Fit Bit: Is it worth it?

Knoxnurse93

I am interested in purchasing the fit bit and I just wanted to know if it was worth it and it really worked for you? What are the pros and cons, would you recommend it or something else?

earlnabby

I have a flex and love it. I love the sleep tracking because I was concerned about sleep apnea before I started losing weight and this assures me that my sleep is efficient enough (average about 97% efficiency). I also love the syncing with MFP. After coming back from a walk, I suddenly have extra calories I can eat if I choose to eat back exercise calories (I typically do about 1/2)! The website also has a log where I can log my heart rate, BP, and blood glucose numbers so everything I track is in one spot. I don't track my food there but MFP tells Fitbit how many calories I log here.

All trackers and pedometers will count your steps and if you check it periodically, it can encourage you to get moving and up your count. This particular model is water resistant so I can wear it in my water aerobics class and shower without taking it off (I can be absentminded enough that I am likely to forget to put it back on if I take it off regularly). That was the main reason why I chose the Flex over the One

The main downside for me is that it flashes lights, one for every 20% of step goal, rather than actually giving me my current step count without checking the website. I do love the vibrating when I reach my goal. It feels like a great accomplishment each day. I also wish it had a heart rate monitor. The new models coming out will, but they are not water resistant so they won't help me any more than my flex does, since most of my cardio is in the pool, either class or laps.

What features are important to you?

AgentOrangeJuice

I have the One since i do a lot of stair climbing. Love it.

DvlDwnInGA

It depends on what you are hoping to get out of it. I have found with mine it keeps me moving. I purposely park way out in the parking lots of stores to get extra steps in, take extra steps every where I can, and it is a fun motivating tool to compete with your friends and family with. I found with mine though, the flex, I did not like having it linked to my MFP account. I walk 15 thousand steps a day and I felt like it gave me to many extra Cals a day to eat. When I had them linked my weight loss slowed. I now have mine just for motivation. I use it that way and that makes it worth it to me.

missyjane824

So worth it. I've had the One for well over two years. I've found it so motivating to reach my goals. Be sure to do your research to figure out which one you want. There are some new ones coming out so if you want a wTch style be sure to check those out as well.

amf0324

I have one and it is in my drawer...

harriyot

I have a flex and it is marvellous. I don't drive and walk everywhere so I make sure to walk my 5 mile target every day. The sleep tracker is also great - I thought I didn't have a sleep problem but I really do and seeing how you sleep can be great to fix those issues. The flex is particularly good because it goes around your wrist and you can forget about it then.

In my opinion - a good investment!

lvbor

I'd say it depends on what you're looking for and what type of motivation works for you.

I got a Zip a few months ago, after I noticed that I respond well to measurement and feedback in other areas, and having already started to up my activity levels. Since buying it I wear it every day without fail and have considerably increased both incidental and deliberate exercise. E.g. I used to cover 5,000 steps on a good day with intentional exercise *maybe* once a week. Since using the FitBit my activity has gone up so that over the past 6-8 weeks I hit 10k steps 5 or 6 days a week, as well as at least an hour of moderately strenuous activity 5 days a week.

However, I've heard that a significant proportion of users give up after a few weeks. Maybe it depends on whether it is seen as a magic fix or part of a bigger strategy (e.g. I go for a walk in the evening with a 50 minute podcast, so exercise is tied up with something else I want to do).

Personally I chose the Zip because it's discreet -- I don't want a watch or wrist band so that me getting off my *kitten* becomes a focal point for conversations at work, I just want to get on with things by myself. I considered a One but they were pulled from stock before I went shopping.

The other thing to think about is the upcoming increase in other tracking devices--watches etc.

In general terms, buying and using something better than a crappy $10 pedometer was a choice I'm definitely happy with.

Adc7225

I have the FitBit One and I love it. I keeps me active, since it's small I can always wear it. The bracelet one wouldn't work for me - just not my style.

I have done several of the walking challenges on MFP and it works great for that, you can add friends and compete with them as well. Most of all I like it because it really does keep me accountable and active, I even started walking to work!

Gr8ChangesAhead

I have a fitbit zip and it is a glorified pedometer. I wish I would have saved my money and the burns are not accurate

fit_at_fifty

I loved my Fitbit Flex and all that it does, tracked my sleep, fitness levels and synced to MFP but had to send two back because they would not charge properly. I did everything right, checked contacts etc., but nothing helped. It has not been mentioned here but it is a common problem. You only have to look up the reviews on the internet. I miss my flex as I really enjoyed it but I would say don´t waste your money. I was lucky enough to get mine back.

