Minimum caloric intake

[fussen]

I'm new to Fitbit, having used a BodyBugg (BodyMedia) for years.

I'm really surprised (if I'm understanding it all correctly) at the Fitbit approach to 'how many more calories you can eat today based on your activity level'. It seems to disregard a minimum intake (usually based on Basal Metabolic Rate/BMR) and only focus on the deficit needed to reach your goal.

If I'm right, I'm really surprised that FitBit does that. It's unhealthy to drop below that minimum and your deficit should always be achieved above and beyond it.

I like the general idea. If it required the minimum and THEN advised how many more you could eat if it looked like you'd be exceeding your deficit target for the day, I'd be in favour of it.

Thoughts?

[DominicJ]

Its hard to be sure without you giving us hard numbers to work with

How tall are you, what do you weigh, whats your goal weight, whats your target loss, whats fitbit suggesting you eat

[Heybales]

---

@fussen wrote:

I'm new to Fitbit, having used a BodyBugg (BodyMedia) for years.

I'm really surprised (if I'm understanding it all correctly) at the Fitbit approach to 'how many more calories you can eat today based on your activity level'. It seems to disregard a minimum intake (usually based on Basal Metabolic Rate/BMR) and only focus on the deficit needed to reach your goal.

If I'm right, I'm really surprised that FitBit does that. It's unhealthy to drop below that minimum and your deficit should always be achieved above and beyond it.

I like the general idea. If it required the minimum and THEN advised how many more you could eat if it looked like you'd be exceeding your deficit target for the day, I'd be in favour of it.

Thoughts?

---

You should never attempt to lose weight eating the minimum you can - just setting up a battle with the body you'll lose - and not fat loss.

You merely need to eat less than you burn by a reasonable amount to lose fat weight.

Make it unreasonable if you want it to be muscle mass also, and repeat the attempt next year when you fail.

So for the smart way, you start from the top down - what do you burn estimated each day.

Eat less than that.

From your phrases - yes I think you are misunderstanding some of what you are seeing.

But yes, you can easily plug in what would be an unreasonable number, or select an unwise weekly weight loss, even when starting at the top down.

And even if they didn't give certain options because it would cause you to go below a certain minimum line in the sand - people would do it anyway with manually set goals.

If you attempted to block it - people would eat to it anyway, just not reaching their goals - they do that anyway.

If you totally tried to help ignorant people make good decisions by blocking certain options - they'd go elsewhere to do their program, and Fitbit would miss out on active subscriber numbers to sell.

Merely need to view the fad extreme diets that people attempt. May have gained it slow, but dog-gone-it, gonna lose it fast.

[FIT_BIT]

Hello fussen, 

I agree this is a bizarre and purely mathematic approach without the safety and guidance needed...

I am also new to Fitbit but have used MFP for a while. It seems the minimum of 1,200 or safe goal setting is missing.

Perhaps this is an oversight, or as suggested a tweak that it possible based on unobtainable goals.... but it is missing and should be fixed. I have a 500 calorie deficit, but am also very active.. This is the highest deficit I have been told to work with...

As someone suggests perhaps this feature is appealing for some users of Fitbit, but to condone unhealthy behaviour irrgardless of that is what the users wants - is an ideological idea that stands against what a fitness tracker should be about... 

I have seen various approaches to this in other apps, and to avoid having firm standards for fear of losing users who want to lose weight by any means healthy or not is not good ....

I think this is an oversight, as the logic seems to be CICO which is fine over the full day... but at any one point in time can be misleading.

[jimmyrr]

Im not really sure on the intake output but when I lost weight I stuck to 1200 cal day burn with workout and 1200 cal intake and it worked for me I lost close to 30 lbs in 3.5 months and have kept it off for 6 months. I am in my 60s so it may not be the same for younger adults.

[fl_beach_bunny]

I can burn 1200 cals a day just breathing. I assume you mean you burned 1200 from exercise in addition to your normal burn rate?

[greenandgroovy]

when calculating your steps it adds in your bmr (you will find it has steps when you wake up) it uses your bmr and your eer to calculate

[awood08]

Regardless what Fitbit calculates for me to take in for the day I always eat a minimum of 1200. I was following their advice and one day I had just 998 calories. I felt fine but then I hit a roadblock with my weight loss. Even if I did little activity one day or had a rest day, I still made myself eat at least 1200 with 6 small meals a day to keep my metabolism running. I have had MUCH better results doing that than following the in/out calculations the Fitbit app provides. I weighed in at 220 last Friday and I'm already down to 217. I think it's best to ignore the app, it calculates my BMR incorrectly.