Fitbit sending too many calories to MyFitnessPal

[Sandra_S]

I just bought a Fitbit versa and have a question.

I'm using MyFitnessPal (MFP) to count / see my remaining calories for the day.

I want Fitbit to send my steps taken and add that as extra calories to MFP.

Before buying the Fitbit I used an app called Pacer which counted my steps using the accelerometer in my phone and sent the data to MFP. If I walked say 10000 steps I'd get an extra ~500 calories to eat that day. This seems resonable.

The problem is that I think Fitbit includes BMR (or something else) and sends that to MFP also because after switching from Pacer to Fitbit, when I do a 10000 step walk I get ~1000 extra calories. This seems very high.

How can I setup MFP / Fitbit so that it mimics the setup I had with Pacer? (send only the calories burned by exercising)

EDIT:

Also with Pacer it started adding calories directly when taking say 100 steps I'd get an extra 4 calories.

With FitBit it stays at zero (or even minus calories) until like 2000-3000 steps and then starts adding (too much) calories. I have set both MFP and FitBit to sedentary. Still not working how I want it.

Thank you.

[LanuzaFitbit]

Welcome to the Forums @Sandra_S.

Thanks for sharing all of that information with us!

It is important to note that the way in which Pacer and Fitbit calculate calories might be different and that could account for some of the difference. In addition, as you said, Fitbit does include your BMR into the calories it tracks. You can read more about it in here

I hope this clarifies the situation. Let me know if there is anything else that I can help you with.

[Sandra_S]

Hi

Is it at all possible to remove BMR from the data fitbit sends to myfitnesspal?

As it is now I have to manually calculate my remaining calories each day as I cannot trust the amount fitbit adds to myfitnesspal.

If that's not possible can you please guide me how to setup fitbit and myfitnesspal to not have to manually calculate my calories.

Edit: I've read this post: http://www.subtlestrength.com/articles/correct-fitbit-calorie-estimates-myfitnesspal and it describes exactly how I've been using MFP and fitbit so far. It says that you should divide your estimated caloric expenditure from Fitbit by 2. I don't want this. 

Thank you!

[dang318]

Lanuza - I have been using Fitbit and MFP for years. In the last two days, the calorie adjustment sent by Fitbit to MFP adjusted significantly upwards.

All else being equal, walking 11000 steps in a day has typically netted a 700 calorie adjustment. Today, for example, I have walked just under 7,000 steps and it's already showing a 700 calorie adjustment. 

This is the second time in the last year the number of calories adjusted has changed. It's very weird. Worse, it recalculates my adjustment going back so I can't even see the historical data as it was anymore. This variability leads me to not trust Fitbit as a tool to track calories (which is why I have it). 

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello @Sandra_S and @dang318.

@Sandra_S Unfortunately it is not possible to remove the BMR in that way. Additionally, any calories tracked by Fitbit will be synced over, it is not possible to edit how or what calories are the ones synced over.

@dang318 My question in that case would be if those calories are showing the same over on Fitbit's side or only show that high after they have been moved over to MFP? If the latter then I'd say that reaching out to MFP is the best way to go about it. 

Let me know if you have any further questions.

[Sandra_S]

@LanuzaFitbit I'm sorry but one of the only reasons why I purchased a fitbit was to be able to easily track my remaining calories. This is even more of a hassle now than it was before. I am really not enjoying my time here.

I asked you in my previous reply: "If that's not possible can you please guide me how to setup fitbit and myfitnesspal to not have to manually calculate my calories."

You even show on your website that myfitnesspal is compatible with fitbit. But not in calculating remaining calories.. which is the whole point imo.

Could you please refer me to a guide / link / post / video of how to actually make fitbit and myfitnesspal work together in showing me my remaining calories. Without me having to guess.

If you cannot answer this question. could you please pass it on to your developers as I would like to hear their reason to limit fitbit in this way.

[LanuzaFitbit]

Hello @Sandra_S and @dang318.

It is not possible to set up MFP with Fitbit in a way other than the default way. 

I'd like to mention that these integrations are developed by the third parties, so I'd recommend trying to get in touch with MFP about suggestion on the way the integration behaves. In fact I'd say that getting in touch with them with them about the adjustment. They should be able to determine why the adjustment calories went up.

Let me know if there are any other questions I can help you with.