Fitbit (And Similar products)

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  • Kekibird
    Kekibird Posts: 1,122 Member
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    I had the original Jawbone and it worked ok. Then my husband got me the newest one, UP 24 and it never synced. We took it back. Now I have a polar loop. The sleep function isn't I rely on because it doesn't seem very accurate.
  • silverraiyne
    silverraiyne Posts: 683 Member
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    I use the Polar Loop paired with the Polar H7 Bluetooth HRM -- for just the two together using Flow app, I'm happy with it. But kinda bummed because I was led to believe that the H7 HRM also synced with apps like RunKeeper & Runtastic. Apparently they do but not on an Android. But also misleading because reviews say it works with Android 4.3 & higher, I'm running 4.4 on Samsung Galaxy Note 3 -- I just got a software update to KitKat -- maybe now it will work, fingers crossed.
  • Ataraxia81
    Ataraxia81 Posts: 63 Member
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    I have one of the first generation Fitbit's. I've had it since spring of 2011 and absolutely love it! Mine clips to my pocket. It helps push me to do more steps and the website it a great tool as well. I even purchased Fitbit's scale. I recommend it for sure if you want a good sturdy pedometer.
  • WaterBunnie
    WaterBunnie Posts: 1,370 Member
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    I'd definitely buy my FitBit One again if I had my time again. Takes all of the guesswork out of your activity level here and stops you assuming you've done more than you have! I don't wear it at night because my sleep efficiency averaged at about 96% over the few occasions I did but even without needing the sleep function its a much nicer device to use than the Zip. Things like counting your flights of stairs, a lit display and being rechargeable make it worth the extra money and it's so discreet.
  • ginamisa
    ginamisa Posts: 20 Member
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    I have a fitbit...but am told that the Basis has the technology to track your heartrate and steps and intensity of the workout... it's just a big bulky thing right now..but wearable tech is the new big thing... so am expecting it to improve. But if you don't mind the bigness of it... might be a good option.
  • jenniferpriggs
    jenniferpriggs Posts: 19
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    I have used a FitBit for over 3 years and I absolutely love it. I have used it for logging all my food, exercise, and sleep (used to, not logging sleep anymore) and I couldn't be happier. I only joined MFP this week to try out the food logging and see if I like it better. So far I'm still a little iffy, but I'm giving it a solid week to get the hang of it before I decide.

    And to the previous poster, it does recalculate your calories for the day based on your activity level. I have mine currently set to lose a pound per week, and it updates throughout the day with how many calories I have left based on 1) how many calories I've burned so far that day, plus 2) how many calories it thinks I will burn the rest of the day based on my history. Something like "750 calories left out of your 1400 calorie food plan for today", which means at that moment it expects I'll have a 1900 calorie burn by the end of the day. If I go for a run, it will change it to "1000 calories left out of 1650 for today" because now it calculates I'll burn 2150.
  • ginamisa
    ginamisa Posts: 20 Member
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    I got my fitbit back round Oct I believe after my old school pedometer died and am loving it... I have the fitibit 1. I clip it to my bra or my pjs at night and I love that it syncs with computer and helps track my activity during the day... for me I'm just beginning down the road of fitness...so wearing it..first gave me a baseline of how inactive I was and then I pushed myself to my goal of 10k steps per day...I don't always hit it all the time..but with the help of my fitbit community that helped motivate me when I was almost there but just missing the mark...someone there would send me a message to encourage me that I'm almost there...c'mon you can do it... or you're doing awesome.. or dude.. just 5k more steps and you going be in the top 5 and only one of 2 females on my friend's list. The small kine competition and encouragement and esp the accountability that I can see how many steps I get and how I'm trending for the week, month etc... helps me push to reach my 10k daily or 70k steps in a week. I know when I start really working out and have need of a heartrate monitor...I will get one that will track my activity, sleep, and heartrate...but it's going to be some time before I'm at that point and I'm sure the technology will be even better than it is now... since wearable tech is getting to be a big thing now....I want something easily worn every day, inconspicuous or cute... haha :-)

