Fitbit Users

HandNik
HandNik Posts: 10
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone else have a Fitbit? I just got one for Father's Day. How do you like to use it, and does it inspire you to be more active?

Replies

  • lmann72
    lmann72 Posts: 82 Member
    Its been a great inspiration to keep me moving and walking! I take walks at lunch and I use the steps more - who knew that having something to make me walk would be so much fun?
  • tracysway
    tracysway Posts: 67 Member
    I have one. I am a fairly competitive person and the fitbit actually helps me compete with myself. It has motivated me to walk a lot more and to take the stairs. I bought my husband one and now his goal i to always have more steps than me at the end of the night. As far as how do I use it: I keep it on all the time. MFP is linked to the fitbit/ I log all food and exercise (with the correct start times) in MFP. As long as you log exercise in MFP with the correct start time and duration the fitbit will not double count the steps.
  • Karen_Yeager
    Karen_Yeager Posts: 1
    Put it in your pocket when you get up in the morning, and keep it there all day. Make an account on www.fitbit.com and occasionally come within 20 feet of your computer (or phone?). If the computer is asleep, nudge the mouse. FitBit will upload your exercise data automatically, no cables required. If you do some exercise like lifting weights, FitBit won't give you enough credit (because it's attached near your torso and can't detect your arms moving). For exercise sessions like this, input the extra exercise into MyFitnessPal.

    I set my activity level on MFP to "sedentary" because I want to see my exercise calories more explicitly. I figured any other activity level would cause MFP to make some assumptions about how many calories I'm burning. Really, I don't understand the relationship between MFP and FitBit. Somehow they are working together to decide how many calories you burn each day. The "burned calories" tracked by FitBit include exercise and "just living and digesting your food", both added together, total calories.

    The FitBit website has cool graphs you can look at.
  • CCSavage88
    CCSavage88 Posts: 191
    I'm happier with my $30 Walmart, heart rate monitor and tracker wrist watch. I never even use the fitbit anymore.
  • prettyfitchick
    prettyfitchick Posts: 502 Member
    I had fitbit and now have the fuel band they are bascially the same thing an I guess just it depends on you and how much you enjoy using it to be honest it dosent do much for me I do check it from time to time but I never think much of it more like an expensive toy I have HRM for my workouts which really motivates me to setup during my workouts but i dont count daily movements such as cleaning the house or being in the mall for an hour as a workout l i know some ppl do count it as excersise but i just dont feels like cheating to me so i dont get much use out of it becase it does just track your daily movements just my opinon though you might just love it
  • NoWayButUp
    NoWayButUp Posts: 2 Member
    I have a fitbit One I've worn for a couple of years. I keep my goal attainable and make sure I hit it every day. I use to use the sleep feature but the One kept falling out of the arm band and I would lose it for weeks at a time. But it's a great motivator for sure.
  • squishycatmew
    squishycatmew Posts: 151 Member
    I just got one for my birthday, which is great because now I won't get in trouble for having my phone on me at work (I was using it to track my steps previously). Just tracking my steps with my phone was kind of eye-opening - I walk a *lot* at work and easily hit 10,000 steps, which helped to explain why I had gained so much less weight than my boyfriend had on a similar diet (his job is at a desk). I have the Fitbit One, which I like for the versatility (can clip it basically anywhere) and the sleep tracking function (because my work hours are extremely variable and I struggle to get enough/quality sleep), and that it tracks stairs/incline steps, which my phone does not. I take the calorie count with a very large grain of salt, but I find it pretty motivating - yesterday I went up and down the stairs of our building until I hit 25 flights, just because I was so close when I got home.
  • laineybz
    laineybz Posts: 704 Member
    I have a Fitbit one too. I guess i was surprised at the lack of steps my daily routine included. Now i'm more aware and try to up it.
  • mamaleftwich
    mamaleftwich Posts: 256 Member
    I've had mine since September and I love it. It really makes me aware of how much "I don't" move! LOL....I love that it's linked to MFP and it calculates calories burned and I hae the flex and I love the alarm function to wake me up in the morning!
  • shireeniebeanie
    shireeniebeanie Posts: 293 Member
    At first, I resisted getting one through my work's wellness program, but now I really like it! A bit of gadgetry was just what I needed to get me interested in moving more. In fact, I liked it so much I turned around and gave one as a gift.

    At the end of the night, if I'm over 8,000 steps or so, it'll give my phone a notification that "You're almost there! Just X steps to go" and I'll do a few laps of my block to finish it off. It's a really nice tool to give you an overview of how you spent your day (for those of us who can barely remember what we did by the time we get home).

    Plus, I've set it to buzz me a number of times throughout the day for different reminders, which is helpful.
  • KathyMcSchooler
    KathyMcSchooler Posts: 1
    I've been a Fitbit user since 2010 and love it. I started out with a Fitbit One and have graduated to a Flex. I especially love the Flex because I don't have to worry about where I'm going to attach the clip. Although it is water resistant, I do take it off to shower but that is the only time its off. The Fitbit really motivates me to continue moving and being able to compete against friends also helps.
  • shortstuff31117
    shortstuff31117 Posts: 81 Member
    I've had a flex for a few months and I really like it. I wore it for a week without changing my activity level, just to see what my steps typically were. They were around 7000, so then I started making an effort to hit my goal, which is 10,000. I now average 13,000 steps per day. The Fitbit has been very accurate in calculating my TDEE, I've lost a pound a week since I got it, which was exactly what I wanted :-)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    I have a Fitbit one too. I guess i was surprised at the lack of steps my daily routine included. Now i'm more aware and try to up it.

    This!^

    I thought I was doing ok.....FitBit was an eye opener for me too.

    Here's a link to one of the groups here....lots of info

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1290-fitbit-users
  • shireeniebeanie
    shireeniebeanie Posts: 293 Member
    I've been a Fitbit user since 2010 and love it. I started out with a Fitbit One and have graduated to a Flex. I especially love the Flex because I don't have to worry about where I'm going to attach the clip. Although it is water resistant, I do take it off to shower but that is the only time its off. The Fitbit really motivates me to continue moving and being able to compete against friends also helps.

    ^^ Agreed. Try not to wear it in the shower, or do give it time to dry out, because water gets trapped in the band and it gets yucky in there after a day or two. Otherwise, I never take it off!
  • MomTo3Lovez
    MomTo3Lovez Posts: 800 Member
    I like mine, I have the flex and now I get upset if I don't get in at least 10,000 steps lol
  • peapodsquadmom
    peapodsquadmom Posts: 2
    I absolutely love mine. I have the Fitbit One. I'm a fairly competitive person, so the Fitbit has motivated me to take more steps to stay ahead of my friends and husband! I'm an elementary school teacher and my students laugh when I get a text saying my hubby has taken more steps than me. I usually start jogging in place while teaching when that happens. ;-)
  • lewoldt
    lewoldt Posts: 630 Member
    I really like mine. It gets me off my butt. I have to get at least 10,000 steps, 30 minutes of activity and 5 miles or I feel like I have failed for the day. My girlfriend and I compete to see who can get the most steps
  • sjmay
    sjmay Posts: 386 Member
    I've just been debating getting the Flex, it sounds like a great motivational tool!
  • HandNik
    HandNik Posts: 10
    I only have one day in so far and I don't walk as much as I had thought, at least yesterday. Where do I go to sync MFP with my FItBit?
  • HandNik
    HandNik Posts: 10
    Never mind. Found it!

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