I'm going Fitbit-less!

LivingtheLeanDream

Trackers are soo popular, almost everyone has one these days.

I have to admit, I was hooked, I've had a Fitbit since 2013 and hit my steps goal every single day (proud of that actually ) ..well there might have been two or three days out of the past four years than I 'only' reached 7000 steps when I normally aimed for 14k.

Anyhoo... my Fitbit One is no longer syncing and I'm thinking do I replace it or just forget about it.

My hubby lost his Charge recently (useless straps on the Charge, that was his second one) and he feels liberated to not be ruled by a gadget, he feels I would think the same - and he might be right! (he likes to think he is right all the time LOL)

I've maintained my goal weight for 4 years now, I'm active in general but how much of that was driven by my tracker/competitive streak to be high up on the leaderboard...

Anyway, I'm just getting some thoughts off my chest.

For now I am going to go Fitbit-less. Maybe I will enjoy the freedom of not having to think in steps all the time

I welcome the freedom of not being ruled by a tracker.

Ruth

shadow2soul

I have been "fit bit less" for a little over a month now. I do have a Gear s2 classic now, but it's calorie burn is so low that I can't sync it with MFP to adjust my calories up/down. I'm trying TDEE now. Still keeping an eye on steps, but only enough to make sure I'm not reverting back to 3k or less a day. Some days I do feel a bit nervous about it, because I had also used it since 2013. I didn't realize how much I relied on it.

LivingtheLeanDream

Thanks for your reply @shadow2soul, yeah I relied on mine too... it'll be a new learning curve for me.

TavistockToad

i have quite a few pals who are tracker crazy... i've worn my Garmin (which has a step counter) a couple of times and i can see how hitting/beating your step target could get addictive but its never really bothered me. on a general day i get roughly 6000 steps outside of exercise, and i work out 5 x a week so i don't think i'm inactive.

good luck!

brittnichol

I relied on my fitbit everyday for 2 ish years I haven't touched mine in a year and so glad I stopped using it. Ive noticed a lot of people worry too much to get ther 10,000 steps but food intake was on the back burner. I remember feeling like I had to get my steps in. Id workout like 30 day shred or something and see I didnt get very many steps so then Id go walking on top of that. Everyones different. But Im so happy I dont use it anymore.

Tweaking_Time

Congrats! You will love it!

I turned off all of my tracking apps last summer...it was liberating. I could stop and talk to a friend. Sit on a bench and enjoy a view. Grab a snack. Etc.

Still did the same workout - it just took a little longer with the breaks.

I turn on the apps about once per month to keep me honest now.

Sweet_Heresy

I don't really care about hitting the steps, as I have a very active job and hit 15k most days without trying...I like using it to track my cardio workouts though.

fitin50s2

I'm not fond of gadgets. I won a Fitbit Blaze in a contest and gave it to my daughter to mess with. I found it to be more of an inconvenience and not too accurate.

Other than running what I do is not step based so I don't find it applicable to use in my situation. I use my phone for my runs and for me and what I'm seeking, it's good enough for the distance and time element.

Also, I think sometimes people may get so caught up in the step counts and they lose sight of the larger picture just to get the step totals in for the day/week/challenge, etc.... Almost like the tail wagging the dog.

LivingtheLeanDream

Loving all the feedback and differing opinions everyone

Watch this space and I'll update it in a few weeks.

happysherri

I stopped wearing my fitbit last September. I am not a big "step" person. I go to the gym about 5 times a week, and eat healthy about 85%. It is liberating, because I never met the steps (desk job), other than when I mowed my grass. And it didn't motivate me to get up and leisurely walk.

I know the trackers do help others and motivate them, everyone's different. (for me it didn't)

lorrpb

I'm sorry you felt ruled by a gadget for so many years. That must feel awful. For me, it's a useful tool that helps me meet my goals. I feel very positive about it.
You mentioned that the fitbit has been key to maintaining your weight. I encourage you have a plan to monitor your progress and take specific action when needed.

NorthCascades

I never got that into it. This past Saturday, I rode my bike 50 miles and only got 4,500 steps. A fitbit would call that day a failure - just not very useful for me.

dramaman69

I had a Jawbone UP that quit after about 9 months. I switched to using a stop watch to time 60 minutes of combined walking a day. I promised myself that if I did this for a month, I'd let myself buy a Fitbit. After a month was over, I decided I really didn't need a Fitbit and have been doing my 60 minutes of daily walking for over a year now.

noor_v

I have a Fitbit Charge HR and I've been wearing it for almost 2 years now. I wear it only because it's the easiest way to track activity needed for the insurance discount from my company. I HATE WEARING IT and I wish I didn't have to. It's annoying to say the least.

TAMayorga

I just recently bought my Fitbit Charge off of my niece. I was a little leery about what it had to offer as I already had (and still use) an old-school pedometer that I am quite happy with. So now I compare the numbers off of the two gadgets and I do like having a gadget to draw my attention to my activity; it is not unusual for me to do some additional pacing through the house to get those last few/few hundred steps in to hit the next level. One thing that I find quite fascinating is the sleep tracker function. I find it motivates me to follow better sleep habits.

steph2strong

I became a little too obsessed with my fitbit, going fitbit-less was a very positive thing for me. Once I hit a certain a goal of steps I felt bad if i didn't meet or exceed that goal... well you can't just keep going up, up, up right. Also since my strength training sessions and cycling didn't register with the fitbit, it made them seem not as valuable as step based activities. I'm a very active person in general (days I'm not trying i get about 20-25K steps, days I try 35K) so to me the fitbit isn't necessary as motivator and just became another tool/number to obsess over.

kksmom1789

I wish I could go Fitbit Less I have a heart condition and I am constantly worried about my heart rate I have worn my fitbit everyday for over a year and somedays its really annoying don't get me wrong I love it but now I am thinking about the future and my heart rate and anxiety and will I ever be able to not wear my fitbit

LivingtheLeanDream

@kksmom1789 what did people do before trackers were invented if they had a heart condition I take it it's the HR function that keeps you right? Maybe in your case you're very glad to have it help you. I'm all for gadgets when they help people

LivingtheLeanDream

lorrpb wrote: »

I'm sorry you felt ruled by a gadget for so many years. That must feel awful. For me, it's a useful tool that helps me meet my goals. I feel very positive about it.
You mentioned that the fitbit has been key to maintaining your weight. I encourage you have a plan to monitor your progress and take specific action when needed.

