Fitbit and Myfitnesspal for Weight Loss

[Akimastar]

I have been a member of myfitnesspal for a couple years now, but have only used here and there until recently. I've now reached my 26h day streak (my personal best). Anyways, as a reward, I purchased the fitbit flex. Since synching with myfitnesspal, I've noticed that by just walking it increases my net calories (and yes i know there is a formula and everything). My question is, what success has everyone had from using the 2? I'm worried that since it's increasing my net cals and I have been eating some of that back (which is what myfitnesspal suggests, but I always followed the workout eat back calorie method, not normal day walking eat back calorie), but I'm worried this will slow down my weight loss.

What is your experience with using both apps simultaniously?

If you did use them both and made certain adjustments (not using the factor method), what did you do and how/why? What kind of success/troubles did you have?

I know each person's body reacts different and everything, but I want to make this as successful as possible, and the adding calories just because I walk to my car is a little concerning to me, so I want to know what everyone has seen work....

Thanks in Advance!

[Heybales]

Just so you can have an opinion based on fact and how things work.

MFP guessed your non-exercise maintenance level by your selection of activity level - Sedentary, Lightly Active, ect. Your guess, right or wrong, 4 rough levels.

BMR x that activity level is daily maintenance, say 2000, knock say 500 calories off for eating level.

2000 - 500 = 1500 eating level on non-exercise days.

You do a 400 cal workout prior to Fitbit being used. You correctly log it. Your maintenance just went up.

2000 + 400 = 2400

2400 - 500 = 1900 eating level

All the Fitbit is doing now is reporting a more accurate and inifinite level based on each day's actual activity of calorie burn to MFP, which then adjusts it's guess of what maintenance is.

So say Fitbit saw you burn 2200 or non-exercise day. MFP does this.

Fitbit 2200 - 2000 MFP = 200 more burned.

2000 + 200 = 2200

2200 - 500 = 1700 eating level

Same deficit in place. It shows it under Exercise because that's the easiest place to put it.

Now, say that 400 cal burn was walking so you didn't log it, just let Fitbit use it's estimate of calorie burn.

Fitbit 2400 - 2000 MFP = 400 more burned.

2000 + 400 = 2400 - 500 = 1900 eating level.

You should be reaching your daily eating goal.

Did you even understand where and how the original eating goal came about?

If not - did you blindly accept and follow it anyway?

Why would you now not blindly accept and follow the new goal given too?

What will slow down your weight loss is thinking that bigger is better, and since Fitbit already is underestimating your burn, don't add to it.

Did you select the 2lb weight loss goal like vast majority do, wanting to lose it faster?

Do you have well over 50 lbs to lose to make that a reasonable deficit amount?

[Akimastar]

For one, I am not an idiot and why you would just assume so is just plain ridiculous! Sites like these are to help and encourage/motivate people! Your comment is nothing but condescending! For two, I chose one pound thank you, again not an idiot here! I also understand the equation and what it's goal is and to be fair, nothing in this universe is going to be exactly correct! Finally, go post somewhere that's more productive, because your comment didn't answer the question! No persons story will be the same, I'm just looking for what others have experienced!

[Akimastar]

Also, bigger is not bigger for weight loss! It's about health fats, protein, whole grains, and fruits/veggies! An no, I did not follow blindly, I did the same thing I'm doing now and researched and talked to people!

[Heybales]

Uh, that's why those were questions, because I didn't know. I only know what the majority do, which is why I still ask.

Sorry the questions offended you. If you have observed what the majority do, then you haven't read the forums much to see what happens.

And like any tool, it works great when used correctly, and when it's understood what it's good for, and not good for.

I manually enter all workouts because they are all vastly underestimated by Fitbit, but the syncing works great with MFP and maintains a reasonable deficit I need.

[bitsy]

I use myfitnesspal for tracking calories in and fitbit for determining how many calories to eat.  I've only been at it for a few weeks, but I am dropping weight on about a 350 calorie per day deficit.  It's still "early", but I am pretty happy with the combination.  The fitbit calories out estimation is good enough that I think I am losing at a slightly faster rate than predicted by the deficit alone.  (Then again, I try to be very accurate to conservative with all my logging.)  I am 50+ female and have a normal BMI, so I am not predisposed to easy weight loss (if anyone is :). 

In theory, both fitbit and MFP should do the same calculation if both are set to the same activity level and you don't enter calories for the same exercise session into both sites.  (I think it would be counted twice.)  However (and I am too lazy to check) I don't think they agree.   I have never investigated whether there is a discrepancy and what might be the cause.

