Activity not in database: How to customize an existing activity?
#161
FitDay Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3
Question about exercise log
Hi,
I'm new to FitDay, and I have a couple of questions about how to log my exercise.
First - is it possible to add a custom exercise? I use different video games (such as Dance Dance Revolution) as exercise, but I can't find them on the log. These games track calories burned, so I'd like to enter that to my log.
Second - the number of calories burned for walking seems really low. I use two other trackers for walking (caloriesperhour.com and mapmywalk.com) and FitDay's estimate is way lower than both of those. Do you know of a good way to calculate calories burned while walking, using weight/height/distance/time/speed/heart rate/etc.
Thanks
I'm new to FitDay, and I have a couple of questions about how to log my exercise.
First - is it possible to add a custom exercise? I use different video games (such as Dance Dance Revolution) as exercise, but I can't find them on the log. These games track calories burned, so I'd like to enter that to my log.
Second - the number of calories burned for walking seems really low. I use two other trackers for walking (caloriesperhour.com and mapmywalk.com) and FitDay's estimate is way lower than both of those. Do you know of a good way to calculate calories burned while walking, using weight/height/distance/time/speed/heart rate/etc.
Thanks
#162
Hi there!
If it tracks your calories burned for you, you can simply enter another activity.
As an example - I do Zumba workouts fairly regularly, but there's no Zumba category either. Plus, the burn will be a little different from everyone based on effort, weight, height, etc.
I wear a heart rate monitor when I work out with Zumba, and it gives me an average calories burned per minute (usually somewhere around 13). Thus, when I do my Zumba workouts, I will just log them as an activity that burns 13 cals/minute (I believe I often use stationary biking with very vigorous effort, and sometimes running or rowing when my burn goes up or down). It doesn't matter the activity - but the burn DOES matter. Just figure out your cals/minute and find the closest activity you can. Works for me!
If it tracks your calories burned for you, you can simply enter another activity.
As an example - I do Zumba workouts fairly regularly, but there's no Zumba category either. Plus, the burn will be a little different from everyone based on effort, weight, height, etc.
I wear a heart rate monitor when I work out with Zumba, and it gives me an average calories burned per minute (usually somewhere around 13). Thus, when I do my Zumba workouts, I will just log them as an activity that burns 13 cals/minute (I believe I often use stationary biking with very vigorous effort, and sometimes running or rowing when my burn goes up or down). It doesn't matter the activity - but the burn DOES matter. Just figure out your cals/minute and find the closest activity you can. Works for me!
#163
FitDay Premium Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 1
Elliptical
You aren't kidding when you say some things will take longer than others. It's been almost two years since the original postings asked for the following. But... here's hoping...
Please add Elliptical Training to your activities - better yet... add custom activity capability.
Thanks!
Please add Elliptical Training to your activities - better yet... add custom activity capability.
Thanks!
#164
Administrator
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 569
Custom activities are being programmed as part of New Fitday -- which you will soon be able to Beta test is you aren't already!
Stay tuned...
Stay tuned...
Last edited by VitoVino; 01-28-2012 at 01:27 AM. Reason: increased font size so it stands out
#165
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 1
wii fit exercise
I wish Fit Day had Wii Fit exercise in their data base. Does anyone know if there is somewhere I could find out how to figure it out? I know Weight Watchers has Wii Fit in their data base, so I know there is something out there somewhere...
#166
Estimating calories burned for activities not listed in database
For exercise machines:
This is what our resident Coach says about it:
Bottom line: Choose an activity from the database that most closely resembles what you are actually doing, and if you want even better accuracy, you'll need to use a heart rate monitor.
there are countless number of activities or machines that we can do, so there would be no way to have them all listed. A custom activity would be a nice option [and this will be available once FitDay 2.0 rolls out].
In the meantime, I suggest finding the closest thing to what you are doing and adjusting the time to match the actual calories burned. Most machines will tell you the calories burned.
As far as the classes, you'd have to have a HR monitor/calorie counter on you to get an accurate burn. If you don't have one, it may be hard to calculate since everyone burns calories at a different rate.
