Anyone Stop Using Their FitBit?

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jrwms714
jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Not sure if this is the right forum for this or not, but here goes: I have been on MFP for a year and a half and have lost 29 lbs. I am close to my goal, which is another 9 lbs. from here. About 3 months ago, I bought a FitBit Zip and wore it religiously. I found that all it did was confuse me with 'way too much information. So a few days ago I deactivated and went back to just using MFP, eating back cals, etc. I liked the step counting and the calories burned, but thought it was a very expensive pedometer! I asked FitBit and MFP if there was a way to just use it for those things, but apparently not. I plan to go back to using it once I am on maintenance, for those things, mainly.

Anyone else deactivate their FitBit and for that reason or any other? I am finding that, on this weight loss journey, I need to keep things as simple as possible. Calories in, calories out ... I workout 5x/week, and I am losing my weight slowly and surely. Fitbit just seemed to muddy the waters for me.
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Replies

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    You asked if there was a way to use it for just what things? The step count and the calories burned? That's kind of all the Zip does.

    At $59 it's not all that expensive of a pedometer. Any decent accelerometer style pedometer is going to be over $35 or so.

    I used mine for all of 2010 and then burned out on making myself hit 10,000 steps a day and only wore it intermittently for years after that. I'm back to hitting my steps goals for now. I never bothered deactivating my Fitbit account, though. It just sits there unused when I don't use it.

    Some people find data motivating, some find it confusing. Nothing wrong with that!
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
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    I'm so sorry. I only just now checked My Topics. Thank you for your reply. Very helpful. The Zip's syncing with MFP and how the calories were counted, etc. just confused me too much. I deactivated the Zip which I know from your post was not necessary but looks like I can reactivate and just use it when I want to, i.e., like on vacations. I seem to be doing much better without it, and plan to use it when I have reached goal. I do like the step counting and the smallness of the Zip.
    Again, thanks for your reply!
  • Samstan101
    Samstan101 Posts: 699 Member
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    I delinked my Fitbit from MFP but still use it constantly. I log all my exercise and non walking activity on Fitbit as I've found it far more accurate than MFP (comparing estimated calories for the same actvities and my HRM reading). I then use that as a guide to my TDEE. I then know what deficit I'm eating at (currently average of 1000 cals a day deficit).
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    I use mine mainly to keep me motivated to move more, which it does a great job for me.

    I don't eat back exercise calories and don't pay much attention to that aspect of it.

    Deactivating with MFP might be a good idea for me as well, but I really love it and it will continue to be my best motivator.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
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    I only use my FitBit for the steps as a way to motivate myself to walk more. I do not rely on it for an accurate amount of calories burned. I don't even wear it when I work out, actually!
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
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    I deactivated mine recently because I was not only adding my exercise calories, but it was giving me the adjustments for normal walking. I don't count that as exercise. I still use it every day for motivation to move.
  • staciedee10
    staciedee10 Posts: 90 Member
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    I used my fitbit in the beginning to count my steps, etc. After a month of using it, I knew EXACTLY what to do and really did not need my fitbit any longer. I log everything into MFP which has helped me tremendously!! =)
  • jeansuza
    jeansuza Posts: 148 Member
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    I deactivated my Fitbit after 2 months. I like when I do an exercise to be able to know if I can eat those calories but with Fitbit, it would allow me, say 200 cal., but at the end of the day, the amount would be down to 150. So if I had eaten the 200 calories I was in the red for 50. Didn't work for me, sorry! Furthermore, I am already obsessing enough about cal. and exercising that to count the steps was too much. Also, there were MANY days where the Fitbit numbers were blown up by high winds or other atmospheric issues. On these days, I didn't know how many calories I could eat and my diary was messed up... I guess that if you don't eat the spent calories (or if you do not link Fitbit to MFP), it doesn't really matter but for me, that wouldn't be sustainable because I workout to be able to eat more...
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
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    I lost two. The first FitBit replaced because the catch was loose, the second I didn't bother replacing.

    Getting "enough steps in" was stopping me doing any more vigorous exercise or any strength training, and the 10,000 a day tyranny had me marching while cleaning my teeth at night!

    I was assured that my average TDEE matched MFP's calculations, though.
  • shayemimi
    shayemimi Posts: 203 Member
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    I wear my fitbit one religiously. It is an awesome motivator for me to get up and move. I have it linked to MFP, but I still log my exercise here on MFP. Then it only gives me extra calories if I've been extra active outside of structured exercised. (like I walked 10000 extra steps that day shopping, etc.) I don't generally eat those calories, unless I'm extra hungry. I like seeing how many stairs/steps I get in. It really pushes me not to sit around. :)
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
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    I wear mine but I don't link MFP and FITBIT.

    I eat a set amount of calories based on TDEE and don't want the exercise fitbit thinks I earned to my daily totals on MFP.

