Discrepancy between Fitbit calories out and adjustment in MFP

[HappyAmbler]

Hi

I know there are threads with similar titles, but I haven't been able to find one addressing the specific problem I'm having.

I have been using the two apps in combination for a while, and (*I think*) I understand how the adjustment is calculated i.e. the Fitbit calorie adjustment in MFP is a projection based on calories burned so far and predicted to be burned for the rest of the day, so is subject to change before midnight on any given day.

My problem is there seems to be a discrepancy between my calories out in Fitbit, and the calorie adjustment in MFP. If I understand correctly, my MFP (goal+exercise) i.e. the number of calories I can eat, should equal my Fitbit calories out -250 (this is the daily calorie deficit I have set in MFP). But it doesn't.

NB. I'm talking about previous days where the calorie adjustment is no longer subject to change.

This is quite a simpe problem, but difficult to explain... An example from yesterday:

Fitbit

2181 in / 2486 out

MFP

Goal 1,540 - Food 2,181 + 641 exercise = 0 remaining

With a deficit of 250, this would put my burn at 2431, which is 55 calories less than indictated in the Fitbit app. This was reflected by me being "under budget" for the day in my Fitbit app, even though MFP was showing I was dead on.

This happens to varying degrees every day. Weirdly, I've had several days in a row where the discrepancy was 43, so there's obviously some kind of pattern! But why??

Can anyone help with this? I know 40-100 calories here and there isn't the end of the world, but I'm being very careful about what I eat at the moment, and this issue is drving me crazy!

PS. Please don't tell me to not eat back my exercise calories - I've lost over 2 stone using this method so I know it works for me!

[HelenaFitbit]

Welcome to the forums @HappyAmbler! I'm also a MyFitnessPal user and I'll be glad to help on this. 

I have seen this situation happen whenever both accounts don't have the same caloric budget to work with; so I recommend to disable Fitbit's Food Plan and add your MFP caloric budget as a main calorie goal.

I'll show you how to do it from my profile information. 

First, you'll need to go to your Food log page and click on the arrows on Food Plan until you see the option "Edit Plan".

After you've done this, click on "Set a new Goal" 

Add your starting weight and your desired weight and click next.

Instead of choosing the food plan options provided by Fitbit, click on "Set my own Calorie Target".

Now on MyFitnessPal, click on Goals and (unless you have an specific nutrition goal) click on "View Guided Setup"

Now on your Diet profile, add all the information required.

Now, you will get a Net calorie target for the day. Please bear in mind that mine is low because of my settings, but yours will be different. 

Now, go back to your Fitbit Screen and add the Net Calorie target you were given for the day and click on Done. 

Now you're set! The food you log in from MFP will automatically edit your Fitbit caloric values for the day and it will reflect on your MFP calorie budget for the day. 

A couple things to consider about this: 

1. The accuracy of your Fitbit Log will depend on the accuracy of your MFP food logs.
2. All exercises and non-step based activities must be logged through Fitbit, otherwise MFP will count them as double. 

 Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions

[HappyAmbler]

Hi @HelenaFitbit

Many thanks for getting back to me. I have made this change, and will report back on whether it fixes the problem.

[YoungSirSolo]

I'm confused about one thing. You say one thing to consider is that all exercise must be logged through FitBit or else the calculations may be inaccurate. However, the instructions on the MFP site (http://www.myfitnesspal.com/fitbit/connected) stress the exact opposite. I've read conflicting information in this community's discussions as well. Can you provide any clarification?

[HelenaFitbit]

@HappyAmbler Thank you very much for the update, keep me posted!

@YoungSirSolo Well, I know that information going back and forth between two platforms can confuse the best of us. What happens is that MFP's exercise log has so many varieties and ways to tweak it or even, type in the calorie burn number of your choice; that it leaves your tracker's information completely invalid. The information on your tracker is being detected in real time and being transmitted to your account and MFP as you keep walking. 

Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any questions

[HappyAmbler]

Hi @HelenaFitbit

I'm afraid the fix you suggested hasn't worked. My exercise adjustment was out by 138 calories yesterday, and 50 the day before.

I was a bit sceptical, as my Fitbit food plan was correctly aligned with my MFP deficit of 250 before I made the change.

I think there is some kind of issue with syncing of the two apps (I have tried unlinking and relinking - nothing changed).

As mentioned before, I'm aware that the exercise adjustment is subject to change during the day (the inaccuracies I'm reporting are all on previous days where there should be no further change). But recently, I've found it jumps around wildly each time I login to MFP e.g. from 400 to 100. I have been using the two apps in combination for a year, so I have an idea of what the adjustment should be based on how many steps I've done.

Maybe I should post this on the MFP site...

[HappyAmbler]

I'd really appreciate any further suggestions. Is this a bug?? I didn't get any calorie adjustment at all yesterday - it should have been over 600! As mentioned above, it jumped around wildly during the day - from over 500 to below 20 - and now it's disappeared altogether!!

I've been using the two apps in combination for a year, and have only experienced these problems in the last couple of weeks. I'm relying on them for my continued weight loss. Please help!!

[NatalieJean]

Help. I followed all of these instructions and it is not matching up. Cals set at 1310 on both apps but Fitbit is not adjusting cals for activity. Fitbit says I have 1035 left and MFP says I have 2008 because of Fitbit adjustment.