Fitbit seems kinda boring.....

Donnacoach

I am getting one on Mother's day. I can't wait.

lgstone

I've been using mine daily for 4 months. I love it. It isn't just that it counts steps and estimates calories and distance. It does this with two advantages. First, the motion sensor seems to pick up not just "steps" but the torque or momentum of the steps. When I walk to the barn, it scores it as "walking" but if I carry bales of hay to the barn, same path, it scores the calorie burn higher but registers the same distance. But if I jog to the barn, it picks up that now I'm jogging and goes to a different stride length that I set on the FitBit web site. And the altimeter reads actual gain in height, so those "flights" of stairs are actually just a code for the altimeter registering how high the user has climbed.

The synchronizing is great. I can check out my activity, steps, calories all day on the fitbit itself, or look at the website, which helps me judge if I'm headed toward ending the day with the "calorie gap" where it needs to be.

The sync'ing with MFP is also super convenient. Losing weight is all about relating levels of activity to levels of consumption. The FitBit reads my activity, MFP gives me a tool to assess consumption. As a result, I've lost a nice amount of weight in 4 months, without resorting to weird eating patterns or special foods.

It's likely not for everyone, of course, but I love mine and it helps me reach my goals.

SteffieMark

I just returned mine, yesterday. I used to use a BodyMedia FIT, which has sensors that track a bit more accurately than an accelerometer (though there's an accelerometer, as well, in the BMF), but the FitBit was grossly overestimating my calorie burn to the point that it was telling me to eat 2000+ calories per day, with the expectation that I'd lose 1.5-2 lbs per week. As a 5'7" 149pound 23-year old female, I'm very certain that I am not burning 3000+ calories per day, even on workout days. I think I burned that many calories ONCE on my BMF, and that was strenuous hike + double-shift waitressing + some other excursion.

So anyway, I'd invest in the BodyMedia FIT, if you're looking for something a bit more clever. The Core (newest incarnation of BMF) is on sale at Costco for $119!

I thought the calories that show on the Fitbit Dashboard, also include BMR. I could be wrong, someone else may know better. I still love it! I just got mine Tuesday, as an early Birthday gift.

glennstoudt

At first I thought that Fitbit sounded pretty cool. Then I started logging calories and doing my gym and so on. And then I thought that I don't want another device in my life, something to have to remember to use and charge and wear and so on. To those who think it can help them, by all means use it. For me, logging and exercising the amounts needed and estimating where necessary has seemed to have produced the results. Device free I will never be, but another calorie counter, just don't need it.

DinaLKeil

I don't know that one, I do not do Zumba. Seems like I have heard others talk about it with setting the stop watch etc. Not sure how accurate it would be though. Others probably know much more about that than I do.

Thanks so much, Steffie. I appreciate your replies. I will probably just give Striiv and FitBit headquarters a call and ask questions.

If you sync the fitbit with myfitnesspal, when you input your exercise like zumba or jogging, etc....it will replace that time with the exercise you put. So, while it will count the steps or stairs during that time-it wont double count it for calorie purposes. I hope I explained this sorta clearly. If you go to the fitbit group, there are lots of answers to these types of questions. I thought that the fitbit would be a great way to achieve a maintenance weight as well...giving a good idea of how much you should be eating for the amount of movement you make...Hope this helps...btw...I love my fitbit

peasantgirly

I just thought of another question. Does the FitBit count steps if you are doing something like aerobic dancing, such as Zumba?

I do Zumba and it always counts my steps.

tabulator32

You can also link the fitbit with earndit.com and get points for how active you are to trade in for gift cards or coupons to websites. I've redeemed a couple already.

Oooh!!

Never saw this before!

Going to check it out now.

Pancua

I just thought of another question. Does the FitBit count steps if you are doing something like aerobic dancing, such as Zumba?

Yes, I counts just about everything. I do a lot of zumba, aerobic step and I am also an active fencer. My fitbit catches all of it.

Masq

Is your active score on the dashboard supposed to transfer over to your food log exactly? It's usually pretty close, but it's never the same number......
I've had the fitbit for a week now and I really like it!

dreamshadows

Love mine. It's nice and small. wear it anywhere. reasonably accurate. Wear in your shoulder and count the flights of squats in a day :laugh:

waterwing

If you set it so that it sends you little loving messages every time you touch it.. that makes it a little less boring ..

Umeboshi

How accurate is the calorie estimate on it? I'm considering getting on sometime.

marcf2001

I have a Fitbit and I love it. It is simple, small, you wear it all day and forget about it.

It counts your steps and looking at the results can be motivating to do more .

I don;t trust nor look at the claorie count.

angbieb

You can also link the fitbit with earndit.com and get points for how active you are to trade in for gift cards or coupons to websites. I've redeemed a couple already.

Oh wow! That is awesome!!

Razzlebari

How accurate is the calorie estimate on it? I'm considering getting on sometime.

It's not. At least not compared to my BodyMedia FIT's data. I definitely prefer the one with more than an accelerometer and altimeter to judge calories burned.