    Oh....yah... one more big thing... is because I paid $$ for it... I've been more driven to use it...versus if I just paid $5bucks for it... I got it a discounted price on ebay...but still I'm the kind of person that gotta make use of it cause I paid so much for it than I would've a traditional pedometer....plus my hubby said Wha....Really? I don't mind you getting it BUT you better make use of it if you going spend the money on it. haha , so yah... even more driven to make this work... so far sooo good.. results are starting to come now. :-)
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    I have a BodyMedia Fit Link. Within 2 weeks of following the burns it registered for my calories instead of MFP or a regular pedometer, I started dropping 3-6 pounds a week (I'm very heavy... this was after my "honeymoon" water loss too)

    I have absolutely never regretted the purchase! It has helped a lot, showing my sleep patterns. The graphing it does is spot on for my activity during the day, and I really really like the fact that it measures your personal TDEE for you. It does start using the standard calculations, but then it averages over the time you wear it to give you a tailored idea.

    Now, it can be more expensive, and does have a small subscription, but it is 100% worth the investment if you ask me... And if you need to save your money, you can just stop the payments (it's like 6 bucks but we all struggle) and start up again without losing any data.
    The Fit Link syncs with a smart phone, but you can get the other model and a watch if you prefer. I just figure if you're going to drop over $100, you might as well get the tech that tracks absolutely everything.
  • pholbert
    pholbert Posts: 575 Member
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    I use a body media fit also. I have had it for about 2 years. Check it out. It does track sleep. I really love mine.
  • Quasita
    Quasita Posts: 1,530 Member
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    I use a body media fit also. I have had it for about 2 years. Check it out. It does track sleep. I really love mine.

    Bonus! I was just about to list what it tracks...

    Steps
    Activity and intensity of activity
    Sleep
    Laying down/rest
    Calorie burns in real time using sweat, body temp, and activity to calculate

    The program has workout coaching tech, a media player, ability to link with MFP, scales, many fitness challenge/money making sites, has a diet planner, allows you to track "high scores" for good healthy activity, and has extensive graphing to help you visualize it all. There's a lot, but those are the highlights at least.

    If you're nerdy like me, and like mining the data... it's perfect.

    One thing to keep in mind is that FitBit, while great for some, will not give you accurate TDEE estimations, nor will it give accurate burns for someone over 100lbs overweight. I know this because the standard calculators it uses are not intended for the extremely heavy. Granted, it helps a lot of people get more active, but I think most people who need more accuracy end up graduating to options with more details.

    For me, I figured I'd just bypass the starter kit that Fitbit struck me to be, and go for the big cahuna... and like I said, have zero regrets.

    Whatever you choose, I hope you use it well and get your money's worth!
  • ndwildbill
    ndwildbill Posts: 74 Member
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    I've had a fitbit one for about a month and a half. Really love it. It keeps me motivated to keep moving...trying to beat my step count from the day before, etc. I track calories on MFP, and activity on fitbit. Fitbit does not work well for activities like bike riding or swimming, or like that, but it is great for walking, jogging, or climbing stairs. I also use mine for tracking sleep. I'm trying some things to see if I can get my sleep efficiency over 90%. I consider the fitbit one to be a great investment.
  • slocyclist
    slocyclist Posts: 95
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    I looked at the Fitbit One, but ended up getting the Withings Pulse. It is very similar to the Fitbit One, measuring steps, elevation, guessing calories burned, and using the wrist band for sleep. It also has an optical pulse sensor, so that you can use it to check your heart rate. Not continuously, but by poking the button and then holding your finger over the sensor. It is surprisingly accurate once you use it a while.

    The Pulse connects to MFP and some other sites, but not as many as Fitbit. And I happened to catch the Pulse on Amazon at $79 instead of the regular $99 price. I also have the Withings Body Analyzed Scale, Withings Blood Pressure Monitor, and a Polar H7 Heart Rate Monitor, which I use with my iPhone during workouts.

