Considering Fitbit Flex, any users?

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Replies

  • tonytoo
    tonytoo Posts: 307
    Do you just prefer hrm?
    Or does it do a bad job?
    I do a lot of treadmill and elliptical exercises when I do work out.
    Other that hiking a lot when it's nice that's it. I sit at a desk all day.


    Basically I guess I could sum It up like this-
    Is it worth to get purely for exercise calories and a more accurate maintenance calorie level?
    Cause I'm afraid of calculators numbers and exercise burn estimates for maintenance because at least at a deficit there's room for error and you'll maintain. At maintenance your error is gaining so I'm nervous and thought fitbit could do all the calculations for me so I don't have to. I wanted to do TDEE so I don't have to move more in one day to eat more for that day. That's been burning me out. I want it all figured in for the week.

    I do prefer an HRM but it's nowhere near as convenient. I wear my HRM just for my elliptical sessions.
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    Still confused how I would use it for maitenance.
    Just eat what it says I burned for that day?
    Does that mean it's like MFP where you have to move more to eat more vs TDEE method?
  • nuttyduffy
    nuttyduffy Posts: 255 Member
    Do you just prefer hrm?
    Or does it do a bad job?
    I do a lot of treadmill and elliptical exercises when I do work out.
    Other that hiking a lot when it's nice that's it. I sit at a desk all day.


    Basically I guess I could sum It up like this-
    Is it worth to get purely for exercise calories and a more accurate maintenance calorie level?
    Cause I'm afraid of calculators numbers and exercise burn estimates for maintenance because at least at a deficit there's room for error and you'll maintain. At maintenance your error is gaining so I'm nervous and thought fitbit could do all the calculations for me so I don't have to. I wanted to do TDEE so I don't have to move more in one day to eat more for that day. That's been burning me out. I want it all figured in for the week.

    I don't think it works very well on the elliptical (never use one when wearing it so am not 100% sure) but I like to include my exercise calories separately.

    You will never have the same number of calories to eat with a flex, it changes the number you need to eat depending on how active you have been for that day, i.e. if you've been very active, hiking/walking or just generally running about and then the next day is a proper lazy duvet day then your calorie goal for each day will be different!

    If you're looking for the same number for each day and you work out regularly (say 3/4 times a week) I would use a calculator like www.scoobysworkshop.com - that way no matter what you eat the same regardless of how much you move as it is all accounted for. As previously said I've found there is not a huge difference in numbers from the flex and the website estimated ones.

    HTH

    Edited to add - I think no matter what finding the correct calories for maintenance is a bit of a balancing act. You're weight will naturally fluctuate a couple of pounds but it's finding the happy medium so that those few pounds no longer matter. I'm only 8lb away from goal so will have to play with the numbers once I get there too! Well done for achieving your goal :happy:
  • LexiMelo
    LexiMelo Posts: 203 Member
    I have fitbit flex. I like it, keeps me motivated to all or be more active each day to hit the minimum 10000 steps. I don't wear it while working out thus making me have to not rely on workouts to be active. I think it's a good tool for motivation. I stopped synching it with MFP because I did not want negative calories calculated.

    you can turn the negative calories off in "settings"

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