Fitbit or regular pedometer. Insight please!!

mbanister1
mbanister1 Posts: 29 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Will a regular pedometer track how many calories are burned like a fitbit? I really had never heard of fitbit until lurking through these message boards. Just want to make sure the investment is worth it or I could pay $10 for a regular pedometer with the same info about steps taken and calorie burned? I really only care about how many calories are burned throughout the day. I can always manually add the difference into mfp. Mfp estimates I burn 2160 through daily living.

Replies

  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    I don't think I've ever seen a pedometer that shows calories burned. Just steps taken.
  • str8bowbabe
    str8bowbabe Posts: 712 Member
    I recently got a Fitbit. I went with the cheap version because Im like you...I just wanted to see the calories burned. I love the fact that I can sync it with mfp and I do not have to do anything. It really helped give me a much better idea of how much I moved and how many calories I actually burned.
  • lpina2mi
    lpina2mi Posts: 425 Member
    Fitbit simplified logging exercise for me. Fitbit helped me recalibrate how many calories I was actually walking while walking my geriatric dog, rebounding (an exercise I had to add to MFP), free weight exercises. Fitbit did better with vertical movement, like stairs or hiking (including Mt Ranier last summer). My fitbit nestled nicely into my pocket or clipped to my bra between clevage--until I lost it. My fitbit is now somewhere in Detroit's Eastern Market. It's the price tag that keeps me from replacing it.

    --Lisa
  • str8bowbabe
    str8bowbabe Posts: 712 Member
    Fitbit simplified logging exercise for me. Fitbit helped me recalibrate how many calories I was actually walking while walking my geriatric dog, rebounding (an exercise I had to add to MFP), free weight exercises. Fitbit did better with vertical movement, like stairs or hiking (including Mt Ranier last summer). My fitbit nestled nicely into my pocket or clipped to my bra between clevage--until I lost it. My fitbit is now somewhere in Detroit's Eastern Market. It's the price tag that keeps me from replacing it.

    --Lisa

    I was worried about losing mine too for the price plus I doubted what it would do for me so I went with the $50 version. Now I am convinced and might be upgrading.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    There are pedometers that estimate calories. I wouldn't go much cheaper than this $26 Omron one. It's doing the same thing as the Fitbit, essentially, but without the bluetooth and web site and app and other cool features.

    http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HJ-112-Digital-Pocket-Pedometer/dp/B0000U1OCI/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1
  • aluethi1
    aluethi1 Posts: 97 Member
    I had a pedometer before. I found it to be extremely inacurate. I have a Fitbit Force now, and I love it. It's acurate and it goes on my wrist so I'm not afraid of losing it.
  • wdwmindy
    wdwmindy Posts: 31
    I have the Fitbit Zip and love it.

    It syncs nicely with MFP and takes all the guesswork out of how many calories I burn while walking. I end up exercising more and earning more calories to eat. Win-win in my book!

    I did have an issue this morning where my Fitbit Zip popped right out of the case/clip and was lost for half the day. Thankfully I was at home so I knew it was here somewhere. Looking around on the internet I see others have had the same issue. One person used a small pc of velcro to keep hers in place. I will need to do something with mine so it stays put from now on. I have also read that if you lose your Fitbit you can contact Fitbit and they will assist you in replacing it (usually for free).
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    Fitbit, is awesome and very durable. I got the fitbit ultra is April 2012 and it still works, but I went ahead and upgraded to Fitbit One in September 2013. Never take it off, except to shower. I would recommend it to any-one!
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    Fitbit simplified logging exercise for me. Fitbit helped me recalibrate how many calories I was actually walking while walking my geriatric dog, rebounding (an exercise I had to add to MFP), free weight exercises. Fitbit did better with vertical movement, like stairs or hiking (including Mt Ranier last summer). My fitbit nestled nicely into my pocket or clipped to my bra between clevage--until I lost it. My fitbit is now somewhere in Detroit's Eastern Market. It's the price tag that keeps me from replacing it.

    --Lisa

    I was worried about losing mine too for the price plus I doubted what it would do for me so I went with the $50 version. Now I am convinced and might be upgrading.

    Contact costumer service, they might be generous enough to replace it. I didn't lose mine, but when I bought my fit bit ultra I went cheap and found a refurbished one for $68. Then it didn't work at all, so I e-mailed fitbit customer services and when they couldn't help me get it working either, they mailed me a brand new one, even covered the shipping. I didn't even buy it off their website so I was surprised by this. So then I boxed up the dead fitbit and returned it for a full refund. So my fitbit ended up being completely free.
  • savithny
    savithny Posts: 1,200 Member
    There are pedometers that estimate calories. I wouldn't go much cheaper than this $26 Omron one. It's doing the same thing as the Fitbit, essentially, but without the bluetooth and web site and app and other cool features.

    http://www.amazon.com/Omron-HJ-112-Digital-Pocket-Pedometer/dp/B0000U1OCI/ref=cm_lmf_tit_1

    I have that Omron or one very similar. Like it and its been consistent and quite accurate for me. I clip it to the edge of my jeans pocket and tuck it into the little change pocket. This one has been through years and several battery changes and continues to be very reliable.
  • lpina2mi
    lpina2mi Posts: 425 Member
    Contact costumer service, they might be generous enough to replace it. I didn't lose mine, but when I bought my fit bit ultra I went cheap and found a refurbished one for $68. Then it didn't work at all, so I e-mailed fitbit customer services and when they couldn't help me get it working either, they mailed me a brand new one, even covered the shipping. I didn't even buy it off their website so I was surprised by this. So then I boxed up the dead fitbit and returned it for a full refund. So my fitbit ended up being completely free.

    Thanks for the tip! I will ask. :happy:
  • lepercan
    lepercan Posts: 1 Member
    I have the Omron too. It shows total steps, aerobic steps, distance, calories, and time spent on aerobic steps. The step count is very accurate. Love it! I considered buying a Fitbit but, in reading about it, my Omron does the same thing but does not have the wireless interface. I enter my total steps in the comments section each day but enter the aerobic time under cardio activity
  • Soumiea
    Soumiea Posts: 5 Member
    I have had a Fitbit Flex for about 9 months now and I absolutely love it. It has actually motivated me significantly by quantifying how sedentary my lifestyle is, especially on the weekends! The app you sync it with has great metrics that help you understand your patterns, so it provides you with an easy way to make small changes to your routine. For example, I now park farther away at work in order to increase my steps in the mornings. On Sunday afternoons, I make it a point to get out of the house and accumulate at least 2-3k steps. But my favorite aspect is that you can compare your weekly step count totals with your friends and the added peer pressure of keeping up with an active friend is a huge motivation. My goal every week is to always get more steps than one specific co-worker. In the 9 months since I started using the Fitbit, with no dietary changes, I have shaved off an inch from hips and my legs are the thinnest they have ever been because of all the toning & calories burned that I got from the increased walking. Also, I was averaging around 9-10k daily steps my first few months, then I progressed to ~12k steps for the next few months and now I am at a 15k daily average. This progression is tracked in the app's statistics that can be found on the Dashboard. Basically, I highly recommend the Fitbit!! Also, the Fitbit Flex is waterproof and mounted in a wristband, so the only time I take it off is when I need to charge it. I also like that I can switch out the wristband for a different colored one to coordinate with my outfits. :)

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