Is your fitness tracker misleading you?

Most people who have tried to lose weight know that calories in vs calories out has something to do with it. So it would make sense that when you torch tons of calories in spin class and take in fewer calories, you’ll be on the losing side of the equation. Sadly, it’s not always this simple.

A notable study found that most fitness trackers, including the Apple Watch and Fitbit, are off by a considerable amount—at least 27%. Let’s just say for a sec that your tracker says your daily exercise and activity burned a total of 2200 calories over the course of a day (spinning, running errands, etc). Judging by the study results, it would be off by about 600 calories.

Wearable devices do a better job tracking steps and calories burned from walking or other less intense pursuits than they do running, spinning, and more intense exercises. I’m not suggesting you abandon your device (or your activity!), but don’t be a slave to the numbers you see. Calorie math isn't exact, and it's even less precise if you're estimating how much you're eating and subtracting the exercise numbers.  

If you’re staying active, that’s incredibly important—particularly if you’re moving in ways you enjoy, which means you’re more likely to stick with those activities. We'll talk more about eating well another time, but for now, keep moving and get clear on calorie math to see if it's tripping you up.