Fitbits - waste or worth it?

Options
124678

Replies

  • NYCDutchess
    NYCDutchess Posts: 622 Member
    Options
    I got my husband one and he didn't like it, I think I'm going to snatch it up and re-program it for me...
    Is that easy to do?
  • Bella954
    Bella954 Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    Love mine....if u have HUmana they give u gift cards or rewards for daily activity
  • genpopadopolous
    genpopadopolous Posts: 411 Member
    Options
    I am on my second.

    I had the Charge, no issues for over a year, I only upgraded to the Charge2 because you can change bands and it looked more like a watch. And I asked for it for Christmas.

    I don't have mine synced together. What I did do using a trend app for my weight, my Fitbit burn, and MFP was get a very good educated guess on how much I actually burn in a day and I just set my MFP calorie goal to a deficit I like.

    I like the data. I know exactly how many steps I need to take in a day to keep my deficit. I know exactly how many calories I get every day. Plus I'm a nerd. I love having all the numbers. Numbers, numbers, numbers!!
  • ddeliciosa
    ddeliciosa Posts: 168 Member
    Options
    I got the Charge 2 for my birthday back in January and I absolutely love it! It's been a huge catalyst for me getting healthier. I love all the stats - knowing how much I slept, my heart rate, steps, miles/day, calories burned, etc. It's also synced to MFP which encourages me to log everyday. I just got a rose gold chain for it off amazon for like $15 and now I get so many compliments on it too!
  • justkeeprunning91
    justkeeprunning91 Posts: 96 Member
    Options
    I've had a charge HR for a year and a half, and I love having all of the data and being able to track my resting heart rate over time (and watch it go down!). However, I'm on my fourth charge HR because the band kept coming apart. Fitbit is really good about replacing them, but it's still a pain to have it break every 4 months or so. Apparently they fixed the problem with the newer ones. I haven't had any problems with syncing with MFP and I really like knowing how many calories I've burned just walking around and being able to track the extra calories in MFP without having to log exercise on top of food.
  • mumblemagic
    mumblemagic Posts: 1,090 Member
    Options
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    It all depends on expectations.

    For data geeks these things are like crack. I've been tracking my performance since 1996 using a Polar chest strap and Excel spreadsheet. I upgraded to a HR7 which does an excellent job of tracking my workouts.
    .
    This made me spit out my tea!

    As a fellow data addict, I am really impressed you've been at this since 1996. I thought my 5 years was a long time!

    What else do you track?

    I track sleep, exercise, calories in, asthma peak flow, and recently using a cool app called clue for my lady cycle. My family mock me. I feel smug that I've lost weight and kept it off to within 5 lbs.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Options
    mumblemagic wrote: »
    CSARdiver wrote: »
    It all depends on expectations.

    For data geeks these things are like crack. I've been tracking my performance since 1996 using a Polar chest strap and Excel spreadsheet. I upgraded to a HR7 which does an excellent job of tracking my workouts.
    .
    This made me spit out my tea!

    As a fellow data addict, I am really impressed you've been at this since 1996. I thought my 5 years was a long time!

    What else do you track?

    I track sleep, exercise, calories in, asthma peak flow, and recently using a cool app called clue for my lady cycle. My family mock me. I feel smug that I've lost weight and kept it off to within 5 lbs.

    Happy to oblige fellow sufferer. In 1996 I tracked HR, recover HR, weight, and kept a run/bike/swim journal. I never tracked caloric intake, but would jot down notes on weather if there was something unusual.

    I stopped doing this around 2003 when I traded in my military life for a cushy academic job.

    When I discovered MFP in 2014 I got back into it and now track CI, HR, recovery HR, VO2MAX, BP, Bodyfat%, weight along with keeping a journal - then I graph this out applying 3 sigma to spot trends.
  • Hensonator1084
    Hensonator1084 Posts: 195 Member
    Options
    Save your money and use your smart phone
  • BaddS4
    BaddS4 Posts: 302 Member
    Options
    I've gone through a few fitbits. I now have the blaze and love it.. It only comes off for water sports and when I have to charge it... It keeps me motivated to move and I enjoy the challenges they have on there as well ..
  • ZeroTX
    ZeroTX Posts: 179 Member
    Options
    The nicer ones function as basic smartwatches. Your text messages come through and you get a vibration to know you got one. Great for those of us who cannot leave our phones on audible during the work day.
  • _Justinian_
    _Justinian_ Posts: 232 Member
    Options
    As with any other fitness-related device, it is only worth it if you use it.
  • mmmmaidservice
    mmmmaidservice Posts: 85 Member
    Options
    Hensonator1084 wrote: »
    Save your money and use your smart phone

    Is there an app aside from MFP that can sort of do what the Fitbit does? I put my phone down often and never have it with me on a run or doing the elliptical or cross fit so I can't see calories I've potentially burned. If there was an app I would totally use that!