In the meantime, I suggest finding the closest thing to what you are doing and adjusting the time to match the actual calories burned. Most machines will tell you the calories burned.
As far as the classes, you'd have to have a HR monitor/calorie counter on you to get an accurate burn. If you don't have one, it may be hard to calculate since everyone burns calories at a different rate.
This is what our resident Coach says about it:
As a general rule of thumb, calories burned will be the same for heart rate and exercise time regardless of the actual exercise.
So 45 minutes of running/cycling/swimming/etc will burn the same calories on the elliptical at the same heart rate.
There will be a slight, insignificant difference as your efficiency will not be the same when performing activities you don't regularly practice.
However, the numbers the machines give are only a guesstimate.
So 45 minutes of running/cycling/swimming/etc will burn the same calories on the elliptical at the same heart rate.
There will be a slight, insignificant difference as your efficiency will not be the same when performing activities you don't regularly practice.
However, the numbers the machines give are only a guesstimate.
#167
FitDay Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1
How do I add an activity in that I can't find in search?
I was out with a friend of mine and we went to an old playground to talk and we swung on and off (like, five minutes in between each break) for about an hour - an hour ten minutes, I searched "swing" and "swinging" and couldn't find it.
How can I put this in?
How can I put this in?
#168
FitDay Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 20
Add Custom Work out entries
I have a hear rate monitor that tells me how many calories I burn and often times it differs from what Fitday says. I have been able to log the calories burned accurately by putting in the time I spent exercising and taking the calories it says I burned, subtracting them from what I actually burned and then adding that number with the total calories burned. This keeps the "lifestyle" calories burned accurate as if you would simply add more time to a workout with out taking the steps I did you may or may not end up with the right amount of calories burned. It is a bit of a round about way of doing things that I have become accustomed to. I wish I could just add custom workout to the list of activities and edit the name and calories burned by left clicking those areas or even having custom work outs like foods but that wouldn't be as quick an easy as being able to put in an editable workout like I described.
Last edited by derpderpderp1; 02-14-2012 at 02:00 PM.
#169
FitDay Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 3
Create our OWN ACTIVITIES
Hum 2012 and still no way to create our own activities... I take Bikram yoga and I wish I could enter my OWN activity. My interest in using FIT DAY is for its ability to compile data ( in exchange I look at the ads!) NOT to choose activities for me... we are all different and I find it hard to believe we all do the same kind of activities at the same per% every day!
Cheers
DCW
Cheers
DCW
#170
FitDay Member
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1
Custom Activity/Custom Workout Option
Hum 2012 and still no way to create our own activities... I take Bikram yoga and I wish I could enter my OWN activity. My interest in using FIT DAY is for its ability to compile data ( in exchange I look at the ads!) NOT to choose activities for me... we are all different and I find it hard to believe we all do the same kind of activities at the same per% every day!
Cheers
DCW
Cheers
DCW
And what's even more interesting is that they actually have an article breaking down all the types of yoga-- Calories Burned for Yoga: Is it Enough for Weight Loss? / Fitness / Cardio. Yet, only one type of Yoga is in the database. Irks the freak out of me! Get it together FitDay!
I signed up for 3 of the top free food/weight trackers, wasn't 'bout to pay for Weight Watchers, lol then after 2 days I decided to scrap the others for FitDay because of the lovely streamlined display and charts, I love how simple it is... I hate when websites divide up breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks... it's added work and no point since it's all just calories, I just need a running talley and FitDay does this perfectly.
side note: Though there food database is bad, I respect that they don't allow people to enter food and it shows up for everyone to use because they starts to look messy and people often repeat the same foods. That said they just need to add WAY more foods. There should be at least 3 interns at FitDay whose sole purpose is to add foods to the database, at least the healthy stuff like Vitamuffins, Smoothie King smoothies, FiberOne Bars, sushi, yanno stuff that folks losing weight will definitely be eating.
I love everything about FitDay so far, though some pages take a bit longer than wanted to load it's so simple yet visually pleasing that I don't mind waiting those extra 5 seconds. But not being able to add your own workout is enough to leave it and go back to one of the many other free weight/workout tracking websites (even if they are chunky in design and not as pretty to look at).