Polar FT4 & FitBit

Tflowers34907

Hey guys! I am really excited and decided to share that I just found a Polar FT4 for $69 and a FitBit Zip for $59 on Best Buy's website. Does anyone have any reviews to share on the 2 items?Which do you think is more accurate or better for Insanity?

Tflowers34907

Bump. Anyone?

jmcreynolds91

Hi. I have a FT40 and it does great for high cardio and strength workouts like turbofire or insanity. The fitbit is more to track your entire day to better undrstand your TDEE.

sophie_wr

hi
just to say that I got a groupon for Brookstone few weeks ago (you spend $25 and you get $50) so I got my pinkfitbit for $30 , maybe it's still available ?
so far so good....

bigalfantasy2004

For Insanity, get the Polar FT4. I used it for Insanity and it worked great. My understanding is that the fitbit is just a glorified pedometer. I'm sure the fitbit has its fans but the FT4 is actually a heart rate monitor which actually helps you know if you're working to hard or to light. The calorie burn IMO is much more accurate than the fitbit.

ANeWcRe8N

I have both, and like the first reply, the HRM is for cardio exercises and fitbit is pretty much to calculate how much you burn in a day (tdee). I love my ft4! The zip is good, I just stopped using it cause I got tired of obsessing over the numbers lol. I loved that it was affordable. I didn't need all that sleep tracker and other things the other fitbits had so the zip was a great deal.

faceoff4

fitbits are just glorified pedometers in my opinion. For pure fitness and accurate calculators of your cals burned, HRM's like Polar that has a chest strap are the only ones that will give you accurate results. So I would go that route. Good luck!

Silver_Star

*bounce bounce bounce* i Just got my new Polar FT4 TODAY!
The chest strap is comfy and the watch fits well, so easy to set up and for the first time ever i got to check my HR accurately instead of holding my breath and standing like a statue and checking the sensor on the treadmill. UGH. all this time i thought my HR was around 130 something....and today the Polar told me it was close to 173!!! eeeeh


it made me feel like a BOSS

Tflowers34907

Hi. I have a FT40 and it does great for high cardio and strength workouts like turbofire or insanity. The fitbit is more to track your entire day to better undrstand your TDEE.

Aaaahhh, ok. Thank you all for clearing that up. I don't quite understand the TDEE thing yet so I'll just stick with counting calories. I am really excited I found the FT4 so cheap. I think being able to see my estimated calorie burn will give me another motivating factor.

@faceoff CAYUTE BABY!!

Tflowers34907

*bounce bounce bounce* i Just got my new Polar FT4 TODAY!
The chest strap is comfy and the watch fits well, so easy to set up and for the first time ever i got to check my HR accurately instead of holding my breath and standing like a statue and checking the sensor on the treadmill. UGH. all this time i thought my HR was around 130 something....and today the Polar told me it was close to 173!!! eeeeh


it made me feel like a BOSS

I don't know why but after I read "it made me feel like a BOSS" I just started cracking up. I'm happy you don't have to stand like a statue either. I'm horrible. I figure if I get a good running sweat going I'm in the game. *shrug*

Did y'all find it was easy to set up?

pinkraynedropjacki

I have my polar FT60 & my Fitbit One. I use both when working out, HRM for the burn during workout, fitbit for the whole heap extra i get from walking. We are talking about 1000cals extra a day I get to eat & I'm losing. Fitbit is more than just a 'glorified pedometer" (that will come from those who don't have or understand how it works. My Fitbit is NEVER off me, I do 30,000 steps a day & get to eat close to 3000 cals by the end of the day cause of the extra fitbit gives over. I'm betting that most people who don't have one dont get to see that part about it.

Get both...you wont regret it.

klnor88

I love my fitbit and my polar FT4! The fitbit is on me at all times EXCEPT when I do a workout, that's when I wear my HRM. The two are totally different, best weightloss investment.

rfsatar

I have ah FT7 (slightly bigger brother to the FT4) and a FitBit One - I use the readings from the Polar to put in MFP - I let Fitty do it's thing for the rest of the day and let MFP and FB sync back and forth throughout the day.

I used to just use the timer function on the FB for everything (except swimming as it's not waterproof) and it was great for the treadmill/elliptical but useless for a lot of necessary low impact stuff given my knee injuries, so spin bike. rower and swimming was not great.

So I got an FT7 for Christmas - and that has helped for the lower impact stuff and where FB is great is the more "everyday" burn - so ambling around the house and largely 24hour calorie burn coverage.,

For me (and what I use them for) it is a perfect combo... but I often have to "defend" my choice to the Fitbit KoolAid Drinkers who seem to think that owning a FB means you should walk and climb stairs for the achievements with reckless abandon.
You do NOT need to do any of that so long as you exercise, have fun doing it and burn less cals than you consume.
How you achieve that.... really down to you.

I think you have the right combo of toys, myself - good luck with your journey!

debraran1

I bought an FT4 from Amazon after getting annoyed at the large calorie numbers on MFP. I know circuit training is good but 3-400 for 20 minutes? I don't think so.
I do JM 30 day shred and 200 seems better, sometimes less, it is only 20 minutes. I also like how it lets me know when I go too high or low, but with Jilian's DVD's its a pain, because she lifts weights a lot and her planks don't keep my heart rate up. I sometimes will do something else to "stay in the zone". : )
I think it was 60 well spent and after you know what you are doing, you don't really have to wear it every time.

fuzzball01

I have the fitbit and I love it. I also have the Garmin Forerunner 10 (no heartrate moniter) but its pretty awesome and user friendly

CurvaciousBeautyToBe

I absolutely love my FT4! I STRONGLY suggest getting one!

mkmerrill

LOVE my FT4. It keeps me on track. Very accurate and I am more in control of my workout. I can't take it easy anymore..I have to push it or my cute HRM beeps at me

cdcooper321

LOVE LOVE LOVE MY POLARFT4! It gives you accurate calories burned and helps you keep your heart rate in range

cdcooper321

I absolutely love my FT4! I STRONGLY suggest getting one!

