Are activity trackers worth it?

alliegator89

I have been thinking about getting a Jawbone Up or Fitbit Flex for months now. I was wondering if it is really worth the cost, or if MFP is enough to help me get into shape and lose weight.

I have a desk job and I work out 4-6 times a week with cardio and weight lifting. Any advice would be lovely!

dopeysmelly

I have a Garmin Vivofit and love it. I got one with an HRM which is really handy for more intense workouts than just going for a walk.

FitStelley

I have the BodyMedia Fit armband. It's similar to the BodyBugg and it's the same one that The Biggest Loser used a couple of seasons ago. I love it and it take all the guess work out of my day.

perincesk

It really depends on what motivates you. I'm a data-driven person, and I like to set goals for myself and try to reach (and exceed) them. I just got a Fitbit One, and I love that the information it gives me helps make me want to do more. Plus, it automatically syncs to MFP, so I don't have to remember to log in.

lisainpotown

Yes. Worth it to me. I don't ever want to live without it! I have a FitBit and I think it is pretty accurate.

williams969

I love my Fitbit. My cardio is all stepped based (walking and/or jogging), so the Fitbit Zip (the cheapest model) works perfectly for me. Sure, I could have used the pedometer app on my phone for free, but the syncing with MFP makes it so much easier and motivating to get my steps in. Best $49 I've spent in a long time.

Oh, and for strength training or any other non-step based exercise, you still have to manually log those types of workouts. However, the calorie burn Fitbit gives (not sure how Jawbone works) is much more realistic (MFP's burns tend to run quite high/overestimated).

RangedLunatic

I got a fitbit because I did a lot of little things that weren't worth tracking on MFP... three minutes of walking, two flights of stairs, in and out of the car, et cetera. Usually the Fitbit tracks about 500-1000 calories burned doing this. MFP seems to work just fine for dedicated exercising, the "walk for twenty minutes and then stop" sort of thing. So if that's all you do, it's not worth the investment. But who knows, you might be surprised by how many calories can be burned in a workday or puttering around in the garden.

970Mikaela1

I've quit using mine. I know what I burn now. mfp for me is pretty spot on. but it was invaluable for the first year whilst I learned about how I work.

Kalikel

Mfp is enough. You could do it without mfp, too.

The gadgets are completely unnecessary, but if you like gadgets, then get one!

If you just want something that tracks walking/jogging and automatically synchs to MFP, get Map My Walk. It's free. And it draws a line on a map of where you walked.

photochik71

FitStelley wrote: »

I have the BodyMedia Fit armband. It's similar to the BodyBugg and it's the same one that The Biggest Loser used a couple of seasons ago. I love it and it take all the guess work out of my day.

I have this too. Love it! Gives me my total calories burned in a 24 hr period.

RangedLunatic

It's worth noting that these little daily things are what MFP's "Activity Levels" are for. That just didn't work for me, because my schedule varies so much from day to day. I couldn't just set my activity level at highly active, because the next day I might spend ten hours binging on Netflix...

alliegator89

Also interested in the Misfit Shine possibly.

I feel like I hear half the people say MFP is wrong on calorie count and half the people say it is spot on. That is what I struggle with a lot. Do I really trust what MFP says I burned?

shadow2soul

I love my fitbit flex. Although, I was/am considering getting the Garmin VivoFit in April because of the HRM connection. Then again, I just saw Fitbit is coming out with 3 new wristband options and 2 of them will monitor HR. So I might just end up sticking with fitbit. Decisions, decisions. Luckily I still have plenty of time to decide.

I actually started with the Fitbit Zip. I had read about Fitbit's here on MFP and decided I wanted to try it out. I picked the Zip because I wanted to see if I liked the data it collected without spending $100 for just a test drive. I fell in love. It showed me how little things add up to calories burned quickly. A trip to the store would generally take me from sedentary to lightly active. I quickly began working on getting more steps in a day. My husband ended up getting a zip about a month or two after I did. He loves his as well. In January, I upgraded to the Flex (giving my Zip to my mom) and my husband upgraded to the One in April (he still has his Zip as a back up if something happens to his One). Anymore, what I consider a lazy day, is generally more along the lines of Lightly active.

