Question for Fitbit Users
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Marilyn (ker95...), I'm with you. I also love my Fitbit! And, I credit it with helping me reach my goal. Also, like you, I don't do any groups or challenges; I use it to challenge myself to do more and keep better track of activity and eating.
Charlie, I did finally connect my Fitbit with MFP. And now, I don't know why I was so reluctant to do it. It's been a great help by reminding me that I need to be aware of how much walking I do and to keep that in mind when eating.
I'm such an advocate of Fitbit now that, when I was in Target yesterday and a woman was asking questions about different trackers, I offered my two cents about why I felt Fitbit was the best.
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I miss my fitbit! Still waiting for dhs new office furniture to arrive to we can get it set up and get my computer going. But he has started using the fitbit I bought him for Christmas and I am surprised that he loves it! I thought he would wear it to work a few times and lose it, but he is becoming quite obsessed with it! I rotate articles on the freezer door every month and I put up on the benefits of walking this month so he is aware of how the walking effects for his arthritis and diabetes. Today while I am at the Walmart I am also going to buy him a couple of tennis balls so he can do trigger point massage with his feet while sitting at his desk. I wish that desk would get here because I want my fitbit back too! lol
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GMCharlie, does your Charge have the heart rate monitor function, I got offered a deal I couldn't refuse, so I ordered the Charge with HRM. Just wondering if others have tried that one.
Since I don't swim regularly, the water proof factor wasn't important to me. But remembering to use my HRM strap was, I have gone to work outs and forgotten to wear it.0 -
I had a fitbit flex but broke out in a terrible rash on my wrist. I switched arms but it happened again. Fitbit very kindly replaced it with the fitbit one. Thanks to my teckie hubby it is synced with MFP. I keep it with me all the time. I use it mostly to track the number of steps. I am still not getting enough but at least with the fitbit I now know what I have managed to get in each day. If I could wear the flex it would be my first choice but the the one works great clipped to my bra. Just have to make sure it is removed before laundry.0
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Like you, DreamOn145, I got my husband a Fitbit. I only got the Zip because I too thought he'd lose interest in a short time. But I'm amazed at how much he likes it and he's been using it more than I ever expected. He drives a bus so he rarely got any exercise before, now he works to get his steps in every day. I am one happy wife.
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I did not get the Charge with the HRM, but wish I had. It wasn't available until the first of the year and I got mine as a Christmas present. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.
Sharon in this group though just got the ChargeHR. I think she loves it. I think she's on a road trip so might be a few days until she responds.
I keep track of my HR with a phone app or with the HRM on the stationary bike. I like to keep it in "fat burning" range, but can do that easier on the stationary bike because the one on my phone means I have to stop to take the HR and I don't like to stop. On the bike if my HR is too low I up the resistance or my speed. Too high, the opposite.0 -
Here I am, back from ROAD TRIP! Here is a too-long Interim report on Charge HR. My calorie burn report climbed sudpiciously high and dramatically the first days I wore it, but Fitbit or MFP seem to have adjusted things so it's more in line with my actual burn. I'm really liking the device, and as much as I loved my One, I appreciate the automatic sleep mode and HRM..
Fitbit HR reports Peak, Cardio, Fat Burn charts by total minutes and squiggly line graphs on the phone and computer. The wrist band thingy is easy enough to toggle through so I can check my heart rate while exercising and walking. You can't hold onto the bar on a treadmill and log steps. You don't have to move your arm for it to log steps. It doesn't add steps or floors when traveling (neither does the One).
It has features I'm not using, like caller ID and being able to set it to log an exercise period.
If I have pain, or am going up steep hills, my heart rate climbs, and the burn reported increases. I don't know yet if that's a real calorie burn, so I ignore the calorie burn report for now. I really wanted to be able to see if I were exercising in the right "zone" but didn't want to wear a strap. It does that.
There can be a short lag between your heart rate and what it's reporting, but not much. I'm not using the calorie burn report to determine how much to eat, as my doctor said not to eat back calories burned.
It changes the time display on the wrist band based on your time zone, automatically.
Report concluded.
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Thanks Sharon, I did get the Charge with the HRM. I am really still learning but like it for sure so far. It is motivating me to get up and move more. The silent alarms are good for that
Only been wearing it for two days and hit over 10K both, around mid day.
