Help choosing Devices to count steps and cals (
Replies
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Have you tried looking at the Jawbone UP? For $80 on Amazon.com I picked up the older version you have to plug into the headphone jack. They also have a bluetooth version for about $130, the UP24.
Know a few people who use it too, and we all love it. Jawbone customer service is great if you have any problems. I wear mine everywhere except the shower (even though Jawbone says it's showerproof) and haven't had a problem- but I've only had it a little over two weeks. I also wear it in bed- the alarm is great, it tracks your sleep cycles and will wake you up during a period of light sleep so you feel better, and don't need a blaring alarm to jolt you awake.
Syncs well with MFP to give me credit for extra calories I've burned. I use Endomondo Fitness tracker as well, which isn't compatible with the Jawbone (yet), but works great with MFP too. I haven't had any issues with MFP doubling up on my exercise when I run with the Jawbone and track with Endomondo.
Hope you find what you're looking for!
I second this. I have the Jawbone Up 24 (New one) and I ADORE it.
I haven't looked at the UP24 yet by Jawbone. I do like them I have some jawbone items. How is it with hand movements and such compared to the flex?
I'm kind of liking the fitbit one just by looking up online.
Wondering though it says you wear between bra for ladies but what about like after work but before sleep when you don't have one on lol? Can you switch to waistband or would it have to be calculated to where it's being worn?
Just wondering how easy to transition places to wear.
I do like the flex wristband idea but I'm just liking the ONEs features.
Where you wear it is a matter of preference. I normally wear mine on my hip or clip it to the inside of my pocket. If I'm wearing a dress I will clip it to my bra. It doesn't "know" where it is placed and won't have an effect on your step count.0 -
I have the FitBit Flex and I love it!!! Definitely recommend it
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Hi! I use the jawbone up 24! I love it so far. It took awhile for me to get used to wearing something in my wrist all day but so far it's been great! I heard the fitbit flex is also great. The jawbone is pretty expensive which is why it's not as popular as other trackers but so far it works great
my only complaint is that is not exactly water proof, it can be splashed on but can't be warn swimming. So if your into swimming its important to make sure the wristlet is fully waterproof. 0 -
If you have an iPhone 5s, the MFP app will capture all the step/motion data from the phone's hardware. Obviously you have to have your phone with you, but I find it useful enough not to buy extra hardware.0
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I have the Fitbit One and I love it...it stays in a pocket or hooked to your bra...I do the later (I don't like wearing things on my wrist).
Initially it showed me how sedentary I really was (especially at work).
I do exercise videos and walking/hiking. I was tracking what each DVD or path was worth and it wasn't all that consistent. One day a hill was 22 flights of stairs, the next day it was 10.....
My goal is 10,000 steps a day and maybe moving to 15,000 on weekends or days off. When I am working I really need to put effort into getting up and walking or even do a flight or two of stairs, which adds up over the course of the day.
Any of the devices will give you another data point for how you are achieving your actual goals.0 -
I love the Polar Loop & the HN7 Heart Rate Monitor. You can get both as a bundle pack for $139.00.0
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Do you have a Wii U? If so, get the Wii Fit Meter. It's 20 bucks and comes with the Wii Fit game for free. You don't have to use the game, but you can use the meter. It's accurate and can tell when you're walking and running. If you want to use the Wii Fit game, you need a balance board and those are pretty cheap nowadays.0
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I hate the flex. It is very vague and you have to look at the website to see what you have really done (only dots appear on it) and it doesnt count flights of steps. The fitbit ONE is wonderful! You can see steps, calories, flights of stairs. You can sleep with it on. it is just wonderful!0
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What is a good way to measure stride?
This post is a little above my head lol. I'm new to all this and don't understand it all.
I'm looking for something to wear all the time to get an idea of what I'm burning so I can make sure I don't eat too much. I would like sleep included and stairs are part of my work day so id like to count those.
I do a lot d hand movements with work (data entry/ typing and xray tech/ moving machines/ helping patients etc) so was thinking a wrist based one may not be good for me? Plus I'm a hand talker.
The wrist one is out I'd suggest. Going to get a lot of false steps there in work. You'll want hip one.
That post was purely addressing the comment about Fitbit being off and what it bases calorie burn on. May be useful to keep in back of mind.
Just reread the post regarding the types of workouts you'll need to manually log.
Which if classes and walking/jogging - you have none. Yet.
Stride measurement easiest on treadmill.
