Is the Fitbit worth it?

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EvilPoser
EvilPoser Posts: 24 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone. I'm still pretty new here and I've noticed people mentioning the Fitbit. It looks like a great tool but it's a bit expensive and I was wondering if most people think it was worth the cost. Also, if I do get one I'm thinking I'll wait for the Fitbit Flex since it's the same price and it looks like it's better for 24/7 wear. Thoughts?
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Replies

  • ashdawg8790
    ashdawg8790 Posts: 819 Member
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    Bump - also interested in this. :)
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    You'll get a variety of answers here...for me, it's not much use. I have fairly accurately determined my daily energy expenditure (TDEE) so I know pretty much how many calories I need to maintain...then I just take off 15% or that number to lose. Others find it useful in figuring out how active they are really and it helps them to be conscience about getting up and moving more. It's basically a very fancy pedometer.

    While I do not use a FitBit, I do wear a HRM when I do my cardio or when I'm going to do an activity that's out of my normal routine like a long hike or bike ride or something so that I know how much more I need to eat to avoid going too low on calories.
  • candicejn
    candicejn Posts: 458 Member
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    I've had one since August. Most days, I don't even put it on anymore. It was great for the first couple months, to help me determine that I was at the right "daily activity" level. But once I found the pattern of how many calories I burn on an average day (both lazy days and super active days), I didn't use it anymore. Honestly, I find it calculates high for me in pretty much everything I do. That's not helpful to me. I use my HRM for cardio, and when I wore the Fitbit at the same time, it always calculated about double what my HRM did. Makes me wonder if t figures the rest of my day higher than it should, too.

    I appreciate that it helped me figure out my activity level, but for day to day activity, I don't bother with it.

    HOWEVER, I do have several friends on my list who use it daily and have it linked to MFP and allow the adjustments, etc - and LOVE it.
  • KReduced
    KReduced Posts: 98 Member
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    I got the Fitbit Zip. The zip is the cheapest at right around 50.00 so I thought it was worth a try. I love it. It really shows me how active (or lack there of) I am. Its motivating to see my calories increase of what I can eat as I see how many Ive burned for the day. To have it accurate you need to have it synced with your height and weight,... Ive found it to be pretty accurate compared with other calorie estimate tools. Awesome.
  • nataliescalories
    nataliescalories Posts: 292 Member
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    I have had one for about a year and a half and I wore it very consistently, but I really don't think it is worth it. I bought the higher end version. In the end, my Polar bluetooth HRM (about $60) and Runkeeper on my iPhone have been a billion times more beneficial.

    On a psychological level, I felt like the counting of steps made me really limit myself. My goals were to hit 10,000, but I never necessarily pushed myself or became athletic. Since switching to Runkeeper, I've really upped my workouts and just did three 5k races in a month. My calorie burn certainly went way up when I made the switch to actually be athletic. That's just a personal note, but I think in order to make this decision you need to consider what your ideal Fitbit results will be and whether those results could be exceeded or pushed by a different device.
  • gemmaleigh1989
    gemmaleigh1989 Posts: 241 Member
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    I can't live without mine! And I've had it for well over six months now. I've put my level as sedentary and log in my exercise and then the fitbit adds in all the extra walking I do in between so it helps calorie counting be much more accurate. It also encourages me to aim for 10,000 steps to a day.
  • LdyPsych
    LdyPsych Posts: 79 Member
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    Mine is wasting away, used it once. Bought it because I love gadgets, but it doesn't fit well with the type of workouts that I do and I use my heart rate monitor much more.
  • DepauvilleKid
    DepauvilleKid Posts: 15
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    Think of a Fitbit as the advanced version of calorie counting. It can really help you fine tune your diet and calories in/out. Buy one when you're ready for the next level. Also, it helps if you use it as a motivational tool. I make sure to hit my steps and calorie goals everyday. Some days, I'm doing laps up and down our hallway just before bed in order to meet my goal that day. If you're not going to set goals and push yourself to meet them, then the Fitbit will probably be a waste of time... sort of like that treadmill in the basement that gets more use as a clothes drying rack that a workout machine.