I find MFP food logging, fitbit calorie deficit tracking to be a great combination.  The "sedentary, lightly active, ..." selection MFP uses seems too coarse to me.  I really like that fitbit tries to estimate calories out more accurately ... and I find their estimate to be accurate. 

I'd just be careful to understand how they interact to avoid inadvertently counting food or exercise twice.

[Suzie2505]

I am also using both. To be honest I use MFP to log my food as the FitBit food database is not as useful as it doesn't contain UK food items. My FitBit I use to track exercise. Seems to be going ok, but I don't really look at the detail of calories burnt during exercise so can't answer about the accuracy of the two, but just enjoy using them as a focus.

[monicayd]

I know you asked this a year ago, but I only recently started using MFP (at the end of August) and got my FB at the beginning of Sept. I've been slowing losing weight for 5 years, just being more aware of what and how much I was eating and walking a lot more. I lost 40 pounds that way and I wanted to keep losing the 10-lb per year average, but I needed to do something different so I could continue. So now I use MFP and FB, and I use MapMyWalk as well for when I am going to do intentional exercise because the FB steps aren't always factored into the calorie count that MFP does. The MMW calories are.

Basically, it's working for me. It's been not quite 2 months and this has helped me bust through a plateau I had been maintaining all year, despite joining a gym in April. I've lost 14 pounds so far so I met my 10-lb oal for this year and I'm thrilled. I had everything first set at 2 pounds per week, but once I hit a certain number - as of today! - I pushed it up (down?) to 1.5 pounds per week because the holidays are coming and I am realistic. 🙂 Also because I can't replace my whole wardrobe in one shot, so I need time to deal with that too.

At 2 pounds per week, MFP and FB were pretty much on the same page. The calorie goal was 1,200 ( a tad more for FB), but if I was really working out that day - and that could mean I was super busy, running around a lot doing errands - and I knew I was using my energy, I would pay attention to the calories that were added and sometimes eat a little more, but never over what the apps said I could do. FB tended to give a smaller number left to eat so that was the one I followed more. But overall, I tried not to go past 1,300 no matter how much I had done that day. When I got to a point where I just wanted to lose one more pound so I could change it from the 2 lbs per week to 1.5, I found I was at the exact same weight for about 5 days. That was when I stuck to 1,200 or less no matter what and that got me where I wanted to be.

Now that I have changed it from 2lbs to 1.5, however, the apps aren't on the same page. MFP is saying 1,270 per day sans exercise. FB is saying a little over 1,400. Not sure why the disparity. I set them both to 1.5 at the same time. But where I was giving FB the last word before, this time I think it will MFP. I know FB COULD be correct. My suspicion that it is comes from have spent a weekend not that long ago eating out for all the meals and walking back and forth to different panels at a convention I was attending, going over my preferred calorie levels the whole time and coming home to find I was still on track losing weight. But I'd rather not risk it. I'm too close, you know? I'll let the MFP numbers dictate what I do regularly, paying attention to the under/goal/over meter that FB uses and if I have an extra busy day and clearly need to eat, I'll see how much FB is saying and let that guide me too.

It just seems to be a balancing act and a matter of figuring out which won't leave you feeling hungry. I'm already thinking about food way more than I want to, but at least I feel like I have some control, I'm able to eat what I want and at 29 pounds to go to hit my goal, I'm planning to ride this as long as it works.

Curious to know how it's been for you since you last wrote this a year ago.

[Taddypear]

I have been wondering if my Fitbit calories are higher than they should be. My fitbit logs 750 calories extra onto my calories for the day when I walk 10K. I walk 10K every day at work, easily. I was using those calories (and loving it!) but stopped losing and went into maintenance. I have to admit that I was using part of those calories for beer or hard cider. Maybe that threw my blood sugar off. I have stopped wearing my fitbit now because I think it is giving me too many extra calories.

[Taddypear]

Way to mansplain it Heybales.

[donnielogan]

some people just say stuff without on apps like this to feel good which is wrong of them

[Heybales]

@Taddypear 

Way to bring back a 4.5 year old topic.

Perhaps you should keep reading the forums a tad more to fully appreciate that the lack of understanding of how things works is not limited to a gender, nor are the explanations that attempt detail coming from a man only.

Perhaps reading the response I replied to will assist you in understanding why I was asking questions and giving that level of explanation - and guess what, some people - guys and gals - require even more and still don't get it!