please give advice on fitbit one vs other wt loss tools

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I'm interested in buying something like a fitbitone for tracking exercise etc. Any thoughts on that? Pros and Cons on other ones? I can spend up to $200.oo
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  • pattykaye33
    pattykaye33 Posts: 177 Member
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    I would be interested in hearing about this too.
  • deedeeh21
    deedeeh21 Posts: 6 Member
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    I am interested in hearing this answer as well!!!! I like options =))
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    I have one of the Body Media armbands and I love it. I bought it a while ago from Costco when it came with a free year of web service as well (otherwise it's like $7/month or something). I don't know what deals they have on them now, but they're generally a little over $100 on amazon.

    I also understand that they work with MFP too, though I keep mine separate as I'd already started there and have a lot of custom foods already inputted.

    They're not great for all exercises. For example, can't wear it in the water or doesn't get very good readings at hot yoga. I also don't wear it when I drive or mow the lawn because it thinks the slow speed of either the riding lawn mower or sitting in traffic is me jogging. But, for the other exercises I do, it's great (which is mostly walking, weight lifting and hills sprints). It also seems to keep a good number on my general activity level.

    I really dig the numbers and graphs it does, so if you can afford it, I'd highly recommend it.
  • sunshine1082
    sunshine1082 Posts: 85 Member
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    I've had my Fitbit One for about two weeks now, and I love it. I live in San Francisco and do a lot of walking, and I wanted something that would account for all the steep hills I climb every day. It's only meant to account for step-based activities though, so any non-step based activities need to be recorded manually. Fitbit syncs really easily with MFP. I do not have any experience with other devices, so I can't do a comparison. I chose Fitbit because several of my family members have one, and we are able to compete with each other to see who gets the most steps. One of my cousins can be pretty competitive, and I've been really motivated to get out and move more so I can beat her :smile:
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    I also have the BodyMedia armband, and it's the most accurate of all the fitness monitors; the others are sort of high-tech pedometers and the armband looks at things like sweat production and skin temperature to calculate your calorie burn. The downside is that a lot of people don't like it because it's visible on your arm (doesn't bother me). They were having a promo that new customers got a year of online subscription free, but I don't know if it's still going on. Your basic armband is $99.
  • beckyjeanleemaddox
    beckyjeanleemaddox Posts: 154 Member
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    Thanks for your post!!!!
  • CindyB97
    CindyB97 Posts: 146 Member
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    I have had a Jawbone UP24 since the beginning of the year and I love it! You cannot see your stats on the actual wrist band but it syncs wirelessly with your iPhone or Android phone (the UP24 model syncs wirelessly, the UP model requires you to hook it up to your phone) so your stats are there to look at anytime you want. It tracks your sleep. It has an alarm feature to wake you up in the morning if you want. There is also an idle alert that you can set for 30 minutes, an hour, or whatever you want; when you are idle for that length of time, it vibrates to remind you to get up and move. It also gives you challenges every so often (like "get to bed earlier tonight" or "try to hit 12k steps today", things like that).

    I love the idea of any activity monitor. I think the real value, whether or not they are 100% accurate, is in how they motivate you to move. If I am just shy of my step goal for the day, I'll walk up and down the stairs a few times, or cruise the basement, or just about anything to get more activity so I hit my goal.

