Do you need an activity tracker to lose weight?

I was wondering if activity trackers really help with losing weight? Are they just for fun or an important tool? I'm a fairly active woman that needs (wants) to lose around 30lbs.

Replies

queenliz99

Activity trackers are for fun and you don't need one to lose weight. A calorie deficit is needed to lose weight.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside/p1

Determinedtoloseliz

I have one but you don't need it. I use it because I find it interesting but I still lost weight before I got it

malibu927

It isn't necessary, but it helps me be a little more active and understand how many calories I'm burning/how many I can eat (which is the most important thing to losing weight).

sadiepie05

queenliz99 wrote: »

Activity trackers are for fun and you don't need one to lose weight. A calorie deficit is needed to lose weight.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside/p1

Right, but do they help with a more accurate CICO?

snickerscharlie

I find mine to be very helpful, especially since it's synched to MFP and automatically updates the amount of calories I can consume in any given day based on my activity level.

I lost 75 lbs in under a year.

malibu927

sadiepie05 wrote: »

queenliz99 wrote: »

Activity trackers are for fun and you don't need one to lose weight. A calorie deficit is needed to lose weight.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10257474/starting-out-restarting-basics-inside/p1

Right, but do they help with a more accurate CICO?

Some have found trackers to be inaccurate to a degree. Others have found them to be spot on.

sadiepie05

snickerscharlie wrote: »

I find mine to be very helpful, especially since it's synched to MFP and automatically updates the amount of calories I can consume in any given day based on my activity level.

I lost 75 lbs in under a year.

That's awesome!

zyxst

malibu927 wrote: »

It isn't necessary, but it helps me be a little more active and understand how many calories I'm burning/how many I can eat (which is the most important thing to losing weight).

Samsies. I have a Fitbit One and I know I wouldn't be as active without it. I initially bought a Fitbit to help me figure out my TDEE so I had a better idea of how many calories I should eat to lose.

jemhh

No, you absolutely do not *need* one to lose weight. Can they be handy and fun and motivating? Yes. But absolutely necessary? No. I, and thousands of others, lost weight before having one. I like my Fitbit now but just see it as helpful, not a necessity.

tomteboda

No, they are not necessary. I enjoy the step counter in my phone though because it motivated me.

Zipp237

I don't need to keep a record, but I enjoy having a record. I use the Health app that comes with the iPhone.

RoxieDawn

No they are completely unecessary. IF you like "techy" gadgets you might like to get one and see what it can do for you in terms of tracking many areas of health like sleep, calories in and out, exercise activities, heart rate, how many steps you take in a day, etc.. it captures data.. who does not like data capture from wearing a watch?

I do not find the tracker helps with weight loss.. the app does allow me to see calories in and out, but what I put into the tracker is what helps with weight loss not the tracker itself. Do you need a tracker to run 3 miles.. def not.

Some trackers like my Forerunner does have the the added benefit to be an all around activities tracker and running tracker all in one.

If it feels too over the top for your lifestyle and habits and , def do not get one.

Machka9

sadiepie05 wrote: »

Do you need an activity tracker to lose weight?

No.

MissusMoon

I'm down 43 pounds without one. The goals MFP have set up and using a food scale keep me very accurate.

Cortneyrenee04

I've lost almost 80# and I've never spent a penny on anything to lose weight

if it will motivate you, great!

Christine_72

You don't need an activity tracker to lose weight. However i wouldn't be without mine. It motivates me, syncs with mfp and works out the correct calories for me, and gives me a much more accurate TDEE than any of the calculators I've used...

unknown

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Therealobi1

Not needed at all. I like having my fitbit though for the challenges

svel713

They're not necessary but can be fun to have. I have the much less popular Runtastic Orbit, which I got in April for $43. Works for me since its waterproof, which the Fitbit isn't. But the community for it is much smaller, and it lacks all the fun challenges Fitbit users get.

It also doubles as a watch and catches my phone's texts/calls at work, which is useful since I can't keep my phone on me when working.

pebble4321

You definitely don't need one.

I really like having my apple watch though which tracks my activity, heart rate etc. Partly because I'm a gadget nerd, but I do find it motivating to see more calories to eat when I'm more active. I really like not having to enter exercise separately and stop to think about whether the activity I've just done is already counted in my daily activity or not.
I find the numbers it calculates are pretty accurate for me.

cecsav1

If an activity tracker was necessary to lose weight, no one on Earth would have lost a pound pre-2010 or so...

Alarae21

You don't need one at all. I lost initially without one using just MFP.

I bought one just over a month into my journey, and it has been a boost for weight loss in terms of motivating me to be more active. So it has helped weight loss indirectly but it isn't the reason why I'm losing weight. That's the calorie deficit.

Vanyahiril

Note: I do not own one, so take my words with a grain of salt...

From what I gather, a fitness tracker should probably be viewed as an accountability "partener," rather than a weigh loss tool. So not essential, but useful!

Lounmoun

I lost 25 lbs without an activity tracker.
Some people find it to be a useful tool or motivating to use an activity tracker.

Annahbananas

No but it sure as heck helps lol

It's a awesome thing just purely from a motivational standpoint

Francl27

They're nice to give you an idea of how much your normal activities burn, but they're not necessary (plus they're not accurate anyway!).

All you need really is to adjust what you eat depending on whether you're losing weight or not.

Docbanana2002

I find it helpful for estimating my calorie burns and it motivates me to move more because it increases the number of calories I can eat on MFP.

kgirlhart

You don't need one, but lots of people find them helpful. I have a fitbit and I find that it does motivate me to be more active. But I have lost 54 pounds so far. I lost the first 29 before I got the Fitbit and the last 25 since then. I think I would have still lost without the Fitbit, but it is fun and I'm kind of a data nerd so the more figures I have to analyse the more interesting I find the whole weight loss journey.

lauraesh0384

I lost weight just fine before I got a Fit Bit, although I did kick up my weight loss when I got my very first pedometer last year. Now I have the Fit Bit Charge HR and I love it. It's a great motivational tool to increase the intensity of my walking. It was an eye opener on how little effort I was putting in. I've even added in some jogging here and there. I find mine to be pretty accurate for calorie burns so I can eat back my exercise calories and still lose weight.

Being able to eat more food is definitely a plus.

AidenT94

I enjoy mine, and I've found it helps me move more in my day (I'm not nearly as active as I used to be). I think the calorie counter on mine is a little off, but I tend to lowball how many I'm burning and highball how many calories I take in.
I went with the Walgreens Striiv Activity Tracker Touch, since I used to work for Walgreen's and got a fairly hefty discount on it. The only thing I dislike about it is the fact that if I'm holding something in my left arm, it tends to not count the steps I take. I would research a bunch of different activity trackers and maybe even download a couple of free apps if you have a smart phone, to see if it's worth the money to buy one.