Fitbits aren't worth it

kimny72

I have a Fitbit Alta, non-HR. I had a Flex before that. I love them, they let me know if I've been a lazy *kitten* all day or if I'm staying active. When I'm close to a round # of steps or to my goal seeing that I'm close is motivation to get up and take a quick walk. It buzzes if I don't move for awhile, I tend to get lost in thought working or reading, and sitting for too long is no bueno. The calories it has given me for my steps (and the calories it gives me when I log my exercise on Fitbit) have worked out well for me.

I think a lot of folks who end up disappointed in trackers either depend too much on the HR component or expect that wearing one and getting all that extra data will make you lose weight faster. I just need it to keep me moving and it does that like a champ.

I'd also add, it can take a couple of weeks for at least a Fitbit tracker to "get used to" your pace and schedule.

amusedmonkey

sugaraddict4321 wrote: »

I think a person's success with an activity tracker depends on two factors - managing expectations and learning how to choose and set up the device so it gives you the most accurate information possible.

Managing expectations - Wearing an activity tracker doesn't make a person lose weight. It makes the person a bit more aware of how much they're moving, which in turn lets the person know whether or not to adjust calories in order to lose, gain, or maintain weight. For individuals training for events like a race, it can help the person know if they're on target with distance vs. time, and whether or not they need to fuel more.

Choosing/setting up the device - All trackers are set up based on averages. If you're not the average, it might take time to figure out which settings to change so the numbers are closer to reality. I'm shorter than an average person. I know that heart rate trackers are pointless for me due to medical reasons. Wrist trackers don't make sense for me because I use my hands and arms all the time, and even when I calibrated as dominant hand while using on the non-dominant one, I still had substantially inflated calorie burns.

I stick with a simple Fitbit Zip these days. It tells me if I'm moving my lower half often enough, and for me that's all I need. It's a motivation tool to remember to move more, and if I know I'm not going to move a lot (sitting in a class all day) then I should eat a bit less.

I'm the same. My heart rate is not reliable, I have anxiety, and it can affect my heart rate a lot, and I live where it could get really hot so my heart rate doesn't reflect real calorie burn when I exercise in the summer. I don't use a heart rate model for this reason. I also type for a living, so I don't like having it on my wrist. It's usually good at ignoring typing movements, but not always because I don't touch-type. Fitbit being a glorified pedometer with Bluetooth, it's great at tracking step-based movements, which most of my activity is. I have the Fitbit Flex 2, and I wear it in a clip on my bra. I'm not going to upgrade unless they come up with a new non-heart rate model with better battery life.

I don't believe tech is necessary for weight loss, but if I can simplify some aspects of the weight loss process, why wouldn't I? I also have a scale that syncs to my Libra app, and I would be the first to step out and say both the scale and the app are nothing but luxuries of convenience, doesn't mean I'll eschew all means of convenience just because they're not absolutely necessary. If I feel the convenience is worth it, I will happily pay for it.

gaelicstorm

I love my Fitbit. It is a great tool if you need motivation and want to look at overall trends concerning movement, weight, and heart rate. I don't need 100% accuracy with a device--that isn't possible. What I do need is something to help me understand how much I've been moving and how much more movement I need to do.

MFP, heart rate trackers, food scales, gym equipment, and wearable devices are just tools on this journey. The right match of tools is going to be different for each person.

smoofinator

I really like my FitBit. I've had the Blaze for like three years, and it's a reminder for me to get off my @.$$. I walk a lot, so it's made tracking way easier, and the charge holds for two to three days. I think one's satisfaction depends on what they're using it for. If you're doing traditional exercise, it is more useful than just plugging something into MFP (which overestimates calories burned, IMO), but if you're doing Korean kickboxing or something, it might not track accurately.

SillyGirl_6

I had a Fitbit HR for a couple of years. I liked it but I would wear it on my ankle. It seemed to be better at counting steps that way. Also, I am a nurse and needed a watch with a second hand to push IV meds. I wore a regular watch on my wrist. I bought a Fitbit Blaze 2 years ago. It has a second hand so I am back to wearing it on my wrist.

I like it a lot. If the steps are off I'm ok with that. I am moving more and that is the point for me. When I am counting steps and calories I lose weight. When I stop, I gain. I also like the timer and countdown feature for exercising. My HR tends to be elevated because of the medications I am on and I have an arrhythmia. The HR monitor lets me know if my HR is too high. Is it 100% accurate? Probably not. But, if I am having symptoms and my HR on the Fitbit is elevated I know to get checked out right away. I passed out in my car while at a stoplight from my HR spiking suddenly so having a way to monitor it helps.

I measured my stride to get a more accurate step count and entered that into the settings. I think that has helped too.

Bonus of seeing my kids texts from my phone if they need to let me know something important on my Fitbit while I'm at work.

I guess it depends on what your expectations are. I've lost about 11 pounds since the beginning of March when I started tracking steps and calories again. Maybe you just need to find something that works for you?