Is a fitbit worth it?

Alexandra289
Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I know there have been lots of fitbit questions recently so sorry if this is repetitive! I'm considering getting a fitbit but am low on cash so would have to be really sure it's worth it. I would prefer a one to a flex (no offence to anyone who has them but I just think they look like those cheap charity wrist bands, also read that flex is less accurate) but I do lots of different types of exercise and want to start swimming soon. If I have to enter all these different types of exercise manually is it really worth having the fitbit or should I just stick to tracking exercise on mfp? Or would anyone recommend another device that could track my daily activity? Thanks!

Replies

  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    I love my fitbit, I've been using one for about a year (Fitbit Ultra initially and now Fitbit One).

    I log cycling and strength training as separate activities (and also swimming, though I don't often swim). Otherwise I let fitbit do it's thing. Once you've added an exercise it stores it so it's really easy to input the next time.

    I've found it helpful in determining my TDEE as my activity varies so much from day to day. Setting daily step targets is really good motivation for getting me away from the desk and walking more during the day.
  • dettiot
    dettiot Posts: 180 Member
    I just got a Fitbit One and I really like it. Days when I don't do actual exercise, it's great to look down and see how many steps I've taken & flights of stairs I've climbed, so I know if I'm being active enough. Plus, it's a great encouragement to have the Fitbit info feed into MFP, so I can see as the day goes on that my calorie deficit is increasing even as I'm eating, because it's pulling in the calories I've burned that the Fitbit has tracked.

    I got my Fitbit through Amazon. I just stalked the listing and managed to snag my One when the price had dropped twenty dollars below the list price. Since it retails at $100, that was a twenty percent savings! So I'd say definitely keep an eye out on Amazon.

    Fitbit does sell the Zip, which just does activity tracking--no sleep tracking. It's a good bit cheaper than the One, so that's an option for you, too.

    Good luck!
  • EDollah
    EDollah Posts: 464 Member
    No doubt there will be a number of Fitbit proponents answering you that they love it. I'm going to be contrarian and say, after about a month of use, I don't think it's worth the $90 (USD) I paid. The info is "neat" but hasn't had a tangible affect on my fitness efforts. Seeing sleep patterns is nifty, but it doesn't improve my sleep.
  • Alexandra289
    Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
    Thank you for the advice. Hmm, I want one but it is expensive! Maybe will keep an eye out to see if the price ever goes down.
  • mistyblu13
    mistyblu13 Posts: 71 Member
    I love my fitbit- a lot more accurate for me and I can track all day long not just on the treadmill to really know how many miles I have put in but they are kind of expensive....you could just save up the cash first for few months then get it or try the zip (same company) its a lot less and if you aren't concerned about your sleeping habits the zip would be a good choice:)
  • tomcornhole
    tomcornhole Posts: 1,084 Member
    I bought it to have another bit of data to determine my TDEE. Only had it a week and so far it has confirmed what I already knew: my TDEE is around 2,700 cal / day. It works well enough.

    If you are having trouble finding YOUR TDEE, then it might be worth $90. It can help with that. And if that helps you lose weight more effectively, then it IS worth $90. If you have to decide between a FitBit and paying the electric bill, definitely not worth it.

    Tom
  • nleighp
    nleighp Posts: 117 Member
    My boyfriend and I got Fitbit Ones through my work's wellness program and we LOVE them. Since the day we got them we've hardly taken them off.

    I love that it works with gym machines, like treadmills, and is small enough to be hidden even when I'm wearing formal dresses (had it one when I went to a wedding in a cute little summer dress).

    Definitely worth the money and the information you get about yourself is priceless.
  • breeshabebe
    breeshabebe Posts: 580
    I bought it to have another bit of data to determine my TDEE. Only had it a week and so far it has confirmed what I already knew: my TDEE is around 2,700 cal / day. It works well enough.

    If you are having trouble finding YOUR TDEE, then it might be worth $90. It can help with that. And if that helps you lose weight more effectively, then it IS worth $90. If you have to decide between a FitBit and paying the electric bill, definitely not worth it.

    Tom

    This. I was really struggling to find my TDEE because I have a sedentary job, and I am pretty active outside of work but it's not always consistent. I was always worried that I was eating too much or too little. I got a Flex to help me out with that.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
    Thank you for the advice. Hmm, I want one but it is expensive! Maybe will keep an eye out to see if the price ever goes down.

    How about the Zip? It's $59, I think, and it doesn't measure stairs or sleep. But I NEVER actually track my sleep so that feature is useless to me.

    Anyway, if you're looking for a better picture of your calorie burn on an elliptical or spin bike, the Fitbit is not the device for you. But if you're looking for a tool to motivate you to move more and get a decent idea of your TDEE, the fitbit is perfect. It's amazing how lazy I can be on a lazy day, and I can't tell you how often my dog gets walked a few extra blocks so I can hit 10k or 15k steps. I have worn my Fitbit every single day since I got it and I love it.
  • fstfrd00
    fstfrd00 Posts: 33 Member
    I bought my wife a fitbit a year ago. She loves it.
  • justinebronson
    justinebronson Posts: 18 Member
    How do you like the One?? I am still using my Ultra and thinking it may be time to upgrade soon.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    It is by far the best tool I have used for my weight loss. It takes the guess work out of a lot of things.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    If you are already active, no. The calories I was hopeful would make sense don't. If you are using it as a motivation too because you have a hard time being active, then absolutely. If not, it's simply a glorified pedometer. It doesn't not track calories correctly for a super active person - I can run one day and my calories show 2500, the next day, I can take as a rest day and not workout and show 2200. So if you want it as a tool for accuracy of calories, its not the correct tool for that.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    Thank you for the advice. Hmm, I want one but it is expensive! Maybe will keep an eye out to see if the price ever goes down.

    How about the Zip? It's $59, I think, and it doesn't measure stairs or sleep. But I NEVER actually track my sleep so that feature is useless to me.

    Anyway, if you're looking for a better picture of your calorie burn on an elliptical or spin bike, the Fitbit is not the device for you. But if you're looking for a tool to motivate you to move more and get a decent idea of your TDEE, the fitbit is perfect. It's amazing how lazy I can be on a lazy day, and I can't tell you how often my dog gets walked a few extra blocks so I can hit 10k or 15k steps. I have worn my Fitbit every single day since I got it and I love it.

    This.

    Simply by having the fit bit I just move more. I use it to challange myself, and reach certain goals everyday. One I first got it I was struggling to get 10,000 steps in a day, but I have found ways to get in 15,000 - 20,000 a day with no problem.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    How do you like the One?? I am still using my Ultra and thinking it may be time to upgrade soon.

    I got my One as a gift. I love being able to sync without the dongle and the sleep wrist band is more comfortable but otherwise it's about the same. If your Lara is still going strong it's probably not worth spending the extra unless a new version with more features is released.
  • Alexandra289
    Alexandra289 Posts: 330 Member
    If you are already active, no. The calories I was hopeful would make sense don't. If you are using it as a motivation too because you have a hard time being active, then absolutely. If not, it's simply a glorified pedometer. It doesn't not track calories correctly for a super active person - I can run one day and my calories show 2500, the next day, I can take as a rest day and not workout and show 2200. So if you want it as a tool for accuracy of calories, its not the correct tool for that.

    Thank you, that's really useful. I am pretty active and really want something to tell me how active I'm being so I can improve on it but if its not that accurate I wonder how much it will actually help...

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