don't follow fitbit's calorie counter

[rshe]

There is no way a person can consume the amount of calories that they fitbit dashboard says you burn and lose weight.  It is WAY OFF target.   A two mile walk doesn't burn over 1,000 calories and you can't lose weight if you are eating as much as it says you can.

[Heybales]

---

@rshe wrote:

There is no way a person can consume the amount of calories that they fitbit dashboard says you burn and lose weight.  It is WAY OFF target.   A two mile walk doesn't burn over 1,000 calories and you can't lose weight if you are eating as much as it says you can.

---

So all the thousands of success stories are lies, and your situation may not be the exception because of some issue that you don't wish to explore or fix?

Actually, Fitbit underestimates daily burn outside of exercise.

It counts BMR level burn to all non-moving time, which really only applies to sleeping deeply.

When awake you burn more - RMR.

When standing not moving you burn even more.

When eating and processing food you burn more (about 10% of calories eaten).

Exercise is usually underestimated too, because Fitbit doesn't know increased effort and calorie burn from inclines, or pushing or carrying more weight.

So if yours has an issue, it's yours.

Then again, the Fitbit estimates are based on calculations for average healthy body.

If yours isn't healthy, like a disease, or average, like lost a lot of muscle mass - then indeed their estimates may be higher than reality. But that normally wouldn't be WAY OFF target unless you've really got a messed up body.

And you are right though, a 2 mile walk should not burn over 1000 calories.

But is that how many miles Fitbit thought you went for a workout, or that's how many miles the treadmill or some GPS app said you walked?

And hopefully you aren't talking about the general Fitbit stats where the day may have said you have walked 2 miles so far today, and burned 1000 calories so far.

Because if that's the case - then you really don't know what you are talking about, because that calorie burn is NOT just the exercise, it's the total burn. And considering you burn calories sleeping, yes you could easily see 1000 calories for a partial day while only moving 2 miles in total so far.

I only include that last part because many are ignorant of that fact until they ask.

[rshe]

For one thing the dashboard it uterly useless so far as entering food intake because you are forced to use a drop down list that can in no way contain every food item and there is no way to enter something not in the list.  So I don't use it.  And it over estimates the calories burned, just sayin'.  I go by what the doctor says not fitbit.  I am sure most people would agree.  Except you, you must work for fitbit.

[UVcat · Accepted solution]

You can add foods. Under Favorites/Foods in the Log/Food section of the Dashboard, click "create a new food". I agree, though, that fitbit's food logging database leaves a lot to be desired. A lot of folks seem to be happy using My Fitness Pal (or other similar sites) to log their food. I believe they then sync fitbit to that food-logging account. (Hoping someone else will chime in if they've done that, I haven't.)

I have found my fitbit's calorie estimation to be right-on, in the sense that if I eat the number of calories it tells me to eat for a particular deficit, I have lost the corresponding amount of weight, on average. If I look in Activities, click to see Calories burned, and go to a part of the graph when I know I wasn't moving, I can see how many calories fitbit thinks I'm burning for 5 minutes of resting. Take that number, multiply by 12 to get calories/hour, then multiply by 24 and I get my BMR (according to fitbit, maybe this is really RMR).

Did your doctor measure your BMR/RMR using, like a breathing mask? Because, if not, they are probably using the same standard formula that fitbit is using (e.g. here) and then using some multiplier for your "activity level" (sedentary/active/etc). That should be less accurate than what fitbit is doing: using the same BMR and then adding your *actual* activity level on top. Of course if, as @Heybales said, you have some health issue that would lower your BMR way below the "normal" that those formulae apply to, then obviously, yes you should listen to your doctor. 

It sounds like you are mistrustful of the calories that you think fitbit is attributing to exercise/movement, but your example of burning 1000 calories while walking 2 miles didn't make a lot of sense, and makes me also wonder if you were misunderstanding where those 1000 calories came from (mostly BMR for being alive from midnight until whenever you checked, plus a little for the 2 miles of steps). But you didn't respond to that part of @Heybales' reply...

Welcome to the forums!

-c

[UVcat]

PS: I do not work for fitbit!

[whome · Accepted solution]

I agree with both @Heybales and @UVcat ! You might want to read the on line manual, that can be accessed through the "device help" section at the bottom of most pages on this website. 

I do agree that the food logging section leaves a lot to be desired but I do what @UVcat mentioned. I log my food on MyFitnessPal. It has a much better database of food products and can be set up to sync the info entered with the Fitbit website. Works for me, I lost the 40 pounds I wanted to lose by keeping track of my "calories in/calories out" with the Fitbit system. 

