Anyone using the Fitbit gadget?

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kittenshark
kittenshark Posts: 6
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, is anybody using the Fitbit gadget (featured under "Tools" on the site) or thinking about getting one?

I thought it seemed pretty nifty. I used to have a Sleeptracker watch but it came towards the end of its lifespan and I mostly use the Sleepcycle app on my iPhone now. I kind of miss the vibrating function on the Sleeptracker though but I guess I can live without it.

I kinda want a simple pedometer and/or a heart-rate tracker. Fitbit doesn't seem to track heart-rate, but I also hear that the good heart-rate trackers can be expensive and a bit cumbersome... not sure if I really want that. I do a lot of walking; my area is pretty hilly and I thought it would be fun to see how much I actually burn doing daily activities. I also spend a fair amount of time at the gym.

Is it worth $100? Does it have anything that a smartphone (iPhone 3G) can't do?

Replies

  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
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    yes! I love my fitbit its awesome, I bought it in April and I wear it day and night. I do a lot of walking as well, and I wear it to my zumba class as well. The fitbit tracks your steps 3 dimensionally, so if your walking up hill or down hill it will log every 10 feet of elevation as a floor, like my normal route on my local nature trails is 2.4 miles and 8 floors. On the fitbit site you can look at all these charts showing your sleep, your deficient, how many hours sitting vs moving, a few other things. I would say its worth the money. You can find a used or refurbished fitbit online, I bought mine refurbished for $68. Actually mine was free, the one I bought didn't end up working, so after talking to fitbit's costumer service (super nice people!) and they couldn't get it working either they mailed me a brand new one completely free even took care of shipping. So then I returned the dead one and got a full refund.
  • cgale8
    cgale8 Posts: 34 Member
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    I received mine as a package deal with a new x-box kinect. I really like it. Especially the sleep tracker. It shows me exactly how much sleep I get and how many times I am awakened during the cycle. There is even a flowe on it that grows the more active you are. It just gives a good overview picture of how active or inactive you are in a day's time. It's small can sit in your pocket or clip it to your waist/belt or the front of a bra.

    I have also used the Omron pedometer that keeps up to 45 days in memory then you can upload the data for a spreadsheet. It worked well but didn't track as much as the fitbit does.

    I recommend it.
  • RainHoward
    RainHoward Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I've been looking at them the last couple days. I'd never heard of one before using this webpage. I honestly am not sure I see the point. OK, so you now know how many feet you walked. What is the importance of this information? If I wake up tired with my cpap mask ripped off I know I didn't sleep well. So, while they seem like a nifty little toy, I'm just not sure why I would need one. Maybe I'm completely off and just missing out on something.
  • rfsatar
    rfsatar Posts: 599 Member
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    I got one last week for step and calorie count mainly.

    I wear it for any exercises at home and any walking about I do during the day.
    Then again, I am a gadget girl and I am writing a series of pieces looking at healthier living using gadgets ... So it was part research, part "ooh new toy"

    I have been told (in one of those irritating generalisations as I have been an earlly riser all my life) "well you can't be getting your full 7 hours of sleep you NEED to function" ... Turns out 5-6 out of 7 days I actually am ... I have suffered from restless sleep due to stress since last year so it is helping me figure out my sleep a lot. I have changed career completely and so it interesting to try and see how those patterns reflect. But it is not an exact science. Just a nice to have.

    I have found it useful, but if you feel you are ok without then save yourself the £80.
  • lorasalim
    lorasalim Posts: 39 Member
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    need it for counting calories how many you burn during a day, making goals for Youself, for example, I need to walk a day 4miles at least, 10000 steps at least,10floors up at least, 30min activity a day at least,this counts just if you walk 3.4m/hour and faster and shows activity points in all day....so if you track all these its helping to keep youself active, plus downloading automatic to fitbit website and conected with myfittnesspal also...very very very good thing fitbit...I love so much, wearing 24 hours a day
  • macx2mommy
    macx2mommy Posts: 170 Member
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    I just got one his last weekend. So far I quite like it, but it's been only 4 days.

    Since I am generally an analytical person, I have found it helpful in determining how active I was, or in my case how very little I walked. A min target for everyone is supposed to be 10k steps. I didn't realize after a oral day at work, I only walked maybe 3500 steps. Since monday, I have been trying get more steps in at work and at home.

    I just did laps in my house as I type this. Before the Fitbit I would just sit and type. Now, I am tryning very little thing just to get moving.