^^^^^ THIS x10000

Tflowers34907

Thanks y'all! I decided to get the HRM. I think long term it might be my better option.

pinkraynedropjacki

Thanks y'all! I decided to get the HRM. I think long term it might be my better option.

Both would have been. The HRM you cant wear 24/7 anyway cause it simply wont pick up normal activity properly. Fitbit would give you the extra motivation to keep moving regardless & the extra calories you get awarded (I don't & cant eat all mine back) are worth it.

lcantrell65

Save your $$$ up and get BOTH of them. They do two different things. You won't regret the money you spend on either one of them!

rockann16

Like many that have answered I have both. I use my Polar for and accurate calorie burn during my workouts and I use my FB to keep me active the rest of the day. It helps me to see where I am on steps throughout the day and if I'm low it reminds me to get off my butt and move. Good luck with your Polar and if you can investing in the FB wouldn't be a waste either.

spectralmoon

I also have both. I use my HRM for calorie progress during exercises, and I wear my Fitbit Zip all day to see how many calories I've burned just by "doing my day".

Plus, the Fitbit badges and announcements through the site make me feel all buff 'n' stuff. :laugh:

Tflowers34907

Well the only reason I was even considering both was because they were on sale for the 4th of July. What I am willing to spend in fitness toys is limited as well until I get a better understanding of what exactly works for me. I am already pretty active because i have a full time (40 hrs/week) job in a hotel and a part time job (25-30 hrs/week) as a waitress that require me to do quite a bit of walking and lifting. I also do not have a car so it is not unusual for me to walk 2-3 miles a day outside of work doing errands, going to the bus station, making a lunch run, or just trying to take in some sunshine. Lol, I have no trouble staying on the move. I guess I don't really understand how you can be rewarded for burning "extra calories" if its all apart of your regular day. Wouldn't this be more helpful from a maintenance perspective? I don't count my trips to to the bus station in my exercise because its a normal part of life for me. Am I thinking about this all wrong??

pinkraynedropjacki

I walk 17 miles a day as part of my normal day, I sure as hell count that as exercise. Fitbit gives me about 600 more calories than the 800 or so I just burnt off on my workout. I walk everywhere, don't drive at all ( never have) and I am physically unable to sit for more than 5 mins a day. Anything above not doing anything is burning more calories. No way in hell I could eat what I eat & still lose.

Walking to the supermarket 7km round trip a day is part of my normal day but it's sure more than catching the bus. I don't understand why people don't class walking any-time as extra exercise?

Tflowers34907

Yes walking it would require more effort than catching the bus but if you walk 17 miles a day everyday and this a normal part of your routine, why is it counted as exercise? If you're doing this everyday shouldn't your body be used to it? I could see it being counted for the first few months or so until you get acclimated to it maybe but once you are used to it, how is it contributing to weight loss efforts when you have to do just that much more to push yourself or break past a plateau?

pinkraynedropjacki

Nope still counted as exercise. Walking is a great form of it & the more you do the better you are off. That would mean anyone that does something like dancing, or lifting weights should not count it at all after a while because it's part of what they do...even if not every day. If people lift heavy weights every day then after a few weeks it should no longer be counted? Just cause it's part of their 'every day'? Nope I don't think so.

17 miles a day is no small or easy task. It takes a hell of a lot f work to get that far...and I do it because I want to...not cause I have to. I actually strive to get that far each day, I plan it from the moment I wake up. Just like my workout. I did nothing but zumba for the first 4 months of losing weight.... it was exercise & I counted it as such. Going by that same reasoning then after 2 months lets say...it should no longer be counted cause it was an 'everyday thing'.

Fitbit is great that way cause it knows I'm doing more than nothing... and rewards me for doing so.

Tflowers34907

I think if you lift the same weights everyday and your body is used to it, no. If you're still building endurance or strength from said activity, sure. If you're not growing from it I don't see why it counts. How is it helping one progress? That is what I am asking and not getting any answer to. Its ok though, I've made my decision about what I am going to purchase based off what I know works for me. But hey, to each his own. :drinker:

caly_man

There are so many Ft4 users on this thread, i'd love some feedback on eating all your exercise calories back. Most people tend to say they don't eat back all exercise cals back, is that because even though your calorie burn came from an ft4, you still believe it's still only an estimate so you only eat back a fraction of your burn. If so, whats your fraction?

Remember, you already have a built in deficit on MFP from food, so you should have the liberty to eat back ALL your exercise cals from your Ft4

Thanks

Tflowers34907

There are so many Ft4 users on this thread, i'd love some feedback on eating all your exercise calories back. Most people tend to say they don't eat back all exercise cals back, is that because even though your calorie burn came from an ft4, you still believe it's still only an estimate so you only eat back a fraction of your burn. If so, whats your fraction?

Remember, you already have a built in deficit on MFP from food, so you should have the liberty to eat back ALL your exercise cals from your Ft4

Thanks

Excellent question!!