Is the Fitbit worth it?
Options
Replies
-
I love my fitbit and pretty much depend on it for eat back calories since all of my exercises are step based. It may or may not be accurate right off the bat, but you could tweak the calorie burn by eating all your extra calories then playing with the stride length until your actual weight loss matches your predicted weight loss.
It's also very helpful for spotting activity trends. For example, on days where my exercise is higher in intensity I tend to move less during the rest of the day. (average 6000 steps on no activity days and high intensity days vs 10,000 steps on low-moderate intensity days). Fitbit helped me recognize this and somewhat mitigate it by doing any high intensity work in the evening. Apparently, I also take more work breaks when I'm stressed.
Before buying it I was of the opinion that any old $2 mechanical pedometer would do for simple step tracking, or just a step counting phone app. I was wrong. For a data junkie this is information heaven and sky's the limit for what you can do with that data. The convenience of automatic sync and device size is also a plus. I'm usually wary of gimmicks and mindless wasting of money, but this is a gimmick I can get behind. Can you lose weight without one? Absolutely! Would it contribute to your weight loss enough to be worth the price? That's harder to answer, it depends on how much you personally get out of using it. Could be worth it, could be not.1 -
I had a FitBit Flex, and it overcounts your daily steps, not to mention the cheap quality. Try swinging your arm while sitting and you'll see the proof. Now I own a Polar M400 with a HRM belt and I love it.
I've heard people say this and have tried to trick mine swinging my arms (basically tried cheating in challenges) but it didnt work. My flex has been very accurate.5 -
I got a Jawbone3 about two months ago. Best thing I ever did. I had no idea how sedentary I actually was (just over 4,000 steps per day on average at the time I got it). It was a huge wake-up call. Now that I'm making a conscious effort to move more, I notice the difference - I sleep better, and I'm losing weight again. The Jawbone 3 also attempts to track sleep (it does so by monitoring how much you move at night, combined with your heart rate). Jawbone still needs to work the kinks out of this feature: it's not wonderfully accurate, but again, it gave me a clue. One of the things I noticed was on the nights where I drink - even just two glasses of wine - my heart rate during sleep was much higher than my normal heart rate, which could have been affecting the quality of my sleep (which is lousy to begin with). It definitely led to some lifestyle changes, which have led to me being much healthier overall.0
-
I've been a Fitbit user for a couple of years now. I started with the Zip, but after having issues with battery drain, got their customer service to prorate the cost of the Zip toward the Fitbit One. It's fairly basic, but it works really well for me. I sync it with the app on my phone.
As far as accuracy, I was having an issue, but found the instructions for adjusting stride length and it's worked great ever since.
I think you could probably just buy a pedometer if that's what you want. There are also apps for smartphones. But if you decide on a fitibit,before you buy from a big box store, I would check your options online. Quite often they're cheaper than they are in a brick-and-mortar store.2 -
i had 4 that all suffered failures. broken straps and bubbling mainly
they are very badly made. google for fitbit strap bubbles.
0 -
I love mine. It is the Charge 2. Everything has been said about why I like it, so I will only add that I bought mine from Kohl's. This gave me $30 in Kohl's Cash and another $5 in Kohls cash that accumulated due to spending $100 through my card. The price was the same as other stores, but now I get free pants for my son as well!
5 -
I don't have a Fitbit but I do have a Garmin Forerunner 35 - only had since Friday, but it has really helped to push me. I don't use it to monitor my steps or sleep, instead I use it during my workouts to push me harder and make me actually WANT to go to the gym.0
-
I have a Polar A360 and I can monitor my heart rate with it through the wrist band. I got it second hand (never opened) on Amazon to replace a Polar Loop I had gotten there second hand also, which I passed on to my husband. I LOVE it and it keeps me motivated. You can choose your activity and track it and your heart rate to get more out of your workouts, along with sleep, and steps. It has definitely motivated me and helped me track calories burned by workouts, and overall activity, plus I have a goal for steps daily. I think it helps me maintain my weight like never before. I would actually hate to be without it. I actually had a nightmare that I lost it! You can compare prices on all the different ones. You can compare reviews on Amazon which is very helpful whether you buy from them or not. It is actually my 3rd Polar with each one being an upgrade from the first, and Polars customer service is great.0
-
I had a FitBit Flex, and it overcounts your daily steps, not to mention the cheap quality. Try swinging your arm while sitting and you'll see the proof. Now I own a Polar M400 with a HRM belt and I love it.
