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MFP / FitBit giving too many exercise calories?

Hi,

 

I'm REALLY confused an am hoping someone can help me out here. I'm using MyFitnessPal alongside my FitBit Blaze, but am noticing that I am being awarded what seems to be far to many calories for my exercise throughout the day.

Based on my weight loss goals, my target is to eat 1,500 calories per day, for a loss of 2 lbs per week. However today (as an example) I have done 13,000 steps and have been awarded 1,365 additional calories... Surely this is not correct? I understand people are saying that this 1,365 includes calories I would burn 'just by being alive' but is that not already taken into consideration when setting my target of eating only 1,500 per day?


The accepted estimate seems to be approx. 100 calories burned per 1 mile ran. Today I have walked just under 7 miles (13,000 steps). Even if I were to have ran all 13,000 steps, I would only have burned around 700 calories, so why am I being awarded 1,365 additionals?

If I were to eat my 1,500 AND the 1,300 I have been awarded, I'd be eating nearly 3,000 calories in a day? Regardless of the exercise I've done, this seems absurd to think I'll lose 2lbs a week at this rate?

If anyone could help explain, I'd be really grateful! 🙂

Best Answer
7 REPLIES 7

Ok so i know nothing about this myfitness pal so lets ignore that for a second. So what is your total calories burned for a day (24 hrs) from midnight to midnight as shown on the fitbit screen ?

I take that and subtract the number of calories i take in to get my caloric deficit number which i try to keep around 1000.

I figure out what calories i take in by just adding up eaten things in my head based on googling them and from nutrition labels.

Say your basic metabolic calorie use is maybe 1800 calories from just living and you do another 700 calories from walking to give you 2500 to play with and you eat 1500 ,that would leave you 1000 deficit which is good.

So is your daily output around this 2500 or is there still a big added chunk like this 1365 number ?

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0 Votes

I have been seeing a doctor who specializes in weight loss. She says that all the devices out there do a very poor job determining calories burned either by just living or by exercise. This office calculates calories needed to live by BMI and age. I've somewhere on these boards that there is a website that can show you how to calculate your BMR (basal metabolic rate). That should give you a good estimate. The only other way is to use a scale that calculates it or have a test that involves oxygen intake and CO2 output. The latter is the most accurate. You might be surprised at how few calories you actually burn.

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I have wondered this exact same thing. I am also eating around 1500 calories per day and also hitting around 10,000 steps. I feel that fit bit is overestimating the amount of calories burned during exercise. Personally, I am not going to add in any calories to my 1500 for any exercise that I do and see what happens. 

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I was told by someone not to go by the MFP exercise calories if your device is linked to it. Use MFP to log the cals, but use Fitbit's "Calories left in your goal" (or whatever it is) as your guide for eating exercise calories.

 

I have hypothyroidism (badly!) and started doing just the above. I have lost steadily about a pound a week using the above suggestion. This is the first time I've lost weight by real effort in four years.

 

I think this probably works, then....  (I have a Charge 2).

Best Answer

If your FitBit and MFP accounts are linked, MFP will import your exercise calories. I am budgeted by MFP to eat 1210 calories. I started using MFP long before my FitBit.  The MFP summary will include calories eaten at the point you are checking. Below that will be the calories you are budgeted. For me, it will show more than 1210 calories and an asterick below the dark blue total area indicates the increase in calories is based upon the exercise information imported from FitBit and gives the number of exercise calories. This changes from day to day based upon exercise.  I find that easier to use than the FitBit info.

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Sounds like the calories you are being awarded is about double what you expect it to be.  Are your MFP and Fitbit accounts linked?  Is it the MFP account that is showing the excess, the Fitbit account, or both?

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I average 10000-16000 steps a day.  Fitbit usually awards me 10-20 calories for the first 10000 steps even with negative adjustments turned off.  Then an extra 300 calories or so for the next 6000 steps.  It makes no sense...

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