Charge 2 isn't calculating the calories burned correctly today

[shinealite]

My fitbit isn't calculating the calories burned correctly today. My height and weight are correct in the app. I am 5' 4" 192.5#. I took 4833 steps today and it's registering 789 calories. Yesterday, I took 2857 steps and it shows 1790 calories.

Edited to add: I did update my weight on the app (which just looped). So I went into the desktop settings and changed it on June 24. This issue only started yesterday and is continuing today 6/28. I did try cleaning the back of the device with rubbing alcohol.

Moderator edit: clarified subject.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @shinealite your calories are largely calculated in the app.  The overwhelming majority of your calorie burn is based on your BMR calories - the calories you burn just being alive.  Most people don’t realise that except for very intense activity you do not add a significant amount to that total.

Without knowing your exact details it is difficult to get a precise number, but for example, a woman of your height and weight aged 45 would be expected to burn about 1500 BMR calories using a standard calculator, or about 62.5 calories per hour.

Your reported step count is not particularly high, so unless you are doing some other high intense exercise raising your heart rate a total calorie burn for the day of 1790 sounds about right (activity adding just under 300 calories to the total)

Was your count of 789 calories at the end of the day, or did you check it earlier in the day?  Since most of your calories are BMR calories you really cannot compare until around midnight, or the next day in order to allow for all calories.

I see that you originally wrote this message around the middle of the day on the 27th of June.  Looking back on your total calorie burn for that day what does it say now?  I would expect it to be only slightly more than the 1790 for the day before, based on your somewhat increased activity.

You may find this help article useful.  It explains how the Fitbit calculates your calories.

Cleaning the back of the Fitbit with rubbing alcohol can indeed help if the issue is that the device is not able to read your heart rate accurately.  Raising your heart rate does increase calorie burn.  But I am guessing the most likely explanation in this case is that you checked the calculation earlier in the day.