Question about Fitbit Calories and Maintenance Calories Topic

Justjennie 08/22/18
Why do the maintenance calories increase as the "burned" calories on my fitbit increases? For example: fitbit said I "burned" 1,403 calories and my maintenance calories were 1,090. I did a couple bursts of exercise and fitbit says my "burn" is now 1,424 and now my maintenance calories are 1,099. Why would that increase?

LucyLake28 08/23/18
I believe it’s because you burned some calories and it’s taking those into account (thus allowing you to have them as extra calories if you need or want them, when we burn calories we may feel a bit more hungry for fuel.) I’m guessing you burned 300 or so calories and you consumed most of your allowed caloric intake for the day.

LucyLake28 08/23/18
If you’ve lost the weight and are now on maintenance calories the same applies.

Dietician 08/23/18
Hi Justjennie,

Yes, it is giving you the option to add the extra calories to your intake if you choose. Are you wanting to lose weight or maintain it? If you want to lose, I would not add the extra calories because you will lose faster without the extra. If you are desiring weight maintenance, then I would add the calories back in.

Does that make sense?

Take care, Brenda (Dietitian)

Justjennie 08/23/18 replied to Dietician
Lose, and I've never added the calories back mostly because, even with a tracker, I don't trust the number.

Thanks for the response!

LucyLake28 08/24/18
I just wanted to add, there have been several times I have logged my calories and dipped into those burned within moderate cardio, and I still lose weight, so that’s where the quality of the calories comes into hand for me personally.

Listening to our bodies and being honest with our hunger matters. My point is, if you’re feeling hungry truly hungry then eating an extra bit might be what you need. (Noting that’s not what your question was.)

:)

LucyLake28 08/24/18
I sort of cycle some days I’m at my max, while others I’m under by a hundred or so. And when I work out or do cardio, I more often than not dip into calories burned in my cardio only.

Dietitian 08/24/18
Sounds like what you do is working for you, Lucy! Great.

LucyLake28 08/24/18
Thank you! Yes, I’ve a way to go and it’s a process worth the time, I already feel so much better though. The right foods make all the difference. Thanks again :)

Justjennie 08/28/18
Ok, another probably stupid question:

How come in my weekly analysis, when using my fitbit, it takes the calories consumed for the week and subtracts the fitbit calorie "burn" to come up with a negative number but if I were to NOT use my fitbit and manually enter calories "burned" it ADDS those calories for a "weekly gain"?

Example for the past 7 days:
On average, you consumed daily about 1,546 cals and burned 346 cals with exercise.
1,546 cals from food - 1,928 cals expended per Fitbit = -382 total weekly cals gain

But before I had my fitbit and entered manually this is what it would compute:

On average, you consumed daily about 1,155 cals and burned 196 cals with exercise.
Compared to your personalized Weight Maintenance Calories, these averages result in:
518 less cals than personalized DRI 1,673 + 196 average burn with activities = 714 average total daily Calories loss.

I guess I'm not understanding how the system is computing the amounts, especially the fact that it's saying negative calories "gained".

Question about Fitbit Calories and Maintenance Calories