To fit bit or not to fit bit?

mmm_drop
mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
That is the question. I am thinking of getting a fitbit, but I hear a hrm is better. Thoughts?
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Replies

  • thriftycupl
    thriftycupl Posts: 310 Member
    I have a fitbit. I love mine. I think a lot depends on how you intend to use it.
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
    Do you find you are more successful now? I have just heard it doesn't record biking, elliptical, etc very well. I mostly do a lot of walking and hiking and am curious about my sleep patterns too. I just haven't heard much from folks who have them.
  • sweetmelissa40
    sweetmelissa40 Posts: 79
    I love my FitBit!!
    I have it on constantly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • RachaelJewell
    RachaelJewell Posts: 9
    I absolutely love mine but i really wish it was a HRM as well.. its the one thing missing. Maybe they will add one eventually.
  • Jonahyona
    Jonahyona Posts: 108 Member
    I may get myself one! :)
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    If you can afford it I would get both......if not you have to choose. Fitbit is great for measuring activity level across an entire day/week/month/etc......HRM is great for measuring heart rate and estimating calories for a specific activity. Fitbit is fine for elliptical/hiking/walking.....not great for bike.
  • Byrdsong1920
    Byrdsong1920 Posts: 336 Member
    I got the Timex HRm but was sooo off. It didnt ask me to input my gender or height, etc. I heard they are more geared towards men. So took back and got the Polar brand (which is what I went to get and got off track)lol! I believe its model FT4. Love it and wayyy more accurate! I wore during my salsa class to get reading and was happy to see the calorie burn !Got mine from Sports Authority, check on Amazon and Ebay too. Happy journey!
  • Salasel
    Salasel Posts: 69 Member
    I use both:
    Fitbit : During the day at work and when im out running errands
    Polar F7 with a chest strap: During workouts and when I go for a run

    Both have there uses If I had to pick between the two I would choose a HRM so you could get the most out of your work outs. The fit bit is fun and helps adjust for days when I am more active at work.
  • mishka0007
    mishka0007 Posts: 30 Member
    I have a FitBit and have been using it for over one month now; it is definitely making me more active!

    FitBit will track ALL walking, running, walking, stair climbing that you do. However, you need to track other exercises (elliptical, weight training, stair master, yoga, aerobics, etc.) using MFP. There are quite a few postings on this subject.

    Just to put things in perspective...
    When I started using FitBit - I walked, on average, 3 miles (7000 steps/day). I always took the elevator to get to my office... parked as close as possible to wherever I needed to go.

    BUT NOW... I am averaging 10 000+ steps per day (4.5 miles). Also, I stopped taking the elevator (I climb approx 25-40 floors per day)... I always park as far as possible!

    Bottom line... is FitBit going to help you get FIT and more HEALTHY?
    I would say 100% YES!
  • jmp1031
    jmp1031 Posts: 95 Member
    I just got mine last week and love it! I mostly workout with Jillian Michaels videos and walking and haven't had any trouble with accuracy. The sleep tracking function is one of my favorites, really interesting to see how well you are actually sleeping based on how many times you wake during the night and how long it takes you to fall asleep. I think I am definitely more successful now, MFP way over-estimates the calorie burn for some kinds of workouts and that's a huge problem when you're eating back your exercise calories. Nice to have an accurate calorie burn (even if it is lower). I compete with myself to get more steps than yesterday or do more stairs, burn more calories lol. I totally recommend getting it :happy:
  • smileybooliz
    smileybooliz Posts: 193 Member
    I just barely got one and love it so far. I like seeing my sleep patterns because I am always tired so I wanted to understand that better. Plus I love how it links with MFP. It's also fun because you can earn fun badges. I know it's weird but seeing how many stairs you've climbed is kind of fun. My first day the my page over on Fitbit said you've climbed the tallest dinosaur and it made me laugh and want to see what it would say the more stairs I went up. Since getting my Fitbit I've tried to go up and down my stairs 10 times everyday. I didn't do that before I got it. :happy:
  • angemarie23
    angemarie23 Posts: 55
    I LOVE my FitBit and I'm so glad that Chalene Johnson, creator of TurboJam and TurboFire, convinced me to get one over an HRM. :-)

    A lot of people use an HRM during their workouts but use the FitBit during the rest of the day. The FitBit is wonderful for overall calorie burn from daily activity. If all you want to know is what you're burning JUST during your workout then get an HRM. If you want to know your overall total for the entire day's activities, get a FitBit.

    I hope that helps!
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
    Thank you everyone for your input! I think I'm going to treat myself and get one. I just wanted to hear what users on here had to say first. I'm hoping it will get me walking more! :)
  • sengseng74
    sengseng74 Posts: 35 Member
    gfg,

    As of the last three days, I went through all of the training devices I could find and did my homework on them. In your case, you mentioned doing mostly walking and hiking. The Fitbit is great for that because of the accelerometer inside. It will be able to tell how much you are climbing, and since walking and hiking have very pronounced movements on the body (as opposed to the very smooth motions of an elliptical machine), the Fitbit will likely be accurate enough for what you're looking for.

    It seems people are really enjoying the $99 price point and no usage fees. I read that the sleep data is not that exciting, as it only shows you patterns, and does not give you specific analysis of your sleep, like the other more expensive devices do. I've read that sleep is up there in importance to eating and exercising. So for me, I opted to get the BodyMedia Link so that I could study my sleep in more detail (amongst many other things).

