To Fitbit or not to Fitbit

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  • ilfaith
    ilfaith Posts: 16,770 Member
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    I got a Fitbit several months ago when I was doing a walkathon fundraiser and needed to record my steps and sync them with the organization's website. I've been wearing it ever since. I do think that it motivates me to be more active (although even on what I consider my more "lazy" days, I rarely have trouble exceeding 10,000 steps...unless I am sitting in the car for 10 hours a day as I did last week.) I especially like having the Fitbit to track my steps when I am away from home and can't get my normal workouts in. Even if I am not logging an aerobics class or tennis match, my Fitbit still syncs my steps with MFP.
  • monih10
    monih10 Posts: 578 Member
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    Definitely get one.....I've only had mine for about a month.....and I love it!!
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
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    BTW, I have been researching which of these pedometer things to get for my son, who needs to track for a medical condition.

    Saw an interesting article that said that basically 10% of people are naturally 'self tracking'. They like to play with it, are motivated by it, and keep using them. (They also like logging food.) Another 20-35% use them when pushed a bit by others or in a social group where everyone tracks (like at work where they push it or they are in weight watchers). The rest just stop using them by 6 months.

    So before you invest, think about whether you will use it. I do love the zip. But I loved my pedometer before that and I do really like logging food.
  • einzweidrei
    einzweidrei Posts: 381 Member
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    My fitbit definitely eased my mind about going into maintenance and increasing my calories.

    I found out that I burn *less* calories than MFP predicts for me at sedentary.
    Therefore, I need to get up and move just to have a sedentary calorie burn! Ugh.

    However, I've been following my fitbit calorie burn daily, and have been maintaining since June.


    Just an FYI---FitBit also had me at less calories than MFP and I moved my maintenance calories up from both. FB had me in the 1800s, MFP had me in the 1900s and I moved myself up to 2K. I just ignored FB and did what I wanted to do and I haven't gained a pound.

    I actually don't like FB and find that it's a piece of junk.
  • amnsetie
    amnsetie Posts: 666 Member
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    I liked my fitbit but after about 6 months I started to get a sore under it. My friend has a really bad red reaction after about 2 months
    This is a known problem and although not everyone gets this reaction I can no longer recommend fit bit flex or force.
    People have suggested lining it with medical tape etc but I don't want to mess with that sort of option. Not sure how that would go when doing gardening or dishes. so no more fitbit for me.
    Fun while it lasted.
  • yogini_kate
    yogini_kate Posts: 2
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    I've got a polar loop, which works like a pedometer, but can also sync to a polar HRM (the bluetooth ones). I like it because it tracks everything - steps and exercise sessions - in one place. It does do a calorie calculation via the Polar website, and can also be synced to an app on your phone so you can monitor how you are doing.

    I've found adding the pedometer/step based challenge in addition to my normal exercise/healthy eating has been really beneficial - all the extra walking has helped improve my mood and reduce stress as well as help increase the number of calories I burn.

    Definitely recommended (although not the cheapest option when you combine the 2)
  • zenhiker2014
    zenhiker2014 Posts: 84 Member
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    Saw an interesting article that said that basically 10% of people are naturally 'self tracking'. They like to play with it, are motivated by it, and keep using them. (They also like logging food.) Another 20-35% use them when pushed a bit by others or in a social group where everyone tracks (like at work where they push it or they are in weight watchers). The rest just stop using them by 6 months.

    That is interesting. I'm definitely motivated by data so I guess it's no wonder the fitbit made such a big difference for me!
  • WhyphenN
    WhyphenN Posts: 3 Member
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    LOVE the fitbit...have had mine since April of 2013. Easy to use and I love how it syncs to my phone and myfitnesspal. It can't calculate motion from things like biking, but that's fine. At the end of the week, I get an email with a weekly fitness report too (total steps, average steps per day, best day, least active day, etc).

    I recommend it!
  • Laura3BB
    Laura3BB Posts: 250 Member
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    Saw an interesting article that said that basically 10% of people are naturally 'self tracking'. They like to play with it, are motivated by it, and keep using them. (They also like logging food.) Another 20-35% use them when pushed a bit by others or in a social group where everyone tracks (like at work where they push it or they are in weight watchers). The rest just stop using them by 6 months.