    Fitbit is amazing and I really enjoy mine. But, it's only worth the money if you're motivated to use it and get the most out of it.
  • SammyKatt13
    SammyKatt13 Posts: 124 Member
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    I've had mine for about a week now. For me, yes it was expensive and i'm sure in a year I probably wont use it anymore. But for now, its REALLY opened my eyes on how un-active I really am. I thought I burned WAY more calories than I really do. So now I can adjust my calories to what I really should be eating and now I'll probably lose weight. =)
  • 10kaday
    10kaday Posts: 177
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    It's totally worth it. Having the fitbit on all day keeps me motivated to MOVE! I look for times throughout the day to get extra steps in. For instance, after each bathroom break I take a quick walk up and down the stairs. Keep track of how far I've gone is important, otherwise I don't do it. Prior to fitbit I wore a regular pedometer so I will always wear one. What I love about Fitbit is how it syncs automatically to MFP, and it also autosyncs to your FitBit account online as well. It also counts stair climbs too. It's so awesome!
  • glenette1
    glenette1 Posts: 140 Member
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    I have the Fitbit One and for me, it is worth it. I am always moving for my job and had no idea how active vs. non active I was until I got the Fitbit. I am a numbers person so I enjoy trying to "rack up" my numbers each day. However, it does not tell you anything you couldn't figure out by other means, it's just more convenient. I thought about waiting for the Flex as well but I wasn't sure how accurate it would be on your wrist. For example, if I'm doing desk work reaching here and there for items will it count it as steps? How will it know if I am just moving my arms or moving my body? I prefer to clip it to my torso and know it only registers movement when I ACTUALLY move. Maybe the flex will be smarter than I think but I know when I wear my Fitbit One in the wrist strap before bed and move my arm, it counts it as steps.
  • rubix08
    rubix08 Posts: 33 Member
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    I've had my fitbit for about a month now and I think it has really helped me see the difference in the amount of calories I burn throughout the week. My week was always broken into three different levels: inactive days (my weekend), average work day (about 3 days of the week) and super busy (weekends, food server and always walking). I always had trouble balancing out each day because it was hard to tell how much I was really burning, now I can gauge how much I am burning on average each day and base my calorie intake based off that much more accurately. While I do love my fitbit and I would recommend it if you are looking to maybe try something like that out I can't say for certain that I would continue to use one forever or upgrade when the next model is released since now that I have a pretty good idea of my calorie-out numbers I don't know how much I really need one anymore. I do continue to wear it everyday though since it mentally helps keep me in check and it's not like it's big or bulky to wear.
  • amculver1
    amculver1 Posts: 36 Member
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    bump
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,229 Member
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    I love mine. I got the Ultra back when it was the new thing. LOL! At first, I was hesitant about spending so much money, but those anxieties totally subsided once I got it and started using it. You suddenly seem not to care about the cost anymore. I have never heard one complaint from anyone who has ever bought one. I think most FitBit users are going to tell you that it was totally worth it.
  • abasmom
    abasmom Posts: 49
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    I have had my fitbit for almost a year, actually this is my second, I washed my 1st in the washer and it was gone :( so I ran right out and bought another one..thats how much I love mine!!! I only take it off to shower....it has been a very useful tool in my weight loss journey. I have worn a HRM and fitbit at same time for an exercise and they were very close in the cals burnt...I love mine and would def recommend getting one :)
  • Fitness4Paul
    Fitness4Paul Posts: 166 Member
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    I wear my fitbit every day. I've had it a year. I linked my fitbit account to a site called earndit and my activity collects points I can donate to charity and other things. There are challenges you can enroll in too that help keep you motivated. Been a great device. I do cardio with my HR monitor and wear fitbit all other times during my day.
  • crimsontech
    crimsontech Posts: 234 Member
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    I have been wearing my FitBit every day since August 2011 (a year and a half now). I absolutely love it! The customer service is top notch - they will replace your device if you lose it or run it through the wash!

    Since I got mine, I now have my fiance, aunt, mom, sister, brother, and 5 friends using them - many of which I bought for them. But we all use them daily and compete with each other on the leaderboard. It's helped us all become healthier and more active.

    Yes, it's $100... but for that kind of money you're less likely to throw it in a drawer and stop using it. You could get a $10 pedometer but if you spend more, you'll be more likely to want to get max value from your investment in yourself!
  • seabikecommuter
    seabikecommuter Posts: 12 Member
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    I have had my Fitbit for almost two years and I use it everyday. In fact, I look for it as often as my cell phone when I am checking my pockets. It's great for tracking your activity levels and it syncs with MFP very well. Can't recommend it enough, if you end up using it everyday like I do.
  • MissingMyOldSelf
    MissingMyOldSelf Posts: 689 Member
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    bump, too.

    I found out I can get it at the Best buy mobile in the mall for about $40-$50.
  • mathera26
    mathera26 Posts: 90 Member
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    Worth it if you use it as a motivational tool, and if you spend time calibrating it to your height/weight, wireless helps.

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