Walk at 3.5 mph, or if that is too fast right now, whatever speed is normal walking speed, not exercise pushing it speed. May need to do this later as normal speed increases moving less weight around.
When treadmill rolls miles from 0.49 to 0.5 - start counting each right foot landing.
When it rolls over to 0.6 - stop counting.
Double that figure for number of steps.
528 / steps = stride length in feet.
Do the same jogging whatever speed is realistic right now. Obviously that could change, and should be correct on Fitbit on timely basis. Should be normal jog, not sprinting, not going super slow.
If you only have a High School track (gotta be accurately measured), then you'll have to do a count for 1 lap, and know what that distance is. I think most track are metric now, right, 400 m (close to 1/4 mile). But you might have to be in correct lane. I've not looked that up yet.
Ok so Is stride figuring out how many steps it takes me to get to a mile?0 -
Where you wear it is a matter of preference. I normally wear mine on my hip or clip it to the inside of my pocket. If I'm wearing a dress I will clip it to my bra. It doesn't "know" where it is placed and won't have an effect on your step count.
Ok at work I wear scrubs so putting in pockets is out. And hooked to pants don't wear a belt so hooked to bra? It's the wrist thing hooking to bra right? I'm going to look these up today and see.
The ONE that you clip to bra just trying to see if your not wearing one you just clip to pants right? Then at wrist for sleep?0 -
Stride measurement easiest on treadmill.
Walk at 3.5 mph, or if that is too fast right now, whatever speed is normal walking speed, not exercise pushing it speed. May need to do this later as normal speed increases moving less weight around.
When treadmill rolls miles from 0.49 to 0.5 - start counting each right foot landing.
When it rolls over to 0.6 - stop counting.
Double that figure for number of steps.
528 / steps = stride length in feet.
Do the same jogging whatever speed is realistic right now. Obviously that could change, and should be correct on Fitbit on timely basis. Should be normal jog, not sprinting, not going super slow.
If you only have a High School track (gotta be accurately measured), then you'll have to do a count for 1 lap, and know what that distance is. I think most track are metric now, right, 400 m (close to 1/4 mile). But you might have to be in correct lane. I've not looked that up yet.
Ok so Is stride figuring out how many steps it takes me to get to a mile?
To any known distance.
As the math shows - you merely must be able to divide counted steps (or half steps doubled) by known distance.
Notice in my example, you are only counting for 0.1 mile distance on treadmill.
Or potentially about 0.25 mile on track.
To long and your count is getting bigger giving you bigger chance to screw up.
But longer than across the living room 20 ft is also a whole lot more accurate. Like don't start walking right at the beginning line, walk up to and over it and then start counting.
Keep this simple - what do you have available to you - treadmill or track or other?0 -
Bump0
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To any known distance.
As the math shows - you merely must be able to divide counted steps (or half steps doubled) by known distance.
Notice in my example, you are only counting for 0.1 mile distance on treadmill.
Or potentially about 0.25 mile on track.
To long and your count is getting bigger giving you bigger chance to screw up.
But longer than across the living room 20 ft is also a whole lot more accurate. Like don't start walking right at the beginning line, walk up to and over it and then start counting.
Keep this simple - what do you have available to you - treadmill or track or other?
Well we have a gym at our complex so I'm going to see the treadmill to see if I can do what you suggested above.0 -
Don't get any fitbit products please. I had a flex for a year or maybe not even a year but nearly, and it died on me recently. It would charge but would not switch on. Tried resetting. Nothing at all. Really expensive and not worth it.0
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Where you wear it is a matter of preference. I normally wear mine on my hip or clip it to the inside of my pocket. If I'm wearing a dress I will clip it to my bra. It doesn't "know" where it is placed and won't have an effect on your step count.
Ok at work I wear scrubs so putting in pockets is out. And hooked to pants don't wear a belt so hooked to bra? It's the wrist thing hooking to bra right? I'm going to look these up today and see.
The ONE that you clip to bra just trying to see if your not wearing one you just clip to pants right? Then at wrist for sleep?
I have had my Fitbit One for over a year and I love it. I clip it to my bra every single day and while I no longer wear it on my wrist at night (I don't care to monitor my sleep), I do clip it to the neckline of my p.j.'s because I like the little vibration alarm for waking me up in the morning.
