FitBit Question

afatakedavra

I'm considering buying a FitBit Zip. Will it still be worth the money if my phone isn't compatible? It will still sync online, right?
I'm not crazy about spending $50 on something that will end up simply being a pedometer.

cwrig

That is what it is; a pedometer, weather it syncs with your phone or not.

If your phone is not compatible; it comes with a small usb bluetooth dongle that connects to your PC and will sync with your pc directly.

argos14

Buy the Flex, easier to have on your wrist and never need to worry about....will also help you look at your sleep patterns so much more than a pedometer...

salem9348

I agree. I believe the flex is wonderful. A watch, pedometer, calculates calories burned, everything. I love it and the added option of logging sleep is nice. And it's all right there on your wrist to check if you so desire.

afatakedavra

That is what it is; a pedometer, weather it syncs with your phone or not.

If your phone is not compatible; it comes with a small usb bluetooth dongle that connects to your PC and will sync with your pc directly.

Thanks. I just got a SyncActive Activity Tracker for my birthday, but it won't sync with my phone. While it's cool to track steps and calories, and I don't want to seem too picky, I really wanted something that could sync up with MyFitnessPal. I'm just trying to decide if the extra money would really be worth spending.

If I end up keeping the one I have, should I log only my walks/exercises? Or should I be logging my calories burned for the entire day?

These may be silly questions, but I'm (obviously) a noob to all of this gadgetry. So far I've just been guessing and relying on MFP to tell me how many calories I'm burning.

afatakedavra

Buy the Flex, easier to have on your wrist and never need to worry about....will also help you look at your sleep patterns so much more than a pedometer...

I wish I could afford the Flex, but right now, even the Zip is a bit of a frivolous purchase. The only reason I'm even considering it is because I have a SyncActive that I can return, which will cover half the cost.

I just feel like if the SyncActive won't even sync, I could exchange it for a simple pedometer that costs less. But if the benefits of the Zip syncing with my PC is worth it, I'll spring for the extra $25 it will cost me.

WalkingAlong

It looks like you're doing ok at estimating your calories burned without any trackers. But a Zip makes it more fun. So reward yourself if it's not going to cause hardship. Though bear in mind it's going to automatically add any incremental calorie burn above your MFP goal to your calories you can eat for the day. So if you don't 'eat back', it's not going to add much and might even be a nuisance and cause your losses to slow.

SnuggleSmacks

Honestly, it's worth it to get a fitness tracker that works with your phone. You're going to want to consult it multiple times a day, and you're probably going to find it more motivating to be able to see your progress throughout the day. Bodymedia Fit works through regular Bluetooth instead of the newer Bluetooth Smart or Ant. It's a bit pricier, but sometimes Costco has them, and you can usually find a good price on Amazon. It does have a $6 monthly subscription also, but it's more accurate than Fitbit, works with your phone, and has excellent reporting tools on it's website. Just a thought.

WalkingAlong

The Zip has a display so you can check your progress all you want without phone synchs.

goldmay

For a while I had a Zip with an incompatible iPhone 4. I couldn't sync until the end of the day because I wasn't always around a computer, and most of the time I would clip it to my bra to be discreet, so I couldn't just look at my stats whenever I wanted. Not being able to sync wasn't as much of a problem when I had pockets to place it in.

codycsweet

I have the zip and yes it is worth it. If you use a computer throughout the day you can still sync and get the adjustments if you aren't able to sync often I think it's still worth it. It may just take a little bit to figure out a average calorie burn (I go off a weekly average and Fitbit will give you a 30 day average of burn and calories eaten to give you TDEE). This for me has been the most useful $50 I've ever spent on anything related to health and fitness. Seeing the numbers and how active I am evey day has helped me loose weight. For me this is what I needed since I'm a numbers person and needed to visually see how little. Used to move. For instance, now instead of just getting 30-60 min of exercise I also try to get in a 1-2 mile walk when I get up in the morning. I never used to do that. Lve love love my Fitbit zip

sunburntgalaxy

My flex is great but until my phone updated to Windows Phone 8.1 it didn't sync with my phone. I still loved it, and it still has to be done manually even with the update, which I never remember to do (since I got used to it not working). I still found it to be super helpful. If you take a look around online you may be able to find either a flex or a one with a really good price - a guy I work with paid about the same for a one that a zip normally costs. But a zip is good too - anything that encourages you to keep moving and track is a great idea in my opinion (plus the zip is pretty cute and comes in fun colors). If you really love it you can always upgrade later. But don't let it not syncing with your phone stop you - I still found it really helpful even though it didn't sync for me. And honestly part of what keeps me going it the fitbit - even though I got it as a gift, I still feel like I have to do a good job so it justifies the cost.

LillianPag

I have a zip and love it. It is simple to use and syncs nicely with myfitness pal.