Vivofit - Useful or Gimmick?

ntnunk

cassafrassle wrote: »

Get the VivoSmart!! it does everything the vivfit does plus its also like a smart watch so it connects to your phone via bluetooth and your message, emails, facebook alerts etc. will alert you on the watch. I've had mine for about 2 months and am totally in love with it.

The VivoSmart is pretty sweet but it sacrifices one of the best features, in my opinion, of the VivoFit: it's rechargeable. One of the things I like best about the VivoFit is not having to think about the batter except once per year. The VivoSmart is back to the same deal as the Fitbits where you have to remember to recharge it every few days. For sure that may bother some less than me.

version45

Alright! I ran to the store and bought a new Vivofit based on all these great reviews. (Saw the Vivosmart, too, and thought about it for a second. Looks pretty sexy for a pedometer. But I'm with my brother ntnunk - having to recharge every couple of days is a joy killer!).

I've managed to sync it to Garmin Express and pair it with my phone. Lots of graphs and charts full of nothing, but I'm assuming this will all gel into something meaningful once I start using it.

But I am at a total loss on how to sync it with MFP. I hit the "Install" button for Garmin Connect in the App section, but I'm not sure what supposed to happen next. I've synced my 1,000 steps to the Garmin Connect website. But on the MFP website? Crickets...

ntnunk

version45 wrote: »

Alright! I ran to the store and bought a new Vivofit based on all these great reviews. (Saw the Vivosmart, too, and thought about it for a second. Looks pretty sexy for a pedometer. But I'm with my brother ntnunk - having to recharge every couple of days is a joy killer!).

I've managed to sync it to Garmin Express and pair it with my phone. Lots of graphs and charts full of nothing, but I'm assuming this will all gel into something meaningful once I start using it.

But I am at a total loss on how to sync it with MFP. I hit the "Install" button for Garmin Connect in the App section, but I'm not sure what supposed to happen next. I've synced my 1,000 steps to the Garmin Connect website. But on the MFP website? Crickets...

Unfortunately your timing is a little bit bad. For whatever reason Garmin Connect and MFP have been having troubles for the last 5 or 6 days. The problem is on the MFP side. Calories and the like are transferring to GC but MFP isn't seeing the steps and activity coming the other way. It happens from time to time, usually resolved in a day or two. This is by far the longest outage I've seen.

ntnunk

version45 wrote: »

I've managed to sync it to Garmin Express and pair it with my phone. Lots of graphs and charts full of nothing, but I'm assuming this will all gel into something meaningful once I start using it.

But I am at a total loss on how to sync it with MFP. I hit the "Install" button for Garmin Connect in the App section, but I'm not sure what supposed to happen next. I've synced my 1,000 steps to the Garmin Connect website. But on the MFP website? Crickets...

I just reread this, not sure if you've resolved it or not. If not do the following:

• Go to the Garmin Connect website, log in, and go to your "Health and Fitness" dashboard.
• When you get the dashboard, click on the button in the upper left corner that looks like 3 horizontal lines. That should pop a menu out.
• Go to the 4th menu item, "Calories In/Out", and click the arrow to the right of the menu item. You'll get a popup with a "Add to dashboard" button at the top of it.
• Click the button, the dashboard widget will appear, and it will have a "Connect with MyFitnessPal" button on it.
• Click that and follow the directions.

You should be golden. Or at least, you should be once the connection between the two starts working again. Good luck, feel free to message me if you have questions.

version45

Thank you, ntnunk. Followed your steps, and now their is a "Add Food on MyFitnessPal" option in the gear context menu on Garmin Connect, so I'm assuming the connection between the two sites has been made. I'll just wait till the programmers get it figured out. Thanks so much for your help. I'm really looking forward to stepping around with this thing. Never thought I'd be so excited about simply walking.

ntnunk

Yessir, you should be good now. As you log food in MFP it should start appearing in the Calories In/Out widget on your dashboard. Once they get the bi-directional sync working again you will also get a "calorie adjustment" in your exercise log on MFP that is based upon the calorie burn Garmin calculates from your VivoFit. Speaking personally, and based upon a pretty good feel for what my maintenance and loss calorie requirements are from months of logging, it's pretty accurate for me. Obviously your mileage may vary.

Good luck, and when you see the red bar it means to get your butt outta the chair and move!

Bocch

I have a vivofit with HRM. I have also joined planet fitness. The HRM is in line with the HRM's on the machines and very very close in line with previous HRM I was using. A nutritionist told me that I should burn 2000-2500 calories a day by just living. Well vivofit concurs with the nutritionist. I used to just track calories burned during a bike ride, with vivofit it is total calories burned no seperate reading for calories burned for cycling.

threnjen

I hope you enjoy it! I have a vivofit and I wouldn't say it is life changing, but I do like it. I really like that I have a great idea of what is, for me, a lazy day (6000) vs an average day (9000) vs a great day (13000). I don't really use the calorie counts that it sends to MFP but it is still a nice tool to gauge my general activity. I plan to pick up a separate ANT+ heart rate strap, hopefully for my birthday, so I can use it instead of my Polar HRM and only have to wear one thing.

