The Fitbit is giving too many calories

[Chefjdbh]

I am using the Fitbit alongside Noom... I prefer the Fitbit interface, but I work on my feet all day, so my steps are usually pretty decent.  Currently, based on my steps and my working out, on Fitbit

 I have 1800 calories in and almost 2200 left.  on Noom I have 1800 with 967 left.  I want to stop using Noom, but Fitbit is going WAY too many calories for my steps.  How do I turn this off or change the proportional rate of calories per step?

[Heybales]

So you have Noom which is estimating a daily calorie burn based on what - your selection of 4 or 5 rough activity levels on top of a BMR figure?

And you have Fitbit which is estimating a daily calorie burn on the likely same BMR and actual distance you go.

You have 2 estimates - how do you know which one needs to be corrected?

Now, with many steps comes a need for accuracy of the distance, that can indeed be off.

There is a stride length figure.

Fitbit will attempt to dynamically estimate the distance of each step based on expected impact and hang time compared to stride length setting and known weight.

Walk a known 1/2 to 1 mile at about 1.8 mph, starting and ending a workout on the Fitbit.

The distance should be right on.

That way as it adjusts down to grocery store shuffle, and up to exercise pace it has the best chance of accuracy.

Just so you know, during times of standing but no steps, you are given a burn rate equal to sleeping, when obviously you burn more.

So Fitbit actually underestimates calorie burn when standing lots but no steps seen.

[Chefjdbh]

Please don’t take this rudely, although I did detect some rudeness in your reply.  All the information that noom has is DIRECTLY FROM FITBIT, except for the meal entry which I do.  If you know anything about nutrition, does it make sense that a 340 pound man, who works out on a stationary bike for 41 minutes (according to Fitbit, a calories burn of 477 calories) and walked 10,000 steps who is trying to lose at least 2.2# off weight a week should eat 4200 calories yesterday? That’sa LOT of calories.  On the other hand, all the same info, but noom says 2840 for the same day.  It has nothing to do with my stride length, or the noom information (since as I said, it gets its exercise burn and steps from Fitbit).  I have been using Fitbit for a while, and I love the interface, so I don’t need someone to defend it.  This is definitely something wrong with the app, and if it’s not fixable, then I want the people designing the software to know there is a problem.  Thanks anyway.

[Heybales]

Ah, got it - didn't catch the fact Fitbit was syncing to Noon. Alongside I thought you meant comparing each.

Both are set for the same weight loss goals, since that effects the eating goal?

Take stats from yesterday say. Not the math for eaten and remaining today - both sites may be estimating rest of the day differently, don't want to deal with that first.

What did Fitbit say you burned for the day, and what was the final eating goal?

How about Noon for same day?

What you ended up eating not important yet.

These are answers you'd have to provide to anyone trying to troubleshoot the issue, and I've not seen it - so just curious where the breakdown with Noon is occurring.

Now, I will say 10K steps for 340 lb mass, if the distance is even decently correct - you likely would have burned a mass of calories.

What was the daily distance the last time you did 10K steps?

Because at those extremes, while distance-based calorie burn is very accurate, any inaccuracy will show up big time.

Here's another possible inflation issue if you have a HR-based device.

If your daily calm walking get's your HR up over a certain point (calculated based on restingHR), then the Fitbit may be slipping into HR-based calorie burn.

And while steady-state aerobic is the only valid use of that formula for a calorie burn estimate, it's also inflated at the top (below anaerobic) and bottom (above daily moving) of the aerobic range.

So for some people their daily walking (not good fitness yet, meds, genetics) pushes their HR just a tad high and you get inflated calorie burn.

Now, that is just addressing why the potential high calorie burn.

Without all the stats so a very rough estimate (worse than what I assumed Noon was doing) I do see potentially high avg daily burn.

Maybe around 3900, so indeed the eating goal would be a tad more than 1000 less.

Just TDEE Please spreadsheet - better than rough 5 level TDEE charts from 1919 study.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1G7FgNzPq3v5WMjDtH0n93LXSMRY_hjmzNTMJb3aZSxM/edit?usp=sharing 

Which makes me wonder if the Fitbit setting for being on a weight loss goal stuck correctly. But the answer to couple questions above will settle that.

[GBO323]

@Chefjdbh I did a comparison of Food tracker apps and what they report in daily calories to eat based on Fitbit connection allowance. Hope this helps.

Yesterday's example.. Setting at 2lb a week loss.

MyFitnessPal starts me at 1500. What FitBit adds to it is even more generous at 904 calories. (2404 for the day

LoseIt is more generous on Daily calories given at 1613. What FitBit adds for activity was 504. (2117 for the day)

Cronometer and Fitbit Food tracker are dead-even as they start you at BMR, then subtract for the weekly loss goal and then add your activity from there. (2117 for the Day). Even though LoseIt! matched Fitbit food today, on days I don't have as much activity, my calories for the day would be less than the 1613 daily calories given by LoseIt. I'd rather earn them vs having to watch and pay them back.

IMO, Cronometer and FitBit are the most accurate for hitting the weekly loss goal you set. My weight loss has been more consistent using Cronometer. Since I realized Fitbit works the same way, I just use Fitbit for both Food and Activity tracking in the same app. One less app to use and sync with.

[Heybales]

MFP sets lowest eating limit for males to 1500 - so you never had a 1000 cal deficit there if you selected Sedentary you likely did.

Which means that same smaller deficit is kept when MFP corrects itself to match the Fitbit with extra calories.

Raise your activity level to Lightly-Active and there may be the space for the 1000 deficit and eating goals will match then. Less increase from Fitbit adjustment as MFP will already be expecting you to burn more.

MFP is attempting to keep people away from foolish goal setting and causing themselves issues by undereating too much when they don't know what they are doing.

Like if you have under 50 lbs to lose - 2 lbs weekly isn't reasonable and almost guaranteed to cause negative effects eventually. The 1500 for men and 1200 for women may allow stopping that.

But that is interesting you found another site doing it Fitbit's way of starting with BMR rate of burn for the day. I guess after a few days most with normal schedule would have a clue to daily eating goals and be able to pre-plan pretty well.