Oh - and this could all change once the Apple Watch comes out. Check the date on this post - what I wrote in 2015 may no longer work!
[Edit: I don't currently use this system. The FitBit and Garmin 220 are in a box somewhere and I record most things on a Garmin 920XT. I have stopped tracking my steps because my training load is heavier now for steps to be irrelevant, and I don't use MyFitnessPal because I'm on top of my diet. What's more, the interfaces between the different systems and websites described might have changed since this was written in March 2015. That said, it should all still wor - probably.]
I have three 'sets' of devices; Garmin devices record my cycling and running; a Fitbit Flex
stays on my wrist throughout; a Withings Smart Body Analyser records my weight and fat %. I log my food on MyFitnessPal.
stays on my wrist throughout; a Withings Smart Body Analyser records my weight and fat %. I log my food on MyFitnessPal. 
When I want to see my workouts diary I open Strava.
When I wish to see how active I've been outside of specific workouts, yet still including those workouts, I open Fitbit.
When I need to know how many calories I have left I open MyFitnessPal.
Just about everything uploads automatically (except cross training like yoga or weights) and the workouts are backed up in two places - they're uploaded to Training Peaks and a backup copy saved to my Dropbox.
It's almost all entirely free.
If you don't want to read the details of the devices I'm using, scroll down to KEEPING IT ALL IN SYNC.
RUNNING, CYCLING AND SWIMMING
Most new Garmin devices automatically upload via Bluetooth to a free Garmin Connect account. I use a Garmin Edge 1000 for cycling and a Garmin 220 for running.
I'm thinking about a Garmin Swim to complete the set (currently I upload swim sessions manually).
Despite recent improvements, Garmin Connect remains a clunky interface compared to Strava. But it's easy to link the accounts so, in effect, my ride and run data is automatically uploaded to Strava.
for cycling and a Garmin 220 for running. I'm thinking about a Garmin Swim to complete the set (currently I upload swim sessions manually). Despite recent improvements, Garmin Connect remains a clunky interface compared to Strava. But it's easy to link the accounts so, in effect, my ride and run data is automatically uploaded to Strava.
Strava is my main training diary. So I then open Strava to change the name of the workout but that's not necessary. I also manually log in Strava yoga, weights and other workouts not recorded by the Garmin.
DAILY ACTIVITY
It's easy to overeat when training, either rewarding a workout or thinking you need more calories than you really do. On rest days it's even easier.
It's easy to overeat when training, either rewarding a workout or thinking you need more calories than you really do. On rest days it's even easier.
My Fitbit Flex records daily activity. On a rest day, when I need to know how active I've been or how well I've slept, I open the Fitbit App on my iPhone.
The main role of the Fitbit is to record how active I have been when not cycling or running.
When filming I can easily walk over 20,000 steps a day - very active.
When editing or writing it's more like 5,000 steps. That hugely changes how much I should eat.
When filming I can easily walk over 20,000 steps a day - very active.
When editing or writing it's more like 5,000 steps. That hugely changes how much I should eat.
CALORIES IN-AND-OUT
MyFitnessPal is simply the best way to track food intake, whether it's as simple as counting calories, or more involved like divided up into carbs, protein and fat.
Work out how much you should be eating and input that as a daily goal. Link the account to Strava and Fitbit and your calorific needs are automatically increased or decreased in line with your level of activity.
On hard training days, you'll know how many more calories to eat. On particularly sedentary days your intake will even reduce as Fitbit determines you've been less active than normal.
Logging your food intake obviously helps! In the early days it was difficult to find British foods and measurements in MyFitnessPal, but now it's easy. True, it is harder to enter a home cooked meal than a a shop-bought ready meal (for which the nutritional information is provided on the packet and someone has probably already entered into MyFitnessPal). Weighing and apportioning all the individual ingredients is going too far, even for me.
Yet I find it easy to record everything else I eat during the day, from breakfast to evening snack, so I have a fair idea whether I ought to eat a large or small evening meal. In my view, the numbers don't have to be precise.
Yet I find it easy to record everything else I eat during the day, from breakfast to evening snack, so I have a fair idea whether I ought to eat a large or small evening meal. In my view, the numbers don't have to be precise.
WEIGHT
I know if I have eaten too much by the next morning. After my first loo stop I stand on my internet-linked Withings Smart Body Analyser. This automatically measures and record my weight, fat percentage (about which I'm doubtful), heart rate (which is long past resting so useless) and air quality (not needed here in the Scottish highlands).
