Thinking about purchasing a FitBit...
4daluvof_candice
Posts: 483 Member
I did some research and still dont understand it I guess...:huh:
How does a fitbit work? Do you wear it all day then log the calorie burn no matter what you did?
How does it work with what you consume each day?
How does a fitbit work? Do you wear it all day then log the calorie burn no matter what you did?
How does it work with what you consume each day?
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Replies
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don't bother - you know deep down if you've been lazy.. save the money for the Nikes you'll wear out walking so much!
FYI its all electronic and updates MFP automatically.... but a grand waste of money0 -
The new ones you wear on your wrist and they automatically sync your estimated calorie burn to My Fitness Pal. If you log an exercise it will not sync those calories from your Fitbit for the time period specified. The Fitbit will sync as often as you like but depends on which method you use. Some smartphones are able to sync but if you do not have one compatible it is done with a usb stick for your computer. And yes you wear them all day and to bed.0
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My Fitbit was the best $100 I've ever spent in my life, ever. Easily. It has proven to be frighteningly accurate over the past year.
The wrist-mounted ones are trash IMO. The wrist is a poor place to measure body movement. The Fitbit One is the only real choice.0 -
The wrist-mounted ones are trash IMO. The wrist is a poor place to measure body movement. The Fitbit One is the only real choice.
Jonnythan, where do you use the Fitbit One for best measurement? I know someone who clips hers to her shoe. Does it work well if you clip it to your waistband? I keep thinking about getting one.0 -
I love my fit bit! I have found it to be really accurate for me as well. I am very sad right now though as I have misplaced mine...:grumble: . Hopefully it will turn up soon!0
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The wrist-mounted ones are trash IMO. The wrist is a poor place to measure body movement. The Fitbit One is the only real choice.
Jonnythan, where do you use the Fitbit One for best measurement? I know someone who clips hers to her shoe. Does it work well if you clip it to your waistband? I keep thinking about getting one.
It's designed to be worn on the torso. It expects to record the type of movements found there. I wear mine on my waistband.0 -
Fitbit counts your steps and your stairs you climb. It autoadds the extra calories to MFP (sync accounts). It's that simple.
You can also track your sleep, which is nice.
I 100% recommend a fitbit, I LOVE mine.0 -
I got one as a gift. It's a $2 pedometer with $80 in bluetooth/wireless/software that comes along with it.
It's a fun toy.0 -
I got one as a gift. It's a $2 pedometer with $80 in bluetooth/wireless/software that comes along with it.
It's a fun toy.
Find me a pedometer that can actually estimate speed, which will produce over the course of a year a "calories burned" estimate that is within 1-2% of actual calories burned (as calculated using weight change and calorie intake).0 -
I've had two. A Flex which I'm wearing now, and a Fitbit One that I preferred but disappeared from the holder one day never to be seen again.
If you're serious about walking as your exercise, it's a worthy purchase. As others have said, both are fairly accurate and automatically sync with their own App (and thereby with MFP) based on the settings you used. Both models have advantages and disadvantages.
The Fitbit One
+ small, fits easily in pocket, measures stair steps.
+ readable progress display
- easily lost thanks to crappy soft-rubber holder design.
- you have to remember to either place it in your pocket or clip it somewhere (and remove it so as to not put it in the wash)
The Fitbit Flex
+ wearable on your wrist, you don't forget about it in a pocket or clipped to anything.
+ fairly water resistant (shower wearable)
- doesn't measure stairs climbed
- doesn't have a real progress display
- unlike the One, can be "fooled" -- your arm doesn't move when you push grocery carts for example.
If the Fitbit One came in a better holder, I'd prefer it. My only preference for the Flex is that -- unlike the One -- I probably won't be too terribly prone to losing the $99 digital toy...
That being said -- and if you can find one -- look for a new Fitbit Force which combines the best of both models into a wearable watch-style device that is reportedly less prone to be "fooled" like the Flex.
Wayne0 -
That being said -- and if you can find one -- look for a new Fitbit Force which combines the best of both models into a wearable watch-style device that is reportedly less prone to be "fooled" like the Flex.
Wayne
The Force is worn on the wrist just like the Flex. There's no reason to think it would be any more/less accurate.
Fitbit is very good about replacing lost devices. If you contact CS saying you lost your One out of the holder, they'll probably send you a new one.
