Do fitbits really help?

decblessings

I have a FItbit one. I use my hands too much on a daily basis to wear something around my wrist.

Mostly it motivates me to move, but as far as tracking my TDEE most of my exercise is weightlifting so my numbers don't add up to my weightloss. I weigh and track pretty diligently. When I don't exercise, or just do running/elliptical my numbers are almost spot on. And my deficit is usually reflected on the scale.

It's different for everybody. But if you're looking for motivation to take more steps. It's SUPER accurate. I will run in place and count my steps in my head and my fitbit will be pretty exact with my head count.

To add to that accuracy potential, I was surprised on accuracy for a test I had someone do that I was helping.

Their new routine was running in place for 5 min every hour during the day - and wondered same thing - is Fitbit accurate for that.
I thought for sure it would be thrown off because no actual strides. I thought impact might be different, or more lifting of leg compared to normal running causing more burn.

But HRM was available, so took HR during that running in place.
Then got on a treadmill and found the pace and incline to match that HR.
The distance the Fitbit said was almost exactly the same, shocked.
Then used the formulas for running for calorie burn which are more accurate than HRM.
Since Fitbit got the distance right, new the time, new the weight, and uses similar formula - it's calorie burn was right on too, within 3%.

Now elliptical, not seen anyone test that, but since impact, or lack of it, is very different, and I've heard many report the steps are very incorrect, I'm really doubting that one.

I always compare my stride count on ellipticals with my Fitbit Flex and it is always WAY off. The fitbit underestimates the strides, whether I'm holding onto moving arms on the elliptical or moving my arm in a motion as if I were running. For example, Tuesday I did 2200 strides on the elliptical in 15 minutes. Fitbit accounted for 1500. It's just as bad on my elliptical at home which requires me to use the moving arms on the machine to maintain my balance at a good pace. I have also found that it counts a lot of steps when I'm folding laundry. The basket is always on my non-dominate side, as is my Flex. I only noticed this because two days in a row I "met my goal" while sitting on the floor folding laundry.

I have also found that it really underestimates my steps when I'm running around the house trying to get my last few hundred steps to meet my goal before bed.

BUT... I still love it and feel that the over/underestimates balance themselves out. I haven't lost any weight since I had it, but I don't blame that on the Flex. I feel like it is rather accurate overall, it inspires me to move, and it makes physical activity more of a fun game to me.

Mama_Jag

I have a FItbit one. I use my hands too much on a daily basis to wear something around my wrist.

Mostly it motivates me to move, but as far as tracking my TDEE most of my exercise is weightlifting so my numbers don't add up to my weightloss. I weigh and track pretty diligently. When I don't exercise, or just do running/elliptical my numbers are almost spot on. And my deficit is usually reflected on the scale.

It's different for everybody. But if you're looking for motivation to take more steps. It's SUPER accurate. I will run in place and count my steps in my head and my fitbit will be pretty exact with my head count.

To add to that accuracy potential, I was surprised on accuracy for a test I had someone do that I was helping.

Their new routine was running in place for 5 min every hour during the day - and wondered same thing - is Fitbit accurate for that.
I thought for sure it would be thrown off because no actual strides. I thought impact might be different, or more lifting of leg compared to normal running causing more burn.

But HRM was available, so took HR during that running in place.
Then got on a treadmill and found the pace and incline to match that HR.
The distance the Fitbit said was almost exactly the same, shocked.
Then used the formulas for running for calorie burn which are more accurate than HRM.
Since Fitbit got the distance right, new the time, new the weight, and uses similar formula - it's calorie burn was right on too, within 3%.

Now elliptical, not seen anyone test that, but since impact, or lack of it, is very different, and I've heard many report the steps are very incorrect, I'm really doubting that one.

I always compare my stride count on ellipticals with my Fitbit Flex and it is always WAY off. The fitbit underestimates the strides, whether I'm holding onto moving arms on the elliptical or moving my arm in a motion as if I were running. For example, Tuesday I did 2200 strides on the elliptical in 15 minutes. Fitbit accounted for 1500. It's just as bad on my elliptical at home which requires me to use the moving arms on the machine to maintain my balance at a good pace. I have also found that it counts a lot of steps when I'm folding laundry. The basket is always on my non-dominate side, as is my Flex. I only noticed this because two days in a row I "met my goal" while sitting on the floor folding laundry.

I have also found that it really underestimates my steps when I'm running around the house trying to get my last few hundred steps to meet my goal before bed.

BUT... I still love it and feel that the over/underestimates balance themselves out. I haven't lost any weight since I had it, but I don't blame that on the Flex. I feel like it is rather accurate overall, it inspires me to move, and it makes physical activity more of a fun game to me.

You should log the elliptical manually in the fitbit app. Strides are not steps, and it's not designed to count those. It will correct itself in calories burned if you log the time you were on the elliptical. Logging the time is crucial.

sweetxsour35

So I'm starting a 250 calorie cut right now, and on my fitbit app under food plan, it now says I have to eat 1945 calories instead of the 1750 it told me this morning before I did cardio. Is it adjusting because of my activity? My MFP calorie limit is set to 1800 and the fitbit adjustment gave me 109 extra, 1909 in total.

Yes it's adjusting because of increased activity compared to initial estimated activity.

That's the beauty, eating reasonable to level of activity - which increased for you.

So if you are going to sync them, you have to do it very correctly.

Did you set the 1800, or you let MFP after you selected 1/2 lb weekly?

Let MFP set to whatever is correct for 1/2 lb weekly. Knowing the increased activity will always cause the net figure to be higher.

Just meet your goal.

I set MFP to 1/2 lb per week and it gave me 1830 but I set it to 1800 to be more in tune with my fitbit food plan which is usually 1750, approximately.
And I agree, the fitbit makes it more of a "game" to get more steps. It also saved me from taking the reset too far because I was wildly inaccurate in guessing my activity level so my TDEE would've been way off.