Has anyone else in their 50's tried a fit bit?

rosie99cats
rosie99cats Posts: 8 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I'm thinking about buying one of these, I'm 53 and have arthritis so I'm aiming to get moving gently and thought this might help and motivate me. I'd love to hear from other people who have tried one and how you got on, whether you carried on using it after the novelty wore off, any limitations to it etc?

Replies

  • Newf77
    Newf77 Posts: 802 Member
    Sorry I do not meet the criteria for your club but I do have a FitBit; have had one for several months; carry it all the time and yes I find a level of motivation in it. There is a group http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users. I do know of several members who do fall into your club requirements and have been Fitbitters for longer periods then myself.

    Good luck on your journey.
  • etajr
    etajr Posts: 49
    I am 54 and have used it for 6 months. It keeps me on my toes... highly recommend it...
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    i love my fitbit.
  • sassylm22
    sassylm22 Posts: 54
    i have one. it works really well. its worth getting in my opinion.
  • desirae500
    desirae500 Posts: 142 Member
    53 y/o with a fitbit and I love it. I have an irregular heartbeat and take meds so heart rate monitors do not work well for me. I love looking at how high I climbed and how far I walked after a day in the hospital with the nursing students. The average is 3.5 miles and the height of the Statue of Liberty!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    Yes!! I LOVE it!

    I am 51, have a chronic neck condition with pain, chronic daily migraines and recently hiatel hernia/gerd. I have been so sick for a year that I gave up on working out.

    Huh :laugh: working out? I am lucky to make it to work and walk the dogs.

    In December I was given a Fit Bit as a gift. I wore it all weekend and was shocked I walked about 1000 steps a day! Then I wore on a work day and only 2500 steps! The goal is 10,000!!

    Seeing those numbers changed me instantly. I was hot to increase my steps each day and now easily hit the 10k mark on most days.

    The one I have gives steps, miles, calories burned, how many flights of stairs. :wink: there have been days I just walked up and down my 1 flight of steps so I could log in 10 flights and get my badge! :wink:

    Whatever it takes is what I say.

    Good luck!!

    Jeannine:flowerforyou:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    53 y/o with a fitbit and I love it. I have an irregular heartbeat and take meds so heart rate monitors do not work well for me. I love looking at how high I climbed and how far I walked after a day in the hospital with the nursing students. The average is 3.5 miles and the height of the Statue of Liberty!

    Waited tables today on a 'slow' day and it was over 3 miles! Holy cow that is awesome!
  • Zarebeth
    Zarebeth Posts: 136 Member
    52 and have had one since April. The trick to using it successfully is to set your activity level to sedentary. Your calorie level will adjust downwards, and you will need to earn every extra calorie. It keeps me motivated, and if I see I am near a goal I will keep going until I reach it... like my first badge for 10 flights of stairs. I got up to 7 one day, and decided to go for it. Now I do it on a regular basis. It definitely helps adjust your eating to your activity level, too - which is what I have found to be the most important part even if you don't find yourself challenged to meet the goals. My next one is 500 flights of stairs! Soon, little Fitbit, soon.

    People I know that have them also get a kick out of the way it tracks sleep, or rather how much you toss and turn at night. Since you should get 8 hours of good solid sleep to help with weight loss, you might be surprised at how little you are getting now!
  • no1baby
    no1baby Posts: 1
    what is a fitbit?
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    what is a fitbit?

    it is a really high tech pedometer. you put in your info, and it counts how many steps you take in a day. i measured my stride, and put in 2 feet, so now it gives me the miles! cool stuff, love mine.

    I waited tables this weekend and it was great to see how many steps I took. also helped me on food for the day.

    :flowerforyou:
  • Aplmark
    Aplmark Posts: 49 Member
    50 and I've had it for a month and love it. It gives me a goal throughout the day (10,000 steps) and I love when it downloads to MFP and gives me calorie credits.
  • mocchioni
    mocchioni Posts: 63 Member
    I saw those and wondered about them. Guess I will have to try one out.
  • Glassblaster
    Glassblaster Posts: 23
    I am 58 and love my fitbit. It really motivates me to move more. I do 15,000 steps a day even if I have to walk around the house just to get the last few hundred steps in. I dont have any stairs around so I cant say about that.
  • jdmey
    jdmey Posts: 30 Member
    I'll be 59 next week, and my Fitbit was an early birthday present. I love it. It keeps me going everyday. I tell my husband to park as far away from our destination as he can, and we walk so I can earn steps. I rarely took the stairs at work because I would get winded, but now I take them 10 or more times a day without much effort. I feel so much more energetic and fit since the first day back in June when I first clipped it on. I highly recommend it!
  • LaMiaVita
    LaMiaVita Posts: 22
    I'll jump in too and say I love my FitBit. It's not cheap, but it's been a great investment. It definitely gives me the push I need to get out the door and take walking breaks at work, and if I haven't made my goals for the day it mocks me until I get up off the couch. You can tuck it right into your bra (I've always had a problem with the waistband types flying off at inopportune times) and stays put if you change your clothes during the day. AND you get a weekly report via email so you can monitor your progress.

