Calories In vs Out

[teejay_12]

Hi, I'm new to Fitbit and I'm having a hard time understanding with the numbers on my dashboard. According to fitbit, my calorie intake per day is 1421. Today, I ate 1407 cals. When it comes to my ' calores in vs out ' it says that I'm OVER it. What does that exactly mean? and how does this Calorie in vs out thing work? Thank you!

[MarreFitbit]

It's nice to see you on board, welcome @teejay_12 ! I'd try to do my best in order to clarify this for you, so here we go:

1. Overbudget means that you're current deficit is too small compared to your target deficit. You need to eat less or, better, get more active.
2. Underbudget means that you're current deficit is too large compared to your target deficit. You need reduce your activity or, better, to eat a little more.
3. In zone means that you're current deficit is just about right compared to your target deficit. You are doing everything just about right. You haven't necessarily been more active than usual, but you are eating for your current activity level.
4. Calories left means that you can eat that many calories between now and midnight and end the calendar day in zone. You can have part or, if calories allow, all of that tempting chocolate bar before bed and not feel guilty.

Basically, use it as a guide to what changes you need to make to your life to move yourself into your zone and/or towards your goal.

If you are trying to lose weight, the important bit is that the colored bar is shorter than the grey bar. It doesn't really matter if it is green, orange or red. It only matters that you maintain a deficit and you are making lifestyle changes that will allow you to maintain your goal weight when you reach it. There is no wrong rate of loss, just statistics that say slow and steady has a greater probability of maintaining goal.

Have a great day!

[tractorlegs]

Hi Teejay_12,

In the graphic you included with your post, it's important to know that the 1723 figure reflects calories burned to the second. Meaning, for example, if you sync with the tracker at 5pm, that figure reflects the amount of calories you used from midnight to 5pm - whereas the amount of calories you ate, 1407, are the amount of calories you ate for the entire day. This makes the graph a little misleading, however as the rest of the day goes by the 1723 figure grows as calories are used, and you will find by the end of the day (midnight) your 1407 will show in the green. Throughout the day, though, the "Calories Left" figure ("calories left" in the phone app, "left to eat" on a PC), which tells you how much you can still eat, remains pretty accurate. Hope this clarifies a little.

[MarreFitbit]

I'd like you to take a look at this amazing post that my friend @SebringDon has shared here. He provides helpful information in order to better understand how the tiles about your calories work. 

Hope that post clarifies this in a better way, at least it did for me at when I couldn't understand the calories so well. 

[AraceliK]

Sorry. I still don't get it. Hoe am I  "over" having eaten only 778 caps?

Thank you. 

[susie5]

Doesn't make sense - I've eaten relatively good food, and walked more than 20,000 steps, but the calories in and out is over budget.

[missemmalane]

Hey
Have you checked that you haven't selected to gain weight as your goal/plan?  On your profile if you click on "nutrition and weight" just make sure all of those details are correct. It asks you how much you want to gain/lose. Select "lose weight" . From that info it calculates how many calories you need to consume (I'm guessing you know that haha) 

[susie5]

Yes, I have got it as lose weight.
I find it hard to understand the way it works - Like I can walk 10,000 plus
steps and it doesn't seem to make much difference! That is my easiest way
of getting exercise.

[missemmalane]

And you have all of the parameters set on the quiz thing eg goal weight?

Sent from my iPhone

[MomentumMe]

So, what does cal in and cal out mean?