Have you lost weight since you got your Fitbit?

[Rnda]

I am the exact same weight as I was when I got my Flex 3 1/2 months ago!

How about you?

I'm hoping with Spring here and Summer around the corner, that my walking will increase. 

Moderator edit: title

[MVibe]

I've just completely ignored how many calories fitbit says 'I Have Left'. I'd be obese by now if I took any notice of that. I had to turn off HR because prior to that it was just insane. Fitbit is literally being used to track activity and record calories & macros etc

I lost my desired amount of weight which was about 2.5 stone and have stayed at my current healthy weight for over 2 years by just eating better / cleaner, being more active and eating somewhere between my BMR and TDEE and for me, a figure of roughly 2000 calories give or take depending on activity, keeps me the same weight.

[Glenda]

@Viper62 @HMargarita Viper,  You have figured it out correctly in my opinion.  I'm astonished by Margarita's post.  I think you should figure out what is supposedly a maintenance number of calories for you to eat, and a losing weight number of calories to eat, and NEVER even consider calories burned.  I think that never works for people.   Also I read recently that people who start a new exercise program to lose weight eat 124 calories a day more and don't lose weight, they gain.   So be sure to keep count accurately of what you are eating and you will start losing.  

[kaelarenee7]

I think to say to never consider calories burned is a bad way to put it. I think it more depends on the person and what their activity levels are. 

For me, I'm on my feet at work all day and can burn an extra 1,000-1,500 calories a day on days I work vs days off (according the numbers I get from Fitbit). My resting metabolic rate is about 1900 calories so if I just took that number and subtracted calories to be in a deficit, I would consistently be undereating and would likely be fatigued and not be able to keep up with a deficit just off of that number.

If I was much more sedentary, then using that 1900 calories as my maintenance and subtracting to be in a deficit would be much more manageable.

I think the more important thing for people to focus on is are they actually eating the amount of calories that they think they are eating. Unless you are measuring everything, you don't actually know the total amount of calories you are eating per day and depending on your activity level, than could make a big difference if you're consistently eating 100, 200, 300+ calories more than what you think you are eating.

[MVibe]

@kaelarenee7 

Are these estimates correct though? Burning 1500 cals by being on your feet all day seems a lot, it's equivalent to running for some 2 hrs non stop. I have never trusted that aspect to be honest, I'd be obese by now if I ate 'calories left' according to FitBit.

Also, BMR is calculated by your current weight, so it reduces as you lose weight, it's not as drastic or important when an overweight person eats below a BMR here and there because they are not near their ideal bodyweight, but for all intents and purposes, it is advised to eat somewhere between the BMR and TDEE if the goal is to lose weight. A 1900 BMR under normal circumstances is quite high. For example, a 35yr old 6ft male weighing 200lbs has a BMR of 1880.

An interesting observation is to see what your BMR is at your target weight, then roughly calculate how many cals you burn through normal activity and get a rough estimate on what you will expect to consume once that target weight has been reached.

I turned off HR on mine because I felt it was given me bad information, when I was carrying an extra 35lbs or so, my heart rate would be higher during physical activity and I would be out of breath quicker too and fitbit would see that as some sort of insane exercise and reward me with a huge calorific burn which in turn confused me as to know how much to eat. Now, I can sprint up the same hill, have a marginally increased heart rate and be only slightly out of breath and get no difference in calories burned than if I snail pace around the local supermarket. I don't know what this means other than it confused the hell out of me so I just decided it made more sense to find my own balance.

I totally agree that you should adjust things based on how you feel etc. I def had times where I must have been undereating, felt fatigued, exhausted, tired, irritable and couldn't sleep properly, upping my cals a bit was the solution to this and as I was in the weight loss stage I was trying to juggle that figure based on my activity levels roughly adding 500 cals to my BMR which resulted in a slow weight loss down to my target weight where I am now and have stayed at this weight for over 2 years.

I had too much confidence in fitbit and wasn't listening to my body - which I think can be often overlooked ( not saying you, just talking out loud )

[Dominique]

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@MVibe wrote:

A 1900 BMR under normal circumstances is quite high. For example, a 35yr old 6ft male weighing 200lbs has a BMR of 1880.

