Fitbit Flex - Questions before I buy

Tigercrum

I was wondering if this would be a good buy or not for me personally. I am 360 and just started my diet/exercise life for the first time. Been very inactive since an injury, so my exercise consists mainly of walking. My big question is, will this monitor take into account my weight, also will it take into account if I am walking through the mountain trails rather than on a flat surface. Does it register on a treadmill, or a bike machine as well.

Im new to nutrition and stuff, so excuse my ignorance if walking as a 360 pound man is the same calorie burn as walking as a 200 pound man. I just assumed being my size and weight would burn more calories.

I did read it was waterproof so I can swim with it, and love the fact it monitors my sleep. But if anyone has a better idea for me let me know. I do know some people have said ti wasnt real accurate with certain exercises, but I dont think I will be in good enough health to be on even an eliptical running machine for several months. So basically for me its the treadmill, bike machine and weight machines at the gym.... then I do a LOT of just walking around, like in stores, at the park, around the block.... with my back I cannot do to much that is strenuous.

Thanks for any and all advice , as I said I am brand new to this but want to be as accurate as I can be. I have been using the S Health App on my Samsung S5, the Pedometer stays on 24/7 without to much battery burn, but I sometimes question its accuracy.

gooserocks85

i've owned a flex since the end of last year. if you're looking for something that can give you immediate feedback about how much you're moving around, then this will be perfect for you.

as far as walking/running goes, i'd say the fitbit is pretty accurate. you input your weight/height/level of activity and the site calculates calories based on that (similar to MFP). while it doesn't distinguish between walking on a flat surface vs walking up stairs (other versions of fitbit have an altimeter and will measure "steps climbed"), it does record activity as "light", "moderate" or "very intense".

activity on a treadmill should register, probably best if you're not holding on to the bars. as for a stationary bike, you'll probably need to attach the flex to your shoe to capture the motion - i've never tried this before. the band is surprisingly sensitive - mine will track steps even if i'm holding my phone and looking at it while walking.

the best thing about the fitbit, and the reason why i continue to wear mine, is that it's a great reminder of how much i'm not moving. i have a desk job, and it's really easy for me to get home at 5pm and only have 2,000 steps registered. being cognizant of that motivates me to get up and take more breaks during the day, and go for walks/runs after work.

there might be other wristbands out there with more sophisticated features, but if you're just looking for good basic feedback then i'd say go for it.