That said, I have no trouble with it falling out.0 -
@jonnythan,
Supposedly a "different/improved accelerometer" in the Force (based on multiple reviews), hence my statement.
I did contact customer support, and you're right, normally they're great.... *IF* you can produce a receipt or something showing your purchase, which I couldn't several months later, so they couldn't really help me (and -- I admit -- rightfully so since I couldn't actually prove I had ever bought one).
The more I removed/inserted the One into the rubber holder, the more flexible/loose the rubber got. I pulled it off my belt one day and poof, alakazam. Gone..
Wayne0 -
@jonnythan,
Supposedly a "different/improved accelerometer" in the Force (based on multiple reviews), hence my statement.
Wayne
Seems unlikely that changing to a different accelerometer subunit will help, considering that you're still measuring from the wrist.0 -
How does it estimate your calorie burn though, does it just go by height, weight, speed or is there some type of HRM installed as well?0
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Everything jonnythan said.
Thanks for making my responses easy, man.0 -
How does it estimate your calorie burn though, does it just go by height, weight, speed or is there some type of HRM installed as well?
It uses your height and weight as variables in an algorithm.
The device uses an accelerometer that can rather accurately track how you move your body. It uses this movement in combination with your height and weight to estimate how many calories you have to have burned to move your body in that way.
There is no HRM involved.0 -
Everything jonnythan said.
Thanks for making my responses easy, man.
:drinker:0 -
Seems unlikely that changing to a different accelerometer subunit will help, considering that you're still measuring from the wrist.
Not really. Change the algorithm, changes to the sensitifity. Who knows? Same thing happens with smartphone evolution. Certainly not even worth debating.
Point is, I like my Flex and can recommend it. Wish I had a Force if for nothing else but the progress display/clock aspect. I really liked my One, but wish I could buy a better third-party clip for a One, or even adapt it to a watch-band style because I'd do that in a heartbeat.
It's all good.
Wayne0 -
My *only* measure of negative for the Fitbit One -- and the reason I didn't replace it with an identical model -- is the fact that it can be -- and in my case WAS -- easily lost as the cheap rubber-based clip ages.
It's a GREAT device, but losing a $100 pedometer sucks... Big time..
Wayne0 -
I did some research and still dont understand it I guess...:huh:
How does a fitbit work? Do you wear it all day then log the calorie burn no matter what you did?
How does it work with what you consume each day?
How does it estimate your calorie burn though, does it just go by height, weight, speed or is there some type of HRM installed as well?
If curious, I didn't see answers to couple of your questions.
It works by using standard BMR calculation based on gender, age, weight, height. That amount of calorie burn is used for all non-moving time.
All moving time is step based, stair based attempted too, and then calorie burn is based on weight and that info - and that is actually really accurate formula's if it is seeing your steps correctly, and it has your stride length correct (you can manually put in tested figures to increase accuracy).
This also means it's under-inflated for any workout not step based, like bike, lifting, rowing, ect. Their FAQ page mentions several exercise.
When you sync it with MFP, some math is done.
You already told MFP what your daily calorie burn is without exercise, activity level x BMR. An estimate of course.
When MFP sees a FitBit reading higher than what it expected for non-exercise maintenance burn, it assumes the rest is from exercise, and per the way MFP works, you get to eat more when you do more, the same deficit for weight loss is still in your daily goal no matter what.
You can still manually log in to MFP exercise the FitBit would be bad at measuring, like strength training, and MFP will sync it over to FitBit to replace the calories it underestimated. The math is then done again as to how much left to eat that day.
So if you sync it, you mainly do everything from the MFP side of the equation, daily eating levels are synced over to FitBit site.0 -
I adore my FitBit Force. Wasn't sure what to expect but I am absolutely loving it. I realized I was seriously over-estimating my activities (Brisk walk, walk, very brisk walk, cross-country and mountain climbing) thinking I had way more calories to spare than I actually did. Obviously it IS a frivolous gadget and I won't tell someone to buy one instead of food and clothes for their children but seeing as this is a community that caters to every consumer then I guess personal opinions count for something every now and again!
I adore it and recommended it to an equally frivolous friend who seems to get a kick out of it as well. I will actually get back outside to meet my 15K daily step goal at 9:00PM at night to prove a ridiculous point to my silly watch. In the end whatever it takes to keep you active, motivated and fit... That's money well spent, right there.0 -
So Jonnythan, do you think the Fitbit Zip would be just as good? Seems similar to the One except no sleep monitor.
