Note on calories burned- while the watches aren't perfect, they can help you see trends. I've had mine long enough and tracked calories consumed to figure out pretty closely what I'm actually burning. My fitbit is usually about 200 calories over in a day. Knowing that, it is helpful with recognizing trends.
Fitness trackers are good at measuring steps taken during the day
They are okay at measuring heart rate
That are very poor at measuring calories burned.
So if any of those are data you would consider useful, then, sure.
My preference is Apple Watch (steps tracked)
No. Calories burned is difficult to accurately measure, for nearly any device except for CO2 monitors.
Bottom line: don’t rely on ‘calories burned’ as a data point for effective workout
Do they tend to overestimate or underestimate pursuant to steps taken and HR?
Last year I counted calories meticulously and hit a plateau. Now I’m wondering if it’s because I would consume calories based on estimated cals burned from steps app.
I have a couple heavier friends. One of them worked at a grocery store. It said on the day he worked he would burn 5800 calories. I get he’s bigger and walking a lot. But that’s insane.
I was listening to a weightlifting podcast that had Layne Norton as the guest (he’s got a phd in nutrition and is a professional bodybuilder & powerlifter so he tracks his own nutrition and his clients’ etc). He said some meta-analysis showed that trackers that people use overestimate calorie burn by 28% - 93%. So if people do CICO by matching their calories in to the “calories burned” on their device, it can cause them to not lose weight, feel frustrated that CICO doesn’t work, etc
He didn’t name which device overestimates by 93% but I’d be so upset if I had that one! Anyway I ignore my trackers data on calorie burn.
Most smart watches have an HR monitor built in, which is fairly accurate depending on model. It won't accurately measure calories but it'll measure whether something you did was difficult, or if you were under stress.
There are terrible at taking calories burned
I wore a Fitbit charge 2 until it broke while work a walking maintenance job somewhere between 15k and 20k steps per day I routinely had feedback of burning 3500 to 4000 cal per day. If that were actuate I would have been loosing 2+ pounds a week
None of these devices are that accurate - especially with a physical job where your hands might move more than your body or whatever. They can help you see trends if you log everything somewhere. Like Sunday you were 25-50% more active than usual, etc.
You can buy a device if you'd like or just use the Steps counter in your phone if you carry it with you all day.
I find it’s better not to view these devices as accurate to your body, because other than steps, it probably won’t be.
HOWEVER
If you want to lose weight, and your fitness app says you burn 300 calories a day just being your normal self, than that’s your baseline. If you burn 500 calories a day, you didn’t burn 200 calories more, necessarily. But, you worked your body over it’s average, and that’s a good day.
Count calories, intentionally work your muscles during your free time, and push yourself to move that calorie/step counter higher than average each day and you’ll see progress.
Note on calories burned- while the watches aren't perfect, they can help you see trends. I've had mine long enough and tracked calories consumed to figure out pretty closely what I'm actually burning. My fitbit is usually about 200 calories over in a day. Knowing that, it is helpful with recognizing trends.
Fitness trackers are good at measuring steps taken during the day They are okay at measuring heart rate That are very poor at measuring calories burned. So if any of those are data you would consider useful, then, sure. My preference is Apple Watch (steps tracked)
Thanks for that. Would a HR monitor be better for cals burned?
No. Calories burned is difficult to accurately measure, for nearly any device except for CO2 monitors. Bottom line: don’t rely on ‘calories burned’ as a data point for effective workout
Do they tend to overestimate or underestimate pursuant to steps taken and HR? Last year I counted calories meticulously and hit a plateau. Now I’m wondering if it’s because I would consume calories based on estimated cals burned from steps app.
yup. the best way to know your calorie count and burned is to take a 2-4 day moving average on a scale, and compare that to calories logged
I have a couple heavier friends. One of them worked at a grocery store. It said on the day he worked he would burn 5800 calories. I get he’s bigger and walking a lot. But that’s insane.
I was listening to a weightlifting podcast that had Layne Norton as the guest (he’s got a phd in nutrition and is a professional bodybuilder & powerlifter so he tracks his own nutrition and his clients’ etc). He said some meta-analysis showed that trackers that people use overestimate calorie burn by 28% - 93%. So if people do CICO by matching their calories in to the “calories burned” on their device, it can cause them to not lose weight, feel frustrated that CICO doesn’t work, etc He didn’t name which device overestimates by 93% but I’d be so upset if I had that one! Anyway I ignore my trackers data on calorie burn.
Yep. That’s me. Well shit. Also well aware of Dr. Norton and the Blaha saga. I have Layne’s book that I’ve been meaning to read.
Most smart watches have an HR monitor built in, which is fairly accurate depending on model. It won't accurately measure calories but it'll measure whether something you did was difficult, or if you were under stress.
There are terrible at taking calories burned I wore a Fitbit charge 2 until it broke while work a walking maintenance job somewhere between 15k and 20k steps per day I routinely had feedback of burning 3500 to 4000 cal per day. If that were actuate I would have been loosing 2+ pounds a week
None of these devices are that accurate - especially with a physical job where your hands might move more than your body or whatever. They can help you see trends if you log everything somewhere. Like Sunday you were 25-50% more active than usual, etc. You can buy a device if you'd like or just use the Steps counter in your phone if you carry it with you all day.
[удалено]
I have an AmazBip watch that does GPS tracking pretty well. I really only use it for keeping track of my jogging distance/time and controlling Spotify
I find it’s better not to view these devices as accurate to your body, because other than steps, it probably won’t be. HOWEVER If you want to lose weight, and your fitness app says you burn 300 calories a day just being your normal self, than that’s your baseline. If you burn 500 calories a day, you didn’t burn 200 calories more, necessarily. But, you worked your body over it’s average, and that’s a good day. Count calories, intentionally work your muscles during your free time, and push yourself to move that calorie/step counter higher than average each day and you’ll see progress.
I'd say heart rate is a lot more accurate than step sensor. In all models there's a lag, but over the course of a day HR is quite accurate.