KaroshiQueen

I was very very happy with my Fitbit Force. Unfortunately, I was one of those who developed an allergic reaction to the metal they put in the device. However, they announced the recall and gladly offered to send me a refund. Very nice about it. So, despite the allergy, I am confident that they have corrected the problem, as they claim they did, and will be purchasing the Fitbit Charge HR when it comes out in 2015. I'll have an updated device and I won't be out any additional money at all.

Nicolee_2014

I have the fitbit one. I like that I can clip it on and it's hidden away from prying eyes. The first few weeks I got it, I walked like crazy. Now, not so much, but, I still wear it everyday and I like to try & aim for the amount of steps I set for myself. I stopped wearing it during my sleep, that stressed me out. It was saying I averaged about 4/5 hours of sleep a night. I felt like I was worrying about not sleeping enough which caused me not to sleep properly. Silly, I know! Not sure that it is that accurate, just like the calories burned. I'm definitely glad I got mine.

RubenAHarris

If you activity level is generally low (sedentary), get one. If your activity level is already high, don't bother.

Knoxnurse93

Thanks for the advice everyone, you've convinced me to get one and yes I do need the motivation! I need more activity in my life to ramp up my weight loss.

hehlh01

I love my FITBIT! Glad that you are getting one. )

hehlh01

LACnessMonster

It's fun to collect data on yourself. And if it motivates you, sure. Otherwise, eh.

Needachange84

I have a flex and I love it! It definitely has helped me push myself a little harder because I always want the 5 lights lit lol Its nice that it syncs with mfp also. I've had mine since March and I'd have to say it is definitely worth it!! Another thing I like about fitbit, you can add your friends so you can have someone to compete with and you can do daily/weekly challenges with them to see who comes out on top

goodtwin_77

I use mine to motivate me to walk more steps and I like how MFP sends the data over to my fitbit account.

jamezln

I have the Fitbit One and it's odd how it makes you move. If i'm a mile away from my goal, I make myself get that mile. I too climb a lot of steps which is why I got the One. I can't speak on the sleep tracker since I don't use it, but the device itself is awesome.

jgnatca

I love my fitbit zip; I wear it daily. I never stopped using it because my weight loss team asks to see my stats. Accountability. This way I pull up my app and all the numbers are there. Hubby has one too but his participation is far more casual. He wears it on days he knows he is going to get in a lot of steps, and wants to know how many he "earned".

earlnabby

Knoxnurse93 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice everyone, you've convinced me to get one and yes I do need the motivation! I need more activity in my life to ramp up my weight loss.

What model are you getting?

belinda_b

I love my fitbit. Have had it for 2 years and wear it daily. It motivates me so much.

Knoxnurse93

I think I am going to get a fit bit charge or flex. I want something not too bulky that I will actually wear all the time. I know the charge isn't out yet though.

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sheepotato

I have a one, but only because the flex didn't exist when I bought mine.

So it's a nice motivator if you need one. On more days than I can count it's made me want to take extra steps. When we first got them my husband would walk around the block at night to break a step plateau sometimes.

It's nice in conjunction with MFP because you can just set it to sync and it will automatically adjust your calories for the day. At the same time this a bad thing if you don't want to 'eat back' your cooking or walking to car calories.

It's neat that it tracks sleep, but it doesn't work that well as you have to shake your wrist if you like reading or watching tv in bed before you fall asleep or it will count longer.

I ended up making a new MFP account because I didn't know how to unsync my fitbit. (I'm sure I could go back and figure it out but I can't be bothered.) I still use mine but I don't like having it synced.

Now I prefer just wearing my PolarFT4 when I am actually exercising, and manually log my exercise calories. Polars are decent and the same price or cheaper than the step counters like fitbit. It's just going to depend on what works best for you, but if I could do it again I would have bought the HRM first or instead.

gle8442

I have a One, I love it! I do my 10k minimum religiously and I am convinced that is about twice the walking I would be doing without it. I got one for my parents too and my father lost 2 belt notchs in about 4 months as a result, no dieting! I like that we can do it together even though we aren't usually in the same place.