I hike - a lot - and I love that this device not only tracks the distance and steps, but it also tracks the climb aspect of my hike and expresses it in terms of flights of stairs. I've tested it at home, climbing the stairs five times or more and always get an exact count. Now that I have a new smartphone, the fitbit syncs using bluetooth and let's me know how I'm doing throughout the day.
My only complaint would be that the clip, after 14 months of daily wear, is kinda falling apart and I had to order a new one at $14.95 (plus shipping because I can't find it in a store). I think it would have been nice if it came with two, or if the replacement was available locally.
Good luck with your choice. Whatever you choose, get out there and get moving - you'll feel awesome. Watching my food and getting out there in nature helped me go from over 220 down to 160 in about a year.0 -
The Fitbit will work even if you don't measure your stride length. It estimates stride length based on height and gender, and will use its estimate to calculate your distance based on number of steps. If you want the most accurate measure of your distance covered, then you would need to enter your measured stride length. But that's not necessary for the FitBit to function.
I'm less concerned about absolute accuracy in distance or calories burned, and more in general trends, plus using it as an incentive to move more. Hey, I should check it now so I can see how sedentary I am, sitting at the computer. :grumble:0 -
i have a fitbit one, and i have pretty mixed feelings. mine is dead on for steps, but if you have it in your hand and move your hand around, it counts that as steps, too. calorie burn is for all the time, not just workouts, so if you want to know what you're burning on a walk, you're better off just using mapmywalk or mapmyfitness on your phone or - even better - a HRM. fitbit calorie burn is pretty iffy, as it's based on BMI, which - at least in my case - is a full 25% off on body fat - two weeks ago i was 40% body fat, but my BMI was 30.5%.
Just a clarification on this.
Non-moving time, sleep or awake or standing non-moving (latter 2 obviously burn more than sleeping) - is based on your BMR based on gender, age, weight, height. So that time is generally under-estimated calorie burn.
It's very close to MFP's Mifflin BMR if you do the math.
Your Activities tab, 5 min blocks of the low calorie burn - divide by 5 x 1440 is their BMR being used.
If your Katch BMR based on BF% is well off Mifflin BMR, and it may be - you can adjust the height on Fitbit so that it is using same BMR amount as Katch BMR. You'll have to use manually entered stride length though, which is a good idea anyway.
If interested, just ask how.
Moving time is based on very accurate formulas for walking and jogging - mass and pace.
So pace is from time (easy) and distance covered - which is based on stride length assumed and what your impact is compared to expected results.
So while the formula is very accurate (in studies 4% of lab measured) - getting to best stats could be a problem.
Stride could be way off - you could be a huge toe walker really impacting on frequent steps, making it look like jogging slow which is bigger burn. or a smooth low strider. Extremes can fool it.
Or could be walking/running hills which would throw it off too.
Or any of the number of non-step based exercises that the formula just isn't correct for even if it could see all the "steps" that aren't really steps - elliptical, bike, rowing, lifting, ect. All must be manually entered.
But if you got a past route on one of those sites, you can compare the results here. Gross is what HRM, Fitbit, anything would be reporting.
For % grade, the maymy..... sites give elevation gain, as long as you came back down you want to double that (as it takes more energy than flat coming down). So 2 x gain / miles walked / 5280 x 100 = grade.
In case you did enough incline and it matters.
http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs.html
What is a good way to measure stride?
This post is a little above my head lol. I'm new to all this and don't understand it all.
I'm looking for something to wear all the time to get an idea of what I'm burning so I can make sure I don't eat too much. I would like sleep included and stairs are part of my work day so id like to count those.
I do a lot d hand movements with work (data entry/ typing and xray tech/ moving machines/ helping patients etc) so was thinking a wrist based one may not be good for me? Plus I'm a hand talker.
I had the fitbit force which you wear on your wrist just like the flex. I really liked it but I returned it because it was recalled within the 30 days that I bought it. I then decided that the fitbit one might be better for me because like you I have to use my hands a lot for work, putting gloves on and off and washing them numerous times a day. I really love the fitbit one and wear it all the time. I attach it to my bra and it is not noticeable at all. You can wear it when you dress up with no worries. It's certainly the best option for me. There are many choices out there so just go with what works best for your lifestyle.0 -
I've been using the Jawbone UP (not the 24 version) because I got it free at work. It's ok. I haven't found another unit that I thought was better enough to bother spending the money to replace it. (I.e. I haven't seen something that's $100 better than free.)