Oh to start and stop a workout segment, just hold the button till it vibrates, an auto racing icon comes up to show it started, when your work out is done just press and hold the button till it vibrates again. I don't care about user id, so I haven't messed around with it. But I do like to see the difference is a work out session and just doing my daily walks. Keeps me heading to the rec center for sure.
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Learned today that you can link up to Walgreens and earn points on your Balance Rewards card, just link myfitnesspal or fitbit accounts to your account there. You can earn points for steps, staying within calories etc. If that is your drug store, it is a good deal. The apps talk to each other so no extra logging.
The Charge isn't on the device list but select Flex and it will work just fine. My steps came over with no issues.0 -
retirehappy wrote: »Learned today that you can link up to Walgreens and earn points on your Balance Rewards card, just link myfitnesspal or fitbit accounts to your account there. You can earn points for steps, staying within calories etc. If that is your drug store, it is a good deal. The apps talk to each other so no extra logging.
The Charge isn't on the device list but select Flex and it will work just fine. My steps came over with no issues.
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Hey, great tips! Really appreciated.0
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Well I FINALLY have my computer back and set up my new fitbit. I have the One. Wow, was I in for a shock! When I used the fitbit previously I never used the sleep component, but my husband uses it and I was curious. I found out that I am having a LOT more restless time than I realized! My sleep is very inefficient, in fact only 54% efficiency on the first night. Well, THAT is not a good thing! I am curious to see how things go as the prednisone drops. And I am going to see what changes I need to improve this! That may also help with weight loss, not to mention other health issues!
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Dream check your setting for sleep monitoring, it can default to sensitive. Make sure it is normal. I was getting false readings because I move my arms a lot while asleep apparently. I went from 59% to 97% after resetting the level.
https://www.fitbit.com/settings/device
You can reset your sleep, your target heart rate etc. there.0 -
DreamOn145, retirehappy has a really, really good suggestion. Also, remember that the prednisone side effects include sleep problems. Once you've tapered completely off the medicine, your sleep should get less disturbed.0
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........ and I just learned today that you can link Fitbit to your AARP account (i've been a member for a long time but just registered online today) and earn 'good points' for reaching 10,000 steps a day and some mile goals. 'Good points' are redeemable like cash for some items that actually make sense 0
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Thanks for the tip about linking to AARP.0
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WOW am I the only one who didn't notice that the fitbit dashboard shows you what percentage of your weight loss you have accomplished???? I have lost 5%. My goal in there was to go from 170 to 144. Today it shows I hit 5% of that goal. Just mouse over the tile with the icon of a weight scale on it. It will pop up.
that! 0 -
Thank you to all of you for sharing your experiences with fitbit. I keep coming back to read this thread and then I go to the fitbit site and choose my fitbit but when it comes to buy I freeze in fear. Here is my irrational issue. I would love to have a Fitbit on my good days but what happens when I have a flare up like the 3 week one I am coming out of (I hope). Will it then give me a negative number or just register as 0? I think my calorie goal must be just about right as my maintenance is going well. Will it say I should eat fewer calories? This may sound ridiculous but I could not deal with more negatives on the not-so-good days.
Have any of you had days when you are not moving and what did fitbit do?0 -
Don't freeze in fear! The fitbit won't ever adjust to eat less calories than you've set at your minimum. It's just a record of how many steps you have taken and the resulting calorie burn. It never sends you negative messages, well - on my Fitbit Zip the little guy would frown at me, but I turned that smiley off because it would frown after I finally sat down in the evening for a couple hours after walking my butt off during the day LOL.
it's a tool, nothing more, nothing less. Update on my Fitbit One - I really like it and am glad I upgraded from the Fitbit Zip. Just remember it is only really good for 'steps' (and for my Fitbit One & others... stairs).0 -
Bvifun, you can always take it off if you hit a bad spell of health. Like the lady said, it is just a tool. Use it when it is helpful to you and don't when you are not well and can't face it. Part of being healthy includes your mental health and I understand not being able to face more negativity. Get the basic model to track the steps you can do when you are healthy. Congrats on your weight loss when you can't do exercise, it isn't an easy task.0
