Fitbit thoughts

LO1421

I'm torn with purchasing a FitBit or something similar. I like the factor that it will track the calories I've burned throughout the day and my sleeping patterns as well as a pedometer. Although I am not sure if it is something I want to have on my all the time 24/7, Those of you who use it or have used it...thoughts?? yea or nah?

mmgavitt

You don't actually need to wear it all day if you don't want it. It's just more accurate that way. I love my fitbit.

If you do intense activity and just want to track that you could get a polar device with a chest strap.

Chls122

I'm all for a FitBit, but if you choose to go there do not get the FitBits that have the heart rate monitor, I gave the Surge a shot and it was incapable of reading my heart rate during a 45 minute spin class. I sought support for the HRM problems and apparently it's a known issue with that type of monitor, I'll stick with my polar chest strap. I'm in the process of sending the Surge back and I'm going to get the One instead.

quiksylver296

I love my Fitbit One. I clip it on my bra and forget it. Downloaded the app on my phone so I can check my steps without peeking in my bra, LOL. I don't use the sleep feature, personally. But it really motivates me to get my 10,000 steps a day in.

joolywooly33

I like mine......its good for tracking steps and giving you a burn calculation when working out. I do know people who have stopped using it tho, as they felt they were eating more, as the fitbit was 'giving' them more calories.

helenarriaza

I have a Fitbit One, Charge and Flex.

My favorite is the Flex since it is water resistant and you have tons of wristbands; but the charge has a clock and an actual screen (but not water resistant since it has an altimeter). If you don't like stuff on your wrists and work moving your hands (like a teacher or a chef), the Fitbit One is perfect for you. Plus, the One's battery is 15 days.

The fact that is on 24/7 is not a big deal, you'll miss it when you are not wearing it.

Butrovich

Fitbit Flex, and I love it.

it_guy_nb

I have the FitBit Zip and only use it for non-sleeping hours since it doesn't do sleep tracking. So I guess that means I wear it 16/7 and I've been doing that for a year. After I left the house for work yesterday I realized I forgot it and actually looped back! I depend on the calorie feedback it provides. Love it so much, I am going to write an ebook about it!

elliesmd

I like using the fitbit to motivate me to move more but try not to "eat the calories" that I gain from the steps. I think they are overestimated and can lead to inadvertent weight gain.

carriemyah

I recommend the Jawbone Up. It's way more accuate than the Fitbit (Fitbit gave me 1,000 steps for blow drying my hair). Jawbone also doesn't give the calories that Fitbit.

FenTiger89

I love my Zip. I've had it almost a year. I feel lost without it. I like not having something strapped to my wrist. The lack of tracking for sleeping and stair climbing don't really bother me.

sun_fish

I love my Fitbit One, clip it on my pants and don't even know it's there. I have used the sleep feature but got depressed seeing how horrible my sleep is so rarely use it for that. It really motivates me to get my 10,000 steps in.

krdews

I had a fitbit flex and wore it all the time, tracking steps, sleep patterns etc and that was great. But, due to technical difficulties gave it up and now I have a Surge - same deal of tracking etc. BUT what I am doing differently this time is I'm only wearing my Surge during my workouts - yeah getting in 10K steps daily is great; but to challenge myself I'm only tracking steps during my workout and I track my sleep pattern only sometimes. Once I knew my sleep pattern, there was no need to continue tracking unless I was do something different to effect the pattern. So you don't necessarily have to wear it all the time because you can log all the other details directly on the app (calories etc). Plus I look at all the steps that I take while not wearing my fitbit as bonuses; although my job is pretty sedentary. Less wearing will also save on the battery life. I say yea - wear it when want to ONLY.

leanelson1989

I just bought a Fitbit Flex Saturday and I love it so far. I like how I can just tap it to see how close I am to my goal. I also like the sleep tracker, it will be helpful to me for sure. I agree with helenarriaza, you'll miss it when you're not wearing it.