    I also have moderate to severe arthritis in my 56-year-old feet and ankles and as a result have set more modest routine daily walking goals (5000 steps) or I'm hobbled the next day. I do manage to get in 15-25 flights of stairs daily.

    Hope you try it! Hope you love it!
  • Tammi1947
    Tammi1947 Posts: 7 Member
    Well, I am way past 50--65 to be exact. I bought my Fitbit in May and love it. I started a 10000 step walking plan in March and used a pedometer. Hated the pedometer but enjoyed the walking. Saw an ad for Fitbit and decided to give it a try. My walking plan goal is now 15000 steps a day and a minimum of 4 flights of stairs a day. Lost 21 pounds since March, and feel the best I have in years. In late May I integrated with MFP.

    When I started this, I had high cholesterol, arthritis in my neck, my blood sugar was creeping up and was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis in both feet the week after I began. Lucikily walking made a difference. My cholesterol dropped by 80 points, my blood sugar is normal and walking has increased my muscle tone which has helped my arthritis. The plantar fasciitis is better but am still under a doctor's care. He encouraged my walking but made me get fitted with the right walking shoes with arch support inserts plus doing stretches.

    I believe integrating the Fitbit and MFP has given the incentive and support to keep it up.
  • johned63
    johned63 Posts: 306 Member
    I am 49, have an artificial hip, an artificial knee, and arthritis. I love my fitbit and think it is one of the best tools I have to keep me moving and getting healthier.
  • 2youngatheart
    2youngatheart Posts: 338 Member
    Bumping for later:-)
  • bestmother13
    bestmother13 Posts: 11
    56 years old. My son gave me a fitbit for Mother's Day. It has been very motivating in changing from a sedentary lifestyle to a much healthier one. I use it all the time.
  • RunnerInVT
    RunnerInVT Posts: 226 Member
    Do you think my husband would be insulted if I got him one? Is it easy to use?
  • cookingcow
    cookingcow Posts: 78 Member
    I dont fit into the age category (I'm only 20) but I have torsions in both of my hips and RA in my hands. I know how hard it is to do anything when you are in pain.

    I have had my Fitbit for a little over a year. I love it, it really gets me motivated to get moving (even if it is to attempt to beat my mom's 20k steps a day)

    At first it was very difficult to reach the daily goal of 10k steps a day, but now I have graduated to aim for 15k a day. I love to see how far I can go, especially on days I dont work because I am on my feet, walking all day long for my job.

    I have a fitbit ultra which tracks your sleep, a function that I am in love with. I have some disorders which affect my sleep, it is important for me to see HOW much my sleep is disturbed and after what actions (be it new meds, meditation, reading, what have you) help or hurt my sleep. SOO interesting.

    I definately think that it is a GREAT investment. It has kept me motivated on days I really didnt want to be.
  • cookingcow
    cookingcow Posts: 78 Member
    .
  • AprilRenewed
    AprilRenewed Posts: 691 Member
    I no longer talk to my mother, but she is...turning 51 in October, and she just got a fitbit.
  • raystark
    raystark Posts: 403 Member
    I will be celebrating my 58th birthday tomorrow and my wife got me fitbit back in May for Father's Day. I have found it to be a great motivator. It is clipped to the pocket of my pants as I type. :-)
  • hadlockd801
    hadlockd801 Posts: 6 Member
    I’m 49 with multiple medical issues. Been using mine for several weeks! Love it! It is inspiring and the people here help to inspire one another. I highly recommend it. I bought mine on ebay for $79, free shipping. His wife had only used it a couple of times and stopped. Her loss was my gain! Mine came with everything it needed. Not a bad place to start! Best of luck!
  • Nancer1954
    Nancer1954 Posts: 7
    I am 58 and I don't have a fit bit. I just ordered a pedometer on line the other night, before I joined this web site. I wish I had waited to order one now! A fit bit sounds like a good idea. I may purchase one myself, if the other one I got does not work that well. Good luck!
  • carolemack
    carolemack Posts: 1,276 Member
    I'M 64, received my Fitbit as a gift for Mother's Day in May...I love it! I too have multiple medical issues including RA and have found the Fitbit keeps me motivated to keep moving. Today is the first day I haven't worn it and that is just because I am wired up to a holter monitor for the next 24 hours and they asked me not to wear the Fitbit with it. I think a Fitbit is a great investment in your health!

Categories