Fitness Trackers Worth It?

cs2thecox

I still have a Fitbit Flex that's going strong.
I use it to keep an eye on my sleep, and also to note when I've had a less active day so I can either do something about it, or just not have dessert!
It's also good for reminding me to eat more when I've been extra active. I moved house a few months ago, and my commute has got longer with more walking - like, 2000-3000 more steps a day. I was noticeably more tired, and felt underfuelled. I also dropped about 3kg that I wasn't looking to drop! When I had a few weeks of data to confirm that this really was the case, I had my trainer adjust my macros to give me the extra calories back.

I think they're great, as long as you're not going to get obsessed by them, or think they're 100% accurate.
(I also use a Polar HRM which I've had longer than the Fitbit, and Endomondo on my phone when I'm doing something I want to GPS track.)

moesis

A fitness tracker only provides value if you use the data it gives you. If you set goals and stick to those goals, it will provide value. I look at my Polar M400 every night after I finish walking my puppy, around 1900. If I have not met my goal, I'm not going to bed until it is met.

Take an honest look at how you are going to use the information; will you hold yourself accountable or will you use hitting your 10,000 steps to justify that high calorie snack or will it just become something that you wear (like 90% of fitbit users).

A fitness tracker is as valuable as you are disciplined.

OnthatStuff

If you have the money to spend, go for it. You can still lose weight and work hard in the gym w/out them. However, like others have mentioned, it's a neat sense of accomplishment being able to see a measure of your efforts in between weigh-in's.

I've used the Garmin Vivosmart HR+ and later upgraded to the Garmin Vivoactive HR. Like @QS82 mentioned, the brand is legit. I went with Garmin because of the waterproof feature. The two I mentioned also have GPS that work without needing to carry a phone. Armbands aren't comfortable for me, so I like being able to leave my phone in a bag while at the gym or at home while running outside.

I used to use Mapmyfitness and Endomondo to track my bike rides and other activities. I wanted an accurate measure of calories burned so that I would not overeat any of them back. The fitness trackers calculated a lower lower calorie burn than the apps estimated for the same activities. I kept the fitness tracker figuring that since its calculations also include heart rate, it should be more accurate than the estimates provided from the apps alone.

Bornabronco

I currently have a FitBit Alta. I like it. I previously owned a Jawbone Up3. That was my favorite. The dashboards are great on both and I like that they track my sleep patterns. I am going to upgrade to the HR Alta soon. They both keep me motivated and link to MyFitnessPal. I also have BCBSTX and they link to the Well on Target app, earn me points that I can use to purchase merchandise with.

Reward yourself and keep up the good work. Tomorrow is Amazon Prime Day, so you may be able to get a good deal on any fitness tracker!

Purplebunnysarah

Bornabronco wrote: »

Reward yourself and keep up the good work. Tomorrow is Amazon Prime Day, so you may be able to get a good deal on any fitness tracker!

$50 off the Fitbit Blaze in Canada. Saw some other Fitbit models on sale but that is the one I bought (my Charge warranty replacement for a bubbling/peeling strap is starting to have the same problem as the original).

dudasd1973

I wear my Moto360 Android Wear watch all day long to keep track of steps. I also have a Garmin Forerunner 235 that I use for running.

yirara

I just bought a Fitbit Charge 2. I hope I like it and it's not too big and uncomfortable on my tiny wrists. We'll see. Wish I'd found a shop that had it on display, but for some reason... oh well... Lets see how good it is.

TrueW

@Paschen81 I also have the Gear 2! Everything in your post is correct plus more I use it periodically. I also have a Fitbit Charge HR 2 I received for my birthday 7 months ago it has none of the features or quality the Gear 2 has! I love it I am so hooked on Tracking my steps I have to see if it's compatible with MFP? Thank you I enjoyed your post!

yirara

I thought about the Gear 2, but the short battery life was a no for me. I travel a lot and prefer not to carry even more chargers and docking stations around with me. or charge up lots of tech before going on a weekend trip. The onboard GPS is cool, but I decided that it's not the right one for me.