch.. and both have similar steps but calories burned are way off towards the end of the day....  also during exercise fitbit tells me i burn more calories..the galaxy seems more reasonable... UNLESS its been underestimating this entire time.. (even tho i did lose 15LB already using samsung method). I checked many online stuff and calorie burning apps and most of the numbers are more leaning towards Samsung galaxy measurements... I love the fitbit and how it does things but i dont know if its even close to the estimate.... 

[Heybales]

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@Yelf wrote:

Well i basically added my BMR plus step calories gives me about that 2800 range in burned Cal's. Unless if there exercise its more. but my Exercise typically burn 2-400 Cals. So lets say i burn 3-3.5K Calories TOPS!. based off of my BMR adding steps + exercise. Fitbit is telling me otherwise. 

I am really counting my calories and i literally weigh by grams (other than liquids) EVERYTHING and have pre-planned meals atm. so i only eat about 2-2.5K Cals a day. 

Somehow i get 4-4.5K total Calorie burn. And based off my " 1K Calorie" deficit its still telling me i can eat another 900 cals a day on average... which seems counter productive... I am losing weight based off my own plan atm but i was hoping to use fitbit for everything but it seems off on the "Weight Maintenance" side. I am using Samsung health and Samsung Galaxy Watch and their Weight Management features seems to have it correct. and i have lost 15LB so far.. but since fitbit is known better for its activity trackers and not just watch i wanted to switch  so i bought it but seems like Samsung health has it right and fitbit algorithm isnt correct... 

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Oh, there is more to your daily burn than BMR and some distance which is also a part of your exercise calorie burn.

You have TEF - Thermal Effect of Food - about 10% of value of calories you eat.

NEAT - Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis - highly variable, being awake, moving, standing, ect.

TEE - Thermal Effect of Exercise - other acronyms given to several of these.

If your BMR is really that high, then it would make sense your NEAT + TEE would be big too - but you'll burn more for awake non-moving time too that Fitbit can't big up on - it doesn't catch the TEF value either.

It underestimates if anything.

Activity where HR goes up high enough that Fitbit start using HR-based calorie burn would be inflated too for lower level activity. So if you look at the day and see spikes in 24 hr graph for calorie burn - and you didn't do anything but a few stairs or little walking - that could be issue.

But if you've been accurate with your food logging by weight then, then you have a way to adjust if you trust you've tweaked it as best you can for stride length.

Losing 15 lbs is great, and hopefully that wasn't in like 3 weeks, or else your body starting to slow down could be a real issue too. So fitbit estimating burning more, but body had adapted for a huge deficit being given and is no longer a good estimate for the burn side of things.

[Yelf]

So This is my samsung health.. and it seems very reasonable.. from my expeirence.. and  that is why its confusing me why fitbit seems to be adding so much cal to being burned... i am 247 ATM was at 268 at my highest about 2 months ago.... 

So what do you think? is Samsung correct or does fitbit just have a different algorithm as well etc etc... really want to know... i love the fitbit but if im not understanding or its wrong... i might return it.

These are my comparisons from both trackers... i understand theyll be off by some margin.. but not by that much..

[Yelf]

[Heybales]

So Fitbit saw you for almost 7 miles.

Can't see a stat to compare on SHealth.

age, gender, height, weight match between devices?

Because steps only leads to calories via a calculation for distance.

Distance matters.

Hence my comments about stride length.

Fitbit could be over, and SHealth could be under for that matter - both off.

Comparison to each other would explain the calorie difference easily if that's it.

Compare several days that have the biggest difference between them.

[Yelf]

 so I mean milage was almost the same.. altho step count was 1k off . I do realize that fitbit does seem to be more sensitive to just hand movement when I sit at work on my computer.... And yes all the info in exactly the same in both I made sure of that cuz I'm comparing both devices at the same time... So they have differences even tho all info same

.. but I just feel like the the Shealth is less off along with the Galaxy watch .but then again I still not 100% on which is more accurate to the estimates