Picking a Fitness Monitor

MightyDomo
MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am not sure what to exactly call it, but I want a fitness monitor. One that measures my activity and can be worn for long periods (ie. during office hours, runs/walks and during exercise routines) to more accurately depict the calories I am burning in a day.

Since I have absolutely no experience with these other than a cheap pedometer that I used to wear in highschool as a part of my work program to track steps worked in the drive thru of McDonalds. So if anyone has used these and have a personal review of what they use and what they like and don't like about it, it would be immensely helpful in helping me figure out what I will hope to end up purchasing.

Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • jaimeschubring
    jaimeschubring Posts: 5 Member
    I have a FitBit and absolutely love it. I wear it on my bra so no one else sees it. It tracks steps, miles, calories burned, floors of stairs climbed, and syncs with my computer and My Fitness Pal whenever it's within 15 feet of my computer. I would recommend it to anyone.
  • hkopenhaver
    hkopenhaver Posts: 7
    I agree...I just ordered FitBit and can't wait to get it. I've heard nothing but good things about it!! It'll be something that will really motivate me to move more and kinda compete with myself.
  • heymirth
    heymirth Posts: 448
    I have a Body Fit Media. (Body Bug) like they use on the Biggest Loser and its AMAZING the amount of info it tracks. It also works in sync with MFP
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    Thanks for the idea's so far, I am looking at both companies sites and I will probably do some research on all their different trackers. It looks like they each have a few including a new one that is yet to be released by fitbit and it looks really esthetically nice. Comes in some wardrobe friendly colors.
  • simplysassi
    simplysassi Posts: 137 Member
    I have a FitBit Ultra (last year's model) and LOVE it ! They have a new one now called the FitBit One that I am seriously considering upgrading to. They cost $100 but are worth it. I wear mine 24 hrs/day and love that it tracks/syncs automatically with MFP. The new "One" will sync with some smartphones and is water resistant.

    It does a fantastic job of calculating calories burned for "most" activities like walking, treadmill, running, etc. For intense aerobic/zumba workouts or weightlifting you may want to use an HRM for a true calorie burn. Or at the very least just know that if you do aerobics, your FB will underestimate your calorie burn.
  • MissyGorman2012
    MissyGorman2012 Posts: 52
    I just got the fitbit one and I will say it's one nifty little tool!! I like how it syncs to MFP and adjusts automatically based on your settings to let you know how many of your extra calories burned to eat back. It also analyses your sleep. Last night I apparently woke 7 times and got a total of about 7 1/2 hours sleep. Pretty cool!!
  • MissyGorman2012
    MissyGorman2012 Posts: 52
    It does a fantastic job of calculating calories burned for "most" activities like walking, treadmill, running, etc. For intense aerobic/zumba workouts or weightlifting you may want to use an HRM for a true calorie burn. Or at the very least just know that if you do aerobics, your FB will underestimate your calorie burn.

    Interesting. I did wear it to Zumba last night and thought I'd end with more calories burnt than it showed so glad to know it underestimates for those kinds of activities.

    So in that case - would I be better off putting in those activities manually on MFP or just go with the lesser calculation the FB gives me to be on the safe side?
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    Hmmm, that is really good to know because I do plan on doing things like zumba and such to add to my daily and weekly routines. So the bodymedia would probably fit well. I am trying to find other brands to see what they are like and so far the Garmin one looks like crud and the Nike+ one is only a halfsie of the fitbit or bodymedia ones.
  • dogacreek
    dogacreek Posts: 289 Member
    I had been wearing my Polar FT7 when exercising, but like you, I wanted to know how many calories I burn all day. I bought the BodyMedia Link and love it. I do zumba twice a week and will be starting NROLFW next week. I have already made some changes after seeing all the information from the BodyMedia. Looking to kick these last 25-30 pounds to the curb!
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    Going to get the Fitbit Flex when its released this Spring... Looks like a functional accessory rather than a dangling extra...
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
    I have the BodyMedia Fit and really like it. Lots of data for me to look at (I'm a data geek and enjoy the numbers). I got mine just before Thanksgiving and have worn it pretty consistently since then. I did really well tracking my meals for 2 weeks between the holidays and average a 500 calorie deficit based on the food input into MFP and the calorie burn from the BM Fit. The scale was right on with a 1.8 lb loss for the two weeks. The one fitness thing I have noticed it has problems with is the stationary bike. I like to do the spinning bike on occasion and it is nowhere near the burn my HRM has me at. The FAQ's on their site say that because there is little upper body movement during that activity it is less likely to pick up movement associated with it. Other than that, I love it and will be more than happy to continue using it after I lose the weight I want to lose.
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    OOH! I just found out that BodyMedia has a coupon and a deal going on right now!

    Originally $149 m+ S/H for the Wireless Link Armband. The price is now $119 + Free S/H and with 15% of coupon (BMFIT15) it total's at $106.21! (We have only 5% sales tax here)

    So if anyone is solid about buying it right now, it might be a realllllly good time. I am going to do a bit more research and hear a few more experiences before I move to zone of actually buying myself to make sure I make the right choice of tracker :)
  • MissyGorman2012
    MissyGorman2012 Posts: 52
    I debated between the two as well but I believe BodyMedia has a monthly subscription fee doesn't it?
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    The one fitness thing I have noticed it has problems with is the stationary bike. I like to do the spinning bike on occasion and it is nowhere near the burn my HRM has me at. The FAQ's on their site say that because there is little upper body movement during that activity it is less likely to pick up movement associated with it.

