FitBits the good the bad the ugly?
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SezxyStef
Posts: 15,268 Member
Thinking about getting one with some bonus cash from work...
Are they worth it? have they helped? best thing about them? worst thing?
Are they worth it? have they helped? best thing about them? worst thing?
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Replies
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In - also wondering...or maybe its just that I love little gadgets..:drinker:0
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I have a fitbit flex, and I love it.
The good: it's waterproof. It syncs with my phone and my computer. I love gadgets.
The bad:
I don't really care about it most of the time. I wear it, but really it's just there getting in the way during squats.
The ugly:
I'm not really sure how accurate the calorie measurement is for me. The maintenance calories it gives me would have me losing .75-1 lb/week, but I might just have way higher than average weight lifting burns.
The more good:
I know you take like a billion steps a day, but I definitely do not. :laugh: When left to my own devices I take about 4-6k/day. I work in a small office where the parking is right near the front door. The bathroom and copy/fax machine are close, and I can't really get up from my desk other than scheduled and bathroom breaks. I love my fitbit for when I'm trying to up my activity. I like that I don't have to set an app on my phone, or try to figure the distance if I take a walk at lunch or after work. I feel more encouraged to park far from the door while I'm running errands knowing that it's adding up little by little in my fitbit. Having a measurable metric of NEAT is amazing to me. Being able to compare a baseline to a day of shopping is a great tool for us data collectors.0 -
I have a Flex, too, and for the most part I really like it.
The good: It motivates me to move and be more active. I like to have all the icons on my dashboard green which means I met or exceeded my step, mileage and calories burned goals.
The ehhhh: Not sure about the calorie burn accuracy. I seem to lose only .5lb or less per week when using the setting/food plan to lose 1lb per week.
The ugly: Mine is bad with distance and step tracking. It shorts me steps and mileage even though I've calibrated it with my stride distance and all that. Not sure if that's an across the board problem or just me and maybe I should contact customer service...0 -
I have a BodyMedia FIT and I find it more accurate than the Fitbits... the fitbits are just more popular.0
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I've been debating switching to BodyMedia, but the two things steering me away are the clunky armband and the monthly subscription fee you have to pay to access your data. The Fitbit is less expensive, but I've heard the BodyMedia is more accurate so I guess you get what you pay for...?I have a BodyMedia FIT and I find it more accurate than the Fitbits... the fitbits are just more popular.0 -
I have the Fitbit One that I wear clipped to my bra.
Good: I like gadgets. I like seeing how many steps I've taken through the day. If I don't wear it, I find I don't really care about moving around too much because "it doesn't count". I only get around 3-4k steps a day on my own, so this gives me the added incentive to move more.
Bad:
It counts steps and flights of stairs when I'm driving. I have to use the activity timer so I can go back in and adjust/delete the activity record so it deletes those steps. The Fitbit only "remembers" a certain number of these records (through trial and error, it's 2-3 on mine). If you don't log in to your account and adjust/delete some of them, the new ones don't get recorded. I used to drive a lot for work and this became a gigantic pain in the *kitten* (this was before mobile sync was available on Android). I don't know how accurate the Daily Calories Burned is, but I generally don't pay attention to that.
If you wear it on your bra, it can over count your steps based one how much boobie bounce you have.
Ugly: It stresses me out. I ended up not using it for almost a year because I became obsessed with the numbers. I was constantly checking it and messing with it and it just got to be too much.
In the end, it's a fancy pedometer. The One tracks your sleep (I don't use that) and also counts flights of stairs (which don't impact your daily burn total). This time around, I'm just using it to count steps as a way to see how lazy I've been during the day.0 -
I have a Fitbit One and while I wouldnt say I LOVE it, I really do like it an awful lot. I mainly just use it to get a general idea of how active I am away from my true exercise (lifting and running). From a calorie burn standpoint, there's lots of stuff it doesnt work for like the lifting, any circuit training, biking, surfing, etc..., and even though I do many of those things, for me it still works, and I dont take it too seriously--but I do try to pay attention to my step goal each day and hit it. I have lots of family members that have them too, and we all cheer each other on.0
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I've been debating switching to BodyMedia, but the two things steering me away are the clunky armband and the monthly subscription fee you have to pay to access your data. The Fitbit is less expensive, but I've heard the BodyMedia is more accurate so I guess you get what you pay for...?I have a BodyMedia FIT and I find it more accurate than the Fitbits... the fitbits are just more popular.
Yep and I prefer accuracy over anything. The armband doesn't bother me because Idgaf what other people think. I am getting healthy for me.0 -
For a little more money, I would recommend the Garmin VivoFit. Has a chest strap heart rate monitor you can add, and still does step/sleep stuff. Also links to MFP.0
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Had a fitbit flex for about a year now- it's a glorified pedometer. If you take the average readings for several months, you have an idea about sleep habits and steps per day (I do 5-6K/ day and have a fairly active job that I do 60 hrs per week). The sleep meter does not account for non-restless insomnia, so not really that accurate. My husband has a Body Media and it's much more accurate, but I loathe the armband and it left a dimple in his left bicep after nearly a yr of constant wear. I figure the Fitbit is handy for averaging daily activity - it will NOT read any weight lifting, so I account for that in my caloric intake otherwise.0
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I love my fitbit one ... I clip it on either my waistband or my bra or throw it in a pocket, depending on what I am wearing. I've found it pretty accurate for steps and distance. I like the little motivational messages on the One, and the fact that it has a display. I actually got my husband one a few months ago (he is an avid walker), and he loves his now too, after being skeptical initially.
I also just got a Flex through work, and I am just not into the black fitness bracelet look. They just partnered with Tory Burch on some more fashionable designs (a gold bracelet and a pendant necklace that you Flex can snap into), but they're pretty pricey, so I am hoping some other designers get in on this soon.
If I don't make a concerted effort, I only get 2500-3000 steps a day, which was horrifying to discover. It has definitely gotten me walking / moving more to at least get into a respectable range.
Highly recommend the One!0
