Logging Activity in My Fitness Pal (MFP) Vs. Fitbit

[Kramer012]

I have been using My Fitness Pal (MFP) for a few months now as recommended by my trainer and a few friends. I have come to enjoy entering my food and exercise into the MFP app. I recently was gifted a Fitbit (Zip) and was wondering if I should no longer log my exercise (Zumba, Spin Classes, Etc.) in MFP due to use of the Fitbit tracking my steps. I would like to get the most accurate results, and thus don't want to assume I am burning more calories than I am. If possible, I would like to continue using the MFP app, for my trainer checks it on occasion to hold me accountable. What do you recommend?

[MsJ · Accepted solution]

You can continue to log your exercise in MFP. Just don't log the same workout session on both, MFP and Fitbit. When you log your exercise in MFP, Fitbit will compare the calories burned you logged on MFP with the calories burned that Fitbit tracked during the time you workedout and will adjust the calories accordingly through the negative calorie adjustment (make sure you have it enabled on MFP under settings).

Make sure that when you log an exercise on MFP that you accurately enter the time and duration of the workout so that Fitbit knows exactly what time frame was overlapped by MFP with the time frame that your FB tracker was monitoring, if that makes any sense.

[Kramer012]

This was extremely helpful! Thank you!

[shetheri]

So do I have to log my activities in both MFP and Fitbit? My MFP activites come across to Fitbit as activity entries, but my Fitbit activities do not come across to MFP as activities, only as steps or calories. Is that how it works?

I recently got a Surge and it tracks far more activies, so I want to just track them with Fitbit, but then MFP has no record that I did a workout. Do I enter it twice (MFP and Fitbit) and make sure the times are the same? Seems like too much effort.

thanks 

[Kramer012]

As it was explained to me, only log your exercise in MFP. Fitbit wil compensate for the calories and such based on the times you enter for your exercise. I log any classes I take (spin, zumba) or even runs in MFP  and let my Fitbit account for the rest of my steps. Hope this helps!

[monrow12]

When you enter it in MFP it syncs with Fitbit so the activity shows up twice on the activity list in fitbit so is it double counting calories, etc when MFP does it's calorie adjustment and then when you complete the day on MFP to see the results?

[Channyboy326]

But what about weights? I believe in MFP when logging strength workouts it doesn't give an option to edit/log duration of time.

And on my Blaze it just registers as "weights" whereas on MFP it lists each individual exercise (i.e., dumbell curl, dead lift etc.)