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I agree a BMR of 1900 is quite high. @kaelarenee7 wrote a few months back she’s 5’8" and about 200 lbs. If she were 25, her calculated BMR (per Mifflin St. Jeor equation) would be 1700.

I also second the recommandation to eat above BMR, even when the goal is weight loss.

[kaelarenee7]

I would like to clarify that the 1900 is my RMR using a calculator because it looks like I only mentioned that once as "resting metabolic rate" and everyone is reading it as BMR. You are correct in that my BMR is still around 1700 calories and perhaps rereading my post to realize that I was talking about RMR will help the 1900 calories make more sense.

In response to 1,500 calories being burned as an estimate by Fitbit, based on what I do at work, I can absolutely believe it. However, as has been said in response to my post, it is definitely a good idea to take into account how you feel.

For further information, my BMR is about 1700, my RMR is about 1900, and on days that I work, I eat approximately 2,000-2,300 calories and still lose weight (when I am actually tracking and being honest with myself as to what I'm eating). I try to stick to that range because it'll be maintenance for me at my activity level when I'm at my "goal weight" (of which, I don't have a specific number).

Of course, I can definitely see the stall in the scale when I'm not being fully honest with myself about how much I'm eating.

[Vieve23]

I am also the exact same....I find that I obsessively check my fitbit but it doesn't really affect how much more I do in a day. I need to do better. 

[JimC_99]

I seem to be unable to stop calorie logging - I feel guilty if I don't track calories in....  I have been in a maintenance mode for ~5 months so its about time to lose the final 25 lbs....

[Gimpycat]

I'd argue that there are far more important metrics than steps, and that
exercise by itself doesn't necessarily lead to weight loss (although I am
in favor of exercise).

For me, the pounds began to drop of when I cleaned up my diet and practiced
intermittent fasting. That got my high insulin under control and allowed my
body to access stored fat. Bread was a major problem for me -- it WILL make
you fat.

Total weight loss: over 60 lbs, which I've kept off for more than a year. I
still do pay attention to steps and total activity minutes, but for me the
quality of food I eat and my frequency of eating are what matter most.

[Gimpycat]

How often you eat and the quality of food you eat are the most important
things, I believe. If you eat healthy, whole, nutrition-dense foods and
control your feeding window, the calories take care of themselves.

[Dominique]

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@JimC_99 wrote:

I seem to be unable to stop calorie logging - I feel guilty if I don't track calories in....  I have been in a maintenance mode for ~5 months so its about time to lose the final 25 lbs....

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OTOH, I think logging calories during maintenance was a smart thing to do, since you must now have a pretty good idea of what your maintenance calories are, and therefore how to go about the next weight loss phase. Btw, have you seen a noticeable change in your maintenance calories now compared to 5 months ago?

[JimC_99]

Yes - about 400 - 500 calories from early October.  I increased my calories at about 150-200 per week until I hit my calculated TDEE - I use the NIH website body weight planner calculator (www.niddk.nih.gov/bwp) with a light activity selection.  I seem to track well with that calculator for some reason.  The Fitbit is still overestimating burn rate as they seem to give a generous burn rate for walking and I have been walking ~6 miles a week....

Right now I have been averaging between 2700 and 2900 calories per day, with a calculated BMR of 2050 and a TDEE of 2850.  I find it more difficult to lose in the winter, as my outdoor activities decrease quite a bit.... too cold here 🙂 

[Glenda]

@kaelarenee7 I agree.  people , including me, probably don't count calories very well or accurately.   But if I eat about 1,200 calories a day I expect to weigh 120 pounds.  I expect people who eat about 1,500 calories a day to weigh 150 pounds.   Bringham Young University just did a 3 month study and concluded that walking an average of 14500 steps a day didn't help a bit to keep college freshmen from gaining weight.  Increased activity didn't help in maintaining weight or preventing weight gain.  It is all about what you eat.  So if what ever you are doing is working to give you the results you want, go for it.  Best wishes.

I'm editing this, I think I should have added, I weigh 115 pounds.  I walk on my treadmill 40 minutes every morning (while I read the newspaper) and then I get another 3000 shopping or doing yard work and housework etc,.  I try not to eat 1,200 calories a day because I don't want to weigh 120 pounds.  I am 77.  I have never been overweight,.  So what  has worked for me for decades might not work for everyone.  I'm only 5 foot 1.5 inches tall.

