Fitbit Trackers, to use or not to use?

pwedge68

I have a Fitbit One and Charge 2 HR. I find that not getting 10,000 steps a day just depresses me and having to make sure my trackers are working just stresses me out. I am thinking I don't want to use a Activity tracker anymore. I just want to exercise on my own I know what I need to do. What do you y'all think? I want to lose weight and I know to do that I need to eat better and exercise. I am 49 years old and have yo yo dieted all my life, up and down. I want to relax and enjoy life more. Please advise

janejellyroll

I try to eliminate things in my life that depress or stress me unless they're necessary. Do what you think will help you enjoy your life more.

seanborchelt

I like my fit bit, just reminds me to keep moving

jaci66

Use. Got into the Fitbit app and change your daily step goal to a lower number and work your way up. My Fitbit has become my best friend and definitely my bully friend. LOL It totally motivates me to get up and move throughout the day.

As for dieting... don't. Give up the dieting. Just start eating right with right portions. Know what your calories out is and keep your calories in lower. You will lose weight then. That's what I've done. I pretty much eat what I want but keep my calorie intake lower than my outgo.

jemhh

If it is stressing you out, don't use it. You do not need one in order to keep up with a fitness plan or lose weight. It really comes down to personal preference.

I lost my weight without using a fitness tracker of any kind. Just getting up and moving more (I had been very sedentary) was plenty of movement. Nowadays I like having a tracker as it reminds me to get up and move more. My preferences have changed and that is a-ok, just like it is okay for yours to be different based on your own likes/dislikes.

callsitlikeiseeit

i found no benefit in using one.

DX2JX2

I've been debating getting rid of my tracker. I do use it pretty regularly for run statistic tracking but I also find that the other health/sleep stats do little more than increase my anxiety. The only reason I haven't ditched it yet is because I hate the thought of 'wasting' money by not using all of the features of the watch almost as much as I hate the fact that I this little piece of plastic/metal can make me feel so obligated to totally arbitrary targets.

That said, if it weren't for the run tracking, I wouldn't have gotten one to begin with and absolutely wouldn't have missed it. I lost weight just fine without it.

MegaMooseEsq

I'm big on gamifying life (yes, I'm part of the Oregon Trail generation) so I've found fitness trackers to be helpful, but they really aren't necessary at all. Losing weight and getting healthy is hard enough without trying to make yourself do things that you don't enjoy and are causing you stress. If you are looking for some way to track your progress, there are plenty of other options.

kksmom1789

I was the same way if I didn't reach 10,000 steps I would feel horrible that I didn't reach my goal but other then that I really loved my fitbit so I changed my goal to 6,000 steps a day and I am so glad I did I was still able to lose 30lbs this past year

Tacklewasher

I love my Garmin. Just thinking of spending more on a better one (man I gotta stop doing that). But I turned off some of the goals and know on days I lift or swim I won't hit the step goals. Bothered me for a while bu I'm over that.

Drop the goal to 5K steps and move up from there.

Aint2Proud2Meg

I went through that and stopped using mine for awhile. I went back to it after a bit because I don't even try to log my exercises manually and I like to see the calories I earn by exercising. It's my saving grace because even though I don't 100% trust calorie burn estimates, if I have a day I'm starving but I can see I burned twice as much as I normally do I can eat some cals back without feeling like a failure and giving up.
Even though I went back to using mine, if it was really only stressing me out, I wouldn't use it anymore. It helps that I don't really care if I hit my steps, my main priority is staying under my calorie goal.

middlehaitch

I gave one a trial for a month, hated it.

My daily movement, not including exercise, is so much more than steps.
I found just getting in steps, for the sake of steps, and little machine, a waste of time, and gave me less time to do activities I enjoyed more.

My exercise time does not include walking unless I am training for a 10km.

I get a much better all around workout working in the garden for a couple of hours a day than I do trying to hit a certain number of steps.

I still go for walks almost daily, if they need logging (training walks) I just use MFP.

I don't think step counters are bad, I think walking is a great exercise. I just know me and a Fitbit thing don't get along.