Lots of women hook them in their bra, so it seems like it wouldnt get easily lost. [I realize you have no experience with hooking it in your bra. ;-) ]
I keep thinking about a Fitbit and can't make up my mind!0 -
I got one as a gift. It's a $2 pedometer with $80 in bluetooth/wireless/software that comes along with it.
It's a fun toy.
Find me a pedometer that can actually estimate speed, which will produce over the course of a year a "calories burned" estimate that is within 1-2% of actual calories burned (as calculated using weight change and calorie intake).
Like I said, $2 pedometer with $80 in bluetooth/wireless/software.0 -
I did some research and still dont understand it I guess...:huh:
How does a fitbit work? Do you wear it all day then log the calorie burn no matter what you did?
How does it work with what you consume each day?
How does it estimate your calorie burn though, does it just go by height, weight, speed or is there some type of HRM installed as well?
If curious, I didn't see answers to couple of your questions.
It works by using standard BMR calculation based on gender, age, weight, height. That amount of calorie burn is used for all non-moving time.
All moving time is step based, stair based attempted too, and then calorie burn is based on weight and that info - and that is actually really accurate formula's if it is seeing your steps correctly, and it has your stride length correct (you can manually put in tested figures to increase accuracy).
This also means it's under-inflated for any workout not step based, like bike, lifting, rowing, ect. Their FAQ page mentions several exercise.
When you sync it with MFP, some math is done.
You already told MFP what your daily calorie burn is without exercise, activity level x BMR. An estimate of course.
When MFP sees a FitBit reading higher than what it expected for non-exercise maintenance burn, it assumes the rest is from exercise, and per the way MFP works, you get to eat more when you do more, the same deficit for weight loss is still in your daily goal no matter what.
You can still manually log in to MFP exercise the FitBit would be bad at measuring, like strength training, and MFP will sync it over to FitBit to replace the calories it underestimated. The math is then done again as to how much left to eat that day.
So if you sync it, you mainly do everything from the MFP side of the equation, daily eating levels are synced over to FitBit site.
Ok, Thanks for the clarity...Im definitely considering it now for my second half of my weight loss..0 -
Find me any mathematical equation that can do the same........0
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I have the fitbit force and I love it! I wasn't burning nearly as many calories as I thought, plus with the real time display is a little more motivation.0
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I got one as a gift. It's a $2 pedometer with $80 in bluetooth/wireless/software that comes along with it.
It's a fun toy.
Find me a pedometer that can actually estimate speed, which will produce over the course of a year a "calories burned" estimate that is within 1-2% of actual calories burned (as calculated using weight change and calorie intake).
Like I said, $2 pedometer with $80 in bluetooth/wireless/software.
Except pedometers don't do that.
The results speak for themselves. Over the past year, the Fitbit has estimated my daily calorie expenditure to within about 10 calories/day (as calculated based on my weight change and calories eaten).0 -
So Jonnythan, do you think the Fitbit Zip would be just as good? Seems similar to the One except no sleep monitor.
Lots of women hook them in their bra, so it seems like it wouldnt get easily lost. [I realize you have no experience with hooking it in your bra. ;-) ]
I keep thinking about a Fitbit and can't make up my mind!
I had the Zip and exchanged it for the One. The altitude (stair counting) function is worth the extra money. The sleep tracking is kinda cool too, though I don't do it anymore.
[I plead the fifth with regards to the bra.]0 -
Another vote for the Fitbit here.
Just set your MFP activity level to sedentary, then link your Fitbit account. Once you've been active enough it will start giving you more Calories.
It has taken all the guess work out of my weight loss. So long as I follow the numbers, my actual results match the predicted results to a tee.0 -
I posted this questions earlier and did not get a response. Perhaps someone on this thread will know...
I just got a fitbit force and I love it so far. I set it up following some advice on the threads. I set my activity level to sedentary, MFP estimated that I burn 1913 calories just sitting around (I work at a desk job). I subtracted 500 calories (1413) plus I eat back the "fitbit adjustment" calories, which varies anywhere from 300-600 calories. My question is, how can I force the fitbit to update more often? I usually workout in the evening and it doesn't always update MFP, I know I can estimate how many calories I can eat back by using the fitbit app but is there a way to just manually update the fitbit info with MFP?0
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