Dynamic retrieval and display of all daily nutrition values

[MrMarv]

Here is an opportunity for Fitbit project managers and developers to provide a greatly needed service to their device users, many of which would appreciate Fitbit’s assistance in managing their health.

Many of the users of Fitbit devices have real health issues and have to monitor different elements of their nutritional intake throughout the day. Other users have also voiced their desire to have a dynamically viewable recap of just where they stand at any point in the day.

Individuals with heart issues quite often need to be aware of their sodium intake or risk heart failure. And if truth be told, everyone else should be a little more aware of their sodium intake, as well.

Diabetics and pre-Diabetics need to keep abreast of their sugar intake throughout the day, not just at the day end. And for anyone wanting to lose a little, or even a lot, of weight should be watching their sugar intake, because what sugar cannot be used by muscles gets stored as fat.

Many people are literally afraid to eat out with friends or family sometimes because they are not positive about their current daily intake of a particular nutrient. Many spur-of-the-moment social opportunities are lost because they don’t know their current sodium or sugar totals for the day.

Why not, from the food log page of the Fitbit app have the Macronutrients icon be a touchable hotspot that would display this:

The data in the graphic represents my actual intake on 1/19/2018 with the exception of vitamin and other base elements, but all of the information is available for quick retrieval from the Fitbit servers. And to quote Fitbit, “Your data belongs to you!”

I personally would be quite happy if that is all that was done, and as a first release it would be great. But it would be totally feasible to incorporate other requests for allowing the entry of target values for many of the nutrients shown in the label above. Values such as Calories, Carbs, Protein and Sodium. A new column next to “% Daily Value” called “Your Target” or just “Target” could be added.

Thank you Fitbit for having the Custom Foods creation capability that allowed be to create a food that actually represents my booked food totals for 1/19/2018.

Moderator Edit : Labels

[didemus]

I agree, saturated fat and sugar are critical metrics in addition to sodium.

[YoDex]

A simple alternative to the original poster's example would be to add additional data fields for the major micronutrients listed on food labels under daily totals within the web app. No this wouldn't provide all the functionality folks are requesting for in both the mobile apps and the web app, but the data calculations would be there and accessible by all users as long as they a web browser.

[Johnsonme909]

Hi Fitbit, 

There is already so much data in the app regarding our nutrients intake such as vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, added sugar, fiber... I wish there was a way to track our daily progress to see if we are under, within, or over the recommended range for our age/gender or just daily totals. It would also be great if this could apply to the macronutrients as well. Right now, I have no idea how well I'm doing with the current pie chart of carb/fat/protein nor is seeing the grand totals helpful on the online dashboard. 

This is a similar take with the feature of calories in/out. We can see if we are under, over, or in zone. This makes me feel very encouraged that I'm doing what's right for my body. Can this be applied to our nutrients break down as a whole?

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @Johnsonme909, thanks for explaining why you would like to have the option to see other nutrition values on the Fitbit app. Thanks for sharing your feedback. I've moved it into a similar request. You might be also interested in this other request: Allow us to set macronutrient goals and show us full macro-nutrient breakdowns in app. A lot of users are asking for this option, I hope we receive updates soon.

[h4barrel]

It would be great if the app could pull specific vitamin/nutrient data from the web based food log so that individuals who wish to track sugar/sodium/fiber, etc can see a quick snapshot of their daily intake on the app to make better food choices.

[YojanaFitbit]

Hi @h4barrel, thanks for explaining why you would like to have the option to add sugar sodium and fiber to your Fitbit app. Thanks for sharing your feedback. I've moved it into a similar request.  A lot of users are asking for this option, I hope we receive updates soon.

[MrMarv]

@YojanaFitbit -

The new "NUTRIENTS" - Show/Hide section in the iOS app version 3.24 released yesterday seems to have incorporated this request or something really-really-really close. This was not available in release 3.23.1.

Whether it was predicated by my request, along with the others added to this suggestion by the moderators, or some other way, I can only say - - - 

T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U.

