is fitbit worth it

akj_25

i am looking at getting a fit bit - i like it because i can plop it in a pocket and it still works. i want the nike fuel band but dont think i would like it on at work because it doesn't look like it has a good enough watch portion for my work (nursing) and would drive me nuts to wear two bands, not to mention the cost.

fit bit is a little cheaper but still $100 is a big committment for me - i am afraid that i will purchase it and it will not work how it describes and become another unused peice of equipment.

i am looking for something to track my calories burned and steps, i think i need some sort of visual motivator to keep me going. i don't want anything real fancy and i don't own a smart phone to sync it to.

so from your experience is it worth the money? does it work?

labtracks

I've had my fitbit and worn it almost every day for over 16 months. I love it. It's very accurate on steps taken and calories burned on those steps. Not so accurate on calorie burn for higher intensity things like running, cardio things because it's solely based on steps not based on heart rate or anything else. Being a nurse I think you would love it just to wear on the job and see how much you actually move. Mine motivates me to keep moving and I love those days when I'm just running errands or doing housework and can see that I really have gotten a lot of movement in even if it's not at the gym. Honestly I've worn the thing so long I really miss it when I forget to put it on. Mine is just starting to get brittle and fall apart... the black back fell off the other day and I had to glue/tape it back together, but it still works. $100 was a lot to spend, but it's lasted well over a year and is still going, but I think it's days are numbered.

Xiaolongbao

I've had mine a few weeks and I'm loving it. It motivates me to take stairs or longer routes to go places to get more steps in.

But really it's just a fancy pants pedometer. It isn't a HRM and to can't really tell how many calories you're burning.

As I said I really like mine but $100 isn't such a big deal to me (especially since I'm not American and paid in yen so it seemed a lot cheaper with the weak US dollar right now). If $100 is a big deal I'd say really consider if you'll be motivated to move more by wearing it.

kr3851

I got mine on Monday and I have honestly loved it for the last 3 days. I'm noticing how often I get up from my desk (not that often!) and how just going to the toilets upstairs and across the building really makes a difference in my daily steps. I have heard that the calorie burn isn't that accurate, but to be honest, I'm more interested in my daily step count and increasing my incidental exercise.

I had my HRM for a year before I got the fitbit and I can see the benefits of both - for me though, I need something that's going to make me aware of what I'm doing ALL DAY, rather than just in the hour or two that I'm wearing the HRM.

AshinAms

I like my Fitbit a lot. It encourages more incidental exercise, rather than specific exercise in a gym whatever - after all, we are still here every day for the 23 hours we don't go to the gym. I think it's made a difference to me and I can at least see when I really haven't done much.

Tebbspcad

i am looking at getting a fit bit - i like it because i can plop it in a pocket and it still works. i want the nike fuel band but dont think i would like it on at work because it doesn't look like it has a good enough watch portion for my work (nursing) and would drive me nuts to wear two bands, not to mention the cost.

fit bit is a little cheaper but still $100 is a big committment for me - i am afraid that i will purchase it and it will not work how it describes and become another unused peice of equipment.

i am looking for something to track my calories burned and steps, i think i need some sort of visual motivator to keep me going. i don't want anything real fancy and i don't own a smart phone to sync it to.

so from your experience is it worth the money? does it work?

I too am undecided, it's around £80 here in the UK but that's a lot of money when you read some of the bad reviews on amazon about it...ohhh what to do????

vim_n_vigor

I love mine. It keeps me moving when I am ready to stop. I now go to the bathroom at work across the building and up the stairs just to get the extra steps in! I pass at least 4 bathrooms on the way It keeps me motivated to keep getting more and more movement in. I have worn it every day since I got it about 2 months ago. It seems to be pretty accurate for me, even with running.

waterwing

I've only been wearing mine for 3 days but I do find it motivating to see how active I really am. It does give extra incentive to walk more and take stairs etc. I also like how it tracks sleep patterns and things like that. I am skeptical of the calories it says I've burned but I have other ways to track that.
It's a fun toy and works for me!

passamaquoddy_lady

I have had mine for a two months, and I like that it pushes me to get more steps in, but I dont like how the calories increase my daily calorie goal when I sync it - I was on a plateau for 4 weeks - I stopped syncing it with MyFintesspal, and I have past the plateau in one week and lost 3 pounds, so I believe the extra calories that it gives you are too much extra calories to play with. I believe that the activity is stretch out over a day, and it not like you went to the gym and worked hard for 45 minutes where your heart rate is elevated. I still use my heart rate monitor for tracking my exercise. I also like how it tracks my sleep patterns, I have had trouble sleeping, and I use it to track my sleep cycles. When I make changes to my pre-bed routine I can see how the changes affect my sleep that night.

TeutonicKnight

It motivates you to move, plain and simple. It is like a tiny, itty bitty fitness coach in your pocket or belt clip (or for the women clipped to your bra) that keeps you walking, climbing stairs, and telling you what you have accomplished. I strive for 10,000 steps a day now thanks to my fitbit!

grassette

I've had mine a few weeks and I'm loving it. It motivates me to take stairs or longer routes to go places to get more steps in.

But really it's just a fancy pants pedometer. It isn't a HRM and to can't really tell how many calories you're burning.

As I said I really like mine but $100 isn't such a big deal to me (especially since I'm not American and paid in yen so it seemed a lot cheaper with the weak US dollar right now). If $100 is a big deal I'd say really consider if you'll be motivated to move more by wearing it.

IF all it does is count steps, you can pick up a good pedometer for $20-$30. A good pedometer will also give you distance and an estimate of calorie burn that will keep you motivated, even if it is not as accurate as what you could get with a HRM.

I wear mine on an elastic under my clothing.