Is the Fitbit worth the money?

I have a very large weight loss goal (over 100lbs). I dint have an extreme deadline or anything like that. I work an extremely sedentary job with some really long hours. I was looking into getting a pedometer so on days I may not move so much, it would remind me. But are they worth the money? Also, how does it work with my fitness pal? I don't want to drop the extra money if it isn't going to add to my ultimate goal. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Replies

  • hospitablegirl
    hospitablegirl Posts: 64 Member
    I have a fitbit, though it was a gift. I love the fact that it tracks my calorie burn all day, tracks what is referred to as "active minutes", sleep, etc etc. It's great for me, because it made me realize that there are days that I hardly move at all. I have a desk job and I have to push myself every day to get to 10,000 steps.

    I wouldn't suggest it as a way to get started. I started and lost 10 lbs without it before it was given to me. It pushes my activity level over what it would normally be, but doesn't deter me from eating unhealthy, which is really my biggest battle.

    At the end of the day, it's up to you. If you are driven by some competition and think it'll help you, then get it.
  • sassimac
    sassimac Posts: 7 Member
    How many of the extra supplements did u purchase?
  • stef_monster
    stef_monster Posts: 205 Member
    In a word, yes.

    I have a FitBit One, and my favorite thing about it is that it gives me an accurate estimate of my TDEE (total number of calories burned in a day). If you sync your FitBit with MFP and make sure your info matches on both websites, you should use MFP ONLY for logging food. MFP's food database is much more comprehensive than FitBit's. Use the FitBit dashboard for an accurate estimate of how many calories you can eat that day.

    MFP is quick to cut people down to 1200 calories, but lots of folks find that to be non-sustainable and quite miserable. If FitBit tells you that you've burned 1700 calories that day, you could eat 1500 and still lose, even though you'd be over your MFP recommended amount of 1200. Does that make sense? FitBit just gives you more detailed and accurate information about your calorie burns.

    Personally, I don't know what I'd do without mine. I love it.
  • Thanks for the input! I've been eating better for about 6 weeks and working out for 3. So far I've lost 6 pounds. :-) I think the Fitbit world be good for me as I'm a numbers person.
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
    I have used the FB One for almost a year now and its been the best $100 I have spent losing weight ever. It has helped me figure out what my daily burn is which tells me how much I can eat eat day.

    There is a FB user forum on here that you can join. Lots of great info. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1307-fitbit-users

    Also, FB is a great tool for step based activiteis but not so much for weight lifting or other activities that are not step based. I use a heart rate monitor for all of my exercise cals and the FB for the rest of the day. The more I move (usually more than 4000 steps) the more cals it gives me so I get to eat more. Love that!

    When the FB and MFP are synced up they work great together.. I mostly only use MFP and rarely look at the FB app/website. This is because I can enter my fitness and food on MFP and it gets sent over to FB so I just use MFP. Some still use both though.

    I think that you cant go wrong with the FB if you use it.
  • mom2six
    mom2six Posts: 13
    I have a Fitbit Flex and I love it! It syncs easily with MFP and it helps motivate me to move more. I used to have the Body Media but I like the Fitbit better because it's more comfortable and looks like a watch.
  • airangel59
    airangel59 Posts: 1,887 Member
    I got the Flex band over July 4th weekend...started walking daily in July (have not stopped). Sold the Flex and bought the Force in November as I wanted to see the numbers at a glance (I find they motivate me to get off my lazy behind) as well as the watch feature and I wanted the band version as I know me and I know I'd forget to attach the Zip or One etc and for sure I'd wash it.

    When I got the Flex I was very close to dropping 100 lbs so for me yes, it was worth the money as it motivated me to move more and I'm not really a competitive type person but hated to see my Fitbit buddies get more steps than I did, lol

    I also signed up with other sites that give me goodies for using the Fitbit (everymove, achievemint, walgreens, projectweightloss etc).

    YMMV but me for, it was so worth it.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    if you like having a device nag you, you will probably find it motivating (a lot of my friends have them and love them).

