Calling all FitBit 20k Challengers!

[PirateFairy45]

Well, I'm buggered but I managed it! But how did you do today! Post a screenshot? :)

[InMySpareTime]

Just missed 20k yesterday, I'll do more today though.

[gamerchick]

I've never hit 30k, I think it would finish me off

[disappoint15]

300 active minutes is 6 hours! So that is a mega time commitment and seriously impressive steps to boot. I think I wouldn't be able to move the next day.

Another thing I can't work out is the Fitbit mileage calculation. I don't set a great deal of store by it and mainly go on steps but it seems broadly accurate when I use something like Gmaps to map a route. It says it bases it on the length of your stride, which makes sense, but why some days is the mileage so different for the same number of steps? And since I've got a short stride length as I'm only 5'2" it's bizarre how, for example, InMySpareTime's 18,000 + steps is being calculated at only 6.14 miles, whereas I've walked 17,500 steps today and it's telling me that I've done about 8.49 miles. I suppose it just makes me realise the limitations of the data since it's so clearly pretty inaccurate on stuff like miles and calories.

[PirateFairy45]

That's an amazing effort! 6 hours! Jesh!

I've not even hit 7000k yet!

Setting more realising goal of 15k tomorrow. If I smash that, fantastic. But if not then, well, it sucks.

But least I'm trying eh?

[PirateFairy45]

What are you setting for tomorrow?

[Statelychangers]

The 300mins just works as part of my routine on Wednesday - today was less successful I'm on 11k now and unlikely to move much more as I'm going out to dinner - I just what I can.

[PirateFairy45]

May I ask, what sort of things do you do on a Wednesday?

Feeling a little better tonight. I'm only at 7237 and unlikely to get higher as I'm going to bed soon. (Up since 5)

Setting 20k for tomorrow! Who's with me?

[InMySpareTime]

I measured my average stride length (50cm) and changed it in settings.
My distances always come out a bit less than other people's.
I use an iPod rather than a phone so walk tracking is erratic at best. It's alright in urban centres with plentiful wifi, but wildly out for off-road walks (which covers most of my decent walks).

[Statelychangers]

On a Wednesday I walk the dog in the morning, I don't have an exercise class so I often walk a bit further than usual and then I walk with a friend in the evening - we walk very briskly and often for nearly 2 hours and with a bit of pottering I always end up doing more than 25k. Splitting up the walking makes it easier - plus I either learn Spanish or listen to books while I walk, which makes it a lot less boring. Yesterday was a more modest 12k and I'm hung over today, so debating with myself about going to Bootcamp this morning - it's kill or cure!

[Statelychangers]

Glad you're feeling a bit better Pirate

[CuntTrollingRs]

Trying to screenshot, hope that worked. Dog walk, run and normal day at work...

[PseudoBadger]

disappoint - are you sure that your distance is doing miles, not kilometres?

[Statelychangers]

My calorie burn always seems too high 12k steps and it says I'm burning 2700kcal - which seems a lot - I weigh 65kg. I don't trust it!

[PirateFairy45]

You burn calories anyway regardless of what you do, so it incorporates that.

[Statelychangers]

I know but my calorie burn is 1600kcal if I do nothing - how can I burn 1,100 kcal walking 9km it's not right!

[BigGreenOlives]

Stately I don't weigh much different to you & my calory burn is much lower. Have you got your age & gender set correctly? If you are younger you'll burn more as generally younger people have higher muscle mass. Men do too & muscles burn more calories than fat.

[disappoint15]

It is definitely miles on mine but is probably overestimating - I put in my age and height so I reckon it would calculate a pretty short stride length. Perhaps mine is even shorter than usual for my height.

I'm interested in the calorie calcualtions too. I burn very few as I'm short, not overweight (though towards the top end of healthy BMI) and late 40s. I just ignore the calories now as it is too depressing.

So yesterday (too old to work out how to screenshot) I apparently did 21,011 steps, 9.96 miles, 13 floors, 117 active minutes and burned 2095 calories. Though I think the mileage is probably off!

[Statelychangers]

Just checked - all set up properly, I'm 44, BMI 22 and my base calorie burn isn't 1600 it's actually 1370 - even worse! I think I need to contact Fitbit - good job I don't try to eat my exercise calories!

[BigGreenOlives]

My base rate is 1299. No wonder people put on weight effortlessly. Most days my activity levels mean that it thinks I use around 2200 calories. As long as I don't eat chocolate I stay stable in weight but chocolate is so calorifically dense its a no no. The base rate is what you would burn just lying in bed.

[Statelychangers]

I now what base rate is - but the fitbit algorithm is suggesting that I have burned an extra 1330kcal in addition to my base rate, after walking just 9km - which is completely impossible. Fitbit just keep saying that's what you've burned, nothing is wrong. I'd love it to be the case but I know that running at a full on pace 9km would not burn more than 600kcal.

[BigGreenOlives]

Yes, I agree with you. I just went for a long walk and had a look at my Fitbit specifically to see how many calories I burned walking. It says that in 137 active minutes (I stopped and took a few photos and bumped into a friend) I burned 911 calories. This was on a walk of 15,825 steps which was around 6 miles I think. From my rather slapdash research I agree with you that your Fitbit is inaccurate. Would you like me to run 9K tomorrow to see what that burns? I could try in the early evening, otherwise you'll have to wait until Tuesday. I would expect to take between 45 & 50 mins to run 9K at the moment and would estimate it would burn about 450 calories. Hope this is helpful (in a genuine not sarcastic way).

[Statelychangers]

BigGreen I am frustrated with Fitbit who didn't seem to comprehend the situation. I've always thought fitbit overestimated my calories....but I felt on Thursday it was so bloody obvious Fitbit would agree that there was something wrong. It seems from the forums, that there are quite a few other users with the same problem - I have changed fitbits and the problem has not been rectified - so it must be a problem with the software. It would be nice to have a rough idea of what I have burned but I have never trusted and so have eaten to my calories burned level - just as well!

[Statelychangers]

Don't you think 911kcal for 6 miles is too much as well? My Runmeter app would give me 400kcal for 6 miles of walking and 600kcal for 6 miles of running.

[BigGreenOlives]

I just looked on another site and it suggested I would burn 305-350 calories (put in my weight) dog walking. Good job I didn't eat something as soon as I got home. (A side benefit of dog walking is that I don't eat anything whilst out with the dogs).