That being said, I do have my eye on the Jaybird Reign and the Razer Nabu. Either one of those might be next. The Jaybird is interesting because they say they'll automatically figure out what your activity is, i.e. they know you went for a run or a ride or whatever. Same thing for sleep. No more forgetting to log sleep mode.
However, given my knee problems, steps aren't ideal. It all depends. If you're walking for exercise, great. I do elliptical (and it works for elliptical if it's on my shoe) but mostly I ride. And when I work out I always wear a heart rate monitor. On the bike my bike computer records calories or if I'm in the gym then I use Digifit. Either way, I only count exercise calories. Even if I walk a ton some day and the Jawbone thinks I've earned calories (and Jawbone keeps upping their integration with MFP) I don't "count" them, if that makes sense.0 -
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Fitbit Flex. It's small, comfortable to wear, and the stats and graphs it generates really helps me challenge myself. I've only had mine since Saturday, but I've met my goals every day (except Tuesday, I had a death in the family) since then. It's been really helpful in getting me off the couch, I was already going to the gym, but I'm doing more now.
The only time I don't wear it is in the shower (or doing water aerobics/swimming). It's water resistant, but I don't want to have to dry off the band every day.
Check ebay or Craigslist, I bought mine on Ebay and saved $30.
I wear my flex for water aerobics and I don't have to dry off the band. The unit fits snug in its space so the inside does not get wet. I just dry off my arm with the towel like normal. I will dry a spot, then shift the band over that dry spot to dry the remainder of the arm.0 -
Im very happy with my garmin vivofit, I use it with heart rate chest band when exercicing. I like the fact it functions as an everyday watch and uses small watch battery good for a year so doesnt neeed charging like the rest.
Its water proof to 50m, very light weight and unobtrusive, can get different color straps to your taste.
Has no problem being used with MFP, it syncs via your garmin connect page that gives you really good fed back and challenges if you choose them.
Had my one for a few weeks and more than happy with it
hope that helps0 -
I've had my Flex for about 14 months and love it. I wear it 24/7 and forget it's there. If I have the scrub nurse role at work, I wear it around my badge holder (a coworker sometimes sticks hers on a bra strap). It does count steps like that. I've played with it when pushing a grocery cart and not swinging my arms and it does pick up steps. Occasionally it does pick up extra steps with crazy arm movement (probably not a good choice if you conduct orchestras) but it would be hard to find something totally accurate unless you have someone walk with you recording all your steps :laugh: I do have a Polar FT4 too, and while the chest strap is comfortable, I wouldn't want to wear it 24/7. The Flex lets me see my TDEE averages for the past 30 days and watch how those numbers change. Also my average calorie intake. The sleep function helps me see how much of a change there is on nights I have trouble sleeping. The alarm is nice, it wakes you up by vibrating - no obnoxious loud noise. I hit 10K almost every day, a big improvement to my 5-6K before that.
Lots of good trackers out there, it would depend on what specific goals you want to work on.0 -
following0
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I started with the fitbit One last year.
Fitbit One
Pros:
* Great battery life
* Nice display on unit
* Counts flights of stairs climbed (altimeter)
* Step count / calorie adjustment links to MFP
Cons:
* Need to wear on included fabric wristband to track sleep--inconvenient
* Clip on format made me sometimes forget to switch between pants, etc.
So I decided to upgrade to the fibit flex:
Fitbit Flex
Pros:
* wristband means wear 24/7 - no need to swap out between clothes, for sleep.
* Step count / calorie adjustment links to MFP
* Nice small band. Easy to forget I'm wearing it.
Cons:
* worse battery life (have to charge every 4 days or so)
Not really Cons, IMHO:
* dots on device, detailed stats only available in phone app. Not a problem for me, since I use the phone all the time.
* no altimeter. I never really got use out of it on the One, and the barometric pressure aspect of it gave me weird results during high and low barometric events. I got a 75 story benefit one day, while sitting at my desk.
I've since decided to move to the Garmin Vivofit:
Garmin VivoFit
Pros:
* integrates with my Garmin watch via Garmin Connect. All fitness/activity tracking in one spot. Garmin Connect is amazing.
* Built in display
* battery lasts a YEAR - no recharging every 4 days. Yay.
* Waterproof to 50 metres.
* Will integrate with ANT+ HRM (Mio Link, or other) if desired. I won't use this, as I use the watch to connect ANT+ sensors during running/cycling.
Cons:
* I may lose my large stable of fitbit friends, who keep me striving to remain near the top of my friends list.
