API data vs Takeout Data

[RobsIT]

I wanted to start having my data on my computer so I can look at the data in more different ways so I used Google Takeout to get all of my Fitbit data. When looking through the data, I don't see my daily step info or my sleep info. I can get this data from the API but I wanted to use Takeout to get all historical data and update that data daily using the api.

Is there some other Takeout I need to use to get all of my data?  

[Gordon-C]

Hi @RobsIT 

When you export your Fitbit data, do you see files that start with "steps-<date>.json" and "sleep-<date>.json"?

[k_dub]

Hi, @Gordon-C! Not sure if I should start another thread for this or if this is related, but would you be able to tell me what unit of measurement is being used in the json file for distance? In the attached image, on 8/2/24 for example, the json file shows a value of 2642 at 11:51 and a value of 2142 at 11:52. What unit of measurement does that value represent? 

[RobsIT]

I believe those are your steps. Maybe you have two devices tracking your steps which is why you see 1571 @ 11:57:00 but what is the name of the file you are referencing? 

[k_dub]

Hi, @RobsIT! I downloaded all my historical data from Fitbit with Google Takeout. There are files for each month since I started Fitbit, but this particular file is named "distance-2024_08_02.json," so this file is my distance each day from 8/2/24 through 9/1/24. Below is the snip from other distance files for this year, but it goes all the way back to 2015. I only have one Fitbit device. Even if it were steps, there's no way I took that many steps from one minute to the next.

These are distance files, but there are separate files for steps that are formatted the same way. Because there's been an issue with the app since at least 8/27/24 where data is not being stored on the Fitbit app, I thought I'd add my distance manually to an external site where I'm registered in a virtual fitness challenge, but in order for me to manually enter my distance, I need to know the unit of measurement being used. Any thoughts on that?

[RobsIT]

There doesn't seem to be any clear data on what this data represents but we may be able to figure it out by considering what you were doing this day at this time. I haven't taken the time to learn the metric system but what could you have done 3070 of in one minute? Personally, the only thing I couldn't done 3070 of in one minute is eat 3070 grains of rice 😁. Whatever it is, it looks like you took 2 minutes off. Considering it's distance, I would think cm. That's 0.581mi measured in ft. You would have to run like 30+mph which means you would be the fastest person ever. 

How many steps did you take in that same amount of time? That should help out a lot. Were you running or walking? What's your stride? I know I've given more questions than answers but if you can answer all of those questions, you may have your answer and an answer to the question many have had/has.

[k_dub]

@RobsIT Thanks! I hadn't thought through it like that. I'll look at my previous data where it was recorded/saved in the app and see what measurement it's equal to and then take that to convert the data that is not in the app.