Charge 2 calories burned too high

[LisannevdL]

I just got my new Charge 2 on saturday so I've not tested it very long, but the calorie count on it seems WAY off. The BMR on it seems correct for my height/weight (1555) but then the calories burned when simply walking a bit are way too high.

Saturday, I went shopping for a few hours that got me around 10k steps in total. I also did a kickboxing workout (268 cals) and went biking (219 cals) and Fitbit calculated 3000 (!!!) calories burned that day. That just can't be right, when my BMR is only 1555 I should've burned 1445 cals with exercise according to Fitbit. Subtract the kickboxing and biking (which is way higher intensity than the walking, calories for that seem correct) from that and that leaves 958 calories burned for walking +/- 10.000 steps.

Has anyone else had this problem? I've Googled for a bit and it seems it was a problem back when the first Charge HR was released too, but I couldn't find a solution. I love the Fitbit and the app but it seems when it takes the constant HR into account when you're not very fit it just overestimates by a WAY too high number. If I ate what Fitbit is telling me I can eat, I'd gain an incredible amount of weight in a very short time.

The numbers I got when I was just counting steps without heart rate (using my phone, before I got my Fitibit) was way closer to the actual number I should be getting for something as easy-going as walking while shopping.

Moderator edit: format

[Julian_F]

Hi Alvaro,

Thank you for replying to this thread. However, you have blatantly ignored all of the other comments that appear in all 7 pages of this thread.

It is obvious that the Fitbit Charge 2 is overtracking calories during activity - all the evidence suggests that this is due to the device's heartrate-based calculations. The only people claiming that this is not the case are those reporting that their extremely high calories - in the same range as professional athletes - are normal. I highly doubt that these community members are anything other than delusional.

I want to know that this issue is being addresssed by Fitbit's developers. The algorithm obviously needs some work. Claiming that this is user error is not going to appease all of the people dissatisfied with the device.

If this doesn't get addressed soon then I am also ditching Fitbit for a company which actually cares about it's users.

[Jiorgos]

After trying to give it a second chance I also tried to contact support. 

It is SAD to say how they always stressed what was the last sync the Charge 2 had and the number of calories reported without adressing the issue at all. 

I wonder if I should post their messages here. You should see woth your own eyes.

Oh. They asked me to reset my band. Way to go Fitbit. 

Worst Money Spent Ever. 

[Fareagle]

a 200lbs (guessing you are fairly fit so say 6'1) 21 y male will have a BMR of around 2k Calories per day. Add another good 500 for just general movement, a generous 1500 for a brisk 10 mile walk and a further 200 for a 1mile sprint gives you 4200 calories, still a way off your 5100. However, studies have shown fitbut devices have an average error rate of 25% on calorie burn, puts you bang in the range. I would assume fitbit is over-calculating calories by 25% if you are looking at trying to set a calorie deficit

[Stlgal]

I think that's about right on the 25% overage error--with the prior Fitbit (One) with no heart monitor, my BMR was around 1400 cal (52 yr old 135 lb female), with 10K steps and some additional exercise I often hit 1900 and rarely exceeded 2000 with vigorous exercise. This is about what one expects for someone my age/weight/sex. This Fitbit Charge 2 (with all of my info set correctly) routinely gives me around 2500+, generally is in the range of 2300-2700. The 25% error (high) rate would subtract 625 cals, and gets me right back to what the prior device was calculating and what is typical for my demographic. To get a calorie deficit, I need to steer substantially lower than that.

[N6IO]

I found an easy fix and have been using it for 2 years. I just set my
maximum heart rate to 200. This way the minor increase in heart rate from
simple activities like standing or walking to the refrigerator won't be
tracked as a heavy workout.

The only negative effect from this is to make the scale on some of the
graphs go up to 200, so the data is a bit "scrunched". But otherwise I
feel this now gives an accurate reading of my actual calories burned.