    I wonder if wearing it on the upper leg or something might be a solution to that? I looked at the maps on their website and saw that it hit 2/3 mapping zones there and it is the part that's mobile on the bike... so maybe?
  • FlipThis112
    FlipThis112 Posts: 49 Member
    Bump to hear more opinions!
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    I debated between the two as well but I believe BodyMedia has a monthly subscription fee doesn't it?

    It does and so a lot of similar trackers. I checked out all the ones I could find by google and the fee's and price at BodyMedia happened to be the best for this kind of tracker.

    I think FitBit has a premium for advanced features as well. I still have to keep checking for more, there has to be more than just 4-5 multi-sensor band companies.
  • mogz36
    mogz36 Posts: 38 Member
    Fitbit all the way. I can't say enough about it.
  • jstout365
    jstout365 Posts: 1,686 Member
    The one fitness thing I have noticed it has problems with is the stationary bike. I like to do the spinning bike on occasion and it is nowhere near the burn my HRM has me at. The FAQ's on their site say that because there is little upper body movement during that activity it is less likely to pick up movement associated with it.

    I wonder if wearing it on the upper leg or something might be a solution to that? I looked at the maps on their website and saw that it hit 2/3 mapping zones there and it is the part that's mobile on the bike... so maybe?

    I think they recommend pushing the band lower on the arm. I do a lot of standing climbs and that seems to get a better amount of movement in my arms. The leg may work...I haven't tried it. It doesn't bother me any more because I know that I'm not on the bike every day and I just consider the unreported burn as a silent bonus that helps on the scale later or counter balances my bad habit of not tracking small bites here and there.

    And yes, there is a $7/month subscription (May still be offering first 3 months free). I was paying $18/month on weight watchers and only tracking my weekly weight so I figured the move over to the BodyMedia would be covered by dropping WW and using MFP. Oh and the BodyMedia and MFP link really nicely.
  • simplysassi
    simplysassi Posts: 137 Member
    It does a fantastic job of calculating calories burned for "most" activities like walking, treadmill, running, etc. For intense aerobic/zumba workouts or weightlifting you may want to use an HRM for a true calorie burn. Or at the very least just know that if you do aerobics, your FB will underestimate your calorie burn.

    Interesting. I did wear it to Zumba last night and thought I'd end with more calories burnt than it showed so glad to know it underestimates for those kinds of activities.

    So in that case - would I be better off putting in those activities manually on MFP or just go with the lesser calculation the FB gives me to be on the safe side?

    In a full-out one hour zumba class, my HRM will calculate over 600 cals. The FB will calculate that same hour as maybe 350. I track the activity on the fitbit (using the start and stop function so I know exactly when I started and ended), then I go into my MFP account and overwrite that same time frame with the calories calculated on the HRM. Personally, I prefer to go with the HRM calculation b/c I know I work out hard and want credit for it.
  • dogacreek
    dogacreek Posts: 289 Member
    I have the BodyMedia Fit and really like it. Lots of data for me to look at (I'm a data geek and enjoy the numbers). I got mine just before Thanksgiving and have worn it pretty consistently since then. I did really well tracking my meals for 2 weeks between the holidays and average a 500 calorie deficit based on the food input into MFP and the calorie burn from the BM Fit. The scale was right on with a 1.8 lb loss for the two weeks. The one fitness thing I have noticed it has problems with is the stationary bike. I like to do the spinning bike on occasion and it is nowhere near the burn my HRM has me at. The FAQ's on their site say that because there is little upper body movement during that activity it is less likely to pick up movement associated with it. Other than that, I love it and will be more than happy to continue using it after I lose the weight I want to lose.

    Have you tried switching the band to your ankle area?
  • atucker0821
    atucker0821 Posts: 106 Member
    I just ordered a HRM with chest strap...i loved the idea of the fitbit but since it doesn't track your heart rate, i was skeptical about the accuracy of the calorie burn...

    i think the reason i annoy people so much with my weight loss efforts is because i obsess over it...some say as long as you are moving that should be enough but it's not for me...lol...i want to know what i'm logging is correct...lol...
  • rmgatch
    rmgatch Posts: 38
    I have the Fitbit Ultra since November and have used it daily. Helped me monitor calories burned and using along side with MFP has been tremendously beneficial in trying to meet my goals. I did look at the BodyMedia but decided against it because of the monthly subscription. I liked the Fibit so much I bought them as Christmas present for the parents. They have been using them daily also to help track the amount of miles they have been walking around the neighborhood when they walk the dogs.
  • cwanek726
    cwanek726 Posts: 98 Member
    I bought the Fitbit Ultra a few months ago, and so far, I love it. I also use a Polar FT7 for my workouts that don't involve as much walking/running. I love them both and would recommed either one. I love how the Fitbit will track sleep patterns, it's a great tool to know how well you're sleeping.
  • NavyMommy
    NavyMommy Posts: 102 Member
    I'm trying to decide between the two at the moment as well. If you have a Costco membership the BodyMedia Link is on sale for $120 with a free year of online access. That's by far the best deal I've found.

    The downside to that one IMO is the continued payments as well as the fact that I've heard they don't do well unless you're doing a lot of forward motion / arm movement. So my spinning classes probably wouldn't register well on it. Plus I was always under the impression when I saw them on BL that they had some kind of HRM in them, but it doesn't seem that they do, so I fail to see where that would do me better than the FitBit, plus it's bulkier and especially during the summer I don't know that I want it hanging out there for all to see all the time KWIM? Especially if I can get those killer arms I'm working for and am trying to show them off in short sleeved shirts.

    I am REALLY liking the look of the new FitBit Flex, but I don't want to wait! Waaaaah! Lol. I still have a bit more money to save up, but I am thinking I will go with that once it comes out.

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