My Fitbit at odds with MFP!!!

[Talulah]

Hi can any one explain.....Fitbit says my calorie intake is too much, MFP tells me on target or under my goal I am confused. I am loosing weight slowly last few weeks 13 St --- 12.7 it's a bit slow but I'm not complaining. So any techies know the answer? X x

[andrewleeone]

All of these gadgets give varying data, we either have to get a lot of them and aggregate the data, or find one that works and stick to that. I essence the bit that matters is the behavioural choices we make that get us the results we are after. I've got an UP activity monitor. Yesterday It reckoned I'd burned 1500 calories while my Garmin Bike Computer called it more like 3200! What I do know is I did a load of exercise and I lost weight as a result.

I kinda like the UP as it keeps me focussed on being active. I know the Garmin is Accurate as Its got my data, hight weight, age etc. and it uses GPS and then calculates calorie burn combining all of these.

You make up your own mind. Are you getting the results you want? If so what exactly are you doing to get the results? Exercise, calorie intake, or both?

Is your fitbit keeping you honest, by getting you to focus on being active? If so its doing its job. Get a kitchen scale and take some time measuring and calorie counting your own food for a bit to see if the calorie estimates the apps are giving you are accurate.

Its all really complicated but you only have to do it once to calibrate the two gadgets. Moreover its an example of how we all need to learn to be far more conscious of the calorific and nutritional choices we make all the time. Surely that's whats enabling us to get this right and loose weight.

[Talulah in reply to andrewleeone]

Thanks I know I just have to settle with one gadget to make life easier. Slowly I am loosing so I must be doing something right 😊 I prefer MFP to record calories but it updates my Fitbit which I obviously check then doubt whether I am doing the right thing x

[Dave1961 25kg]

I don't look at Fitbit for anything apart from steps and exercise and sleep. They talk to each other so I let MFP control the calorie side of things - Fitbit says I can have 280 calories more than MFP.

MFP is designed specifically to determine this kind of thing and I have found it great for figuring this stuff out.

I did find at one stage that when I went into MFP on the web and updated my profile with a new reduced weight it then reduced my calories. Not by much - maybe 40 calories for 6 pounds lost but over time this would of course make a difference.

Recheck all your settings to make sure that nothing is being missed.

Do you just eat towards your goal calories or total including exercise?

What is your setup on MFP - what have you selected as pounds to lose per week?

If you are not being active and don't have the negative adjustment option on it can affect your calories.

[Penel]

Calories can only ever be an approximation, there are so many intervening variables. What you eat can be as important as how much you eat.

If you've found something that works for you, then stick with it.

[andrewleeone]

All my Gadgets talk to each other, but its only gossip and trivia!

[Talulah]

Andrewleeone you made my laugh I was thinking this as I had my head in the cleaning cupboard having a late spring clean... The calorie must be wondering what I'm up to but I'm gonna keep it a secret from them....

Dave 1961 I am working on my MFP calories up until today I had a very comfortable 1350 but I put a lb lost and I'm now down 40 hey ho lets just plod along and see where we go... X