    Anyway. Fitbit is on its way and my husband got it cheap so if I don't like it...no real harm done and if I do like it I won't mind spending some more money to upgrade if needed.
  • kittybenn
    kittybenn Posts: 444 Member
    Options
    I've got an oldie but goodie - the Zip. I love it. Just throw it in my pocket. The battery lasts for maybe six months - no need to charge. I think it's not a miracle device but will keep you conscious of your steps and activity. I work at home and set an alarm so I get up and move every hour or so. I'll note the number of steps I have and then not sit back down til I've added 1,000 more. You can also taunt family members and friends via the app, which is kinda fun. Anything to stay motivated! The customer service at Fitbit is amazing, BTW.
  • kittybenn
    kittybenn Posts: 444 Member
    Options
    Oh, and if you want to read something truly hilarious, check out this NYer piece by David Sedaris on his Fitbit. http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/06/30/stepping-out-3
  • englishmuffinruns
    englishmuffinruns Posts: 70 Member
    Options
    kittybenn wrote: »
    I've got an oldie but goodie - the Zip. I love it. Just throw it in my pocket. The battery lasts for maybe six months - no need to charge. I think it's not a miracle device but will keep you conscious of your steps and activity. I work at home and set an alarm so I get up and move every hour or so. I'll note the number of steps I have and then not sit back down til I've added 1,000 more. You can also taunt family members and friends via the app, which is kinda fun. Anything to stay motivated! The customer service at Fitbit is amazing, BTW.

    I loved my Zip! My stupidity was its downfall. I forgot to unclip it from my sports bra and it went through the washer. It worked for a day or two after it dried out, but then started acting weird and resetting itself. I replaced it with a Flex that I really like but now I'm lusting over the newer models that have a HR monitor.

    Plus side to wearing it is that I can use it as my Road ID.
  • ibboykin
    ibboykin Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    I had a charge HR and now a Surge. LOVE IT!! It may or may not (debatable) be totally accurate but it is enough for me to be able to challenge myself. To stay motivated. To beat yesterday's time or distance.
    Have I ever had an issue??? Sure. However Fitbit has such a great customer service department. They are super easy to deL with and quickly get a replacement out to me. I would buy one again....no doubt.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,970 Member
    Options
    Power meters can tell you exactly how many calories you've burned; they're not an estimate but a measurement. Every power meter that I know of is rated in terms of accuracy. A maximum error of +/- 1.5 % is the industry standard.

    Fitbits don't promise any kind of accuracy, do they? I mean, it could be 100 % off and still within spec?

    Does that bother anybody? For $100 to $200 should they at least give you some idea what to expect in terms of accuracy, like how big a grain of salt to take their numbers with?
  • genpopadopolous
    genpopadopolous Posts: 411 Member
    edited February 2017
    Options
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Power meters can tell you exactly how many calories you've burned; they're not an estimate but a measurement. Every power meter that I know of is rated in terms of accuracy. A maximum error of +/- 1.5 % is the industry standard.

    Fitbits don't promise any kind of accuracy, do they? I mean, it could be 100 % off and still within spec?

    Does that bother anybody? For $100 to $200 should they at least give you some idea what to expect in terms of accuracy, like how big a grain of salt to take their numbers with?

    Doesn't bother me because I weigh every day and with my trend I know my deficit.

    Either my Fitbit overestimates by about 100-200 calories a day or my logging is about that imprecise. So for my .5 a week weightloss I have to have a deficit of 400 every day according to my Fitbit.

    I feel that's plenty accurate. I don't care that it's not accurate as long as it's inaccurate in the same way every day- you know? It's just a tool for my weightloss and eating. Consistency is all I need.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
    Options
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Power meters can tell you exactly how many calories you've burned; they're not an estimate but a measurement. Every power meter that I know of is rated in terms of accuracy. A maximum error of +/- 1.5 % is the industry standard.

    Fitbits don't promise any kind of accuracy, do they? I mean, it could be 100 % off and still within spec?

    Does that bother anybody? For $100 to $200 should they at least give you some idea what to expect in terms of accuracy, like how big a grain of salt to take their numbers with?

    I really don't know what you mean by a power meter (except ones that work with a bicycle). For a high-accuracy measurement, people use breath analysis (oxygen consumption, etc.). Fitbits use motion, heart rate, body weight, sex, and age to estimate calorie burn.

    There are many ways it can overestimate or underestimate: The classic case is cycling. Since it doesn't have GPS, it doesn't even know you're moving, and you get an underestimate. (You can to fix it in the app, if you have the patience.) Another case is driving on bumpy roads (or doing anything where you shake your arm around.) You get an overestimate.

    I STILL LIKE THEM! And I might replace my broken one. Just use common sense when you look at the data. Also, I don't recommend linking to MFP, because it can sometimes encourage you to overeat.

    I'm tempted to buy a Garmin vívoactive HR GPS. The upside is that it adds a GPS. The down sides are that it needs much more frequent charging and it is bulky.
  • janeo150
    janeo150 Posts: 11 Member
    Options
    I don't like anything on my wrist so I bought a Fitbit Zip after having a Jawbone UP24. Love the Zip. It runs on a battery so I never have to charge it and syncs automatically to MFP and the Fitbit website. I clip it to my shoe or sock or bra and forget about it. The Zip doens't track sleep, etc. just steps, which is exactly what I wanted.

Categories