BTW, I don't work for Fitbit, either!

Good luck to you, whether you decide to figure out how the Fitbit system works so you can use it properly or use another method to achieve you goal.

[Heybales · Accepted solution]

---

@rshe wrote:

For one thing the dashboard it uterly useless so far as entering food intake because you are forced to use a drop down list that can in no way contain every food item and there is no way to enter something not in the list.  So I don't use it.  And it over estimates the calories burned, just sayin'.  I go by what the doctor says not fitbit.  I am sure most people would agree.  Except you, you must work for fitbit.

---

Nope, don't work for Fitbit.

But I do like to understand something before I complain it doesn't work, lest I look like a fool because I didn't, say, turn on the power for example.

You think your Dr knows how many calories you burn?

What did you get, a Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) test? Sorry, that's the number of calories you would burn in a day in exactly the same state as the test was performed in.

The mere fact you made it to the Dr for such a test would confirm that is not the case. That means you got up and moved, burning more than RMR.

Or did the Dr give you some double-labeled water (H2O2) to drink only and you have collected all stool and urine specimens for them analyze to calculate how much you burn in normal daily life? Or you wore a face-mask gas collector and backpack collection/analyzer for the whole average day?

And yes, the food entry part is very poor - hence the reason they have integrated with about every food logging site out there, as they do the calorie burn part better, the other site does the calorie eaten part better.

It would be interesting to figure out what you think your Dr has told you as to calorie burn and what you think Fitbit is telling you, but I'm guessing at some point self-realization and would hit and you'd be too proud to share the info because you'd get the point you were way off base too.

And actually, more and more people are appreciating the fact the a Dr only has to take 1 course in nutrition, and unless specializing in it to keep up on current research, is woefully lacking. Hence the reason a good Dr actually sends you to a dietician that has more education than them on the subject.

[Heybales]

---

@rshe wrote:

You really take this stuff seriously,LOL! Calm down.  Don't be so OCD. You'll give yourself a heart attack.  But thanks for the advice.  Too much information though. I have no idea what RMR stands for nor do I care. But trolling is fun. I should do this more often. Have a good evening.

---

Totally calm about it, these sorts of claims are actually amusing because they are based on lack of knowledge and not finding out how to use something, assuming one has it all figured out when just the opposite is the case.

It usually reinforces to others reading just the opposite of whatever was stated. You know, example by opposite exaggeration.

Just interesting to me and others when people don't even read - since I spelled out what RMR stands for.

[thedman]

Hi there,

I have another thread going on something similar but as of yet there are no replies with a solution. My problem is nothing to do with the BMR being included in my calories burned for a particular activity.

For example, I went for a walk during the week the for 2.5km, it took me 22 minutes. I weigh 67.8 kilos, I am 5'7" and am 46 years of age. Fitbit logged the calories burned for this walk at 240+ calories whilst a variety of other websites/apps calculate the calories burned for this activity as approximately 140 calories.

My BMR is 1530 per day approx and this equates to approx 64 calories per hour or approx 20 calories for the duration of the above walk. Taking this into account what Fitbit says my calories burn is way over what it should be.

Please let me know if anyone else has this problem or better still the solution to either mistake of Fitbit's mistake.

Regards,

Donncha

[Heybales]

---

@thedman wrote:

Hi there,

I have another thread going on something similar but as of yet there are no replies with a solution. My problem is nothing to do with the BMR being included in my calories burned for a particular activity.

For example, I went for a walk during the week the for 2.5km, it took me 22 minutes. I weigh 67.8 kilos, I am 5'7" and am 46 years of age. Fitbit logged the calories burned for this walk at 240+ calories whilst a variety of other websites/apps calculate the calories burned for this activity as approximately 140 calories.

My BMR is 1530 per day approx and this equates to approx 64 calories per hour or approx 20 calories for the duration of the above walk. Taking this into account what Fitbit says my calories burn is way over what it should be.

Please let me know if anyone else has this problem or better still the solution to either mistake of Fitbit's mistake.

Regards,

Donncha

---

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs.html

Yep, 142 calories using best estimate formula.

Now, was the Fitbit reported distance 2.5 km, or you knew it was 2.5 km?

If the latter, what distance did Fitbit think you walked?

Did it include some good inclines/hills?

And don't try to remove the BMR calories, wrong method. Fitbit, just as any HRM or database entry, is including total calorie burn during the time of the workout, not just the calories above and beyond BMR. BMR is included in there.

The estimate is too high no matter what.

[LoisG]

All you have to do is use the custom feature where you type in what you ate and the caloric intake. I don't always use the drop down .

[thedman]

Hey Heybales,

The distance that Fitbit calculated is correct. I am using the Flex so it is basing the calories burn on the amount steps/distance and utilising my BMI/BMR data.

Cheers,

thedman

[Heybales]

---

@thedman wrote:

Hey Heybales,

The distance that Fitbit calculated is correct. I am using the Flex so it is basing the calories burn on the amount steps/distance and utilising my BMI/BMR data.

Cheers,

thedman

---

Yes they all indeed do that with steps, distance, pace, mass to calories, so if it saw the distance correct as what you actually walked, and unless going down a hill or carrying a decent amount of extra weight to make the impacts higher than expected, it is indeed off for some reason by a big amount.

Just to make sure the device actually has the correct current weight in it - I'd suggest changing your weight on Fitbit to 10 lbs lower.

Force a sync so it receives the new info on the device. Daily calorie burn may instantly be adjusted down, so notice what it was prior to weight change, and then afterwards.

Then again, it may only apply to after the sync not to existing data, so may not be able to tell if it got it.

Maybe move around for 5 minutes.

The correct the weight back up again, and force enough sync.

Move in same way for 5 minutes.

Another sync of that data.

Then compare on the website to see some difference in calorie burn shown in the daily graph for the 5 min bar.

If no difference, something probably wrong with device.

If difference, then device is responding to changes for calorie burn, maybe test for a week and see if that route gets more accurate.

If not, bad device.

[heidimarie1973]

Hello, there is a menu on the right side of the food log where you can add any food you want. I have added over 30 foods I frequently eat with the brand, the calories, fat , sodium etc. Once it is in your foods list, when you start typing your food eaten, it will start to auto fill from your list. That way you can track the exact food you ate, not just from their pre made list! Good luck!!

[thedman]

Hi Heybales,

I pretty much change my weight each week. This has always been an issue with Fitbit. It isn't the device (Flex). The problem seems to be with the values that Fitbit uses to calculate the calorie burn based on my height/weight/age etc times steps/active minutes.

I would love to get someone from Fitbit on this thread.

Regards,

thedman

[Heybales]

---

@thedman wrote:

Hi Heybales,

I pretty much change my weight each week. This has always been an issue with Fitbit. It isn't the device (Flex). The problem seems to be with the values that Fitbit uses to calculate the calorie burn based on my height/weight/age etc times steps/active minutes.

I would love to get someone from Fitbit on this thread.

 Regards,

 thedman

---

That's a good check too actually, if you haven't done it.

Looking at your daily calorie burn graph per 5 mins. Find your burn for non-moving time / 5 x 1440 = BMR similar to Mifflin.

Then see if Mifflin BMR per gender, age, weight, height is actually close, usually within 10-20 cal it seems for most.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/tools/bmr-calculator

If that's good, I'd say bad device. Because that known distance walking with Fitbit in agreement for the distance, the Fitbit should be using exactly that same formula we used on other sites, which is highly accurate.

Which if it's not, it's got a memory register out of whack for doing the math.

[GoldaT]

I use both FitBit FLEX and MyFitnessPal ---- one to keep track of steps/sleep and the second for calories.  MFP syncs nicely with FLEX and all my data appears on my FLEX charts.  GoldaT.

[Mudd3r]

Hi, New to all this. I also am having trouble with logging food. I have signed up for My Pal Fitness. I do not understand how to link the two? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks Kat

[msfarkee]

I was on MFP for a month tracking calories,  got a Fitbit and  now I prefer it's calorie login.     I don't have to sinc the  2 sites and jump back and forth.  

And of course (contrary to the OP) you can add/create a food.  

If a food is not on the dropdown,  I enter it and then favorite it.     I am getting a list of everything I eat right on the food login page   under my FAVORITES and  alot of times  I don't even enter a food --it is already there and I am sure of the calorie count because I entered it myself.     (this makes it so easy to use)

MFP is a great calorie site  and I like the Success Forum.   It has over 8000 foods or something like that but I don't need that at all so it is irrelevent to me.   ( MFP created  some of  its huge data base of food with its own members  so I don't mind putting in things I eat  here on Fitbit.)    I liked MFP but now I have a Fitbit and don't need 2 calorie counting sites.        (ps-no connection to Fitbit).   

[GoldaT]

There should be a discussion link on the FitBit site ---- you can also search the FB site for info on how to link FB and MFP ---- I did it but I've forgotten how.  The MFP site also has linking info.  Sorry I can't be of more immediate help.  Best of luck.