    Now tha's really informative!
    People saying they like their fitbits and have had them a few weeks...is not really informative.

    I've had mine a year, wore it religiously through my 20 pound- weightloss then maintenance, but I must say I'm tired of it now...
  • jparks341
    jparks341 Posts: 216 Member
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    I like my fitbit a lot, it's a great little motivator. I used it when I started this journey and it's still helping me along the way.
  • vkdarling
    vkdarling Posts: 161 Member
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    Love love loveeee my fitbit flex! It keeps me motivated and reminds me to get moving through out the day. I love the weekly e mailed "progress reports" that show how i did the week before. I would be lost without it and if it breaks or i lose it I'll be going to buy a new one the same day!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    I'm in maintenance and have a fitbit. I definitely like mine. I find it's much easier to stay within my preferred range when I'm consistently hitting 10,000 steps.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    I used mine a lot at first but I haven't used it in a year. I have a pretty good idea now of how many steps I'm having (which is way less in the Summer, sadly). But it was useful to know how many steps I did during grocery shopping, walks in the neighborhood etc.
  • hungrymarathongirl
    hungrymarathongirl Posts: 444 Member
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    Go for it! I love mine. Great little motivator and wonderful customer service.
  • fvtfan
    fvtfan Posts: 126 Member
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    I HATE my Fitbit!!! The only thing it is good for is a constant reminder on my wrist to move - that is good.

    The Fitbit really only measures steps (including stairs), it bases your calorie burn on that. I have a flex and unless I move my arm - it doesn't count the steps. So pushing a shopping cart, carrying children or groceries, etc. - doesn't add steps. In addition, I think the sleep tracker is worthless - especially if you or your partner move a lot during the night.

    And, if there is a problem - their customer service is horrible.

    I'd highly recommend something other than the Fitbit.

    WOW - I have had nothing but great experience with their customer service. My clip broke on my 2 year old fitbit one. It fell off and I thought I lost it. I ended up finding it after contacting customer service and they sent me a new clip for free.

    I love my Fitbit - feel lost if I don't have it on during the day.
  • kasaz
    kasaz Posts: 274 Member
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    I had a Fitbit and liked it but also wanted a HRM. I had a Polar but it wasn't working properly. My husband bough a Garmin Vivo for me last week and I'm really liking it. Like another person said, the battery lasts about a year. It seems to do everything the Fitbit did and more, of course it also costs a little more.

    Also my Fitbit did go thru the washer once and was okay. In fact I'm passing it on to my son..
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    DH has a fitbit flex, and uses it to track his steps for the day only. It works well to remind him to get his exercise in for his high blood pressure, and he finds it motivating but not overkill. He doesn't log anything other than steps and he doesn't synchronize it with MFP (he's not trying to lose weight - he's using MFP to track sodium/potassium intake).

    I have an iPhone 5S which has step-counter capabilities built in. I wear my phone pretty much all day, so it's convenient for me. I have the Stepz app which has some nice charting capabilities and I also use the step counter in MFP. It does adjust calories, but I ignore those, and stick with my own targets. I've found the burns to be much more realistic than manually entering walks into MFP or using MapMyWalk. I mainly use it because it's on something I already use and I like data. I always go for a 1 hr walk every day, and that wouldn't change if I didn't track it, so I don't need an extra gadget.

    So the fitbit works for DH, but I don't need it.
  • stuffinmuffin
    stuffinmuffin Posts: 985 Member
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    I use my Fitbit and HRM for maintenance (I specifically got the Fitbit after starting maintenance and continuing to lose weight). It has been brilliant. I have been maintaining for nearly 3 years now with no bother.
  • radmack
    radmack Posts: 272 Member
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    Love my Fitbit!
  • Autumnfilly2005
    Autumnfilly2005 Posts: 232 Member
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    I got a fitbit zip a few days ago and I'm sort of ambivalent about it. On one hand, it's nice to see an estimate of how much I move. On the other hand, mine doesn't seem to be very accurate. I think because I am fat, when I walk I jiggle quite a bit, which is causing a bunch of extra steps to be registered.

    And LADIES! If any of you are Plus Size on top--DON'T WEAR IT ON YOUR BRA! Yeah, wearing mine on my bra caused like 80 steps to be registered after only 12 or so. Just saying....

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