    The sleep thing is neat too, but that hasn't really motivated me to change my behavior. I already knew I was tired. Can't do anything about that unless the little ones cooperate.
  • RainHoward
    RainHoward Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I do love gadgets. I have lots (possibly one reason I'm so damn fat). So I would love to hear more about this little doohicky.
  • rextcat
    rextcat Posts: 1,408 Member
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    i use one and its awsome, now i can say i realy did go up and down the stairs 100 xs today!
  • GlitterMamma11
    GlitterMamma11 Posts: 143 Member
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    Does it only work for walking? I like to go bike riding with my family and wondering if it would work for that? :o)
  • Stephanie_Autry
    Stephanie_Autry Posts: 228 Member
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    I'd like to know if you have to pay monthly for it or anything... I keep thinking for some reason it has wifi. I'd also like to try this out, but it's pricey for my low budget at the moment. Still looking into the reviews of others on the product.
  • Tiggermummy
    Tiggermummy Posts: 312 Member
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    I've had mine since February and it has helped me lots.
    My work is changable on a daily basis, I drop my daughter off and collect her from school before/after work
    I use a hire bike to cover part of the route, Some days I can be sat at a desk for a few hours just doing paperwork
    other days I don't even get to check my email except by phone.
    I had based my orgional calorie goals on being sedantary with my fitbit I discovered the opposite.
    My weightloss is slow but alot of that is due to other issues but at least I am eating eneough to loose weight.
    I also found you kinda get to know roughly how many steps you normally do by a certain point in the day so if you glance at it
    and think oh thats lower than it normally is now, you are more likely to get up and do something.
    If you link MFP & fitbit together fitbit will add a calorie adjustment during the day (if you have the option to sync it to a pc)
    it will add the adjustment if it thinks you are being more active than normal, but at the same time it could go down or disappear completley if you then get home and veg out on the sofa.
    I tweaked my activity levels until I wasn't getting more than 500-800 calorie adjustments on a daily basis.
    I try not to use the adjustment if it is less than 200 calories as I use that as a buffer for over/under estimations
    When I first started I would get adjustments of over 1000 cals at the end of the day and it was too late to eat all those back.
    I love that you can "earn" step badges and floor badges to push you to try a little bit more.
    I volunteered at the olympics and on my way home one night I relised I was almost at 30,000 steps - fitbit resets at midnight and I had 10 minutes to wait for my train and even though I was tired and had been up since 4am I walked the platform for those ten minutes rather than just sitting. I am very proud of the 30,000 badge I don't expect to get another one anytime soon!

    If you need just that little bit more encouragement to move then fitbit is a great way to get a nudge in the right direction
    and it works out at about 25 pence per day over a year which is nothing in the run of things. I pay at least £1 /day for a coffee

    good luck
  • Longbowgilly
    Longbowgilly Posts: 262 Member
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    My Hubby and I bought 2 last weekend and we are already addicted to them, I love the fact that you can link it here, I earnt 209 extra calories today and I did not have to log it here, the Fitbit did it!
    Love it!!
  • lorasalim
    lorasalim Posts: 39 Member
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    most work for walking and running, if you do a bike, need separate log in in fitbit.com or myfittnespal... if I do eliptical mashine after 30 min showing 100 calories I burned, but eliptical mashine showing 500,so I logging in myfitnespal what time I started,how many min and how many calories burned and this information automatic going to fitbit.com
  • Tiggermummy
    Tiggermummy Posts: 312 Member
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    There is an additional personal trainer program which does cost but you dont need it to use fitbit.
    you will need a pc with internet access to sync fitbit to your account and to charge it.

    It doesn't count steps when riding a bike - what you can do is log the activity - so press the button to start when you start riding
    stop it when you get off.
    when you sync it will show as logged activity and you can tell it what you were doing at that time
  • lorasalim
    lorasalim Posts: 39 Member
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    I'd like to know if you have to pay monthly for it or anything... I keep thinking for some reason it has wifi. I'd also like to try this out, but it's pricey for my low budget at the moment. Still looking into the reviews of others on the product.

    no montly fees, just pay for new 99 or buy used for less
  • Stephanie_Autry
    Stephanie_Autry Posts: 228 Member
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    I'd like to know if you have to pay monthly for it or anything... I keep thinking for some reason it has wifi. I'd also like to try this out, but it's pricey for my low budget at the moment. Still looking into the reviews of others on the product.

    no montly fees, just pay for new 99 or buy used for less

    Thank you! I think I'm going to finally buy me one then. :bigsmile:
  • Blayzn10Tiffers
    Blayzn10Tiffers Posts: 181
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    Totally worth EVERY penny! Love mine!
  • CHN_
    CHN_ Posts: 94 Member
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    You've had a lot of info about how the FitBit works and how awesome it is. Now, I agree on the awesome part. I got mine a week ago, and I am already addicted. The features you can check out on the website, and it's a great tool to keep track of your movement throughout the day and night. Basically, it is a great tool to keep an eye on your everyday life and activity level.

    Now, when it comes to working out, I would say if you want a proper tool for tracking calories and the level of intensity of your workouts, get a HRM. The FitBit costs 99 dollars, and from what I have found on here, you can get a good HRM like a Polar ft4 for less than that. So if what you really want is a tool for working out in particular, get that.

    Personally, I own both. I've had a HRM for two years (the Polar FT40, a bit more expensive but worth every penny) and I almost feel like the workouts are a waste without it. I got the FitBit last week, having to order from Amazon in the UK as I live in Norway and the FitBit site didn't seem to ship here. I wear my FitBit all the time, but when I hit the gym/work out, I put it down and turn on my HRM.

    If you can afford both, get both, totally worth it. If you can only do one right now, go with what is right for what you are looking for right now. Something to track just your workouts, or something to track your everyday life, but that might not be perfect for workouts (unless you work out by walking).
  • kittenshark
    kittenshark Posts: 6
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    Thanks, folks! I'll see if I can find a 2nd hand one. I personally had a lot of bad luck with stairs, with me tripping on them and getting injuries that will put me out of action for weeks, even months. I'm still recovering from a fall right now! So I have been avoiding them whenever possible. I suppose I can turn it off if I decide to use the lifts? ;)
  • kittenshark
    kittenshark Posts: 6
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    Hi all! Just an update--I just bought mine and been using it for a couple of days now... so far I'm very pleased with my little new toy! I will look into getting the Polar FT7 next month when I get more monies.

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