Are fitbits worth the money?

I really enjoy using my fitbit flex. I'm a numbers girl and although IIFYM gave me an average daily burn, I was thrilled to see that fitbit matched up with that average daily burn and that I was eating the right amount of calories for my goals. I'm also an avid hiker, and I hike hours upon hours when I hike. Using my cell phone is not practical. The gps that the apps use just kills my battery and I could be left stranded and in a bad situation. My fitbit flex stays charged for 5 days, so I can hike a 14,000 foot mountain, camp in the hills and hike another a day or two later and still get all my data when I get home, leaving my cell phone for it's intended usage. I have had mine since January and have never once lost it. The one day I accidentally left it at home I felt bereft the whole day without it, lol.

I also had no idea how active I was at work. I am now trying to mimic that activity when I am off in the summer.

I'm also getting some pretty good data on my sleep cycles. I'm figuring out how restless I am most nights while I'm sleeping and seeing my longest periods of good sleep. Doing some adjustments on what I eat before bed, when I go to bed, etc. has seemed to improve my sleep quality over time.

I bought the Fitbit Flex for US $95 after I'd lost 10 lbs. as a reward. I've never once had second thoughts about it. Since then I've lost an additional 17.5 lbs. using it in conjunction with MFP.

I have learned some things since getting the Fitbit. I had MFP set to active, because I felt like I was always on the move. Using my stats, it put me at 2800 calories burned a day. I would then log my workouts, which MFP over-inflated as well. Since then, I learned that while I do burn 2800 calories some days, I don't burn that every day. I've since adjusted MFP down to my barebones calorie burn, something that I would burn if I had an average day at home of getting up, making food, doing some light household activity, etc. I let my fitbit add in the rest as a positive adjustment. That way, if I don't get up and moving one day because it's my rest day, I'm getting more accurate information about my deficits. I like that. I'm a numbers girl. And while I understand that MFP and Fitbit can be inaccurate, I figure that if I am 200 calories under or over, it's better than knowing nothing at all. Now I tend to eat a tiny bit less than my goal for the day, just in case I didn't log something accurately, and I underestimate my burns by a little. It seems to be working for me and I am a very satisfied customer!

Just a slight note on the pedometers. I lose them. All the time. Or the batteries die and it's hell to find a new battery that fits. My SIL gave my daughter one for our hike the other day. My fitbit was on my wrist and she put the pedometer on her waist. We hiked together stride for stride and my numbers matched hers. We stopped for lunch and she sat on a rock and her pedometer came loose from her waistband and promptly took a swim down a waterfall, never to be retrieved.

No pedometer I ever owned could sync to MFP, or give me sleep data and it's own website full of great data such as weekly emails that tell me my calories in vs. calories out for the week, steps taken, etc. And if there is now one, I would probably lose it on a hike, lol. I'm very happy that I took the plunge and bought the Fitbit. My next indulgence when I lose another 2.5 lbs for a 30 lb. loss is to purchase a 3 pack of wristbands to change the color of my fitbit. :happy:

I had a fitbit zip and I liked it. I bought it for the motivation to be more active during my work day since I sit at a desk from 9-5. I upgraded to the fitbit one because I wanted to start tracking my sleeping patterns after several weeks of waking up lethargic.

If you just want a number, pedometer or app on your phone work just as well for way less. If you wanted to have that motivation, I'd say get it.