[Dominique]

@JimC_99 : looks like your metabolism has recovered (from the reduction induced by the long weight loss phase) and you’re now in a good position to lose again!

I also live in a place where winters are cold (except this one hasn’t been so far), but I find the main limiting factor for outdoor activity (all I do indoor is weight lifting) is the shortness of days: when the days are at their shortest (December), I basically have to do all of my walking between 10am and 3pm. Fortunately, I’m self-employed and have flexibility with the use of my time, but I understand it can be a problem for someone who has fixed working hours.

[Gimpycat]

I fast intermittently. Never eat breakfast, usually eat within a 4-6 hour
window, sometimes have 1 meal a day. I do longer fasts from time to time. I
do eat healthy foods; what I've found is that if I restrict my feeding
window, it's almost impossible to ingest too man calories. If fasting
becomes a lifestyle, hunger ceases to be an issue.

[BruceM]

Okay, I"m not a woman but I've been successful in losing weight - and more importantly, keeping it off. In 2001 I weighed 183 when I decided to lose weight (I was trying to buy some slacks and I had to get a larger waist size and didn't like that). Being a scientist I examined the things that I ate and determined what I ate that made me gain weight and then set a target: 155 in ten years. The first year, 2002 I stopped eating donuts, then next year, stopped soda, then the third year, McDonald's fries, then, all McDonald's then all fast foods. I changed my lifestyle gradually and the pounds dropped off gradually. By 2012, my lifestyle had changed and I hit my goal.

I got my Fitbit in 2013 and started watching my activity. Now, eight years later I average about 149 pounds and have no desire for donuts, McDonald's or a lot of other things - except potato chips - that cause my weight to go up. As for potato chips, I I don't buy them, but only have them at family gatherings,

Set a goal, make a commitment, change gradually and in ten years you'll be thinner. I'm about to turn 77 and I'm 34 pounds lighter than I was 17 years ago.

[SunsetRunner]

Not really.   I think my health, overall, has gotten better because it encourages me to move more but I don't really think it's helped me to lose more weight than I otherwise would have.  Most of weight loss is done with food, and while the Fitbit does encourage activity, it doesn't do anything for my appetite lol. 

[bigjim1002]

Hey RNDA, Guess I must be lucky looking at some of the lack of loss comments - I'm losing an average of 0.9kg a week - 8 down 35 to go.

[Gimpycat]

They say that abs are made in the kitchen. It's "abs"olutely true. Simply
logging a few more steps a day won't automatically lead to weight loss, and
if your exercise is focused on cardio, there's a good chance you'll
compensate by eating more.

What you eat and how often you eat are far more important factors in weight
loss. In the past two years, I've shed more than 60 lbs of fat by:


1. Eliminating most processed foods from my diet, and greatly reducing
sugar and alcohol.
2. Eliminating wheat and most grains from my diet. Modern wheat contains
a super starch that will make you fat! It's also loaded with glyphosate and
other unpleasantness. Dr. Hyman has written an excellent article about the
problems with GMO wheat, which is very different from the wheat used 60
years ago.

https://drhyman.com/blog/2012/02/13/three-hidden-ways-wheat-makes-you-fat/

3. Restricting my feeding window to 8 hours a day or fewer. This allows
insulin to drop, and unless insulin levels drop, you'll be forever in fat
storage mode.
4. Making resistance training, and not cardio, the focus of my exercise.
I keep cardio sessions short -- usually under 30 minutes. Beyond 30 minutes
of cardio, you're getting little additional benefit, according to a recent
study our of Denmark. If you want to do more cardio, break it up into
several shorter sessions.
5. Being conscious of NEAT -- non-exercise thermogenesis. Read up on it
if you've never heard of it. It does very little good to spend an hour each
day on the elliptical trainer if you spend the other 23 hours on your rear
end.

Do all these things and you will lose weight. But you can't expect Fitbit
to solve the problem of an unhealthy lifestyle.

[MrWebb]

How long have you been using Fitbit?