FitBit Flex...worth it?

But just think of all the neat color bands you can wear! I match my outfits.

I have the Fitbit One and love it. Fitbit + MFP is a great combination. With the Fitbit I have a way to measure and monitor how active I am in a day. And MFP is the best for logging food. They sync well together.

There are a few different Fitbits, and of course other brands of activity tracers out there. Before getting one, do your research based on what features appeal to you. The community/competition aspect of Fitbit is good. Also the accountability - everyone knows if I'm being a lazy bum!

Yes - there are many rewards sites.

The best is Pact - but its more of a commitment than a reward. You commit to doing a certain # of healthy activities per week.

Workouts: can commit to 1-7, for # of days of the week. Walking 10k+ steps with your Fitbit counts as a workout. Or doing a 30+ minute walk/run/etc. outdoors with a GPS app like MapMyWalk where you travel at least 1 mile in 30 minutes. There is a way to 'check in' for 30+ minutes at fitness clubs but I don't know how that works.

Logging food: syncs w/ MFP. You get credit for logging 3+ meals for 1200+ calories - so its encouraging you to eat enough and pay attention to detail. Can commit to 1-7, for # of days of the week.

Eating fruits/veggies: take a picture of what you're eating and members in the Pact community vote y/n if its a serving of f/v. You vote on others. Can commit for a max of 5 per day or 35 per week.

You set a value to each area, $5 or more. If you do not make your commitment you pay. (Must connect to Paypal or a credit card.) If you do make all your pacts, you get a share of the $ from those who did not.

I have a high goal - 6/6/30. I've always made it though there was a week that I was sick and getting 10k steps per day x 6 days was rough. It was before the option to do a 30 minute GPS tracked walk. I missed on Monday - so felt a bit of pressure. I don't like paying! Which is the idea. People will be motivated to avoid a penalty. I make $5-7 per week. If you committed to less pacts I imagine you'd get less $. You can withdraw to Paypal with a $10 minimum. I've withdrawn a few times - takes a week or so to get paid. When I signed up there was a promo code Gympact$5 for a bonus $5. NOt sure if it still works.

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Other thoughts. If you like the Flex but don't want to wear it ALL the time - you can put it in your pocket. A downside w/ the Flex in my opinion is it does not have a display. You can't look at it to see where you are in step count. If you have a compatible smart phone you can sync and see anytime. Or sync & look at fitbit.com. The One has a display. Charging is easy - I just put it on a charger when I'm in the shower. Typically I do this a few times each week, it never gets as low as 50% battery life.

I wear the One always - clipped to my pocket or waist area. I'd feel odd without it, like taking off a ring you always wear. Just wrong... I once got as far as the living room without it - just have to develop a habit to move it from one piece of clothing to another when you change clothes.

I love mine!! Especially because I have a group of fitness friends who also have one and we are always pushing each other (cheering, taunting) to get each other going and trying to beat each others steps It's a fantastic motivator!

I love mine! pretty much a repeat of what others said
it connects to MFP
and a number of reward sites
Pact is a big one
so is Everymove.org
I have different color bands
and it makes me want to move more
especially when some young 20 something yr old friend is trying to beat my steps for the day

I had a fitbit force and have mixed feelings. It was nice initially to see where I was at, but once I figured out what I needed to reach my goal, it really wasn't that helpful and nothing that a normal, MUCH CHEAPER, pedometer couldn't have told me. The sleep tracker at night wasn't all that useful other than a "oh, that is interesting." The flights of stairs counter was constantly off. Its hilly around here and it seems it tracked even slight inclines and what not so its count was high compared to true flights of stairs I took.

I returned mine under the recall. I couldn't see the flex being all that useful - at least the force you could see that count whenever you wanted on your wrist, which the flex does not offer. If I get another it won't be until they produce another version of the force with a display on your wrist.

I do miss the little vibration when I reached my steps goal and I miss my vibrating alarm in the morning.

I just got the Zip for free because of my insurance a week ago and I love it! I have a very sedentary job, so it shames me into walking more when I get home. (I mean seriously, it's 2:21p and I'm sitting at 1,357 steps... UGH) I really like how it shows your active mintues and syncs caloric intake with MFP. I'm a happy camper with it. ^.^

I've had mine since August 2013 and credit it with much of the motivation I need to be successful in meeting my fitness goals. I make sure to push every day to meet my step goals. I don't sit down at night until I've done so. It syncs with MPF and several other partner programs which makes logging your exercise (at least step based exercise) a snap. Very much worth it in my opinion.

I have been wondering about this device so I like seeing the reviews too.

I have a Flex, and I love it when it works. I've had terrible luck with mine. I bought one and within a month I had to return it because the battery wasn't syncing. I've had the new one for a few weeks and it frequently doesn't want to sync, I have to reset it, and then it doesn't store the steps I earned that day. So that part has been frustrating.