* Is a bit bigger than the Fitbit flex
Not really Cons, IMHO:
* Although it does link to MFP for calorie adjustment, steps are not passed to MFP. I don't use the MFP step graphs so much, but am glad for the negative calorie adjustment capabilities.
HTH, FTW0 -
Don't get any fitbit products please. I had a flex for a year or maybe not even a year but nearly, and it died on me recently. It would charge but would not switch on. Tried resetting. Nothing at all. Really expensive and not worth it.
Is there something you would recommend? Open to all suggestions0 -
The Fitbit will work even if you don't measure your stride length. It estimates stride length based on height and gender, and will use its estimate to calculate your distance based on number of steps. If you want the most accurate measure of your distance covered, then you would need to enter your measured stride length. But that's not necessary for the FitBit to function.
I'm less concerned about absolute accuracy in distance or calories burned, and more in general trends, plus using it as an incentive to move more. Hey, I should check it now so I can see how sedentary I am, sitting at the computer. :grumble:
I agree I want to accurate to a point because I do kind of want to see what I am burning and moving every day. But I am not expecting anything to be hundred percent accurate. I'm not a huge fitness guru or anything basically I'm looking for something to help me motivate myself to beat my steps every day and to basically see when I'm sitting too much and when I'm eating too much.
Also to help me see what workouts I'm doing burn more than others.0 -
Fitbit Flex does a good job of both, it's simple wear it on your wrist or ankle 24/7 needs a 2hr charge ever 4 days or so. It measures movement not steps perse as do most and the calorie estimate seems to be reasonably accurate for the whole day not just walking.
I also use a Polar FT60 Heart Rate Monitor to register my VO2, exercise calories
wear the Polar for a 24hr period on a non exercise day and use that as a baseline to see how much you average then you add exercise ontop of that. and there's you TDEE within 95% accuracy. and the fitbit will be pretty close other then exercise/walking it registers alot higher in those then a HRM would so in that case you just enter the exercise burns as the HRM sais not take what fitbit gives.0 -
The fitbit as is the also the case with pedometers in general they are not measuring steps they are measuring lateral and forward to back movement, if you wear it on your wrist and move you arms alot it will still register steps.0
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I have a Polar heart rate monitor, its the best around! It measures everything so accurately, I love it! I guess some would say its expensive, but I'm not sparing any expense when it comes to my health. Better than lots of doctor bills in the future.
http://www.polar.com/us-en/products0 -
I started with the fitbit One last year.
Fitbit One
Pros:
* Great battery life
* Nice display on unit
* Counts flights of stairs climbed (altimeter)
* Step count / calorie adjustment links to MFP
Cons:
* Need to wear on included fabric wristband to track sleep--inconvenient
* Clip on format made me sometimes forget to switch between pants, etc.
So I decided to upgrade to the fibit flex:
Fitbit Flex
Pros:
* wristband means wear 24/7 - no need to swap out between clothes, for sleep.
* Step count / calorie adjustment links to MFP
* Nice small band. Easy to forget I'm wearing it.
Cons:
* worse battery life (have to charge every 4 days or so)
Not really Cons, IMHO:
* dots on device, detailed stats only available in phone app. Not a problem for me, since I use the phone all the time.
* no altimeter. I never really got use out of it on the One, and the barometric pressure aspect of it gave me weird results during high and low barometric events. I got a 75 story benefit one day, while sitting at my desk.
I've since decided to move to the Garmin Vivofit:
Garmin VivoFit
Pros:
* integrates with my Garmin watch via Garmin Connect. All fitness/activity tracking in one spot. Garmin Connect is amazing.
* Built in display
* battery lasts a YEAR - no recharging every 4 days. Yay.
* Waterproof to 50 metres.
* Will integrate with ANT+ HRM (Mio Link, or other) if desired. I won't use this, as I use the watch to connect ANT+ sensors during running/cycling.
Cons:
* I may lose my large stable of fitbit friends, who keep me striving to remain near the top of my friends list.
* Is a bit bigger than the Fitbit flex
Not really Cons, IMHO:
* Although it does link to MFP for calorie adjustment, steps are not passed to MFP. I don't use the MFP step graphs so much, but am glad for the negative calorie adjustment capabilities.
HTH, FTW
Thank you! Great reviews.0 -
I love my fitbit flex. Its small & unobtrusive. I doesn't have an LCD display like some but it syncs quickly to my phone which is always near me anyways.0
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