I've heard people say this and have tried to trick mine swinging my arms (basically tried cheating in challenges) but it didnt work. My flex has been very accurate.
Same here. I don't get that arm swinging thing.0 -
Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.
The theory behind it could be that those that track their steps and know they have burned x calories (debateable to know because it is closed source calculations) then those people are more likely to eat back those calories that have supposedly been burnt. Of course that x number is only an estimation.
It could also suggest that those that buy these devices are looking for something to tell them they have done well whereas those that workout without them do so because they are driven to do it.
People love them because they are the new thing and they look cool. All for show. I think it was this time last year when fitbit were in trouble because the information it was supplying with regards to the HR was incorrect yet people that had already bought them weren't returning them because (and I'm paraphrasing from memory) "it has other functions that I use etc....". Seems to be a waste of money.0 -
I used to use fitbit zip, I used it for about 3 years and it was great to see how active (or inactive) I was. It was also fun to do challenges with friends. I have since switched to using a Garmin Forerunner 235 which tracks my heart rate as well as is a GPS for running or cycling or whatever I'm doing (I'm sure fitbit has something similar). Not only do I see how active or inactive I am during the day but I can see if I'm not pushing myself hard enough or too hard during exercise. I don't really pay attention to the number of steps or calories burned daily anymore but it's been a really good way to track my stats over the long term. And, it tells the time right there on my wrist!
So yes it was over $300 but it was more than just paying $300 for a pedometer. And since I used a fitbit zip for 3 years, I can honestly say I didn't use it because it was the "new" thing and I wore it inside my jeans pocket so nobody saw it and it didn't look cool to anyone.0 -
Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.
The theory behind it could be that those that track their steps and know they have burned x calories (debateable to know because it is closed source calculations) then those people are more likely to eat back those calories that have supposedly been burnt. Of course that x number is only an estimation.
It could also suggest that those that buy these devices are looking for something to tell them they have done well whereas those that workout without them do so because they are driven to do it.
People love them because they are the new thing and they look cool. All for show. I think it was this time last year when fitbit were in trouble because the information it was supplying with regards to the HR was incorrect yet people that had already bought them weren't returning them because (and I'm paraphrasing from memory) "it has other functions that I use etc....". Seems to be a waste of money.
I would be very interested to see a study, because I completely disagree with everything you just mentioned. First of all, using mfp, you are supposed to eat back exercise calories. If you have it synced properly to mfp, there should be no issues eating calories you earned through activity/exercise. Second, to say that I am not driven while wearing my Fitbit is crazy. I am more driven now than ever. I set personal goals for myself using the data from it. Before, I would sit my *kitten* on the couch and just eat at a deficit and call it good. I have done more exercise/activity while wearing it. Third, I am down weight consistently and right where I should be since getting the Fitbit. Actually, mentioning that made me go back and check. I got my Fitbit 7 weeks ago today and I am down 18 lbs, just since then. That is an average of 2.5 lbs per week (which is ok because I still am obese).
I don't think people just want them because they are the newest toy. This was a totally positive tool for my weight loss and for many others.5 -
Love my fitbit zip, the most basic one. I think it is like $40 or $50 on aamazon. The fitbit challenges with my friends keep me moving!0
-
Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.
Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.
On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.
So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".3 -
SusanMFindlay wrote: »Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.
Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.
On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.
So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".
If it's the study I read about, they compared people who used fitness trackers (but didn't necessarily track what they ate) to people who calorie counted. They found that the calorie counters lost slightly more weight (in the realm of 1-2kg iirc) over the course of the study (which might have been three months). There was no group of people who calorie counted AND used a fitness tracker. My memory is a bit hazy but if it's accurate, I'm not really surprised that calorie counting won out.0 -
SusanMFindlay wrote: »Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.
Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.
On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.
So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".