    I like wearing it as it makes me realize if I am having a lazy day and step it up. I do exercise by doing strength training and running besides taking walks.
  • daniellemm1
    daniellemm1 Posts: 465 Member
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    I have a Flex and I love it. However I do not link the two accounts. MFP is used for logging my food and my Flex is used to monitor my TDEE to ensure that the food I log on MFP is 500 calories below my TDEE for weight loss. Both are tools that you have to assist you in monitoring your food and fitness. Use them in whatever way works best for you :)
  • Shellz31
    Shellz31 Posts: 214 Member
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    Anyone else deactivate their FitBit and for that reason or any other?

    NEVER!! :noway: I absolutely love my fitbit. I never stop wearing it. It's made me so much more aware of how much activity I get each day. I didn't realize how little I moved when I work from home. Now, I make sure to take walks during my breaks. Fitbit has made me much more active in general.

    But if you found it more demotivating than motivating then you did what's best for you.

    Just a few things about some of the comments. There's not a 10,000 step rule. That is the default goal, but you can change it and nothing will happen to you if you don't meet that goal :tongue: Also, I personally find that fitbit calorie estimates are way more accurate than MFP. I have them linked, but MFP always gives me huge fitbit exercise calorie adjustments. I go to fitbit website and use their calorie estimates, which are usually 200 calories less than MFP. I set fitbit to assume I'll be sedentary the rest of the day.
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
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    I have a Flex and I love it. However I do not link the two accounts. MFP is used for logging my food and my Flex is used to monitor my TDEE to ensure that the food I log on MFP is 500 calories below my TDEE for weight loss. Both are tools that you have to assist you in monitoring your food and fitness. Use them in whatever way works best for you :)
    Some of you have said that you stopping linking MFP and FitBit, but used the FitBit for steps and motivation. That is exactly how I want to use it. So here is what I don't know and maybe you can help me: if I do NOT link the two, can I then just use the Fitbit as a pedometer only? If so, how do I accomplish that i.e., how do I unlink them and will the Fitbit then merely count steps? I asked MFP that question and they said there was no way to do that?
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
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    Yes you can unlink them and then fitbit will log your steps/stairs/calories solely on the fitbit site solo and not add them to mfp.

    If you go to the apps tab at the top of the page, you can deactivate fitbit from mfp.

    Or go to fitbit and go to settings and sharing, then you can remove the linking of the two.
  • carol5047
    carol5047 Posts: 44 Member
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    I only use my FitBit for the steps as a way to motivate myself to walk more. I do not rely on it for an accurate amount of calories burned. I don't even wear it when I work out, actually!

    I have a FitBit Force on the way from
    Amazon, and my plans are the exact as yours! I'm hoping it will be a great motivator.
  • jrwms714
    jrwms714 Posts: 421 Member
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    Yes you can unlink them and then fitbit will log your steps/stairs/calories solely on the fitbit site solo and not add them to mfp.

    If you go to the apps tab at the top of the page, you can deactivate fitbit from mfp.

    Or go to fitbit and go to settings and sharing, then you can remove the linking of the two.

    Will it also log them on the Fitbit Zip so that I can see them during the day?
  • nuttyfamily
    nuttyfamily Posts: 3,394 Member
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    Yes, it will show your steps on the device itself.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Also, there were MANY days where the Fitbit numbers were blown up by high winds or other atmospheric issues. On these days, I didn't know how many calories I could eat and my diary was messed up... I guess that if you don't eat the spent calories (or if you do not link Fitbit to MFP), it doesn't really matter but for me, that wouldn't be sustainable because I workout to be able to eat more...
    The barometer only affects your 'floors' count, which doesn't affect your calorie burn, I'm pretty sure.

    It sounds like everyone is confused on the Fitbit adjustment, almost. It is a weird method because it does tally across the whole day. It'd make more sense for users of that plan to eat today's calories based on yesterdays MFP total, since it's not done adjusting until the day is over.

    jrwms- Unlinking won't affect the display on your Fitbit. It will stop your food log totals from going to the Fitbit site and your Fitbit adjustments from coming here.
  • somefitsomefat
    somefitsomefat Posts: 445 Member
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    I have a Flex and my FitBit account is linked to MFP. I think the problems people have with the calorie syncing being confusing can be fixed with some initial setup in MFP and the FitBit site.

    On the FitBit end you should setup a food plan and a weight goal that matches MFP. This won't effect the data MFP gets but will let you see that your calorie figures are matching up on the two sites. Without doing this you'll see MFP telling you to eat at a deficit but FitBit telling you to eat to maintain.

    On the MFP end there are probably two schools of thought on setup. You could set MFP up for sedentary in which case the FitBit will start you off around your sedentary calories then add calories throughout the day as your activity estimate increases. Alternatively you could set MFP up for a higher activity level (unless you really are sedentary) in which case FitBit would subtract a large amount of calories initially and slowly catch up as activity increases.

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