Fitbit or Heart rate monitor or both?

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khelm31
khelm31 Posts: 51 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've been looking into Fitbit for getting a look at the activity and calories burned every day, but now that I am getting in the habit of exercising regularly, I wonder if I'm exercising at the right heart rate for fat loss. It would be nice to find something like the fitbit, but that also was a heart rate monitor as well, but I haven't found it. So to anyone out there that has a fitbit or a heart rate monitor, or both, or something else, let me know what you think and how you use them.

Thanks for any feedback

Replies

  • DebraYvonne
    DebraYvonne Posts: 632 Member
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    I am interested in this as well. I had a Polar Heart Rate Monitor but the battery kept fizzing out on me and I hated wearing the chest strap. I am looking at FitBit too.
  • amberecochran
    amberecochran Posts: 124 Member
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    I have a Timex HRM. No chest strap, just the wrist watch. IMO, it works really well. It shows me my hr, calories burned, and how long I've been working out. Occasionally, I have to clean off the back of the watch because dirt and sweat buildup can keep it from giving me an accurate hr. I paid around $30 for it. It will work until I can afford something better or it dies. Which ever comes first. :)
  • abouck
    abouck Posts: 71 Member
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    FYI- The fitbit can be a great tool but it is not accurate for all types of activities. It is best for walking/running as it measures steps and distance. If you are weight lifting or doing workout videos the fitbit cannot detect all types of movement and will underestimate your calorie burn. If you are wanting to get an accurate measure of calories burned during all types of workouts then you should get an HRM.
  • amberecochran
    amberecochran Posts: 124 Member
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    This is the one I have:

    http://www.amazon.com/Timex-Health-Monitor-Ladies-T5K483/dp/B004SGJUF8/ref=cm_sw_em_r_dp_AAbKqb11ZM8GH_tt
  • raindancer
    raindancer Posts: 993 Member
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    I love my Fitbit. I just use it to motivate me to move more. If you are going to do cardio you really need a HRM. The Fitbit is really just a fantastic pedometer.
  • miracole
    miracole Posts: 492 Member
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    love my fitbit because the numbers keep me thinking about adding in extra activity (and the company is AWESOME to deal with- had a problem with my base and they sent me another entire unit free- no questions asked!) but it's true they don't track heartrate and are of limited use when doing alternative cardio activities. That being said I tend to gauge my workouts by how I feel and how much I sweat, don't care as much about the other factors so the fitbit is perfect for me!
  • sgthaggard
    sgthaggard Posts: 581 Member
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    FYI- The fitbit can be a great tool but it is not accurate for all types of activities. It is best for walking/running as it measures steps and distance. If you are weight lifting or doing workout videos the fitbit cannot detect all types of movement and will underestimate your calorie burn. If you are wanting to get an accurate measure of calories burned during all types of workouts then you should get an HRM.
    The problem with the HRM is that it only measures calories burned through exercise. The Fitbit is great for measuring your activity level the other 23 hours a day.

    I have both. On their own, each has their drawbacks. Together, they're fantastic.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    BOTH! They each have a specific purpose and have been very useful to me.
  • tlm1979
    tlm1979 Posts: 13 Member
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    I was wondering the same thing. So I bought a polar ft7 heart rate monitor on amazon for about 70$. I have used it all week and love it. I can't believe how many calories I am burning when I work out. I also have learned so much about how "how I feel during a workout" compared to what my heart rate is actually saying. I have found I underestimated my heart rate lots. It has been nice to be able to look and see my actual heart rate as I am working out and be able to compare it to how I physically feel. I am able now to adjust my workout accordingly. I was wondering if the heart rate monitor would work all day and calculate my calories, but from some responses to your question I guess I am going to have to get a fitbit as well. Oh, we'll its worth it. My heart rate monitor has a chest strap but I don't even notice it. Mine also is water proof. I love it. It comes in different colors to. Good luck.
  • khelm31
    khelm31 Posts: 51 Member
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    Thanks for all the feedback about this topic. I am leaning towards getting the HRM and the cheaper fitbit zip. Perhaps with both of these I can get an accurate count of calories burned and see how active I am.
  • khelm31
    khelm31 Posts: 51 Member
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    Thanks, I will check it out.
  • COHikerGirl
    COHikerGirl Posts: 8 Member
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    A glorified pedometer isn't sufficient for those of us who engage in activities such as biking, skiing, swimming, and other non-step-based exercise.

    Just imagine achieving fitness-device nirvana:
    An upgraded version of the FitBit/Jawbone devices and apps, each of which still record data into MyFitnessPal (and vice-versa) as they do now -- but ALSO incorporate heart-rate monitoring and/or skin temperature changes so as to calculate more-accurate caloric expenditure from a broader range of activities.

    If a good proportion of us called on the FitBit and Jawbone manufacturers to provide such a version, it might happen sooner. It will HAVE to happen, eventually. The technology is there, but hasn't been put together as yet in a single device. Hell, I'd pay more, for that!
  • KAS0917
    KAS0917 Posts: 172 Member
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    Thanks for all the feedback about this topic. I am leaning towards getting the HRM and the cheaper fitbit zip. Perhaps with both of these I can get an accurate count of calories burned and see how active I am.

    That's exactly what I have. I don't care about # of stairs climbed or tracking my sleep, so the FitBit Zip was perfect for my needs. Clip it on my bra each morning. Love the combo! :)
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    [ ] fitbit
    [ ] hrm
    [X] save money and just make adjustments based on real world results
  • JamericanBoy
    JamericanBoy Posts: 484 Member
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    FitBit and HRM each do different things.

    FitBit is an activity monitor that attempts to calculate your level of activity and guesstimate caloric burn, distance walked, stairs climbed based on its internal movement sensors.

    An HRM measures your heart rate more precisely and gives you a very accurate caloric burn during monitored activity.
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
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    FYI- The fitbit can be a great tool but it is not accurate for all types of activities. It is best for walking/running as it measures steps and distance. If you are weight lifting or doing workout videos the fitbit cannot detect all types of movement and will underestimate your calorie burn. If you are wanting to get an accurate measure of calories burned during all types of workouts then you should get an HRM.
    The problem with the HRM is that it only measures calories burned through exercise. The Fitbit is great for measuring your activity level the other 23 hours a day.

    I have both. On their own, each has their drawbacks. Together, they're fantastic.

    This!!!
  • TigerBite
    TigerBite Posts: 611 Member
    Options
    [ ] fitbit
    [ ] hrm
    [X] save money and just make adjustments based on real world results

    I bought a Body Media and a FitBit One ... Tested both ... Returned both ... IMO, option 3 is definitely the way to go ... I would like to get a GPS (w/ a HR monitor built in) watch for running, but for now, MapMyRun and manually taking my pulse, is working just fine, I think my last 5K time of 21:17 is proof that you don't need fancy clothes or gadgets to get the job done ...

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