    I would take a hammer to it within the first week.
  • crissi725
    crissi725 Posts: 82
    It's not nagging in any way at all! I love my FitBit One. It doesn't make any noise and it is tiny. It fits in my bra and comes with a very comfortable, thin, flat-against-the-skin wrist strap for sleep (because it also tracks your sleep if you want it to but I wanna know what I burn during sleep). If you are someone who is good at noticing your habits and enjoy having things illustrated for you, I say go for it! I've hooked mine up to MFP and the combination of the two gives me a pretty good picture of what I'm eating and how it affects my personal daily goals. And having it track my moving activity helps me focus. I've actually enjoyed hitting the gym just to see the results on the screen, the scale, the tape measure and the mirror. It's not for every one. But it was really the thing that made my journey real. I was so in the dark previously that I didn't pay attention. Not any more. And if I ever stop wearing it, I've learned what my daily calorie and exercise goals look like so I know that I will be able to pay attention with out the help.
  • Spooky_Scully
    Spooky_Scully Posts: 73 Member
    I have a Fitbit One also, and absolutely love it! I find it very motivating and gives me a better idea of my daily energy expenditure as days can vary wildly in my job.

    Took me a about a week (and a lot of google-ing) to get it all working smoothly, all synced up with MFP and to learn how to troubleshoot and use it properly. But now I would feel lost without it! I also use a HRM to track my workouts, and it all syncs up between MFP and the Fitbit system. :)
  • yallllah
    yallllah Posts: 35 Member
    I've only had mine for a week but I can tell that the fitbit is what's going to trim the final 8 lbs from my body. **Especially** if you're a numbers person, the fitbit is just....fun! As long as you've accurately inputted all your info, you'll get tons of data to play with.

    The only downside is that MFP / Fitbit integration is a bit wonky. It can take a few days to figure out how to use both in a way that works for you.

    That said, if you do get one, add me! =)https://www.fitbit.com/user/2GW9XM

    PS to clarify: the fitbit doesn't nag you. In fact, it's the opposite: it rewards you with cute, unobtrusive buzzes and flashes of light throughout the day as you meet your goals.
  • I have the Fitbit Flex, and I like it a lot. Even if I don't have time to go walk, because the kids are home, I can just put on a movie and walk in place in front of the tv.. Today I did a little over 20,000 steps (almost 9 miles) and I never left my house. (It was broken up throughout the day) I prefer to keep track of my calories with a heart rate monitor, because I think my Fitbit gives me way too much credit, but maybe I really did burn 2,000 calories... I never eat my exercise calories anyway, to stay on the safe side....
  • Ftw37
    Ftw37 Posts: 386 Member
    I had the fitbit one and then bought the flex. Having a daily goal has helped motivate me to walk a lot. Also having friends and family to compete with drives me.
  • ImaWaterBender
    ImaWaterBender Posts: 516 Member
    I love my flex and had a one before, but it broke.

    I love that my flex has an alarm to wake me up without waking up my husband,
  • SunnyDuckling
    SunnyDuckling Posts: 204 Member
    I bought myself a FitBit One with a voucher I had from a fun-run I'd entered. It's small, subtle and unobtrusive. No-one knows I've it on and I wear it throughout my day.

    I've only been using it for the last 2.5 weeks, but I absolutely love it! I live in a third floor walk-up, with laundry room on the ground floor, so when I have to do my washing or carry up groceries, it's multiple trips, and I've been curious about how many stairs I do! :happy: I'm a numbers and data person, so I really, really like seeing all the stats, like stairs as I said above. Plus I work in a school, so I wanted someway to actually figure out my activity level. Am I sedentary or lightly active (like MFP suggests)?

    The advantage I see to having a FitBit as opposed to a HRM is that as Fitbit is an all day tracker, it will track all those incidental activities that 'just happen'. For instance, those times when you bust out into a dance because there's a funky song on the radio, or when you jog in place as you wash the dishes (Universe knows where I picked up that habit from!) or so on. FitBit acknowledges that I've been more active, and keeps track of that for those 5-6 minutes.

    I absolutely think the FitBit is worth it, and I'm really glad I saved my voucher to get it. If you are a numbers and data person, I think there is almost no shortage of things to keep you motivated and active.
  • Tanya949
    Tanya949 Posts: 604 Member
    I love my Force. It never leaves my wrist unless I'm in the shower or it's being charged. It motivates me to move more and push myself to beat my own goals. I love knowing how many calories I'm burning every day so I know if my eating is on track.
  • SKME2013
    SKME2013 Posts: 704 Member
    I had the force but returned it due to recall. Now I have got the One. Superb motivational tool! Highly recommended! I also use the Polar RCX5 with HRM to track my calorie expenditure during workouts. It gives me a much better idea about my calories in versus out.
    Stef.
  • Luthien007
    Luthien007 Posts: 281 Member
    I had an ultra, then I upgraded to the Flex, then I upgraded to the Force.