MeanderingMammal

version45 wrote: »

Do any of you 6-month-plus fitness tracker wearers still actually use it after six months? If so, is it doing any good (can you see a marked change in your fitness habits, are you walking/exercising more)?

Personally I don't see any point in these background activity sensors if one is already reasonably active. That said the Vivofit/ Vivosmart does seem to be a solid device.

I use an FR310XT for running and cycling, so as the Vivofit price is reducing it's becoming more attractive, although that's stacking up against the potential for an Edge 510 cycle computer and/ or speed and cadence sensors. For me, it's a nice to have gadget, whereas I'll get much more value from a proper training device. If I run four times a week, as my current half marathon training plan is, then I'm dwarving the effect of background activity by logging 25-35 miles per week, and rising.

On the other hand, if I wasn't doing that volume of running then I can see why it might be useful as a motivational tool.

izu87

I'm starting to get seriously tempted to buy it for myself as an early Christmas present >.> But on the other side I want to use it as a reward in a way if I manage to keep my personal small "challenge" to count calories strictly, avoid alcohol and be more active. If I make it 3 weeks straight, I'm getting one.

Unfortunately over here prices are still the same as when it got out Hopefully there will be some Christmas sales...

Jdigs88

I'm getting a vivofit for christmas, and now I can't wait and am super happy with my choice!

dopeysmelly

I was skeptical to start with and only got it because I love gadgets and wanted to reward myself for reaching target weight. But.. I really, really love my Vivofit and I love my HRM too. I use the HRM for any exercise which uses a bit of exertion, so for brisk walking, I don't bother, but stationary bike, running etc. I do.

I found the lack of charging, the fact I can wear it in the pool, the watch, the red bars AND the fact that it helped me figure out the correct activity setting in MFP were all invaluable. Occasionally it doesn't sync with MFP, but even that doesn't usually bother me.

rungirl1973

I've had a Fitbit. I've had a Jawbone Up. Quit using each of them after a few months. I use my Garmin Forerunner when I run and a Polar HRM when I'm doing other forms of exercise. These both seemed redundant. Would the Vivofit replace the other things?

version45

Aaahgh. Should have waited a day to buy this sucker. Now it's only $69 online. Happens to me everytime!

ntnunk

rungirl1973 wrote: »

I use my Garmin Forerunner when I run and a Polar HRM when I'm doing other forms of exercise. These both seemed redundant. Would the Vivofit replace the other things?

Maybe? It depends. I'd say the Vivofit probably would replace your Polar HRM for "other forms of exercise" but it won't provide the running metrics your Forerunner does, assuming it's one of the nicer ones with GPS, etc. I guess I'd wonder why you bother with the Polar and not just use the Forerunner for everything? I have a Forerunner FR60 that's basically a running watch but works great for gym, exercise bike, etc.

rungirl1973

ntnunk wrote: »

rungirl1973 wrote: »

I use my Garmin Forerunner when I run and a Polar HRM when I'm doing other forms of exercise. These both seemed redundant. Would the Vivofit replace the other things?

Maybe? It depends. I'd say the Vivofit probably would replace your Polar HRM for "other forms of exercise" but it won't provide the running metrics your Forerunner does, assuming it's one of the nicer ones with GPS, etc. I guess I'd wonder why you bother with the Polar and not just use the Forerunner for everything? I have a Forerunner FR60 that's basically a running watch but works great for gym, exercise bike, etc.

Hm. I guess I never thought about it. I got my first Garmin years ago when the 305 was brand new, I never thought to use the Garmins for non-running... I'll have to give that a whirl and see how it compares. It would be nice not to drag both with me when I travel.

Timshel_

Depends on you really. I love having the reminder on my wrist and I love tracking what I do in a day. If you don't see value in that, you won't enjoy having the device.

SweatLikeDog

I only use heart rate monitors to gauge workout intensity when I'm going all out in a new program. Beyond that, I work off of TDEE, calipers and the mirror to see which way I'm going with food. Some people are less in tune or have a more variable lifestyle and might need the crutch...or feel that wearing these things is a some type of social badge.

version45

Social badge. That's interesting because nearly everyone in my office asked me about the Vivofit on my wrist today (as it's the first day I've worn it). I've even proposed a holiday contest - $20 buy in and most steps by the end of the year wins the pot. (All to be verified by appropriate website (Garmin Connect, Fitbit, etc)). Everyone (even and especially the non-athletes) are excited about participating. I think that's a very positive social badge.