Fitbit yes or no?

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13

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  • jtannehill75
    jtannehill75 Posts: 37
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    If you want a little gadget that measures steps/cals burned/stairs climbed/ sleep duration without a subscription.. I'd say Yes!! If you want something more accurate.. because it has actual skin sensors and costs 6.95/month for a subscription.. go for Bodymedia Fit!!


    Tells you everything the fitbit does.. although after wearing both for a year and comparing.. I'd go for the bodymedia fit ANYDAY!! Plus MFP talks to bodymedia fit so you only have to log in one place (MFP) !!

    Best of luck on your decision!

    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=135867251&page=1

    scroll through this if you have time.. lengthy but a bodybuilder wore both and it has actual screen shots of the differences in calories burned, etc. :)
  • x_JT_x
    x_JT_x Posts: 364
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    It depends on what you're looking for in a device. If you do primarily step based exercise and only want to know your calorie burn then you might be satisfied with the FitBit. It estimated caloric burn based on algorithms using your height, weight, age etc. It you primarily do exercise other than step-based: videos, weightlifting etc then the FitBit isn't all that helpful.

    I asked for the FitBit for Christmas. Used it for one week and sent it back. It was much too generalized for me, especially since I don't fall within the parameters of the algorithm for my stats. I ended up purchasing the Bodymedia Link and am much happier with that device. It provides much more personalized data, not to mention one's TDEE for the day. Very useful information to have.

    I'm not sure I follow. TDEE is what the Fitbit gives. What do you mean you don't fall within the parameters of the algorithm?


    My metabolism runs 11% under what it should for my age/height/weight. The FitBit figures caloric burn based on that information. Since I don't fall into the 'average' person statistical group, the numbers aren't accurate for me.

    As far as the TDEE issue, the FitBit doesn't have the capacity to measure intensity. It only knows how many steps you took, not how hard you were working.

    It actually does measure more than just steps. It's not a pedometer - it has a 3-axis accelerometer. It calculates how fast you're moving in addition to how many steps you're taking. It's actually really good at it. It can calculate how fast I'm running even on a treadmill.

    So, yeah, it does measure intensity. It'll give you different numbers for running a mile versus walking a mile - and it will fairly accurately calculate actual distance traveled.

    I'm not saying it's a bad device. It certainly has it's place, especially if you do step-based exercise. I don't doubt you get different numbers for running a mile versus walking a mile because your stride would be different. But I'm still not convinced it can measure intensity. My understanding is that it takes your speed, distance traveled and steps and plugs the info into a mathematical formula giving an estimate of caloric burn based on a preset algorithm.
  • Lisha_R
    Lisha_R Posts: 92 Member
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    I had the ultra and my husband bought me the one for Christmas. Now he has my ultra. I love it. I wear it everday on my bra strap. It does calculate your TDEE by your walking activities. Yes non walking exercise it cant calculate swimming, weight lifting, bike riding ect. I calculated my TDEE on fat2fit and it was right on what my fitbit shows I burn. I used a month and devided by 30 to get my average daily TDEE. So much easier to take a cut when you know your actual TDEE.

    I even use stairs climbed as an exercise now. If I can't get to the gym I walk my stairs at home for an hour. I love to push myself to get more sets done. I started at 30min and 30 sets of stairs and now I am up to an hour and 100-125 sets.

    I do love my fitbit and think it has helped me lose this weight.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I'm not saying it's a bad device. It certainly has it's place, especially if you do step-based exercise. I don't doubt you get different numbers for running a mile versus walking a mile because your stride would be different. But I'm still not convinced it can measure intensity. My understanding is that it takes your speed, distance traveled and steps and plugs the info into a mathematical formula giving an estimate of caloric burn based on a preset algorithm.

