Fitness trackers...are they worth it?

benebabe
benebabe Posts: 13
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone here use a fitness tracker such as Fitbit etc...? I am thinking of getting one. I don't want to spend a lot of money on it, but I want to make sure I get one that works well :)
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Replies

  • coffeefreak88
    coffeefreak88 Posts: 37 Member
    BUMP! I would also like to hear from the peeps who have trackers :)
  • shelbymkoenig
    shelbymkoenig Posts: 59 Member
    My boyfriend bought me a FitBit Zip for last Christmas and I LOVE it. It's accurate and easy to use and you don't notice it on you during the day. It's kept me more honest with my food diary and helped me see that I needed to increase my weekly calorie deficit to continue to drop sizes.
  • mommyrunning
    mommyrunning Posts: 495 Member
    In the past I used Nike Plus and a HRM that provided calories burned. It isn't quite the same as FitBit but I found it pushed me to do more. For example if my NikePlus was saying 2.25 miles I would push myself to get to 2.5 or if my HRM said 450 calories I would continue until I got to 500.
  • jodylrenfro
    jodylrenfro Posts: 7
    I have a fitbit one and I love it. It track your steps, calories burned, flights of stairs and can even track you in your sleep. Its a really great way to challenge and compete with yourself.
  • 1stplace4health
    1stplace4health Posts: 523 Member
    My boyfriend bought me a FitBit Zip for last Christmas and I LOVE it. It's accurate and easy to use and you don't notice it on you during the day. It's kept me more honest with my food diary and helped me see that I needed to increase my weekly calorie deficit to continue to drop sizes.
    Ditto!
  • CynthiaT60
    CynthiaT60 Posts: 1,280 Member
    What is your actual question? Whether they work (yes) or whether they're worth it (depends on you)?
  • randomtai
    randomtai Posts: 9,003 Member
    I have the BodyMedia FIT, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. It is scary accurate in determining my daily calories burned, it syncs with MFP and it has way more sensors on it than just "step counting".
  • EmmieBaby
    EmmieBaby Posts: 1,235 Member
    My boyfriend bought me a FitBit Zip for last Christmas and I LOVE it. It's accurate and easy to use and you don't notice it on you during the day. It's kept me more honest with my food diary and helped me see that I needed to increase my weekly calorie deficit to continue to drop sizes.
    Ditto!

    ^^ same here, love my little zip =) had it for a year now and it pushes me to walk more
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    I have used a Bodybugg in the past and currently use the Polar Loop. To answer your question are they worth it, I would say depends on the person. I like it but I realize it's a tool and I could just as easily function without it but I like gadgets and if I wasn't using the Loop I would still be wearing my Polar F11. The Bodybugg I found to be awesome as far as if I was honest with my tracking my weight loss was where it was supposed to be. The only thing I didn't like about that was it was so obvious because of wearing it on my arm and I had the first generation so was constantly being asked about it and it was bigger then the current models but it worked very well.

    As far as the Loop. I like it. I pair it with the chest strap during my workouts and I like the feedback it gives me. Much better now since there is an Android app for it.
  • Live_To_Win
    Live_To_Win Posts: 340 Member
    I have the FitBit Flex and I swear by it. Occasionally swear at it but it does make me want to push myself
  • mebepiglet123
    mebepiglet123 Posts: 327 Member
    I have a fitbit one. I used it at the beginning and found it really good now it just sits in my wardrobe on its lonesome, I now always use my heart rate monitor, as I find I do want want to track my usual activity, just my workouts.
  • StephanieBrocious
    StephanieBrocious Posts: 21 Member
    I use Jawbone Up24 and I absolutely love it. It's discrete and you can wear it on your wrist like a bracelet. It tracks steps, calories burned and measures sleep. You sync it with your smart phone to monitor your results and it syncs to MFP to give you real calorie adjustments. If you have friends who also have UP you can become Up-mates :) to encourage each other and stay on track! It is recommended to take 10,000 steps a day and this cute little bracelet helps me to make sure I hit my steps every day! It also vibrates when you've been idle for too long ... just a little reminder to get UP and moving! Which is exactly what I need since I work at a desk all day long.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    I use a PolarFT4 and love it. Best $100 I've ever spent.
  • jim180155
    jim180155 Posts: 769 Member
    I have the Fitbit One. The best thing about trackers like this is the motivational aspect. I now walk much more than I used to, and I've come to rely on the extra calories. Today my diary is pretty typical for a weekday: I have all my allotted calories planned for the day, but nothing left over for dinner when I get home from work. I have to work for dinner. So far, I have about 700 calories I've burned walking that I can apply towards dinner. By the end of the day, I'll probably have about 1,000.
  • kmbweber2014
    kmbweber2014 Posts: 680 Member
    I love my Flex. It's not 100% accurate but none of them are. It pushes me to do more. I have a desk job and so I never realized how sedentary I was. It was eye opening for sure. Now I set my daily step goal and push to get it. Last night I was pretty far off so it pushed me to run for a while just to get my goal.
  • JessicaBowlby
    JessicaBowlby Posts: 14 Member
    I have the Fitbit One and so far I love it. I didn't quite understand how it worked but after a while I got to noticing everything it logged and realized that my biggest down fall is that I am not active enough and I don't sleep enough. Turns out I only get about 4-5 hours of sleep a night because of how restless I am and how much I wake up at night. I clip it to my bra and often forget I even have it on and at night when it's in the arm band, I don't even notice I have it on.
  • swetokos
    swetokos Posts: 1
    I got a fitbit flex for Mother's Day and it is sooo motivating!! Love it!! Wouldn't go a day w/out wearing it...even if it means "tan lines" on my wrist LOL It makes me want to move and see how many steps I take. Love that it tracks my sleep pattern at night too...Oh and the colors...I have already bought 3 extra bands so I can match my outfits. Ha!!
  • DorisInTheDena
    DorisInTheDena Posts: 151 Member
    I have a Fitbit and LOVE it! It keeps me moving and thinking about how much I am doing each day.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    Anyone here use a fitness tracker such as Fitbit etc...? I am thinking of getting one. I don't want to spend a lot of money on it, but I want to make sure I get one that works well :)

