fitbit benefits?

i'm on a 1200 calorie diet but i feel like i'm not eating enough ?? but i'm afraid to go over that in case i gain weight. so i was thinking of getting a fitbit to calculate my calories and all that. it's quite expensive so i would like to know if it really works and what are the benefits of it? thank you :-)

Replies

  • HardyGirl4Ever
    HardyGirl4Ever Posts: 1,017 Member
    I love mine. I know I get the correct calorie burns, and it tells me if I'm consuming enough calories compared to the calories I burn throughout the day. It also tracks my sleep, which is an interesting bonus.
  • Joelly0110
    Joelly0110 Posts: 8 Member
    I have the fit bit zip.

    The benefit for me is to know how many calories I burn. Also, I sync it with myfitnesspal. I rely on myfitnesspal for the calorie in and I rely on the fitbit to let me know how much calorie I need to burn/day to reach my goal.

    It has goals you have to achieve in order to reach your fitness goal. You set this goal when you first receive your fitbit.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/20/activity-monitor-accuracy-fitbit-jawbone_n_5516156.html

    Study of 30 males and 30 females wearing all 8 devices while completing a 69minute program.

    From the article:

    Here's how they fared (ranked by error rating):
    BodyMedia FIT: 9.3 percent
    Fitbit Zip: 10.1 percent
    Fitbit One: 10.4 percent
    Jawbone Up: 12.2 percent
    ActiGraph: 12.6 percent
    Directlife: 12.8 percent
    Nike FuelBand: 13 percent
    Basis Band: 23.5 percent

    Link to the study is in the article.

    I've been using a BodyMedia since Sept. It has worked great for keeping me motivated, and aware that on some days I do a lot, and on others I do much less. I eat accordingly. Currently I am aiming more for maintaining my weight than for losing, and normally eat under what it tells me by 100-500 cals. You have to learn how accurate it is for you and your life.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    I've been wearing a Fitbit One for over a year and a half now. I love it. I know exactly how much I've walked each day so I get a more accurate calorie burn and it syncs with MFP. I love the sleep function because I've always had trouble sleeping and I now know that it's not all in my head; I really do move around a lot at night. I also find that knowing how many steps I've taken motivates me to move more to try to hit 10,000 steps each day.
  • klfoster88
    klfoster88 Posts: 65 Member
    I love mine as well. I got it for a discount so that made me feel better about it but it would have been worth it at full price. It is another mode of accountability besides just calorie counting. You can also like it with MFP to use them together. It is definitely worth the investment.

    I've also noticed I'm not as afraid to go over my 1200 calories now that I can actively see how many calories I am burning throughout the day. It breaks it down in a calories in calories out format to ease the mind
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
    I don't have a Fitbit -- UP24 -- but the main benefits are that it encourages me to take more steps and to get out of bed and exercise so I didn't waste the $150.
  • kjarvo
    kjarvo Posts: 236 Member
    It does motivate me a bit more but it doesn't give you the *correct* calories at all. It extrapolates all of the information based on how much and fast it is being moved. However, I have started to go to bed a bit earlier, to many 5 hours is not good and I have also been walking up more stairs (it counts hills too).
    I found mine though and had to pay £35 for the dongle and cable. I think I would be a bit annoyed if I'd paid £80 for it, my free pedometer is just as good.
  • SKME2013
    SKME2013 Posts: 704 Member
    The fitbit is great to keep you on your toes. It definitely made me more active and that is its purpose. Just don't eat all of the activity calories back that it gives you.
    Stef.
  • LunaStar2008
    LunaStar2008 Posts: 155 Member
    I am wearing a bodymedia fit for 3 weeks now and I am impressed with the data provided. I keep in mind that non of the devices are absolute accurate and there is always a margin for error, but seeing the numbers make it much easier to plan and schedule activities.
    As mentioned, if I was less active it encourages to go for a walk, swim, or a run. So, it does what it suppose to do, keep you active. As others mentioned, as of now I don't have any problems with the arm band and I even don't care that people see it when I wear it with short sleeves.
    It definitely helps me to coordinate my calorie intake. I am more sensitive to the numbers and I can see the co-relation to sleep, food intake and weight gain/loss.