So who's wearing a fitbit every day?

[Mom of Scooby]

So it synced to my fitness pal and my fit bit said I burned 1400 or so calories (25 mile bike,2 mile run and 1 mile walk) but earned me 495 calories extra on my fitness pal? Is this right?

[Ice Cream]

We can create a group on Fitbit website. Anyone interested in joining.

[radial]

We can create a group on Fitbit website. Anyone interested in joining.

There's already a very small one called Invisible Friends.  Anybody interested in joining, PM me your email. 

[caito]

I am wearing mine today for the first time in ages.  4:20pm and 11,700 steps.  I ran 4 miles this morning.  I'm guessing that if I don't run, I won't make it to 10,000 steps.  Lots of sitting at work today. 

[Mom of Scooby]

There's already a very small one called Invisible Friends.  Anybody interested in joining, PM me your email.

I tried to find that and couldn't:(

[Mom of Scooby]

Never mind I'm in!!!

[Ice Cream]

There's already a very small one called Invisible Friends.  Anybody interested in joining, PM me your email. 

I sent you my email address, but don't know if it went through.
I tried to find the group, too, but was not successful. 

[radial]

I sent you my email address, but don't know if it went through.
I tried to find the group, too, but was not successful. 

I just got it and replied.  It's a hidden group, so it doesn't show up on the fitbit site.  Literally "invisible." 

[all-smiles]

Add me to the group please.  And my question is on the calories burned; it seems wonky. Like if I do an extra 8,000 steps it only give me a few hundred calories over my baseline.  Is that accurate? I.E if I do my 10,000 steps it'll give me around 2100. But if I do 18-19,000 steps it's only around 2500.

[Magic Microbe]

I need to compete for motivation. I hope y'all get lots of steps so I am motivated to up my game.

[Ice Cream]

Well, I made it to the top of the list...  Thanks, Radial.  Now, I would like to know who is who there.  I know who MoS and Radial are, but that is it.  I thought MM is  there, too, but the person I though she is does not have 20,000 steps a day average, so that must be wrong.  Can we clarify on that board?

Add me to the group please.  And my question is on the calories burned; it seems wonky. Like if I do an extra 8,000 steps it only give me a few hundred calories over my baseline.  Is that accurate? I.E if I do my 10,000 steps it'll give me around 2100. But if I do 18-19,000 steps it's only around 2500.

That sounds reasonable to me.  You get your basic metabolic rate plus a number based on the steps you are taking.  FWIW: I am at 1861 steps right now, and 1686 calories (day is not over yet; another 9:30 hours to go). On Sunday, I did 29,563 steps and burned 2622 calories, it says.  an extra 8-9000 steps is about 4-4.5 miles, so an extra 400 calories seem reasonable, esp. when walking.

[Mom of Scooby]

I can't seem to get to the group on my iPad or phone...only from my lap top is this correct?

[Magic Microbe]

Well, I made it to the top of the list...  Thanks, Radial.  Now, I would like to know who is who there.  I know who MoS and Radial are, but that is it.  I thought MM is  there, too, but the person I though she is does not have 20,000 steps a day average, so that must be wrong.  Can we clarify on that board?
That sounds reasonable to me.  You get your basic metabolic rate plus a number based on the steps you are taking.  FWIW: I am at 1861 steps right now, and 1686 calories (day is not over yet; another 9:30 hours to go). On Sunday, I did 29,563 steps and burned 2622 calories, it says.  an extra 8-9000 steps is about 4-4.5 miles, so an extra 400 calories seem reasonable, esp. when walking.

 
Its a goal.
Did I say somewhere that I get 20K steps a day every day? I said it was my goal.

On days I run I hit 20K. One days I don't I currently don't hit 20k.

[Ice Cream]

Its a goal.
Did I say somewhere that I get 20K steps a day every day? I said it was my goal.

On days I run I hit 20K. One days I don't I currently don't hit 20k.

I misunderstood. Sorry. So, you are in there.

[Mom of Scooby]

So my garmin told me I burned 574 calories, plus I walked 3/4 mile after my run which was not even logged on my watch and my fit bit calorie adjustment on my fitness pal is 380? Can someone explain this?

[Magic Microbe]

So my garmin told me I burned 574 calories, plus I walked 3/4 mile after my run which was not even logged on my watch and my fit bit calorie adjustment on my fitness pal is 380? Can someone explain this?

I am going with they use different formulas.

But double check and make sure you have the same weight programmed into each one. I never remember to update my weight in either.

[Mom of Scooby]

I am going with they use different formulas.

But double check and make sure you have the same weight programmed into each one. I never remember to update my weight in either.

My weight on my fit bit is higher... so that makes it even stranger.... My garmin I'm fairly certain accounts for pace.. not sure if the fit bit does or not... and running a distance probably actually uses less steps than walking because your stride is longer maybe?

[radial]

I am going with they use different formulas.

But double check and make sure you have the same weight programmed into each one. I never remember to update my weight in either.

Another fitbit parameter to tweak is your stride length.  If you are concerned about accuracy, you need to calculate both your walking and running stride lengths at the track and use those numbers rather than the defaults that fitbit uses if you don't input anything.  And if you want to get really crazy, get one of those wifi scales that automatically updates your weight so that the fitbit knows exactly how much you weigh at all times. 

[Mom of Scooby]

I'm not that crazy.. I'm probably better off using the lower calorie assessment anyway since I like to eat my calories

[radial]

I'm not that crazy.. I'm probably better off using the lower calorie assessment anyway since I like to eat my calories

You callin' me crazy?   

One other thing.  You can improve the accuracy of the fitbit calorie calculation by logging your workouts on the fitbit site.  For example, if you take a 25 mile bike ride, your fitbit is going to need some help.  The work you are doing with your legs isn't going to be registering with the fitbit on your wrist, so the fibit is going to be underestimating the burn.  If you want to fix that, log onto the site after your ride and log it as a cycling "activity," entering the start time, duration, mileage covered, etc.  That will cause the bogus inputs recorded during your ride to be overlayed with the data you enter plus data pulled from tables on how many calories people burn doing that type of activity.  I'm not that obsessive (usually), but that's how to do it if you are.