Craig

[MacCroc]

I think it could easily be right. Those 1400+ cals come not only from exercise, but also just moving around all day long, I assume you did not lie in bed the whole time except for the exercise?

My BMR is around 1200-1300 and I easily burn 2500 cal or more on an active day (not according to FitBit, but according to long term tracking of my food intake and weight).

Good luck!

[Jlcn]

My new versa lite shows I’ve burned 1,080 calories in the ten minutes since I reset it and I haven’t moved from my chair. Help!

[King_Selassie]

That didn't answer the question. Geez

[ejwestlake]

This just started happening to me. I do the same activities every day. I changed my fitbit to my right hand. Ever since then, it says my calorie expenditure is double what it usually is. Suddenly, after only walking one hour, I've burned 3000 calories. When I wake up, there are weird spikes at 2 or 3 am that show that I burned as many calories as I usually do running. I am not running at 2 or 3 am. My calorie expenditure is usually relatively calm while I sleep, but this is nuts!

[ejwestlake]

For me, it's because it changed. It was accurate. Now it isn't. Just like, boom, suddenly, it says I'm sprinting while I sleep.

[Jlcn]

I just threw mine away. It was never accurate and I couldn’t get any help.

[Julian_F]

Yep same I threw mine away. It actually broke after a year and I'm glad it did. I'm appalled by the level of support received by FItBit on these forums and I fully intend to dissuade anyone who is considering buying one of their products in the future.

[MonaMoon25]

Hi, I’ve got the same problem! Just purchased the Fitbit and tracked with my phone before which seemed more realistic. I got the Fitbit as I was hoping for more accuracy. I didn’t wear it during the night. Yet when I woke up in the morning and checked it said 500 calories burned. I didn’t even wear it, so how can that be? It seems very off. 
Has yours gotten better now?

[MonaMoon25]

Yeah that is quite possible! Still would be nice if it was a little more accurate and show 0 calories burned when you are not wearing it at night.

[Freshness]

I just did a fairly casual 10 mile walk. It took me 3 hours, so 3.3mph.

I'm 35 and 172 lbs. I can reasonably expect to burn 300 kcals an hour at that walking speed.

900 calories in total for today's walk, then.

Fitbit's reading? 1462 kcals.

It's a complete joke. Fitbits have overestimated calories burned for years, and Fitbit have refused to react to media reports of this, user complaints of this, and the simple logic that their calculations are wrong. Always, always wrong. They would be closer if they just cut every single total in half.

Some days when I do a 20k, it tells me I've burned 5000 kcals. And then adds another 300 for my slow, 20 minute walk home. I don't have the heart to tell the lady at work trying to lose weight that she isn't actually burning over 1000 calories in her 45 minute runs as her Fitbit is telling her.

[princexev]

There's one really good way to tell whether it's telling you the truth or not weigh yourself on the daily.I think it counted way too high for me today I will find out tomorrow morning when I weigh myself that's for **ahem** sure.

[GillesL]

I see there is 8 pages of comments on this issue. I have the same problem with my Versa 2 reporting drastically large calorie counts.

Has there been ANY response from fitbit? 

Can anyone recommend a better fitness tracker than fitbit? I'm about ready to throw mine in the trash. 

[CF-LEES]

I personally think my versa 2 is pretty accurate. it says my average calorie burn is 3,008 a day. I've used several online TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) calculators and they say my TDEE around 3000.
I was worried my Fitbit was over estimating my calories which is why I did some research into my TDEE.

[GillesL]

My wife and I have the same watch. We are the same age. She is about 50lbs lighter than me. We went in a 10k walk, my watch recorded 1100 cal hers was around 600.... 

[CF-LEES]

Cal counting is no science and it does depend on age sex weight height and general fitness. 
If you’re generally unfit your heart will beat faster = burn more cals 

if you weigh more you burn more cals

men tend to burn more cals than women.

it’s not to say one watch might be faulty. 
My comment was more to say I thought my watch over calculated my calories but after doing more research I think it’s actually pretty accurate.