More sophisticated calories burned calculations

[kejames]

I've been using Fitbit for 18 months and my two biggest wish list items are:

1. Include floors climbed in the calories burned calculation. Currently, calories burned does not include stairs climbed. For example, if you walk 1 mile flat vs. 1 mile w/ lots of stairs, FitBit will say you burned the same amount of calories. It seems like it should be relatively easy for Fitbit to add a simple multiplication step to their algorithm that takes percent incline and decline into account (and no, you don't lose the same number of calories burned on the uphill when you turn around and go down the same hill).

2. Incorporate Fitbit's steps/floors data into the calorie calculation for manually entered activities. Currently, when you manually enter an activity, the calories burned for that activity take into account only what you enter, not what the Fitbit recorded in terms of steps and floors. A more accurate calorie count could be provided if Fitbit combined the info you entered, say, elliptical trainer (medium resistance) for 45min, with the steps and floors your Fitbit recorded during that time, say 4000 steps and 20 floors.

Moderator edit: Labels

[Michael]

I think the Fitbit already takes the intisity of your motions into account when calculating calories burned. (I know it shows more calories burned when I spend 15 minutes going up/down stairs than it does with me walking full speed for 15 minutes.)

Also, how are you getting your Fitbit to register 20 floors while on an elliptical trainer? That should never happen as it measures altitiude changes, and I assume your elliptical trainer isn't moving while you are using it. (That is why the Fitbit won't register any floors on a stair climber machine.)

[fitphoenix]

My Fitbit Force has been measuring a number of stairs that I'm not climbing due, I assume, to the cold weather and wind gusts (largely when I'm outside, but sometimes even when I'm inside?)  I'd be leery of it giving me too many extra calories for "stairs climbed" unless I knew the altimeter was SUPER accurate.  (Most days, it's been off by a handful of floors, no big deal but my worst day last week, I'd probably done about 10 floors, and it said 47.  I didn't want to zero it out with "driving" as an activity because I was still walking and being active, but I wasn't climbing an extra 37 flights of stairs....)

[kejames]

Michael, Yes, the Fitbit takes the intisity of your motions into account when calculating calories burned using the data that Fitbit has collected, but not when you've overridden that data by manually entering an activity by clicking 'log' and 'activity'. Good point about the elliptical. I invented that as a hypothetical example.

[kejames]

Michael, Yes, the Fitbit takes the intisity of your motions into account when calculating calories burned using the data that Fitbit has collected, but not when you've overridden that data by manually entering an activity by clicking 'log' and 'activity'. Good point about the elliptical. I invented that as a hypothetical example.

[FerdinandFitbit]

Hey there @kejames. I decided to retake your request and I think these two suggestions are something that has potential amongst other Fitbit users. I've gone ahead and forwarded your request to our team for them to review it.

Thanks for participating.

[FastOne67]

I agree with adding a feature to allow for more accurate calorie burn count while using a stair stepper OR an incline trainer such as a nordic trac. I use the nordic trac religiously and during steep inclines, the calorie count pretty much stops, until I am back to swinging my arms. By the end of the workout, fitbit vs nordic calorie results are off about 150 calories for a 30 minute workout.

Yes, it has been suggested to manually enter an activity to account for the missed calories but who has time to do all that extra work? 
It would be greatly appreciated if the tech team could find an easy fix for this. I use the Surge, by the way.

Thanks to everyone who contributes...

[SantiR]

Hi everyone, thanks for sharing this suggestion. We're always striving to enhance Fitbit products and services, and we appreciate all of the input we receive from our customers. We do not currently have plans to release this feature. You can learn more about how Fitbit decides what suggestions get released in our FAQs located at the top right box of the Feature Suggestions Board screen. For now, we will leave this suggestion open for votes (and closed to comments) so that we can continue to track community demand over time. Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback with us and we will let you know if anything changes.