    This group has tons of info: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1290-fitbit-users

    What do you want the activity tracker to do? The reason I ask, there are activity trackers (FitBit) and there are heart rate monitors. These don't do the same thing. There are some more advanced.....that are trying to combine both (Polar Loop for one).

    I have the FitBit One. When I wear it (I really should use mine more) it tracks my steps & gives me a daily calorie estimate based upon activity. I log into their website & can see daily activity, track sleep patterns, etc. If I wanted a more accurate calorie burn for steady state cardio....I would use a HRM. I don't do a huge amount of this, so it's not a big deal.

    Plenty of people use their FitBits (have them synced to MFP). This gives them a fairly accurate number for TDEE total calorie energy expenditure). FitBits help a lot of people maintain weight.

    FitBits are great if they motivate you to move more. FitBits are great if you have a hard time determining activity level, or if you have pretty wide swings.
  • mamaleftwich
    mamaleftwich Posts: 256 Member
    I have had a Fitbit Flex since last September and I love it!
  • benebabe
    benebabe Posts: 13
    Thanks for all the feedback! I think one of these will definitely be my next fitness purchase :)
  • Hoop4la
    Hoop4la Posts: 68 Member
    Fitbit changed my life - get one
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    Anyone here use a fitness tracker such as Fitbit etc...? I am thinking of getting one. I don't want to spend a lot of money on it, but I want to make sure I get one that works well :)

    Some people find them helpful and others, like me, never used them. it all depends how interested in gadgets you are and if you don't mind wearing one all the time.

    I never wore a HRM because most of my activities do not involve steady cardio, and HRMs are not accurate for strength training workouts, yoga, pilates, and barre exercises. At least that is was I heard.

    Edited to add that I never used a Fitbit or any kind of fitness tracker either.
  • rsoice
    rsoice Posts: 212 Member
    I have a Nike Fuel Band. It's alright but don't feel like it's doing anything that I'm not already doing. It also jostles easily. For example, I ride a motorcycle, after a ride to work the other day it showed me at 10,000 steps already. I laughed. It works for me as a reminder of what I'm about to shove into my face and is it really worth it.
  • ackman2002
    ackman2002 Posts: 69 Member
    I have a Fitbit One and I love it. I wear it all day, Except while I'm working out, I have a Polar HRM for that.

    The interaction they have with MFP makes them that much worthwhile. This site simply cannot accurate estimate what you "normal" calories burned are based upon those 4 options when we first signed up. At least with the daily loggers, like Fitbit, the site will give to (or take away) calories each day based upon your daily normal activity.
  • sixpacklady
    sixpacklady Posts: 582 Member
    bump
  • Pixi_Rex
    Pixi_Rex Posts: 1,676 Member
    I have used the Body Media Fit in the past, and I really enjoyed it until I started to have serious skin allergies to the arm band, I cleaned the sensors, and the arm band and finally bought a new arm band hoping it was just that and still had the same problem, but that could just be my skin being a douche.

    I have a fitbit flex now and I love it, it really highlighted where I was having issues - re: I sit on my *kitten* too much, I wouldn't trade it at all.

    I have used HRM's in the past and liked them as well.

    Are they worth it? For me yes, it is really dependant on you as a person. If you need that little extra push to get you moving it might be the answer.
  • corgarian
    corgarian Posts: 366 Member
    I have two fitbit's and they are really nice. they are small and you can wear it in your bra strap. they are also really cool because you can sync it to your computer and smart phone so you can check your stats all the time.

    My only pitfall and its very specific to me is that I am a derby girl so I skate a LOT and I like/want to track my skating, and the fitbit cant handle that.
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    I have had a fitbit of one kind or another for a couple of years, it has helped me tremendously to keep track and meet fitness goals like stairs climbed and steps taken. It isn't a do all end all, it is a day to day monitor of how much you're moving. I have a HRM for serious workouts.
  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Anyone here use a fitness tracker such as Fitbit etc...? I am thinking of getting one. I don't want to spend a lot of money on it, but I want to make sure I get one that works well :)

    If these tools were able to plug in way more values like your body fat %. BMR lean muscle mass etc.. I would use them.

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