Azexas

I can only speak for Fitbit. I had the flex for a year before upgrading to the Charge. The flex is nice and water resistant ( I wouldn't go swimming with it) and I found it very accurate with the TDEE and steps. I upgraded to the Charge mainly because of the watch feature.

I forget that I'm wearing it since i wear it 24/7 but when I take it off to charge I notice something is missing haha

glowgirl14

I have the One, and have worn it all day, almost every day since I got it in August of 2013. I clip it on my bra (between the cups) and I don't notice it. The zip also can be clipped to the bra like this, and is a bit less expensive, but some people (with smaller boobs) say that it can be seen under some shirts.

I looked at the Flex, but didn't like the style...I wanted something I could wear under a cocktail dress as well as a t shirt...Also, there have been numerous people on the fitbit forums who have worn the Flex and the One simultaneously and get different results. The Flex is worn as a bracelet, and sometimes arm movement can give you more burn than you should have. And (I *think*) things like pushing a shopping cart don't always get counted as steps because you're not swinging your arms.

I love it...my movement is not consistent from day to day, and so calories burned aren't consistent from day to day. My fb gives me much better data on what I'm actually burning on a day to day basis. I know that if it says I've only burned 900 calories by 3pm, I need to get moving if I want a good dinner.

I do not use the sleep monitor. My fb goes on the nightstand at night, and I pick it up in the morning when I get up. No reason, except that I just lost patience. You have to put it to sleep, and wake it up, and I always forgot to do those things. The wrist strap irritated my wrist. And I know I sleep badly, I didn't need my pedometer to confirm this. ; )

But, all in all? This is the single best investment I've ever made for my fitness. It just takes the guesswork out. People could argue all day about how accurate these things are, but I know that in my case, If I follow my fitbit burn and eat at a deficit from that, I lose almost exactly what it says I should.

goldk

I like my Fitbit zip. It's not great for all exercise. I feel it is too generous with walking and not as generous with Zumba, elliptical, and so on... I just saw that Fitbit came out with one that has a heart monitor -about $150. I think it would probably be a little more accurate then the regular Fitbit. Thinking about upgrading to it

Y0NSTER

I love the FitBit One. I've also had the Flex and Charge. Flex was decently accurate but the Charge over-counted my steps consistently by about 25%. The One is like the gold standard for accuracy for me....it is super accurate.

I was really disappointed about the Charge. I want a FitBit wrist tracker but it seems like they're too unreliable.

andielyn

I was given a Fitbit Flex as a gift and initially I didn't think I'd like wearing it 24/7. After a day or two I was past that. I love having the daily feedback and only take it off to charge it. The Flex can be worn in the shower.

I also have a Polar HRM and wear it in addition to the Flex when I'm exercising and use it to manually log my calorie burns during exercise. I think having both is ideal.

Lourdesong

I have the Zip and love it. Except for when I shower, it's always clipped on me, even at night when I'm asleep. Love the screens to swipe through for data, that it's small and I can clip it anywhere, that it syncs with MFP, and that this model doesn't require charging.

I've had it for about 6 months and I find it really motivating, my daily goal is 15,000 steps and I usually meet it. My weight loss has also sped up since I got it and started moving more. I was probably only moving 3000 steps or less before I got my Zip.

joanthemom8

I love mine! I have the fitbit one, that clips to your clothes. I didn't want to have a band on my wrist all the time.

jessicapk

LOVE IT! I have the Flex and it's the only one I've had. I love that it takes into account the extra activity that I do and I don't eat back all of those calories that it adjusts. However, when I have my MFP set on "sedentary" but I am highly active on the weekends or some evenings (desk job during the day), it is nice to know that I'm being "recognized" for my acitivity level. Not to mention that it is very motivating watching the numbers throughout the day. Very comfortable and so far only minor skin irritation from wearing it all the time (Irish / German blooded with pale, highly sensitive skin) but that seems to be from the small clasp, not the band.

