synced with my fitness pal

[karen1960]

I'm curious what the folks that are having great success with the FitBit (doesn't really matter which one I don't think) and are synced with MyFitnessPal are using as their calories per day.  I have the MyFitnessPal set to 2 lbs/wk so my cal/day are pretty low at 1590 but my FitBit cal are always higher.  Does the FitBit calculate calories based on losing weight or just burning what you consume so that you would end up staying at your present weight?  I'm having a really hard time getting my calories right.  There will be some days I will eat over 3K in cal and the next day I'm down 2 lbs and then there are other days I eat 1800 and I'm up 1/2 lb or a pound.  Very frustrating.  When I try to stay around the 1500 limit, one day I might lose 2 lbs the next day and then 2 weeks later I might gain 2 lbs. with this same calorie limit!  I work out 5 days a week and am in the yard all weekend this time of year!   What gives??  

[Heybales]

First, if you are going to sync - and you should - don't use goals on both sites.

Double goals is just confusing as you've shown.

Fitbit can be setup exactly like MFP is, it has the exact same weight loss goals.

Those MFP eating goal is NET too, and that is for NON-exercise days.

When you exercise specifically, or are more active than you selected as activity level - MFP increases the calorie goal to keep that weight loss goal the same.

If you selected 2 lbs weekly, that would be reasonable if you have over 40 lbs to lose - well over.

1.5 is better for under 40.

1 for under 20.

0.5 for under 10.

So the reason Fitbit is probably higher is because it's looking at total activity that you actually burned on that day, at least step based activity. You MUST manually log non-step based activity or you are being shorted.

How big of adjustments are you getting on MFP - and are you correctly eating to your given goal, even when that is probably over 1590 daily?

You got a great little tool in the Fitbit that is telling you how much you burn daily, when corrected for things it doesn't estimate well.

Let it tell MFP what you burned, and let MFP take the deficit.

Use the tools they way they were meant to be used. Sometimes you can use a tool wrong and still get something out of it, sometimes it doesn't work, sometimes you hurt yourself.

[karen1960]

Hmm...okay...so should I log my activities with FitBit and not MFP?  MFP does give me the credit for the extra calories burned by the exercise that I have logged in MFP and on the days that I don't do a class or anything else, like just yardwork, I do get the credit for that but it's only for the calories over my goal in FitBit which is 2433.  So if I understand correctly...I should let FitBit be the one that tracks my activities (and where I should log my activities) and MFP be the food diary and be the "Keeper of the Caolires"...right?  

[karen1960]

Okay...here's a great example of what I'm talking about.  Yesterday I only worked around the house and in the yard...no "formal" exercise.  I ate 2850 in calories and I burned 216 extra calories according to FitBit which MFP added to my available calories for the day.  With MFP I was over my goal by 1074 calories.  With FitBit, I was over y calories by 110.  I was down .8 lbs this morning!  Last Monday I ate 2167 in calories and had a 588 credit for a Zumba class I do on Monday nights which left me at a net of 1579 in calories for the day.  The next day I was up .7!  This is what drives me crazy!  🙂  I'd like to get this right because at this point I'm just gaining and losing the same 5 pounds over and over again.

[Heybales]

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@karen1960 wrote:

Hmm...okay...so should I log my activities with FitBit and not MFP?  MFP does give me the credit for the extra calories burned by the exercise that I have logged in MFP and on the days that I don't do a class or anything else, like just yardwork, I do get the credit for that but it's only for the calories over my goal in FitBit which is 2433.  So if I understand correctly...I should let FitBit be the one that tracks my activities (and where I should log my activities) and MFP be the food diary and be the "Keeper of the Caolires"...right?  

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Actually, use MFP for everything.

When you log exercise there, you can have an exercise diary to review along with food diary. So you'll have names and such to look at. Convenience.

If you do it on Fitbit, you'll get exercise adjustments, that's it, no details, on MFP. That may be alright, you may not care MFP shows no exercise to your friends list.

When you log workout on MFP, you enter the start and time of workout, it replaces the underestimated value Fitbit came up with. Because you are ONLY manually logging stuff it can't do well, swimming, rowing, spin/bike, lifting, elliptical, ect.

The credit for it would be the same if the calorie burn were the same, otherwise you are increasing Fitbit TDEE correctly, MFP compares new TDEE to it's maintenance figure, and adjustment goes up or down as needed. Since you logged on MFP, it usually goes down big time.