If it's the study I read about, they compared people who used fitness trackers (but didn't necessarily track what they ate) to people who calorie counted. They found that the calorie counters lost slightly more weight (in the realm of 1-2kg iirc) over the course of the study (which might have been three months). There was no group of people who calorie counted AND used a fitness tracker. My memory is a bit hazy but if it's accurate, I'm not really surprised that calorie counting won out.
That result sounds logical, but a *good* study would have included two more groups - one that used a fitness tracker *and* counted calories, and one that did neither. Because, yes, it comes as no surprise that tracking intake is more useful than tracking output. But tracking intake only is unlikely to be better than tracking both.0 -
SusanMFindlay wrote: »SusanMFindlay wrote: »Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.
Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.
On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.
So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".
If it's the study I read about, they compared people who used fitness trackers (but didn't necessarily track what they ate) to people who calorie counted. They found that the calorie counters lost slightly more weight (in the realm of 1-2kg iirc) over the course of the study (which might have been three months). There was no group of people who calorie counted AND used a fitness tracker. My memory is a bit hazy but if it's accurate, I'm not really surprised that calorie counting won out.
That result sounds logical, but a *good* study would have included two more groups - one that used a fitness tracker *and* counted calories, and one that did neither. Because, yes, it comes as no surprise that tracking intake is more useful than tracking output. But tracking intake only is unlikely to be better than tracking both.
Yup, agreed. Overall it seemed like a bit of a poorly-designed study - or the kind of study you might design if you had a vendetta against fitness trackers
The article I read didn't stop me buying one! 1 -
SusanMFindlay wrote: »SusanMFindlay wrote: »Recent research / study suggests that people that wear fitbits or other devices lose less weight than those that don't use them. Don't have the link and I haven't read the research.
Highly unlikely. More likely that you read a headline with an agenda.
On average, people willing to spend money on tracking their movement are more likely to be committed to the weightloss process and to be taking other proactive positive steps toward weightloss. Which is going to introduce a huge sampling bias into your study. Plus you get to factor in the fact that people who can afford such a device are, on average, going to be more likely to be able to afford gym memberships, a wider variety of fresh produce, more meat and fish, etc. None of which are essential for weightloss but all of which make it easier.
So, you have a study that's already biased toward the opposite outcome than the one you're suggesting before you even start looking at the effect of the device itself. Not buying your "study".
If it's the study I read about, they compared people who used fitness trackers (but didn't necessarily track what they ate) to people who calorie counted. They found that the calorie counters lost slightly more weight (in the realm of 1-2kg iirc) over the course of the study (which might have been three months). There was no group of people who calorie counted AND used a fitness tracker. My memory is a bit hazy but if it's accurate, I'm not really surprised that calorie counting won out.
That result sounds logical, but a *good* study would have included two more groups - one that used a fitness tracker *and* counted calories, and one that did neither. Because, yes, it comes as no surprise that tracking intake is more useful than tracking output. But tracking intake only is unlikely to be better than tracking both.
NPR had this article on fitness trackers. It links to some different studies that may be the ones you guys read.
Spoiler alert: Though it said the fitness devices did not seem to aid weight loss, one researcher said that "these devices are most effective when the people using them are already dedicated to tracking their fitness. People who are less motivated might not get the same results." This is a fair point.
Think about the difference between buying something to motivate you to lose weight, and buying something because you're motivated to lose weight.2 -
Whatever the case...I love my fitbit and for me it has made me more active, when I was without it i just didn't have the motivation. I personally like seeing how much I move or not. I like to challenge myself. No one knows I wear it either. So I guess its all about me, which is why I want to get healthier anyway.0
-
I have the Garmin version. It was less expensive. It does not track heart rate, but I looked the fitbit reviews there were very split oppinions about the accuracy of the HR in the fitbit. For me personally I decided to forgo the HR until the technology is a little more accurate. The Garmin still syncs up with myfitnesspal and it gives me a more realistic account for my daily activities. For me it does encourage me to get out that little bit extra most days0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 391.4K Introduce Yourself
- 43.5K Getting Started
- 259.7K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.6K Food and Nutrition
- 47.3K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 389 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.7K Motivation and Support
- 7.8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 22 News and Announcements
- 919 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.3K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions