Do you like your FitBit?

jrose1982
jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm thinking about buying a FitBit. Do you have one? Do you like it? Is it worth the cost? Share your thoughts, please.

Replies

  • mrsgoodwine
    mrsgoodwine Posts: 468 Member
    I love my fitbit. I have the flex (it looks like a bracelet). I aim for 10,000 steps a day. It's a real eye opener. I have a desk job so it helps motivate me to at least walk once I get home so that I can reach my goal. Definitely worth the money in my opinion as you can also use it to track your sleep and you can connect it to MFP to keep track of your calorie expenditure.
  • WillLift4Tats
    WillLift4Tats Posts: 1,699 Member
    I got mine as a gift and love it. Also have the flex and like the poster above, I have a desk job so it was a real eye opener about my non-exercise activity and really motivated me to do more during the course of the day.

    Also, they have great customer service. I, and a friend of mine both lost our flexes in different circumstance. We emailed Fitbit support (to ask they turn the tracker off) and they offered to send replacements!
  • garrods
    garrods Posts: 6
    Love my Fitbit have a flex also. It is a great motivation to keep moving. Have lost 12 pds since I started Mfp and my fitbit been about 2 months now. That is a big feat for me since I have had trouble losing in the past.
  • Alle2622
    Alle2622 Posts: 1 Member
    I love it! It definitely fits my inner nerd! Love the tracking and graphs. I've lost 8 lbs since the middle of March with it!
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
    I got a Flex for Christmas, and it's been awesome! The sleep and step trackers are, like previous posters said, a huge eye opener! The only issue I have with it is the calorie expenditure. It's based on BMI, so if you're not statistically average bodyfat-wise, it will over or under estimate the calorie burns. (It tends to short me an average of 400/day.)
  • BostonLena81
    BostonLena81 Posts: 9 Member
    i have the flex. a i strive to get to the goal of 10000 or more each day. i love it. i have a desk job so it helps me stay active.
  • Mar_11
    Mar_11 Posts: 35
    I love it! It definitely fits my inner nerd! Love the tracking and graphs. I've lost 8 lbs since the middle of March with it!

    When I first looked in to FitBit, that is the first thing I thought.. a gadget for my inner nerd! :laugh:

    I just can't justify the expense right now so free iPhone app it is. :laugh:
  • Karen64Lynn
    Karen64Lynn Posts: 32 Member
    I got the Fitbit Flex about a month ago and I really like it so far. I have a desk job so it is a real eye opener. I do go to the gym in the morning so I am able to get most of my steps in before work. My boss has one too so we can get a little competitive with each other. It syncs with MFP which is very nice. It is another tool to keep you motivated. I like how it tracks my sleep so I can see if I am getting enough - which I am not! The only downfall is that it doesn't capture every exercise - just those that involves walking/stepping/running. So, on my spin class or strength training days I am low on steps. Also, if you are grocery shopping it doesn't always pick up your steps if you are pushing a grocery cart (since your arm isn't moving). Overall - it is great!
  • Dilatigaf
    Dilatigaf Posts: 1
    I also have the flex and it is brilliant, thought I was doing OK before but now I have it realise how much 10k steps a day really is and it is now a personal challenge to beat it each day
  • amcshaw
    amcshaw Posts: 13
    I like my FitBit Flex. It uploads exercise calories automatically. I like knowing how many steps I'm at during the day. It is very convenient.
  • mspoopoo
    mspoopoo Posts: 500 Member
    I got a Fitbit One a couple of months ago and I love it. I wear it all the time and don't even notice it. It is nice to logon and see how many steps I have done for the day as well as other stats.
  • cassie4animals
    cassie4animals Posts: 23 Member
    I loved my fitbit force until it gave me a nasty rash or chemical burn (doctor can't seem to figure out how to get rid of it or say with certainty what the heck it is). The website is a great way to stay on track. If you set a weight goal on their site and pick a plan, you get an estimated date of completion. I do like MFP better for tracking my food, but I love the charts, graphs, and feedback on the fitbit site too. I'm very sad to give up my fitbit force. Having withdrawal in fact!