[Heybales]

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@karen1960 wrote:

Okay...here's a great example of what I'm talking about.  Yesterday I only worked around the house and in the yard...no "formal" exercise.  I ate 2850 in calories and I burned 216 extra calories according to FitBit which MFP added to my available calories for the day.  With MFP I was over my goal by 1074 calories.  With FitBit, I was over y calories by 110.  I was down .8 lbs this morning!  Last Monday I ate 2167 in calories and had a 588 credit for a Zumba class I do on Monday nights which left me at a net of 1579 in calories for the day.  The next day I was up .7!  This is what drives me crazy!  🙂  I'd like to get this right because at this point I'm just gaining and losing the same 5 pounds over and over again.

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Don't even try to look at 1 day changes in weight, so totally invalid as a data point, as your water weight can fluctuate 3-4 lbs easily. And you getting stressed can cause hormone retention of up to 10 lbs if always elevated.

Only valid weigh in day to compare to another is morning after rest day eating normal sodium levels, not sore from last workout.

So look at your logged weigh-ins - if not valid, delete them now as it's just causing you undue stress.

Those data points are pretty much worthless when it contains false water weight gains and losses - which yours does.

You were over your MFP goal by 1074?

Or you were over your non-exercise MFP net eating goal by 1074? But it had increased the goal from all that hard work by some 1000 calories? So you actually ate what it said to?

Set your MFP activity level to sedentary if you have a 45 hr deskjob/commute weekly, or lightly active if not.

Set weight loss goal to reasonable level.

Over 40 lbs to lose - 2 lbs weekly,

20 - 40 - 1.5 weekly

10-20 - 1

under 10 - 0.5

Set Fitbit positive and negative adjustments.

Log non-step based exercise I listed above on MFP correctly.

Meet your daily eating goal. Not the Net number since that will always change with Fitbit more accurately tracking what you burn, or what you manually correct.

Eat what it says your daily goal is, no matter if increase or decrease in calories.

The initial NET number will let you plan the day better - but meet your goal since that will change.

This will allow keeping that reasonable weight loss amount daily. You are always eating less than you burn, but not by huge amounts.

Oh, you might want to go in to your MFP Home - Goals - Customize - notice macros and grams of fat and protein, write down.

Increase protein grams to 2 x what it shows. Not %, but grams.

Keep fat grams to what you wrote down.

Let carbs lower so protein and fat is correct.

Save out.

[karen1960]

So, I have been doing it right...I use MFP to log both foo dand exercise.  I look at FitBit for comparison and of course to log my steps, sleep, etc. I don't allow for negative counting though because then I would end up at the end of the day having to make up for needed calories...it just works better for me.

Although I log and weign daily, I only use Sun's as my "official" weight to measure progress by.

You were over your MFP goal by 1074? Yes.

Or you were over your non-exercise MFP net eating goal by 1074? But it had increased the goal from all that hard work by some 1000 calories? So you actually ate what it said to? No, I went over the MFP  goal by 1074 calories and still lost .8!!  That's what I'm saying...I don't think their goal for me is right.  I have 70 lbs to lose so you are saying that my 2 lbs/week is right.

Okay...I went back into MFP and altered the goals to show sedentary since I do have a desk job.  Now it's saying 1210 calories!  I'm seeing better results from twice that amount!  I have a WW scale that gives me fat, water and bone mass readings.  I realize they probably aren't exact but at least is something to measure against.

So, I'm right back at my original question.  MFP says 1560 + exercise burned calories is the number I should be eating and FitBit gives me a number much higher than that.  Most days I am under what they say is the number of calories I should be eating.  So, is FitBit giving calorie numbers of how many to eat to lose weight or is it a maintain-my-weight number (which I'm not looking for)?

[Heybales]

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@karen1960 wrote:

So, I have been doing it right...I use MFP to log both foo dand exercise.  I look at FitBit for comparison and of course to log my steps, sleep, etc. I don't allow for negative counting though because then I would end up at the end of the day having to make up for needed calories...it just works better for me.

Although I log and weign daily, I only use Sun's as my "official" weight to measure progress by.

You were over your MFP goal by 1074? Yes.

Or you were over your non-exercise MFP net eating goal by 1074? But it had increased the goal from all that hard work by some 1000 calories? So you actually ate what it said to? No, I went over the MFP  goal by 1074 calories and still lost .8!!  That's what I'm saying...I don't think their goal for me is right.  I have 70 lbs to lose so you are saying that my 2 lbs/week is right.

