Add Calorie Deficit screen on Fitbit app

[Lunam0th]

I know this has been proposed before but I would like to see just a pure Calorie Deficit screen which subtracts your calories in from your calories out. Just that number that you can check throughout the day as it changes.

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject and updated label

[YojanaFitbit]

 Thanks @Lunam0th, that's a great suggestion. Do yo want to have that option on the Charge 3 display or on the Fitbit App? We have an existing feature that can be what you were asking for: Weekly Calorie Deficit for Previous Weeks.

I'll be waiting for your reply, thanks!

[Lunam0th]

Hi,

Weekly deficit data isn’t very useful when you’re tracking daily deficits.
Also, daily calorie goals that preset are useless too. Some days I burn
more calories so my calorie goal could go up. Some days I burn less
calories so my calorie goal goes down. What remains a constant and that I
am aiming for every day is a 1000 calorie deficit thereby allowing me to
lose 2lbs per week. That’s why I’d like to see the real-time data as I log
food and burn calories throughout the day.

Thanks!

[SReeves337]

I am new to Fitbit having recently purchased the Charge 3.  I love all the features and must say it has gotten me moving.  

I would like to suggest a page or chart that shows calories consumed for the week total vs how many burned and show the deficit.  This will help those trying to lose weight see at a glance how close to the 3500 calorie or 1 pound deficit they are.  I have been calculating my calories consumed vs my total burned and track it in Excel to see if I am on track for the week for my weight loss goal.  This helps me know that tomorrow I need to burn more calories and eat a little less aiding me in my weekly goals  Example.  This week to date:  7984 Calories Burned.  Calories Consumed 5238.  Total deficit 2746.  You need a deficit of  246 more to lose a pound.  I know all the information is there but it would be nice to see it instead of having to figure it out on the side.  

If this feature is available I am sorry I have not found it and I apologize.  If it is not available, thank you for considering this suggestion in a future update. 

SReeves337@yahoo.com

[MichaelDouglas]

 I agree with this users request. It would be a great benefit to easily see on the Fitbit as well as it in the app what my deficit is so far for today.  That enables us to Easily make decisions about whether we have hit a deficit goal for the day. If not then we know we need to burn a few more calories or eat a bit less.  This makes it easier to know if you are on target for a weight loss goal   

[SReeves337]

I recently, as in yesterday, found that on the dashboard area there is a box that says under  if you look there it tells you what your deficit in calories is.  I never notices this before or else I did not click on it to see what it did.   It shows a number and a fork and a number with fire.  If you click on it you will see your weekly deficit and you can hover over them and see your deficit for the week as well as you deficit for the day.  Not sure if this is new or if I just missed it.  Hope this helps

[YojanaFitbit]

Thanks for sharing this @SReeves337. Not sure if this is what she is looking for! What do you think @Lunam0th?

[Lunam0th]

Thanks! I mostly use the fitbit on my phone app so if what you're
mentioning is on the dashboard of my laptop then I won't use it that much.

On my phone's dashboard there are the various "widgets" that show the
different data and what I'd like to have is a widget for daily calorie
deficit (instead of a daily calorie goal). I've done calorie deficits where
I log food and check calorie burn on a daily basis and it literally works
like clock work for when you're trying to lose weight (even with the bit of
water weight that fluctuates naturally). I lost pretty much the amount of
weight I aimed for. That's what's so great about having a daily calorie
deficit to track. It works perfectly and gives you the data you need daily
if say you eat more one day, you go on an extra walk. You eat less the next
day, you don't do the extra walk. Your aim is always just hitting your
deficit goal. Mine is a 1000 calorie deficit per day. That way I'll lose
2lbs per week. In the past I've done a 750 calorie deficit per day and I
lost 1.5 lbs per week.

Right now there is just the daily calorie goal widget that I completely
ignore because everyday is a different calorie goal to hit my deficit. The
deficit is the most important data and right now I work around the data
provided to figure out my deficit instead of it just being it's own widget.
I look at the number of calories from my food logged and subtract it from
the calories I've burned. That's what I'd like to have as a widget so I
don't have to do the math! Daily.

Hope that makes sense. Would love to see this feature but I'm fine doing my
work around. The fitbit is an amazing tool that gives you such great
feedback helping you eat better and move more!


Thanks again!

[Lunam0th]

So in a nutshell the "Deficit Widget" would just subtract the food calories you log from your current calorie burn. It would update dynamically throughout the day as you log food and burn calories. Towards the end of the day you will have a pretty good idea of whether you can eat more or less or burn more or less to meet whatever calorie deficit you have made which is a constant. 🙂 

[YojanaFitbit]

Thanks for your response @Lunam0th. We look forward to hearing what other community members think.

[Jshooters]

I just got an Inspire HR 2 days ago and yesterday submitted the exact same modification request that Lunam0th has (I was advised to come onto this board to see if it had been previously suggested).  