Thanks @lorrpb I always monitor my weight regularly anyway so I'll know the score if it looks like my weight is trending upwards. I feel some relief that I've made the decision to forego wearing it. I no longer log food which I found liberating and this last crutch would let me see that I can go it alone solely and maintain. I'm active by nature anyway so it'll be good to focus on other non step related exercise

fitin50s2

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

Thanks @lorrpb I always monitor my weight regularly anyway so I'll know the score if it looks like my weight is trending upwards. I feel some relief that I've made the decision to forego wearing it. I no longer log food which I found liberating and this last crutch would let me see that I can go it alone solely and maintain. I'm active by nature anyway so it'll be good to focus on other non step related exercise

Interesting.. I no longer log food either. Haven't in over a year actually.

cwolfman13

fitin50s2 wrote: »

I'm not fond of gadgets. I won a Fitbit Blaze in a contest and gave it to my daughter to mess with. I found it to be more of an inconvenience and not too accurate.

Other than running what I do is not step based so I don't find it applicable to use in my situation. I use my phone for my runs and for me and what I'm seeking, it's good enough for the distance and time element.

Also, I think sometimes people may get so caught up in the step counts and they lose sight of the larger picture just to get the step totals in for the day/week/challenge, etc.... Almost like the tail wagging the dog.

That's always what I've basically thought...

That said, I do kinda want a Samsung Gear S3...but mostly for the other smart watch capabilities.

LivingtheLeanDream

@Tweaking_Time I so know what you mean! We used to time our walks on another app and used to get annoyed if something stopped us mid walk as it would ruin our pace time - madness or what eh lol

LivingtheLeanDream

@fitin50s2 yeah I'm at 1 year and 4 months since stopped logging food still think in calories and know roughly my daily intake but it's lovely to not need to log

LivingtheLeanDream

@cwolfman13 what other functions does the S Gear have? Just out of interest

Maddogpilot

Wasn't too impressed with FitBits' accuracy (HR, counting steps when I'm sitting, etc.) so I tossed it. No biggie on my workouts. Many months later I got a TomTom Spark 3 (because you can swim with it) found it to be a accurate tool worth wearing.

hellonew2015

I use the Charge 2 for Heart Rate monitoring during workouts and I like the sleep tracker. I wear it just during working out and when I want to track my sleep occasionally.

krushal8880

For me, I need to have something to keep me in line. I'm over 50 and if I look at food I gain weight. lol I will be getting the scale soon because I'm 25 lbs from my goal and I WILL GET THERE.

cwolfman13

RunRutheeRun wrote: »

@cwolfman13 what other functions does the S Gear have? Just out of interest

On the exercise front, it will track 6 different kinds of exercises default, including cycling which is nice because that is my primary cardio...it also just tracks general activity, including elevation...and it'll also track changes in atmospheric pressure which could be a good indicator of impending bad weather when I'm cycling in the mountains and can't see it coming...

But beyond that, it can do everything my phone can do. I can take or make calls with the watch and check messages which is nice for when I'm out on my bike and my wife wonders where I am but don't want to stop to physically answer my phone...plus it's kinda dorky Knight Rider cool. I can download and access whatever apps, do online searches, etc.

You can also synch it with a Bluetooth head set and listen to music...it has it's own internal memory, so you can take your music with you without the phone. It also supports magnetic secure transmission and near field communication payment technologies.

I don't know if I'll get one or not, but it's the first wearable like that that I've taken any interest in...and personally, I think all of the big tech companies coming out with smart watches will ultimately be the demise of fitbit...they're stock really tanked last year and they're hurting.

dougii

Totally enjoy the freedom!!! When mine stopped working I debated replacing it for months and months and now its been almost 2 years and I love not having that thing on my wrist! I've also given up wearing a watch!!! I do wear my I-phone when running and sometimes my Garmin and HRM strap but I only let the phone give me feedback at the end of each mile or the end of the run!!! My step count hasn't changed all that much since I gave up the gizmo. Aren't husbands always right? (Unless their wives have another opinion!) BTW my other half has given her fitbit up as well and doesn't have any complaints.....

billspit

I went Fit less 3 months ago and finally reaching my 2/lb a week weight lost goal. Two reach 2 pounds a week, I have to do a lot of exercise that Fit-bit doesn't properly record like the Stairs-climber Treadmill, Spinning Classes , Elliptical Machines and Circuit Weight Training. When I had my Fit Bit on I did a lot of walking on the Treadmill and avoiding the ones that burn fat more efficiently since I was fixed on getting my steps in.

Fit-bit also encouraged me to get up and raid the fridge more often. Steps went up but so did my Calorie consumption.

WinoGelato

WOW! @RunRutheeRun... since you and I have always had similar stats, activity level, and TDEE estimates in these threads, I'm interested to see how this plays out for you!

I'm still wearing my FitBit Charge HR but if you find this works well, and feel liberated by it, then I may consider following suit. I'm about 1.5 years into maintenance and still logging/tracking with FitBit, but I don't feel burdened by it. It would be a good test for me to see if I'm able to keep consistent without that safety net though.