    Well... yes. That's pretty much how reality works. The energy you burn performing some activity is the energy it takes to move your body in certain ways. I'm not sure what you mean by "intensity." The device is pretty much directly measuring how much energy you're using to move your body.
  • x_JT_x
    x_JT_x Posts: 364
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    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=135867251&page=1

    scroll through this if you have time.. lengthy but a bodybuilder wore both and it has actual screen shots of the differences in calories burned, etc. :)


    This was my experience as well. I wore both the FitBit and the Bodymedia device for several days. The FitBit consistently over-estimated my step count by a good 500 steps and under-estimated my calorie count by about 130 cals each day. As an additional measurement, I wore my HRM, Fitbit and Bodymedia and hopped on the treadmill for 45 min. Checked both and the calorie burn from both the HRM and Bodymedia were identical, the Fitbit under reported the calorie burn by more than 100 cals.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    If you want a little gadget that measures steps/cals burned/stairs climbed/ sleep duration without a subscription.. I'd say Yes!! If you want something more accurate.. because it has actual skin sensors and costs 6.95/month for a subscription.. go for Bodymedia Fit!!


    Tells you everything the fitbit does.. although after wearing both for a year and comparing.. I'd go for the bodymedia fit ANYDAY!! Plus MFP talks to bodymedia fit so you only have to log in one place (MFP) !!

    Best of luck on your decision!

    http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=135867251&page=1

    scroll through this if you have time.. lengthy but a bodybuilder wore both and it has actual screen shots of the differences in calories burned, etc. :)

    The guy was doing weightlifting. This will cause the HRM to over-report calories, and the Fitbit to under-report.

    When lifting, your heart rate increases dramatically, but oxygen consumed (and therefore calories consumed) doesn't tend to go up nearly as much as if you were doing cardio to get the same heart rate. This means an HRM will report more calories consumed than actual.

    Likewise, the Fitbit doesn't really register lifting at all. So it will under-report.

    This completely accounts for the difference.

    The only way to have a good valid comparison would be to compare each number to calories consumed as measured by oxygen consumption.
  • like_milk
    like_milk Posts: 79 Member
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    I like mine, it lets me know how much of a lazy bum I can be sometimes (and how few calories I burn when I am).

    My only comment would be I have the One and I would have done just as well with the Zip as I find the floor tracking very inaccurate. It will even say I've climbed stairs when I haven't left my flat all day!!! Actually, I rarely go up stairs anyway, but it is always tracking stairs which I'm not climbing.
  • x_JT_x
    x_JT_x Posts: 364
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    I'm not saying it's a bad device. It certainly has it's place, especially if you do step-based exercise. I don't doubt you get different numbers for running a mile versus walking a mile because your stride would be different. But I'm still not convinced it can measure intensity. My understanding is that it takes your speed, distance traveled and steps and plugs the info into a mathematical formula giving an estimate of caloric burn based on a preset algorithm.

    Well... yes. That's pretty much how reality works. The energy you burn performing some activity is the energy it takes to move your body in certain ways. I'm not sure what you mean by "intensity." The device is pretty much directly measuring how much energy you're using to move your body.

    By intensity I mean the Bodymedia's ability to measure skin temp and conductance.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    I'm not saying it's a bad device. It certainly has it's place, especially if you do step-based exercise. I don't doubt you get different numbers for running a mile versus walking a mile because your stride would be different. But I'm still not convinced it can measure intensity. My understanding is that it takes your speed, distance traveled and steps and plugs the info into a mathematical formula giving an estimate of caloric burn based on a preset algorithm.

    Well... yes. That's pretty much how reality works. The energy you burn performing some activity is the energy it takes to move your body in certain ways. I'm not sure what you mean by "intensity." The device is pretty much directly measuring how much energy you're using to move your body.

    By intensity I mean the Bodymedia's ability to measure skin temp and conductance.

