How accurate do you find the Fitbit?

benefiting
benefiting Posts: 795 Member
in Chit-Chat
I'm thinking about finally getting one this weekend. What is your experience? Do you find the steps accurate enough? I've seen you can also use it for running. Is it still fairly accurate if you do so? Though, it will be primarily for walking. I do not care for the calories part of it. I've heard it is too generous and I also have a heart rate monitor to calculate that for me. Thanks for your time. :)

Edit: It will probably also be good if you tell me which version you have: I'm pretty sure I'll get the Flex.

Replies

  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
    No one? Bump.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    I use the fitbit one which I carry in my pocket. I find it more accurate than the Nike fuel band. I don't fully trust the calorie burn either, because when I tried to "eat back" the exercise calories, i quit losing.
  • jeffininer
    jeffininer Posts: 204 Member
    I have been wearing the flex for about a month now. I like it a lot. It's helped me get off my bum here at work.

    The steps are obviously accurate. The calories are pretty good. I think for normal activity, the calorie part is fairly accurate. I use my HRM for any steady state cardio and over write the calorie burn on Fitbit with my HRM burn.

    I would say the number one benefit of it for me is it keeps me active. It reminds me that I haven't gotten a lot of steps and I need to bump up my activity. For someone that sits at a desk all day, it's a good encouragement to get up and move.
  • wolverine66
    wolverine66 Posts: 3,779 Member
    I have been wearing the flex for about a month now. I like it a lot. It's helped me get off my bum here at work.

    The steps are obviously accurate. The calories are pretty good. I think for normal activity, the calorie part is fairly accurate. I use my HRM for any steady state cardio and over write the calorie burn on Fitbit with my HRM burn.

    I would say the number one benefit of it for me is it keeps me active. It reminds me that I haven't gotten a lot of steps and I need to bump up my activity. For someone that sits at a desk all day, it's a good encouragement to get up and move.

    2 things - 1) totally agree that the prime thing is the motivation. and 2) usually what is the difference, percentage-wise of the calories between the HRM and the fitbit?
  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
    I have been wearing the flex for about a month now. I like it a lot. It's helped me get off my bum here at work.

    The steps are obviously accurate. The calories are pretty good. I think for normal activity, the calorie part is fairly accurate. I use my HRM for any steady state cardio and over write the calorie burn on Fitbit with my HRM burn.

    I would say the number one benefit of it for me is it keeps me active. It reminds me that I haven't gotten a lot of steps and I need to bump up my activity. For someone that sits at a desk all day, it's a good encouragement to get up and move.

    I've been told I need to start doing at least 10,000 steps a day and the Fitbit will keep me accountable for that. Plus I just found it has badges to achieve. Challenge accepted! Thanks for the information!
  • benefiting
    benefiting Posts: 795 Member
    2) usually what is the difference, percentage-wise of the calories between the HRM and the fitbit?

    I think I may do that test once I receive mine too.
  • Shelley6591
    Shelley6591 Posts: 156 Member
    I've had my flex for about 2 months and I love it! Some people think it's a magical band to make you lose weight but it's all about how you use it obviously. I use Mapmyrun for runs along with it and it's pretty bang on, it underestimates with my treadmill but I think that's because of the incline factor, the treadmill gives me more, my flex only sees steps. I hear HRMs under guess but I am interested to see what results you get.

    I have mine linked to MFP (obvious right?) and all the apps are on my phone. MFP gives me way more calories back than my fitbit. The key is to go into setting and adjust your goals. I have mine on the hardest setting so I have to work pretty hard to get calories back, make sure you update your new goal after you achieve one though other wise it will think you're in maintenance and let you eat way over, I found myself running in my pajamas the other night ;)

    Enjoy!
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    I have a Flex and I love it for everything other than the calorie burn. That's based on BMI, which is outdated. And unless you fall within the absolute average of that body fat wise, it will under or overestimate your exercise calories, for sure. I have it set to maintain, and it tells me to eat 1900-2000 per day, and my ACTUAL TDEE is 2500-2600.

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