    The band on the force irritated me so I didnt wear it at night. I lost it about 9 weeks ago, It was only a few months old. The clasp wasnt very secure. I was pissed off.

    I've gone back to using my Flex from today. I really missed tracking the calorie burn daily. It's the flip side of MFP.

    Jut wish they would make one that is comfortable, discreet. secure and can be paged.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I think it could be a good tool to help you estimate your daily burn. I personally don't use it. I have the "moves" free app on my phone to count steps for me and I don't have trouble sleeping. For me buying one is not justified based on my needs. Until something comes out that automatically counts the calories I eat, I'm good. For you, it may be worth the money! Many people seem to like it and feel motivated by it. Do you know anyone in real life who uses it? Best way to judge would be to take a closer look at it, see how it works and what it does. Try it on to see how it feels etc..
  • cassie4animals
    cassie4animals Posts: 23 Member
    Yes! I loved my fitbit! It syncs effortlessly with MFP, so you won't have any problems there. I found that it motivated me to get my 10,000 steps per day and their website was really awesome. Before I discovered MFP, I logged all my food information there and the site helped me to set goals. MFP is easier because of the large database and barcode scanning function, but the fitbit site still has its benefits - like estimating a date when you'll reach your weight loss goal. I had the fitbit force, which also tracked my sleep and I found that feature quite helpful. I also still have the fitbit aria scale, which wirelessly sends my weight to my computer and uploads to the fitbit site, so I like that feature too.
  • chuck311
    chuck311 Posts: 5
    Bought the flex yesterday XD
  • bethlaf
    bethlaf Posts: 954 Member
    i have had my fitbit for over a year , i love it ,i started with a ZIP and now have a FLEX , it keeps me motivated, and moving forward,and the FLEX since its on my wrist like a watchalso serves as visual reminder to get my steps out well worth the 100 bucks
  • mfp2014mfp
    mfp2014mfp Posts: 689 Member
    I love mine, it's really helped me to understand how many calories I burn a day, and in turn how much I can eat & still lose.
  • jemoman1
    jemoman1 Posts: 1 Member
    Yes, I love it!, I also have the goal of loosing more than 100 Pounds, The Fitbit has helped me to keep track of my calories deficit between what I eat and what I burn . It also motivates me to stay more active. Great tool, I have the Fitbit one which is very small, not intrusive and out of everybody else's sight.
  • Fkika3131
    Fkika3131 Posts: 208 Member
    Thank you All for the great info.on the Fitbit. I am going to go buy one today :)
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    I have a genuine question for those use it. What if your activity does not involve steps, like a fitness DVD with various exercises or strength training? If that was the bulk of your exercise would it still be able to estimate calories accurately? And what advantages does it have over a phone app?
  • cassie4animals
    cassie4animals Posts: 23 Member
    You have to log other exercises, which you can do on the fitbit website. As far as estimating calories accurately, I don't know. It seemed to match rather closely with estimates I found on other website. Fitbit also has a phone app to sync with your bluetooth phone, but it's not as in depth as their website. It will give you the basic info on your steps, calories burned, sleep activity, etc, but you get a lot more detail on their website.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    You have to log other exercises, which you can do on the fitbit website. As far as estimating calories accurately, I don't know. It seemed to match rather closely with estimates I found on other website. Fitbit also has a phone app to sync with your bluetooth phone, but it's not as in depth as their website. It will give you the basic info on your steps, calories burned, sleep activity, etc, but you get a lot more detail on their website.

    Ah alright. Thank you.
  • codycsweet
    codycsweet Posts: 1,019 Member
    YES YES YES. it is worth it. I got mine June 2013 and I never realized how little I was moving 2-3 k on weekends and maybe 5k at work now I'm aware of how much I move. I am a numbers person so I'm trying to better the previous days steps or the week before. I have the zip and have lost it but customer service replaced it for me make sure you keep your receipt. In the time I didn't have my zip I felt so lost

    I love mine and never regretted the purchase.
  • evelyn150
    evelyn150 Posts: 6 Member
    i agree totally with everything you said!!!