    If you use an iPhone, rumors are that the upcoming iWatch include a new health app and that the device may include sensors to take your heart rate and temperature.
  • postrockandcats
    postrockandcats Posts: 1,145 Member
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    I've had two FitBits; the Ultra (the original one) and the Zip. I literally broke my first one (it was past the warranty by a looooong way!) and considered getting the One, but I ended up with the Zip as I didn't really use the sleep tracking or timer and didn't see the point in paying for stuff I wasn't going to use.

    Both have been worth every dime! I've even gotten my friends to buy them :D
  • pseudomuffin
    pseudomuffin Posts: 1,058 Member
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    I have a fitbit but don't use it to chart sleep, even though I think you can enter your sleep times in on the website it doesn't really do anything to track it. Mine is the little zip version that you clip onto your pants, though, so maybe other versions have a more sophisticated method. I'd still recommend getting some kind of tracker, though, because the data is really interesting and if you can remember to wear it all the time it can be really motivating!
  • Tanya949
    Tanya949 Posts: 606 Member
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    I haven't read all the posts, but I have a Fitbit Force. Before I bought it I used the Sleep Cycle(free) app on my iphone to monitor my sleep. I find it far superior to the sleep program on fitbit.
  • Jade0529
    Jade0529 Posts: 213 Member
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    You should really ask your Dr about getting a sleep study if you are finding that you are not rested after sleep. You could have sleep apnea in a mild form even that is still dangerous if not treated.
  • donyellemoniquex3
    donyellemoniquex3 Posts: 2,384 Member
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    I'm waiting for the amiigo :)
  • dtimedwards
    dtimedwards Posts: 319 Member
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    I've got a Bodymedia Link. I prefer it to the Fitbit because I do lots of elevation and also slogging through really deep snow, snowshoeing, heavy pack hiking, etc and it takes the actual exertion (give or take) into account. Also it shows calorie burn for weight training. The $6/month subscription seems like a put off, but when you see all the data, it;'s pretty amazing. In addition to MFP, I have it linked to a bunch of other sites for rewards & challenges.
  • aleggett321
    aleggett321 Posts: 186 Member
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    I started out with the Body Media a little over a year ago but found as the weather warmed and I started wearing short sleeves I was very self conscious about wearing it. It is pretty bulky and "medical" looking. Went from there to the Fitbit One. I used the two devices side by side for two weeks and looked at the averages. The Body Media put calories burned higher by about 80 cals/day. The Fitbit read steps a little higher but only by an average of 100-150 steps per day. To me it was a wash.

    I "upgraded" to the Fitbit Flex after I found myself frequently forgetting to move the One to my workout pants when I changed clothes and therefore not logging my workout. duh! I want credit for those steps!

    I'm extremely happy with the Flex, it's generally a put it on and forget it device. I like that its shower proof which none of the other Fitbits are (including the Force). One downside in my opinion is that it does not count steps accurately when pushing a shopping cart or carrying heavy objects...anything where your arm isn't swinging. I put it in my pocket for the Costco/Target/grocery store trips.

    For me the calories burned is quite accurate as near as I can tell. It will give you your TDEE in a graph covering the last 30 days or weekly in an emailed "progress report". It's numbers correlate well with my actual weight loss.

    Sorry to be so long winded. I hope you'll be happy no matter which one you choose. I truly credit my weight loss to the motivation that a tracker gives me. Good luck!
  • lesteidel
    lesteidel Posts: 229 Member
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    I have the fitbit flex and I absolutely love it.

    The competition with my best friend for who can get the most steps keeps me motivated and moving past when I would normally just sit down.

    It's pretty accurate about tracking skeep, tells me I don't sleep enough haha.

    Fitbit isn't a heart rate monitor, it is a fancy pedometer and I love mine, :).

    I have never had any problems with mine at all

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