The results show on the Withings App within a minute or two but I don't need to look at it because it is linked to MyFitnessPal.
KEEPING IT ALL IN SYNC
This is the stuff you want to know, right? OK, here's how I do it.
Step 1: Garmin recorded activities Bluetooth up to Garmin Connect which is linked to Strava. I manually log other workouts on Strava so it is my training diary. (Data only flows from Garmin Connect to Strava)
Step 2: Link Strava to MyFitnessPal (data flows from Strava to MyFitnessPal)
Step 3: Link MyFitnessPal to Fitbit (two-way data flow). This means workouts appear in the Fitbit App and, if you've worn your Fitbit while running, it knows not to double count. Fitbit and workout data appear in MyFitnessPal and your daily calorie allowance is increased.
Step 4: Link Withings to MyFitnessPal (data flows from Withings to MFP) and, like the workouts, your weight data will appear in MyFitnessPal and Fitbit dashboard.
Do not link Strava or Withings to Fitbit. I don't know if this will lead to double counting but it could confuse things, and it's not needed.
BACKUPS AND MORE
I want backups so I use Tapiriik.com to automatically synchronise Garmin workouts with my Dropbox account, placing a .tcx file into my laptop and desktop computers.
The free version of Tapiriik requires a manual sync but for $2 you can automate this - well worth the money and the only cash you'll spend in all of this process. Tapiriik also synchronises to many other online accounts, but will only talk to a Premium version of Training Peaks, not the free version. But there is a App which will…
KEEPING IT ALL IN SYNC
This is the stuff you want to know, right? OK, here's how I do it.
Step 1: Garmin recorded activities Bluetooth up to Garmin Connect which is linked to Strava. I manually log other workouts on Strava so it is my training diary. (Data only flows from Garmin Connect to Strava)
Step 2: Link Strava to MyFitnessPal (data flows from Strava to MyFitnessPal)
Step 3: Link MyFitnessPal to Fitbit (two-way data flow). This means workouts appear in the Fitbit App and, if you've worn your Fitbit while running, it knows not to double count. Fitbit and workout data appear in MyFitnessPal and your daily calorie allowance is increased.
Step 4: Link Withings to MyFitnessPal (data flows from Withings to MFP) and, like the workouts, your weight data will appear in MyFitnessPal and Fitbit dashboard.
Do not link Strava or Withings to Fitbit. I don't know if this will lead to double counting but it could confuse things, and it's not needed.
BACKUPS AND MORE
I want backups so I use Tapiriik.com to automatically synchronise Garmin workouts with my Dropbox account, placing a .tcx file into my laptop and desktop computers.
The free version of Tapiriik requires a manual sync but for $2 you can automate this - well worth the money and the only cash you'll spend in all of this process. Tapiriik also synchronises to many other online accounts, but will only talk to a Premium version of Training Peaks, not the free version. But there is a App which will…
The free FitnessSyncer.com account will take the data from my Strava account and synchronise it with my free Training Peaks account. I keep this Training Peaks account for two reasons; firstly their online seminars are quite good and secondly, if I ever get a trainer, he or she will probably want to use Training Peaks.
It sounds complicated but it's not - it's really simple and almost entirely automatic in operation.
HEALTH KIT iOS
[Edit - thanks to Grant for pointing out in the comments below the App SyncSolver which syncs FitBit data to iOS Health Kit. Grant makes some helpful suggestions in the comments so please scroll down to them]
Until Apple sorts out Health Kit, then I won't use it. I don't carry my iPhone everywhere - Fitbit is a much easier recorder (imagine doing Yoga with an iPhone attached!) Yet Apple has made it virtually impossible to get Fitbit data into Health Kit. Yes, Health Kit links to MyFitnessPal, which in turn links to Fitbit. But Health Kit only imports the food data from MFP, not the activity data MFP acquired from Fitbit. I've tried other work-arounds but the same seems true of other Apps that partner Health Kit. Sorry Apple - for now at least, others are doing a better job so I won't be using you.
Until Apple sorts out Health Kit, then I won't use it. I don't carry my iPhone everywhere - Fitbit is a much easier recorder (imagine doing Yoga with an iPhone attached!) Yet Apple has made it virtually impossible to get Fitbit data into Health Kit. Yes, Health Kit links to MyFitnessPal, which in turn links to Fitbit. But Health Kit only imports the food data from MFP, not the activity data MFP acquired from Fitbit. I've tried other work-arounds but the same seems true of other Apps that partner Health Kit. Sorry Apple - for now at least, others are doing a better job so I won't be using you.