    I also have the fitbit aria wireless scale, which is nice. My daily weight and estimated body fat % automatically upload to the fitbit site, so I don't have to remember to enter the numbers. The only downside to the scale is that you HAVE to be barefoot. No jumping on the scale real quick to check your weight - gotta take those socks off first.
  • cmcoyle776
    cmcoyle776 Posts: 20 Member
    I have the fitbit one. I clip it to my bra & have found it to be incredibly accurate. I didn't want to wear a rubber bracelet all day long, so the discreet clip was the way to go. Being able to see my daily activity (or lack thereof on lazy days) has been a huge eye opener. I am motivated to get my 10K steps in & meet my calories burned goal, so it's like a little competition I put myself through every day. I love my fitbit! It's absolutely worth the purchase!
  • Anilynlm
    Anilynlm Posts: 18 Member
    I love my Fitbit One.
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
    I loved my fitbit force until it gave me a nasty rash or chemical burn (doctor can't seem to figure out how to get rid of it or say with certainty what the heck it is). The website is a great way to stay on track. If you set a weight goal on their site and pick a plan, you get an estimated date of completion. I do like MFP better for tracking my food, but I love the charts, graphs, and feedback on the fitbit site too. I'm very sad to give up my fitbit force. Having withdrawal in fact!

    I also have the fitbit aria wireless scale, which is nice. My daily weight and estimated body fat % automatically upload to the fitbit site, so I don't have to remember to enter the numbers. The only downside to the scale is that you HAVE to be barefoot. No jumping on the scale real quick to check your weight - gotta take those socks off first.

    I just had to respond to this one. I often get rashes from jewelry (especially watches and my old bodybugg). Especially I found some things that help:
    - Band-aids: I put band-aids (or tape) on the back of my watch so the metal isn't touching my skin.
    - Isopropyl alcohol: Since band-aids on the sensors would make a bodybugg useless, I cleaned it every night with isopropyl alcohol and let it air dry. This meant I couldn't wear it while I slept because I wanted to make sure all the alcohol evaporated before I put it on again. This helped a lot though. You can probably do it while you're sitting at your desk and not moving without huge impacts to the accuracy.
    - Heat: I eventually discovered that my rashes were caused by heat rash. The metal got warmed up during hot days and my skin reacted to that heat. So I stopped wearing jewelry on warm days except my watch, which has a band-aid on the back so the metal doesn't touch my skin. I also take my jewelry off a couple times a day while I'm at work.
  • jrose1982
    jrose1982 Posts: 366 Member
    I want to thank you all for responding. You've given me plenty to think about.

    I guess I thought FitBit was a better way to calculate calories burned, but I've since learned that it's just an accelerometer. It calculates calories based on estimated BMR + activity (which I can do manually and get close enough).

    Anyway, I'll keep thinking about this. Thanks again!
  • cassie4animals
    cassie4animals Posts: 23 Member
    I loved my fitbit force until it gave me a nasty rash or chemical burn (doctor can't seem to figure out how to get rid of it or say with certainty what the heck it is). The website is a great way to stay on track. If you set a weight goal on their site and pick a plan, you get an estimated date of completion. I do like MFP better for tracking my food, but I love the charts, graphs, and feedback on the fitbit site too. I'm very sad to give up my fitbit force. Having withdrawal in fact!

    I also have the fitbit aria wireless scale, which is nice. My daily weight and estimated body fat % automatically upload to the fitbit site, so I don't have to remember to enter the numbers. The only downside to the scale is that you HAVE to be barefoot. No jumping on the scale real quick to check your weight - gotta take those socks off first.

    I just had to respond to this one. I often get rashes from jewelry (especially watches and my old bodybugg). Especially I found some things that help:
    - Band-aids: I put band-aids (or tape) on the back of my watch so the metal isn't touching my skin.
    - Isopropyl alcohol: Since band-aids on the sensors would make a bodybugg useless, I cleaned it every night with isopropyl alcohol and let it air dry. This meant I couldn't wear it while I slept because I wanted to make sure all the alcohol evaporated before I put it on again. This helped a lot though. You can probably do it while you're sitting at your desk and not moving without huge impacts to the accuracy.
    - Heat: I eventually discovered that my rashes were caused by heat rash. The metal got warmed up during hot days and my skin reacted to that heat. So I stopped wearing jewelry on warm days except my watch, which has a band-aid on the back so the metal doesn't touch my skin. I also take my jewelry off a couple times a day while I'm at work.

    Thanks for the tip! I've never had a rash from jewelry before. I'm not overly pleased about being on steroids and creams trying to get rid of this one! Since fitbit recalled the Force, they're sending me a full refund, so at least they've acknowledged the problem. I'll try the bandaid fix you recommended if I have problems with future products. I won't be going back to fitbit, but I have concerns that I'll be more sensitive to any type of jewelry/watch/fitness band in the future, so I need to be very careful.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
    I have a fitbit zip that was given to me as a Christmas gift. It's more of a "well that's interesting" sort of device. I do find myself checking my steps at the end of the day and seeing where I stacked up against other days. It can be motivational. I had a few sedentary days a couple of weeks ago, less than 5000 steps and seeing that caused me to make a face at the screen. It couldn't be helped but I was pleased to see the bigger numbers pop back up when I was able to get back to it. It's not a miracle device but it can be useful if you let it be.