I don't really need to add anything else as Lunam0th has summed it up perfectly, it will be just so much easier to determine whether or not you need to perform some extra exercise depending on where you are against your daily & weekly calorie deficit goals.  Plus it's a really simple development as it would just need to display a simple arithmetic calculation 🙂

[SulaHooop]

I need to seed my calorie deficit every day, week and month and for all time.  

Please show this on the ap.

I currently have to work this out for myself on a spreadsheet! 

[SulaHooop]

I totally agree with wanting to see the calorie deficit on a daily, weekly, monthly, and all time basis.  I'm currently working it out myself in excel and shouldn't need to do this.  It's such a basic thing come on Fitbit!

Also, agree the daily goal with the over or under calorie function is totally useless.  It changes through the day which is not useful.  I don't know who thought of presenting it like that but it doesn't work at all.  Please change that to total calories allowed per day or break it down to breakfast lunch and dinner categories or anything other than how it is presented now.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @SulaHooop! Great suggestion, thanks for sharing your suggestion. I've moved it into a similar request. Post a comment or click on the thumbs-up to show your support.

[ArunH]

I agree with this post. Most users are trying to lose weight. So having a separate tile that shows daily caloric deficit and then a weekly average would be exactly what we need . I understand the current system and can calculate by deducting my input from my output daily and then having for example my total and average calorie deficit for the week. It would be so much more convenient for this feature to be added in reaching weight goals . It can even have a separate setting where if your goal is weight gain you can aim for a caloric surplus 

[ArunH]

I hope they are genuinely working on this. And realise how helpful it can be in terms of weight loss and even weight gain

[SulaHooop]

Thank you!

[Lunam0th]

Hi My friends!

I don't think that fitbit ever considered my request. It's kind of strange considering that calories in calories out just works. And that most people get a fitbit to lose weight.

I'm now down to good weight after logging a few years ago (and just for a few months at a time). It only takes a month or so of doing it until you actually know what you can eat and how many calories you burn doing various exercises. No one should have to constantly log calories in but it does work! It's a process that you go through and then you learn and then you lose weight. Done. Why fitbit doesn't help you do this I'll never know. I guess they are just dumb asses?

Do a little challenge with yourself if you're trying to lose weight where you log your calories in and subtract it by yourself from what your heartrate monitor told you that burned that day with calories out. A 500 calorie deficit a day will equal 1 pound of weight loss over a week. It does work and takes time but what were you doing 3 months ago?:) You could have lost 12lbs, A 500 calorie deficit is easy breezy!

Good luck!!!

Laura

[ArunH]

I 100% agree and don't understand why Fitbit isn't implementing that feature. Logging calories is definitely tedious but I agree it works, calorie amounts matter. Daily deficit , weekly deficit or surplus display and some basic graphs over time to show that we are heading in the right direction. I trust my Fitbit . It gives me a good idea of if I am doing enough for the day along with am I eating the correct amounts. When I was 250lbs I was able to track my calories and exercise. I was as low as 198 on calorie counting and intermittent fasting -16/8. Due the pandemic I was not as active or fasting and easily went up to 215lbs. I am currently back at it. It's been months since we have been talking about it. But no response from Fitbit. 

[Lunam0th]

One thing that helped me through the pandemic was doing regular workouts on https://watch.lesmillsondemand.com/browse . I do bodypump regularly followed by their bodyflow yoga flexibility for 30 min. It's pretty cheap at 14.99 a month! But also just walking for an hour listening to an audio book will burn up to 300-400 calories. Pretty much 100 calories per mile just walking. 🙂

[SulaHooop]

Thanks for your reply. For sure it works. Please Fitbit listen to us and
give us our calorie deficit and better still give us this on graphs!

[Lunam0th]

Hi All,

I need to apologize to Fitbit for my comment calling them "dumb asses". I was just frustrated. I'm pretty sure their dev team has been busy with other issues related to their app. I hope that this apology makes them look at this thread again because when I first posted it in 2018, I didn't get any likes. Now I've been getting likes almost daily.

The request remains the same:

Please make a widget that subtracts calories in (client logs calories they ate) from calories out (based on the data from fitbit's heartrate monitor). Make that widget show the data dynamically on a daily basis so clients can hit a calorie deficit an thus lose weight.

It works like clockwork for anyone trying to lose weight. 3500 calories is a pound. You all know how to do the math. 🙂

Thanks,

Laura

[SulaHooop]

Exactly this! Come on Fitbit!!

[BekahX]

100% nothing more motivating than seeing the deficit and knowing what that means to your weight loss and fitness goals! Please add this too an update ASAP! 

[ArunH]

2 years later and no response from fitbit. The Guage system is easy to understand.  The separate tile either on the app or visible on our devices... for a daily and weekly caloric deficit for fat loss or surplus for weight gain would be a welcome feature. 

[depp_thought]

A very easy solution to this problem would be to allow an "Easiest" option with 0 calories deficit. That would lead to the desired "pure" calorie deficit being shown (see picutre below).

A more sophisticated option would be to allow a custom calory deficit to be entered, e.g. not constrain the user to chose one the 4 options but allow a custom entered number, e.g. 115. But the 0 option above would be sufficient already.