If you think it would help you, use one; if you think it would be a hinderance, don't.

Cheers, h.

karynclarke

MegaMooseEsq wrote: »

I'm big on gamifying life (yes, I'm part of the Oregon Trail generation) so I've found fitness trackers to be helpful, but they really aren't necessary at all. Losing weight and getting healthy is hard enough without trying to make yourself do things that you don't enjoy and are causing you stress. If you are looking for some way to track your progress, there are plenty of other options.

@MegaMooseEsq Have you ever tried the app Level Up Life? It turns your life into a game where everything you do give you experience points and you get to level up. It's *kitten* awesome (and I completely forgot about until your post... Must start playing again)

P.S. Oregon Trail is da bomb!!

P.P.S. Sorry for derailing your thread OP

MegaMooseEsq

karynclarke wrote: »

MegaMooseEsq wrote: »

I'm big on gamifying life (yes, I'm part of the Oregon Trail generation) so I've found fitness trackers to be helpful, but they really aren't necessary at all. Losing weight and getting healthy is hard enough without trying to make yourself do things that you don't enjoy and are causing you stress. If you are looking for some way to track your progress, there are plenty of other options.

@MegaMooseEsq Have you ever tried the app Level Up Life? It turns your life into a game where everything you do give you experience points and you get to level up. It's *kitten* awesome (and I completely forgot about until your post... Must start playing again)

P.S. Oregon Trail is da bomb!!

P.P.S. Sorry for derailing your thread OP

Oh man, I could see getting sucked into that bad - looks like so much fun!

tess5036

If it's depressing or stressing you, it is not worth using it. If you do want to keep with it for a bit, have you thought about lowering your target

Sarahb29

karynclarke wrote: »

MegaMooseEsq wrote: »

I'm big on gamifying life (yes, I'm part of the Oregon Trail generation) so I've found fitness trackers to be helpful, but they really aren't necessary at all. Losing weight and getting healthy is hard enough without trying to make yourself do things that you don't enjoy and are causing you stress. If you are looking for some way to track your progress, there are plenty of other options.

@MegaMooseEsq Have you ever tried the app Level Up Life? It turns your life into a game where everything you do give you experience points and you get to level up. It's *kitten* awesome (and I completely forgot about until your post... Must start playing again)

P.S. Oregon Trail is da bomb!!

P.P.S. Sorry for derailing your thread OP

Thank you!! I love these games with steps and fitness goals. I have the SHealth green tea challenge but it's ending soon

kuranda10

I love the Fitbit, BUT I'm a data geek.

I also calculate my calories and Macros based on TDEE, not NEAT. So I can see (roughly) what that is through out the day.

I love seeing how I tend to stall on weight loss when my resting HR is high and my sleep is bad. I can also prove to my husband that, yes, he is exactly the reason I sleep like garbage (he works away, so I have "with him" and "without him" data points)

When I got a desk job I lowered my daily step goal and am slowly working back up to 10,000

pwedge68

I have lowered my target and will look to raise it when I can.

melodysf10

I love my Fitbit. It's been a huge part of my new lifestyle, but you have to do what works for you.

pwedge68

What are these games that are being talked about? Where do you find them at?

Bearbo27

My Fitbit has worked wonders for me. I am down 113.7 lbs since last July from using my Fitbit. I love setting goals for myself and pushing myself to get my steps everyday. There are many days where I would like to sit and relax instead of moving. Then I look at my step count and look at my pitiful amount of calories I have to use and it gets me moving. I have mine set to subtract calories when my activity level has not been hit. Not only do I get my steps, but it adjusts my calories so I can eat more. Without it, I’m pretty sure those days where I was lazy I would still end up eating like a normal and gain weight over time. It really isn’t all that stressful to me.

ZoneFive

I wear a Charge 2 and I enjoy having a bit of a challenge to work with. If it stresses and depresses you, by all means take it off and put it away or give it away! There's no need to make yourself unhappy -- life can be a pain in the butt enough without assistance.