[the2ems]

How do I get the update. I’m still using 3.23.1

[Jgetfit]

Sorry no idea. Just had to have my fitbit replaced because screen failed.Try contacting Fitbit support team for help as they are very helpfulSent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.

[the2ems]

Just rechecked the App Store and was prompted to update the Fitbit app. Brilliant. A great improvement. Now I don’t need to input custom foods to keep a check on saturated fat. Well done Fitbit, it’s been a long time coming 🙂

[Kiikat]

I'm so excited about this update! However I have an android, and the play store doesn't show this update, only a June 9 update for Fitbit Premium. Is the nutrient update only for IOS so far? Or is it only a part of Fitbit Premium?

[MrMarv]

@the2ems -

I will have to beg to differ. 

I have to routinely customize foods that I have scanned into FitBit as the FibBit entries are quite often just plain wrong. Sometimes "just a little" here and "just a little" there, but at the end of the day, those little bits add up to something not so little.

And when you take the time to customize the food, it is always available on the app for quick entry at meal time. And if the manufacturer changes a value, you can edit it on the phone, as well. 

Just a shame you can't flag a food for customization within the app.

And I'm still waiting with everyone else for the developers to place a decimal point on the ten key used to edit custom foods in the app.

[MrMarv]

@Kiikat -

I don't subscribe to Premium, so it appears to be iOS only at this time.

The iOS app version 3.24 was posted on June 21st.

[the2ems]

I’ve not really checked the accuracy of foods in the app, due to having to add my own custom entries. I have of course seen that a lot of the foods I customise are already there. Maybe I should start checking them now before I create new foods. You never know. Some could be correct. And yes, I agree about the decimal point. I’m sure it used to be there.

[Suzeeeeee]

Is this only in premium? I’m not seeing saturated fat info on my app and I’m not paying for premium...

Sent from my iPhone

[MrMarv]

@the2ems -

To save time, on new foods, both my wife and I:

• First scan the barcode and add it to the meal.
• Then verify against the nutrition label
• If it is close and we don't expect to have it again or rarely do so, we'll stop there.
• If it is off more than a "wee bit" or we expect to consume it again, we customize it on the web, delete it in the app and then reenter it via the app using the custom foods tab.

Yes, it's a bit of a pain - but with me being an ICD recipient (that's a pacemaker with an onboard defibrillator) and my wife being pre-diabetic, it is the prudent thing to do - or at least we think so.

[MrMarv]

@Suzeeeeee -

iOS app version 3.24 on the food log page just under the Macronutrients percentage breakdown and just before the Breakfast entry, as I show in the image above.

It is not on version 3.23.1 which came out a week or so ago.

I do not subscribe to premium.

[Suzeeeeee]

I just saw that I needed to go directly to the app for update - it wasn’t showing in my normal update location. Thank you!

Sent from my iPhone

[the2ems]

When I create a food, I type the word “custom” at the end of the description, rather than deleting the actual Fitbit entry.

[the2ems]

Same for me 🙂

[the2ems]

@MrMarv 

How do you scan a food item?

[MrMarv]

@the2ems -

Go to the Log Food page. To the right of the search text box is a mini-barcode symbol. Press on it.

[the2ems]

@MrMarv 

Well I never. All that typing I could have avoided 😂. How long has that been there?

[MrMarv]

@the2ems -

Really can't remember how long - I'd say a couple years at least? I believe I have been scanning food since I had a virus attack my heart in 2017. Heart patients r-e-a-l-l-y have to watch the sodium, you know, and the app is pretty convenient even though until two days ago you had to go to the web log to see the totals.

Unlike the devices, which have actual manuals available as PDFs, I haven't seen one for the app. 

And I can't even see if it is discussed in the online app help as I keep getting "access denied" when I click on the link on the iOS app board page.

But hey, now you know, right? 😉

[SusanWink]

Woohoo!!    

Thanks for posting MrMarv.  I’m not sure I would’ve spotted that.   I am so happy not to have to go to the website to get this info!