    I'm not at all convinced either of those things is even relevant. If I start jogging, my skin temp will slowly increase. As will my heart rate. But I'm not burning more calories per minute after 30 minutes of jogging than I am after 30 seconds of jogging. So why would a device that factors heart rate and skin temperature into its algorithm be any more accurate?
  • apittmanrn
    apittmanrn Posts: 200 Member
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    I love my fitbit one!
  • n_gal87
    n_gal87 Posts: 85 Member
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    I have the zip and I love it, but I think it depends what you're looking for. I wear it on my bra strap everyday and its easy conceal and I've personally found it to be accurate. Its also a great motivator - I find myself walking around my apartment, to stores, etc. whenever I can now so I have more steps than the previous day.
  • x_JT_x
    x_JT_x Posts: 364
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    I'm not saying it's a bad device. It certainly has it's place, especially if you do step-based exercise. I don't doubt you get different numbers for running a mile versus walking a mile because your stride would be different. But I'm still not convinced it can measure intensity. My understanding is that it takes your speed, distance traveled and steps and plugs the info into a mathematical formula giving an estimate of caloric burn based on a preset algorithm.

    Well... yes. That's pretty much how reality works. The energy you burn performing some activity is the energy it takes to move your body in certain ways. I'm not sure what you mean by "intensity." The device is pretty much directly measuring how much energy you're using to move your body.

    By intensity I mean the Bodymedia's ability to measure skin temp and conductance.

    I'm not at all convinced either of those things is even relevant. If I start jogging, my skin temp will slowly increase. As will my heart rate. But I'm not burning more calories per minute after 30 minutes of jogging than I am after 30 seconds of jogging. So why would a device that factors heart rate and skin temperature into its algorithm be any more accurate?

    All I can speak to is my experience with both devices.
  • stumegsmum
    stumegsmum Posts: 34
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    definitely yes - I've had mine for a month now and I love it. I have found it easy to step up my activity level by using the Fitbit Ultra as a motivator and find myself randomly climbing the stairs at home and marching on the spot to get my steps up.
  • SpecialSundae
    SpecialSundae Posts: 795 Member
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    I love mine. I've upped my activity dramatically because I love seeing my numbers going up.
  • inkysmurf
    inkysmurf Posts: 168
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    I've not removed mine (apart from to shower !) since buying at the start of January.

    I love it and it works brilliantly with MFP.

    I love counting my steps and the on;y bit for me that seems to be inaccurate is miles (I wore my Garmin forerunner to check a route I walk and fit bit was not on track for mileage). But steps seems spot on and calorie burn seems pretty accurate - I have lost 7lb since the start of the year, just walking and then I've been following the roadmap for the last few weeks.

    If you can afford would really highly recommend
  • Rssblade
    Rssblade Posts: 46 Member
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    The best purchase I made, it goes everywhere with me and give me fairly accurate results, that coupled with "RunKeeper" app and a HRM, sets you up with all the interactive data you need..
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    Edit...gah had brain fart..ignore...

    Don't judge..still early hahaha
  • RonJr88
    RonJr88 Posts: 56 Member
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    I just got my fitbit zip a couple of days ago and I Love it.
  • BlackJack96
    BlackJack96 Posts: 43 Member
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    I would say yes. It helps me since my job has some really busy weeks where i'm running around a lot and working late and then other weeks where I'm sitting at my desk all day. The fitbit helps adjust for that so I can keep my eating in line. It integrates nicely with MFP. Exercise in MFP goes over to the fitibit and then your caloric adjustment (both pos and neg) go from the fitbit to MFP.

    I haven't really done anything extra per se to move more. (I hear a lot of people when they get the fitbit are motivated to be more active). I see a lot people complain about the accuracy of device x vs. y. To me it's not about being the most accurate but if it works. i.e. if you use a fitbit and you lose weight from it, it doesn't matter if it's off by 10-20%
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    As a note, I've been using my Fitbit for exactly one month now. I've gone from 162 @ 17% to 159 @ 15%.

    That's a loss of 3 lbs total weight. Fat went from 27.5 to 23.9, a loss of 3.6 lbs. Lean mass went from 134.5 to 135.1, a gain of .6 lb.

    According to Fitbit (all calories are calculated by the Fitbit), my total calorie deficit over that time is 13,916. According to "3500 = 1 lb" that's about 3.98 lbs.

    None of these numbers are super accurate, but they give you the idea. It's getting pretty close for me.

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