    It was a little hard getting used to wearing it for the first couple days because I'm not used to wearing anything (watch, jewelry, etc.) but now I can't imagine not wearing it. I take it off for swimming and showering and that's it.
  • carolann_22
    carolann_22 Posts: 364 Member
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    Unless you swim or spin a lot, I would get the BodyMedia armband. Fitbit is ok, but it has it's limitations. I had the BodyMedia for five years and loved it. I like the Fitbit, just don't love it.
  • kelleybean1
    kelleybean1 Posts: 312 Member
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    If you get the BodyMedia armband get the link NOT the core! They screwed up the algorithms on the core and it over estimates calorie burns--close to 500 calls a day for me. I ditched my account because of this. I loved the accuracy and the way it accounts for the after-burn with weight training, but, it sure is ugly to wear on your arm, especially during the summer months. I'm using my old fitbit now. It's pretty close to being accurate, and it doesn't show with clothing.
  • FireOpalCO
    FireOpalCO Posts: 641 Member
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    I love my FitBit and part of it is the interface of the website. I love getting my green smiley faces on my tiles at the end of the day.
  • Nedra19455
    Nedra19455 Posts: 241 Member
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    I can't compare to any others, but I love my Fitbit One! I find it to be very accurate and it syncs so well with MFP. I can eat a lot more calories and still lose (so far...only been at this a few weeks) because MFP knows how much I am burning. I typically get 200-600 "bonus calories" a day from my Fitbit. No logging, they just appear. I eat just about whatever I get and always feel like I've eaten just the right amount for my level of activity.
  • LongIsland27itl
    LongIsland27itl Posts: 365 Member
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    I just purchased a fitbit one to mess around with and see if he calories burned were on track with some of the calculators I've been using, and it's pretty on point. Sometimes a little over or under, but it averages out just fine. I' chose the one over he flex because I can't wear that thing on my wrist every day.
  • 12bfree
    12bfree Posts: 67 Member
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    My wife and I both have fitbit flex. We've had them four months and only take them off to charge. They work as advertised. They claim to be water resistant but we have not had them in the water. I thought it was a good deal for the price. She uses a toshiba and I have a mac and they sync fine with either computer. They sync fine with our iPads as well. They are very slim in comparison to other models I've used in the past. I think it's a good product.
  • redwoodkestrel
    redwoodkestrel Posts: 339 Member
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    I think it really depends on what type of exercise you're planning on doing most often. I have the Fitbit Zip and absolutely love it, since it accurately tracks the walking and running I do for exercise, plus lets me know how much I'm generally moving around during the day. All of the graphs and charts plus weekly stats you get through Fitbit are also stellar. I'm 100% motivated every day now to get at least 10,000 steps!

    However, if you think you'll burn most of your calories through activities that aren't step-based (cycling, yoga, weight training, etc), then the Fitbit is not the right device for you - you'll likely want a heart rate monitor to get an accurate estimate of calorie burn.
  • ErinMcMom
    ErinMcMom Posts: 228 Member
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    I have the Fitbit Zip and it's hands down the best money I've ever spent on a fitness device (possibly any techy device!)
    It tracks my movement throughout the day and syncs effortlessly to MFP. I use my "Fitbit calories" for extra snacks. :)
    Since I got the Zip a couple of months ago I've gone from an average of 5k steps per day to 20k steps per day! I love fitting extra movement into my everyday activities and watching my name climb my friend leaderboard.
    The interface is super user friendly and encouraging, I can't say enough good things about it.
    If I somehow lost it tomorrow I would run immediately to the nearest store and buy another one.
  • elyanta
    elyanta Posts: 11
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    I have been using the fitbit one since February and I am a big fan. I walk a lot around campus and get a lot of steps from eliptical or treadmill workouts. I wish it worked with cycling as well. I cant compair it to other devices but I read that the calorie burn estimates are about the same. I mainly got the fitbit one for keeping track of my activity during the day and to help me stay more active on the weekends. I had been thinking about trying out the body media but I don't want to pay for the monthly subscription unless I really need help getting the last half of my weight off. Overall if u need help moving more or just want to track how much you walk and at what time of day you do the fitbit is great. If u want accurate all day calorie burn information the body media may be more of what you are looking for. From what I gather the body media uses heart rate to calculate calories burned and the fitbit uses your bmr + activity it records.
  • Bukawww
    Bukawww Posts: 159 Member
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    I have the BodyMedia Core and don't find that it calculates too many calories...My BMR is 1800 or so and a fairly lazy day shows me about a 2200-2300 burn...fairly lazy for me is chasing a 2yr old all day long, taking 3 others to school, never sitting down and making soap for my business. If anything, I think it underestimates which is fine by me lol.
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    Bump I'm also interested
  • lizcc13
    lizcc13 Posts: 12 Member
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    I have a fitbit flex and I love it. I wear it on my wrist or if I want to hide it I place it in my pocket. It keeps excellent track of how much I walk and it also sync nicely with MFP.
  • beckyjeanleemaddox
    beckyjeanleemaddox Posts: 154 Member
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    Thanks Guys for all the posts!!!!!! I'm pretty new at this fitness thing and any comments and posts are greatly appreciated. Plus a few friends out there are interested also.