    Good luck with your decision!
    Steve
  • smileybooliz
    smileybooliz Posts: 193 Member
    I also have a HRM with a chest strap. Both are very useful.
    I just barely got one and love it so far. I like seeing my sleep patterns because I am always tired so I wanted to understand that better. Plus I love how it links with MFP. It's also fun because you can earn fun badges. I know it's weird but seeing how many stairs you've climbed is kind of fun. My first day the my page over on Fitbit said you've climbed the tallest dinosaur and it made me laugh and want to see what it would say the more stairs I went up. Since getting my Fitbit I've tried to go up and down my stairs 10 times everyday. I didn't do that before I got it. :happy:
  • LadyBeryl
    LadyBeryl Posts: 344 Member
    I keep mine on all of the time also but I like to use it to track my sleep -- something I need to increase.
  • Jacwhite22
    Jacwhite22 Posts: 7,010 Member
    gfg,

    As of the last three days, I went through all of the training devices I could find and did my homework on them. In your case, you mentioned doing mostly walking and hiking. The Fitbit is great for that because of the accelerometer inside. It will be able to tell how much you are climbing, and since walking and hiking have very pronounced movements on the body (as opposed to the very smooth motions of an elliptical machine), the Fitbit will likely be accurate enough for what you're looking for.

    It seems people are really enjoying the $99 price point and no usage fees. I read that the sleep data is not that exciting, as it only shows you patterns, and does not give you specific analysis of your sleep, like the other more expensive devices do. I've read that sleep is up there in importance to eating and exercising. So for me, I opted to get the BodyMedia Link so that I could study my sleep in more detail (amongst many other things).

    Good luck with your decision!
    Steve

    I love the sleep tracking....it keeps track of when I go to sleep, how long it takes me to fall asleep, How many times I wake up through the night and what my overall sleep efficiency is.
  • Umeboshi
    Umeboshi Posts: 1,637 Member
    I love my fitbit!

    It's shown me how sedentary I am and now I'm taking more opportunities to get active.
    I also LOVE the sleep tracking, seeing how well I'm actually sleeping.
  • klmnumbers
    klmnumbers Posts: 213 Member
    I really like my fitbit. It makes me feel weirdly obligated to be more active. I've definitely stepped up long walks, runs, etc simply because of the psychological need to meet the arbitrary goal they set for me. hah.
  • jlhill7
    jlhill7 Posts: 226 Member
    Do you find you are more successful now? I have just heard it doesn't record biking, elliptical, etc very well. I mostly do a lot of walking and hiking and am curious about my sleep patterns too. I just haven't heard much from folks who have them.

    I have both a fitbit and a HRM.

    Fitbit is great for tracking sleep and walking. However when you drive in the car it also picks up that movement as steps. HRM is good for carido, eliptical, weight lifting. If you get a HRM make sure it is one that tells you actual calories burned.
  • Cheshire_Kat
    Cheshire_Kat Posts: 69 Member
    its a decision i have never regretted. although i do feel as though i am not active enough now. before i never thought about it. It makes me be more active because it helps makes you accountable.
  • hpynh2o
    hpynh2o Posts: 194 Member
    I use both:
    Fitbit : During the day at work and when im out running errands
    Polar F7 with a chest strap: During workouts and when I go for a run

    Both have there uses If I had to pick between the two I would choose a HRM so you could get the most out of your work outs. The fit bit is fun and helps adjust for days when I am more active at work.

    This. :)
  • cpiton
    cpiton Posts: 380 Member
    I use my Polar F4 HRM when weightlifting--the Fitbit for pretty much everything else. I haven't really had an issue with driving, but I suppose you could just remove it during that time. I love the sleep analysis--basic, but all I need. For cardio activities like walking, running, intervals, and just general daily activity, it tracks very well. For the first week I wore the HRM and the Fitbit so I could compare.
    As someone else stated, it does make me more aware of how many steps I'm taking, floors I'm climbing, how tall my flower is... (you'll have to check out the Fitbit to see what I mean by that) You can earn badges for floors climbed, steps taken...daily and over the long term. You can also join competitions through www.earndit.com which is fun.
    Oh, and I also like the way you can link it to MFP so your workouts show up on both sites.

    All that for $99 ($89 for me--on sale at Target) and no monthly charges. Good deal in my book. :drinker:
  • LittleLightShine
    LittleLightShine Posts: 123 Member
    I would never wear my HRM all day. Too uncomfortable. I find the Fitbit motivating and love how it links to MFP. You won't regret getting one. It makes you MOVE!
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    I've had my fitbit for a few weeks now and it's making me do things I'd never previously have done - so yes - it's worthwhile if it helps me lose more weight!

    I have only just set it up to sync with MFP but others say as long as you follow the guidelines it works well. Looks like I should be eating more than I am though...
  • Vanilladays
    Vanilladays Posts: 155 Member
    If you can afford it I would get both......if not you have to choose. Fitbit is great for measuring activity level across an entire day/week/month/etc......HRM is great for measuring heart rate and estimating calories for a specific activity. Fitbit is fine for elliptical/hiking/walking.....not great for bike.

    Totally agree, I went for both and they both arrived the same day :happy:

    Love the fitbit cause I am seeing my everyday activity calorie burn...I actually had underestimated what I usually do...which means I can eat more :laugh:

    And the HRM is excellent to see my exercise calorie burn too.
  • mmm_drop
    mmm_drop Posts: 1,126 Member
    Well, I just ordered my fitbit! I will start there. :) Thank you everyone for their feedback and insight!
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,371 Member
    Hope you like it :-) You'll know who to come to with any problems now!
  • Discoveri
    Discoveri Posts: 435 Member
    Well, I just ordered my fitbit! I will start there. :) Thank you everyone for their feedback and insight!

    I just added one to my amazon wishlist. Thanks for the post OP, I was debating on whether to pick this up but I definitely will buy it now.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    How does fitbit work? Is it basically a pedometer?

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