Okay...I went back into MFP and altered the goals to show sedentary since I do have a desk job.  Now it's saying 1210 calories!  I'm seeing better results from twice that amount!  I have a WW scale that gives me fat, water and bone mass readings.  I realize they probably aren't exact but at least is something to measure against.

So, I'm right back at my original question.  MFP says 1560 + exercise burned calories is the number I should be eating and FitBit gives me a number much higher than that.  Most days I am under what they say is the number of calories I should be eating.  So, is FitBit giving calorie numbers of how many to eat to lose weight or is it a maintain-my-weight number (which I'm not looking for)?

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Good, using the MFP side only simplifies things.

And that's fine with negative adjustments, since you have Sedentary on MFP selected, not likely to get any unless in bed all day. And that's probably when sick needing to eat more anyway.

You at least know you still have a deficit in place.

Glad you have valid weigh-in day, hopefully no exercise on Sat then, or cheat meals out. Very bad double whammy of potentially increased sodium and muscle water retention - false water weight gain.

You do realize the 1210 is your non-exercise daily goal with little activity.

If you move more, Fitbit reports bigger TDEE, MFP increases maintenance, subtracts 1000 - you get eating goal of 1400 say.

You move more and exercise, Fitbit reportes even bigger TDEE, MFP increases more, subtracts 1000 - you get goal of 1700 say.

Again, you'll likely never see that 1210 as real daily goal, but that's what you plan on unless you know you will exercise. Then you know it'll be more.

And positive Fitbit adjustments because you are NOT truly sedentary will always increase it a little bit, or more, depending on how active you are.

That's if you want to lose 2 lbs weekly, which is reasonable for that much to lose. You can always eat more than minimum, and the TDEE tells you what is maintenance or maximum.

Your success is purely dependent on eating less than TDEE, and long-term success on reasonable deficit. Which 2 lbs weekly is until you get to 40-50 lbs left to lose.

As to the difference between them when MFP says 1560 as NET non-exercise goal - that is with 1.5 lb weekly loss selected.

What did you select on Fitbit? Because they have exact same options as MFP, as well as maintain option.

For instance, the Fitbit tile for Calories In / Out, click on that and look at the week. Are you matching your eating to the burn shown?

If you were close to the Fitbit goal, and those match, then you have no weight loss plan setup on Fitbit, but merely maintenance.

Which frankly - if you use MFP, the Fitbit goals don't matter a squat. Some of the options to which can lead to less adjustments through the day, like estimated calorie burn, in case you are prone to leaving your device at home.

[karen1960]

I have been all through my Dashboard and Log and do not find anywhere that asks what my weight loss goals are like is asked in MFP.  When I look at burned vs eaten I mostly burn more than I eat with some exceptions.  But today is an example of what I'm asking or trying to ask...MFP says that with my additional burned calories today, I could eat 2257.  My FitBit Dashboard says I could have eaten 3253 (what I burned).  That is a 1000 calorie difference just for one day!  Almost every day is like this!  

P.S.  As I thought about this overnight it occured to me that this makes perfect sense!  1000 cal a day difference = 7000 calories difference for the week which = 2 lbs!

[Heybales]

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@karen1960 wrote:

I have been all through my Dashboard and Log and do not find anywhere that asks what my weight loss goals are like is asked in MFP.  When I look at burned vs eaten I mostly burn more than I eat with some exceptions.  But today is an example of what I'm asking or trying to ask...MFP says that with my additional burned calories today, I could eat 2257.  My FitBit Dashboard says I could have eaten 3253 (what I burned).  That is a 1000 calorie difference just for one day!  Almost every day is like this!  

P.S.  As I thought about this overnight it occured to me that this makes perfect sense!  1000 cal a day difference = 7000 calories difference for the week which = 2 lbs!

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Noticed you answered your own question then.

MFP has a weight loss goal set, so deficit off whatever you burn.

Fitbit you never found that option, so there is none, so eating goal is what you burn.

And guess what - it doesn't matter one iota - because you are going to use MFP correctly as a tool, and Fitbit is the tool that helps it be better.

You are like trying to go down 2 roads at the same time, and their destination isn't even the same.

And even if it was the same, you still can't go down 2 roads at the same time.

You are adding additional stress you don't need - cut that out! 😉

As to 2 lb weekly while reasonable for now perhaps appearing difficult, like on non-exercise days.

Go over your goal on rest days to eat at whatever level you want to, make it 1400.

You'll know on exercise days you have a 1000 cal deficit, on rest days you have say 750 or 500 or whatever you have left.