"Will a FitBit Fitness Tracker Make Me GAIN Weight?"

"Will my FitBit make me GAIN weight?" A patient asked me this today after reading several articles which seemed to suggest that people who are trying to lose weight with fitness trackers actually do worse than those who don't use them.  She was referring to this article:  http://www.today.com/health/your-activity-tracker-may-actually-keep-you-losing-weight-t103046 which states, "A new study finds that people using a fitness tracker lose fewer pounds than those who don’t use the tech.”  

She had also read this article: http://www.today.com/health/fitness-band-frustration-users-complain-weight-gain-trackers-t66146 which says, "some wearers are experiencing fitness band frustration. They find that their Fitbit actually moves the scale in the wrong direction — making them pack on the pounds, as opposed to maintaining or shedding unwanted weight."

What is going on here?  What does the research really say?  The actual study was published in JAMA (Journal af the American Medical Association) on September 20. Researchers studied 471 people and concluded:  “Among young adults with a BMI between 25 and less than 40, the addition of a wearable technology device to a standard behavioral intervention resulted in less weight loss over 24 months. “ In other words, no, fitness trackers did not make people gain weight, but somewhat surprisingly, those who used them lost less weight than those who did not.  http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2553448  

Why could this be?  There has been some interesting speculation. “For some people these types of things are extremely motivating and might be exactly what they need; for other people they may be ineffective,” said John Jakicic, chair of the health and physical activity department at the University of Pittsburgh, and an author of the study.”  Sports Medicine physician Dr. David Geier, who wasn’t involved in the study, speculates, “Activity trackers … may give some people a false sense of how active they are. ‘Look how active I was today I can eat this cupcake.’”  In other words, people may get excited about the extra exercise they are doing, and then make the mistake of “rewarding” themselves with extra calories - too many calories for their actual goals and needs.  http://www.today.com/health/your-activity-tracker-may-actually-keep-you-losing-weight-t103046

Another problem - the trackers try to estimate the number of calories burned, but this number may not be accurate for a particular person.  Individuals may have “faster” or “slower” metabolisms than the average person their age, gender, and weight - and the tracker simply does not know that.  Basal metabolic rate (also called BMR, or REE for Resting Energy Expenditure) can vary by 30% from one person to another!   The device cannot possibly know you as an individual, and may be overestimating the number of calories you are burning for a given amount of activity.  http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/82/5/941.full

What else could be going on?  While it is easy to understand that people might eat extra calories they think they’ve “earned” with exercise, and trackers themselves may be overestimating the number of calories burned, we need to remember that weight loss is not just a matter of “calories in versus calories out” - not all calories are equal!  From the second article: “So many people get fixated on the number of calories they are getting every day,” Wertheim explained, “and don’t think about ...the kind of calorie you are consuming...sugar and refined carbohydrates have a higher glycemic index, causing the body to produce insulin and store fat.”  Dr. Holly F. Lofton, director of the NYU Langone medical weight management program, presents more possible problems: “Hormones, sleep and the time you eat can play key roles in weight loss, too.”  Again, trackers cannot accurately measure the role these factors have on weight.  http://www.today.com/health/fitness-band-frustration-users-complain-weight-gain-trackers-t66146

Can too much exercise itself lead to weight gain?  Some experts note that extreme exercise (such as marathon training) can backfire, and ironically slow metabolism down. “The surprising result could be related to a dynamic that some runners have encountered during training, particularly when following demanding workout schedules like marathon programs. The so-called “train gain” effect occurs when the strain of workouts leads to overeating, rewarding yourself with food or stress-induced changes to metabolism.” Too much of anything is unhealthy, and can put excess stress on our bodies. http://running.competitor.com/2016/09/news/new-study-suggests-wearing-fitness-tracker-may-impede-weight-loss_155780

So, what is the bottom line - should we use fitness trackers to lose weight?  Not by themselves!  Fitness trackers can be EXCELLENT tools to help motivate us to move more, and monitor our progress in fitness and health, but unless we also journal our food intake, we are not going to lose weight. Exercise by itself is not a great way to lose weight anyway - the research shows that proper diet is key (along with support, accountability, and behavioral/lifestyle strategies, quality sleep, relaxation, and more.) http://www.nwcr.ws/research/published%20research.htm

Combine a fitness tracker with a good food journal  - such as the free smartphone app MyFitnessPal https://www.myfitnesspal.com/ (there are other food journals out there, but this is the most popular, and is easy to use.)  Make sure the food journal you choose does more than track calories - it also should calculate your protein, carbs, fat, and “macro ratio” to make sure your meals and snacks are balanced properly.  Do you need help determing how many calories, how much protein, how much carb, etc, you need?  The automated devices can help you try to figure things out on your own, but if you’d like extra help, and want to make sure you are doing things correctly, give us a call!  We offer 1:1 counseling in person, online, or via phone/Skype.  We are here to help if you need it!  Give us a ring:  (603) 379-6500.  Read more about our program:  healthyweightcenter.com