EmilyJackCO

I had the Flex for 20 months and found it to be very accurate, and it did really well at helping me determine my real TDEE. It helped keep me in balance as I checked everything on MFP vs Fitbit, and made them match up. When I was tracking, I consistently lost without stalls.

I just got the Charge HR Monday, and I love it so much. My Flex was down to the point where it would only hold a charge for about 40 hours with my activity level, so having something I don't have to worry about the battery life is awesome. I ran it through its paces yesterday, and I found the HRM to be really accurate while walking and running and lifting. The steps were tracked perfectly, as were the stairs.

But the main reason I invested in the Flex/Charge HR was for the sleep tracking. I have severe insomnia and struggle with it every day. The fact that I don't have to remember to set the Charge HR is REALLY neat. And I can now monitor my heart rate during restless periods to see what's going on. I think it may also be more accurate than the Flex was because of that. I still sleep like crap, but I have something to show my doctors when things get really bad and it's time to change things.

The other main reason that I went with this above all else - it works with Windows devices and PCs. Everything else out there (except the Microsoft Band, and I don't want all that extraneous distraction when I'm working out) works only with Android/Apple. Fitbit syncs with Windows phones and PCs, so if you only have a flip phone, this will work for you and still provide smart technology to help out a little.

Smoozy1

I love my FitBit Flex. I wear it all the time. I don't really use the sleep tracking anymore....fun at first but not really something I want/need to know. And I've read all the reports that it isn't 100% reliable in tracking steps. But here is how it's good for me...I am motivated to beat yesterday's steps. I am motivated to beat my friends steps. I love how we can see how we're doing when ranked with our friends who also have fitbits. There are even mini "challenges" that you can do with your friends. So bottom line is I have definitely gotten up from my desk, recliner, etc. and moved more since I started wearing it. Score!

WelshPhil1975

Speaking as someone who doesn’t like wearing things 24/7 either – I don’t wear a watch – I got a Fitbit One in May last year and was dubious about wearing it all the time, but within a day or 2 I was fully sold on it and I have only taken it off since to shower, swim, etc.

I am hopefully upgrading to the Charge HR in a few weeks, which will be my first watch for about 23 years.

sugah11

I have been using the Fitbit One for about 7 months and I love it. Accurate and small fits nicely on your bra. You won't be sorry!

randrews0407

I have the Zip and a Polar FT4 HRM ... I waited for the Charge HR to be released with hopes of it eliminating me using two monitors. But from what I am hearing, the Charge HR only takes snapshots of your heart-rate and isn't very accurate for tracking workouts. Also, I wear gloves for kickboxing so a wrist-based tracker may not be the way to go.

fitphoenix

I got the Fitbit Force last January and have used it non-stop all year. (The Force is the one they voluntarily recalled because some people had skin irritation from it. I've had none.) I love it to pieces and wear it all the time (except showering or swimming). It has really helped me make my day more active in little ways, not just the bigger ways of planned exercise. If I miss my express bus after work, instead of being bitter, I think about the extra steps I'll get walking the 15 minutes home. I walk while brushing my teeth and waiting for my tea to steep. I walk while reading (on my phone). It makes me really happy, and I would recommend them to anyone who is interested.

annp28

Does anyone know if the fitbit one is as accurate when attached to bra as it would be attached to pants?

djscavone

annp28 wrote: »

Does anyone know if the fitbit one is as accurate when attached to bra as it would be attached to pants?

I put mine in my pocket and walk with my wife who clips it to her bra. It appears mine is as accurate as hers. I am not sure if she tested it herself in both bra and pocket.

I only use my fitbit one for a motivation tool as I compete with work friends. I don't really care so much about accurate calories burned as I am not a scientist counting every little ingredient. I am not that accurate on calories entered into MFP so I wouldn't say what I burned means I can eat more. I can bee off 1000 in my entry! If I am in the ball park I am happy and if I see consistency in my activity and calories input (use MFP) then I get good results.

LO1421

Has anyone used the Jawbone?