While it is not necessary to lose weight, I love knowing just how active I am. I like data though and also weigh daily (which would drive most people insane).

nicailyzee

I don't have a fitbit or any of them but I sooo want something with a heart rate monitor. I am going to get a polar somebody with strap. I don't really worry to much about it though because I don't really ever eat back my exercise calories unless I am hungry and then with a weekly count I am still at a deficit. I have a free app on my phone with a GPS tracker and I usually jog or walk. I lost 25+ doing it this way. I have also lost another 20+ without MFP tracking or monitors so what do I know. I think they are great though and will soon be getting on the train, good luck!

jennifurballs

alliegator89 wrote: »

I was wondering if it is really worth the cost, or if MFP is enough to help me get into shape and lose weight.

Do you need it to get in shape and lose weight? No

But if you like that kind of thing, then it's up to you.

lovelayla

I love my fit bit...FYI,the website says that you can see your "steps" during the day on your smartphone,but the technology on the fitbit flex does not work with all phones...they have a list of phones on the website.

Some of the other models show the steps on the device,but the flex just has lights that glow for every 20% closer to your goal.. It will show your steps when you log in or every 20 minutes when you are near the computer dongle.

Now...why I love it.

Back when I was counting calories,my fit bit was connected to mfp and it automatically counted how many extra calories I could have no guessing.

I love competing with the people on fitbit.Every week I pick the one person above me and beat them..since the list is in order of weekly steps the person above me usually only has 1,000-2,000 more weekly steps..so its easier than trying to beat the people at the top of my list who walk 30,000 steps a day.

My (bottom booty) has improved since walking 10,000 steps a day..the part where the booty becomes the thigh Lil..I don't know what its called,but mine is now lifted.

It encourages me to be more active with the little things.I used to make my husband bring in the groceries,get the mail,or get something I left in the car..now I walk everywhere!!!!

Sphyk1

Fitbit is releasing new trackers. I am holding out for the one with a heart rate coming in 2015

bgoodsmile

I love my FitBit Flex! I love how it integrates into MFP & it also motivates me to move more - when I am only a couple of hundred steps away from a goal, I find a chore to do or walk the dog to reach it!

cara4fit

Considering getting a FitBit myself, especially since these are discreet little things that can clip on to one's bra or other clothing close to body. Especially now that I have the Health app that came with iOS8 for my iTouch. Considering upgrading to the iPhone 6 but that's another story. I have friends with FitBits and they love them and they've really helped them with meeting their goals. It really all depends on what kind of tracking works for one!:)

vgnfarmer

I love love my fitbit! I typically burn around the same amount on most weekdays so I don't really need it but I like how it syncs with MFP. On weekends when I am tempted to veg on the couch it keeps me moving too!

jgodman1011

i know fitness trackers count calories burned, but do you still need to manually put in what you've eaten for the day etc? I'm confused on these, and thinking about getting one, just not sure which one.

malibu927

jgodman1011 wrote: »

i know fitness trackers count calories burned, but do you still need to manually put in what you've eaten for the day etc? I'm confused on these, and thinking about getting one, just not sure which one.

Yes, you do. You still have to be accountable for logging everything.

It's definitely worked for me. I work in retail and can easily hit 12-15,000 steps during a weekend shift as much as I'm running around. It lets me see if I need more calories than a normal, non-exercise day.

MelRC117

I decided to get one to help motivate me to get active. Should I be active without spending money? Of course, but I think knowing Im only walking 2,000 steps a day will encourage me to get up a little more.

I decided to try out the new one from Pivotal Living that was shown in USA Today a couple weeks ago. Its less than $15.00 a year (you pay for a subscription for the app). It doesn't track nutrition (I don't mind that since there's MFP) and won't sync to MFP.

tracie_minus100

My Fitbit has absolutely motivated me to be more active. It's helped me immensely.