How do I turn off BMR on my Versa 2?

[Kom89]

Hi All, 

Is there any way to switch off BMR calories count in Versa 2? I have recently bought one, happy with everything else but really annoying to see around 900 calories already burned in the morning when I put it on my wrist first thing in the morning. 

I don't want it to count those default calories. Have researched a lot online but can't really find any information for switching that off. I only want it to start counting calories when I put it on in the morning. 

Appreciate if someone can please help. 

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[JohnnyRow]

You cannot turn that off.  But be aware it is also counting BMR calories after you put it on.  It is all day, not just when you are not wearing it.

[Kom89]

But other Fitbit devices do not have this. They only start counting calories after you put them on as far as I know so why this one shows default calories? 

Is there any alternative option to set this? What I literally want to know is how much calories I have burned during the time I had it on, that's all. 

Any suggestion / help is appreciated. 

[MarreFitbit · Accepted solution]

Hi there @Kom89, welcome to the Community Forums. Thanks for the details provided in your post about your BMR calories calculated by your Versa 2.

As @JohnnyRow said above, when you create a Fitbit account, the website uses your physical data (weight, height etc) to calculate your BMR calories.These are the minimum calories you'd need to burn every day to stay alive. It then populates your profile with this calorie burn back for six months or so to give you a sensible baseline against which to compare your future calorie burn once your tracker starts tracking your exercise and adding exercise calories to your BMR calories. The short answer is that what you're seeing is correct behavior and the calorie counts re individualized to you.

Please note that all Fitbit devices calculates the user's BMR after an account is created, we have not exceptions with this. There's no way to turn this off or to be implemented in the near future.

In case you want to calculate your calories from your exercises excluding your BMR, I'd recommend taking a look at this post. 

Additionally, I'd recommend taking a look at these two great articles: How do I track my workouts with my Fitbit device? and How do I track my activity with my Fitbit device?

Let us know if you have any further questions present. 

[JohnnyRow]

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@Kom89 wrote:

But other Fitbit devices do not have this. They only start counting calories after you put them on as far as I know so why this one shows default calories? 

Is there any alternative option to set this? What I literally want to know is how much calories I have burned during the time I had it on, that's all. 

Any suggestion / help is appreciated. 

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I disagree.  I believe that is the same with all Fitbit devices.  I have tried several and all include BMR calorie for when not worn.

I am curious why you say other Fitbit devices do not act this way.  Did you have another model which did not count calories before being put on?

[Lion131]

But why isn’t it a separate option. I just want to know how many calories I lost doing an activity. Having BMR means I have to subtract ~2000 calories every single day. 

[MarreFitbit]

Hello there @Lion131, welcome on board. I totally understand where your concern is coming from. 

This is the way it was designed since the first Fitbit came out. You can learn more about how Fitbit decides what suggestions get released in our FAQs. 

Our team is always working on improving our devices and user experiences, and your comments are always welcome. Feel free to post your idea in our Feature Suggestions board. That way other users can comment and vote on the idea to show their support.

As suggested above, if you want to calculate your calories from your exercises excluding your BMR, I'd recommend taking a look at this post.