Another Fitbit Question

candycaneps

I read through some of the previous posts and wanted to specifically ask...is a fitbit just a glorified step counter? From what I've read that is the data it is gathering. It wouldn't be registering other cardio, weight lifting or something like yoga and Pilates.

It seems like many love it, I am just trying to figure out if is is worth the $100. There are all these different names for them as well and I honestly don't know the difference. I friend of mine suggested the One but I don't know how that compares to the other models.

coolraul07

I've had a FitBit One (FBO) for 10 months and LOVE it! I prefer it over other models because:
1) It counts floors climbed (I stair-climb in the skyscraper where I work)
2) It clips anywhere (belt, pocket, shirt, etc.). I work a sedentary desk job and clipping to my wrist would register steps while I'm sitting still. If I wanted to wear on wrist it comes with a wrist band as well, so maximum flexibility.
3) It also tracks sleep, although I use that feature a lot less than when I started.

Look at the FitBit model comparison charts, think about your activities and choose what's best for you.

*ETA: I keep a lot of FBO statistics in my MFP profile.

p4ulmiller

For a geek like me, it's perfect. I set my lifestyle to "sedentary" and then fitbit adds a precise number of calories based on my movement for that day.

I suppose I could up my allowance based on an average, but fitbit helps me move more on a day by day basis.

The web interface is amazing as well.

FrauMama

I am returning mine.

IMO, it IS just a glorified pedometer, and a not-entirely-accurate one at that. That said, it could be a very useful tool for someone who just wants to be motivated to MOVE more, or who is interested in only cardio or walking. But for someone who is already in decent shape, who does workouts that aren't straight cardio motions, it didn't seem like the best fit.
I ended up wearing my HRM (Polar, love it, have used one of these for almost 10 years) and overriding the Fitbit exercise sessions because they were totally inaccurate. My workouts are plyometric/Crossfit(ish)/Bodyrock-type of things--heavier lifting, jumping, burpees, etc, where my heart rate gets up to the 180s at times....Fitbit would really underestimate those, but then would OVER-estimate a day of leisurely walking (sightseeing, specifically) where my heart rate would never get above 100 or so.
I liked the Fitbit for tracking sleep patterns, but finally decided to return it when I noticed it didn't "notice" once night when I actually got up in the middle of the night. That made me question its entire accuracy even more.

My main issue with it was that it doesn't take HR into account. I'll probably wear my Polar HRM for a few days straight if I want to get a more solid idea of BMR. Ideally, something that also takes body fat percentage into account will come along one of these days, too (If there is anything like that already, I'd love to know!). But, for me, heart rate is integral in estimating calories burned, and the Fitbit (Flex) didn't work out.

oc1timoco

Well it is a glorified step counter and not 100% accurate either. It tells me the number of steps I take, the number of calories burned. It even monitors my sleep. It is just as accurate as a non- glorified pedometer. But it syncs with my desktop and my S3 flawlessly in my experience. It displays charts and graphs. It has a community of users that you can share, communicate and compete with. To define its worth is up to the user. Nearly everything you buy in life is not worth the money you pay for it. It just depends on if you want it. There is always someone telling you no and people like me who say go for it, I like my flex just fine.

GeekAmour

It is SO worth it.

Without it, I would still be obese and sad. That is the honest truth. My fitbit gave me motivation when I couldn't find it myself and now it gives me information that I love.

For me, it was like being given the answers at the end of a textbook for the first time ever. It told me how much I was moving and how much more I needed to move to meet my goals. It told me, based on how much I was moving, how much I could eat. And if I did as it told me, I lost weight. As I lost weight, I was motivated myself to move more, but my fitbit is still there with me, every single day, helping me keep track of how much I am moving and earning in calories (without it I would have been eating way too little calories and I would have given up in frustration, as I had so many times before).

It is a fancy pants pedometer at it's core, but for me, it has been so much more.

As you say, it doesn't track activity that isn't step based, but that isn't the end of the world, you just log your activity here as you normally would & MFP & Fitbit sync, cancelling out the fitbit cals for the period of the activity that you have specified.

If you are after a recommendation on which Fitbit is best, I can't recommend the One highly enough. I can also not rave enough about the excellent Customer Service of the Fitbit team - tell me another company that will send you a replacement when YOU put it through the wash & ruin it? Or when YOU just lose it?! The stories I have heard and my own experience in this regard make me happy to tell everyone and everyone about how much I love their product - they obviously believe in it and stand by it themselves in situations that other companies would simply say "not our problem".

They should totally pay me, huh?

Anyway, good luck and I hope you do get one and love it just as much as I love mine!

LPJackson76

Adore mine - I'm on my second model in two years. It motivated my whole family and now there's the totally *friendly* competition going on where I kick my brother's *kitten*!!! Although none of us can touch my father...seriously, the old man needs to slow the fudge down.

If you're into data or want a more accurate idea of how sedentary you may be, then it's great. For me, I have a love/hate relationship because some days I don't even realize how long I sit in one spot at my desk, but my FitBit does, and it automatically lowers my calorie availability for the day to compensate - which is AWESOME (and sucks).