    Note: I never would have purchased one for myself since I'm not much of a tech person but if this one broke or was lost, I might find myself wanting to replace it.
  • rpyle111
    rpyle111 Posts: 1,060 Member
    I just got a FitBit One last week and it has certainly added a lot of motivation to do the right things.

    I coach my daughter's middle school basketball team and used the end of season gift card the team gave me to buy it. I expect to be a completely different shape in November when next season starts and will be sure to let them know that their gift helped me get there!
  • rm33064
    rm33064 Posts: 270 Member
    I loved my fitbit force until it gave me a nasty rash or chemical burn (doctor can't seem to figure out how to get rid of it or say with certainty what the heck it is). The website is a great way to stay on track. If you set a weight goal on their site and pick a plan, you get an estimated date of completion. I do like MFP better for tracking my food, but I love the charts, graphs, and feedback on the fitbit site too. I'm very sad to give up my fitbit force. Having withdrawal in fact!

    I also have the fitbit aria wireless scale, which is nice. My daily weight and estimated body fat % automatically upload to the fitbit site, so I don't have to remember to enter the numbers. The only downside to the scale is that you HAVE to be barefoot. No jumping on the scale real quick to check your weight - gotta take those socks off first.

    They actually recalled all the forces due to some people have that allergic reaction to them. FitBit really is an excellent company that stands behind their products with great customer service, go on amazon and read all the positive reviews to get an idea. Anyways you can send back your force and get the flex which won't give you the rash or get the one like I have. I love my one, it's survived two trips through the washer dryer and if I ever lost it I'd go buy a new one the next day. Highly recommended. FYI the replacement for the force is coming out soon and will have some new features to it.
  • cassie4animals
    cassie4animals Posts: 23 Member
    I loved my fitbit force until it gave me a nasty rash or chemical burn (doctor can't seem to figure out how to get rid of it or say with certainty what the heck it is). The website is a great way to stay on track. If you set a weight goal on their site and pick a plan, you get an estimated date of completion. I do like MFP better for tracking my food, but I love the charts, graphs, and feedback on the fitbit site too. I'm very sad to give up my fitbit force. Having withdrawal in fact!

    I also have the fitbit aria wireless scale, which is nice. My daily weight and estimated body fat % automatically upload to the fitbit site, so I don't have to remember to enter the numbers. The only downside to the scale is that you HAVE to be barefoot. No jumping on the scale real quick to check your weight - gotta take those socks off first.

    They actually recalled all the forces due to some people have that allergic reaction to them. FitBit really is an excellent company that stands behind their products with great customer service, go on amazon and read all the positive reviews to get an idea. Anyways you can send back your force and get the flex which won't give you the rash or get the one like I have. I love my one, it's survived two trips through the washer dryer and if I ever lost it I'd go buy a new one the next day. Highly recommended. FYI the replacement for the force is coming out soon and will have some new features to it.

    I did love my fitbit very much and I miss it. I've already returned my Force for a refund, but I won't be getting another fitbit replacement anytime soon. I've never had such a reaction to anything in my life and I wore it for months before the reaction occurred, so I'm hesitant to jump in and grab another one of their products. I've read up a lot on it and the general consensus is that the altimeter may be to blame, but no one knows for sure. I do think my fitbit was more accurate than my UP24 and it synced more easily to my MFP account too. I'll sit back and wait to see what happens in the future, but when you're facing months of steroids and creams and the possibility of permanent scarring, it's hard to buy another product from the same company.
  • db2100
    db2100 Posts: 23
    I did love my fitbit very much and I miss it. I've already returned my Force for a refund, but I won't be getting another fitbit replacement anytime soon. I've never had such a reaction to anything in my life and I wore it for months before the reaction occurred, so I'm hesitant to jump in and grab another one of their products. I've read up a lot on it and the general consensus is that the altimeter may be to blame, but no one knows for sure. I do think my fitbit was more accurate than my UP24 and it synced more easily to my MFP account too. I'll sit back and wait to see what happens in the future, but when you're facing months of steroids and creams and the possibility of permanent scarring, it's hard to buy another product from the same company.

    That's really sucky :(
    Sorry to hear you were one of the unlucky ones with regards to the Force. Hope it gets better for you soon <3
    I was looking to get the Force as well, but I'm sorta glad I missed the chance and got the Flex instead.
    I do REALLY love it, it's nice to see some metrics about how active and such I am, but it does make me wish for something more than flashing lights...

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