A Fit-Bit is totally unnecessary...

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Eselte
Eselte Posts: 49
in Health and Weight Loss
...for me anyway. Recently, I had an opportunity to "borrow" a Fit-Bit for a few days. What I determined is that I will never buy one.

Let me start out by saying: to those of you that utilize them faithfully, I completely respect that and have nothing bad to say about the device. But - for folks like myself, who tend to get a little obsessive, comparing its results from one day to the next and allowing yourself to feel "defeated" if your steps aren't as good, or calories spent aren't as good - don't buy one. I basically found myself beating myself up for not improving from one day to the next. If I would have kept it up, I would have probably given up completely. However, now that I am not using it, I am back to totally relying on MFP, counting calories the same way I was before, and counting exercise the same way I was before, too. And guess what? I'm still losing, and not obsessing.

It really is a nifty little device. It's just not for ALL of us. Just my two cents.

Have a great day!
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Replies

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I have a love/hate relationship with mine. It definitely can be de-motivating at times.
  • Eselte
    Eselte Posts: 49
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    I probably should have mentioned that I have an addictive and obsessive personality so it's just not a good mix for me.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    I've seen some people get obsessive with it to the point where they refuse to move while it's charging or getting upset if family time disrupts their step goal for the day. I just see it as another tool to help me reach my goal.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    I think anyone with "all or nothing" thinking tendencies can struggle. I kept my steps over 10,000/day for like a year once. When I was so tired of it I stuck my Fitbit in a desk for the following year instead of lowering my goal or taking it off some days. Now I wear it but mostly ignore it, except to view past activity levels.

    If you're smallish, oldish, female and sedentary, be warned it can give you crazy low total burn numbers. Mine have been as low as 1300ish on that site, which is ridiculous considering my Mifflin RMR is like 1600. But if you believe 1300 is an actual, realistic burn, it can make you feel like giving up completely.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
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    I have no real use for them either, but I don't add back exercise burns or perform much steady state cardio. For runners/walkers/elliptical lovers who eat back exercise calories, they are an important tool.
  • rh091
    rh091 Posts: 100 Member
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    I use mine mostly to make sure I get my 10,000 steps a day. I focus on tracking on mfp with food and creating the deficit. You're right, it depends on your personality and focus.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    It's totally unnecessary to lose weight, for sure.

    If people like electronic gadgets and are losing weight, it makes sense.

    I'd never use one, though, and certainly wouldn't pay to use it.

    But I'm sure I have bought things other people would never use, much less pay to use.

    The world don't move to the beat of just one drum. :)
  • johnarichardson
    johnarichardson Posts: 5
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    I love mine. It's totally unnecessary if you want to lose weight or get in shape but that statement can be applied to a lot of things... You are right though, if it's not for you it's just not for you.

    Personally, I quite like obsessing over my steps and it's made me conscious of where I am most inactive in a way that I can't easily dismiss in the same way MFP has pointed out in stark terms what I do wrong when it comes to eating. It's an aid. Will it rule my life? Never. Do I want to keep on using it, hell yes.:-)
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    It's totally unnecessary to lose weight, for sure.

    If people like electronic gadgets and are losing weight, it makes sense.

    I'd never use one, though, and certainly wouldn't pay to use it.

    But I'm sure I have bought things other people would never use, much less pay to use.

    The world don't move to the beat of just one drum. :)

    Pay to use? I think you have it confused with the Bodymedia. Fitbit does offer a deal where you can pay for more information but that is optional and really not necessary.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    It's totally unnecessary to lose weight, for sure.

    If people like electronic gadgets and are losing weight, it makes sense.

    I'd never use one, though, and certainly wouldn't pay to use it.

    But I'm sure I have bought things other people would never use, much less pay to use.

    The world don't move to the beat of just one drum. :)

    Pay to use? I think you have it confused with the Bodymedia. Fitbit does offer a deal where you can pay for more information but that is optional and really not necessary.
    You didn't have to pay for it? It was free?

    I still wouldn't use it, but it just assumed these were being sold.
  • jkal1979
    jkal1979 Posts: 1,896 Member
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    It's totally unnecessary to lose weight, for sure.

    If people like electronic gadgets and are losing weight, it makes sense.

    I'd never use one, though, and certainly wouldn't pay to use it.

    But I'm sure I have bought things other people would never use, much less pay to use.

    The world don't move to the beat of just one drum. :)

    Pay to use? I think you have it confused with the Bodymedia. Fitbit does offer a deal where you can pay for more information but that is optional and really not necessary.
    You didn't have to pay for it? It was free?

    Of course I paid for the actual Fitbit, but the way you worded it made it sound like you had to pay a subscription fee to use the website.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    It's totally unnecessary to lose weight, for sure.

    If people like electronic gadgets and are losing weight, it makes sense.

    I'd never use one, though, and certainly wouldn't pay to use it.

    But I'm sure I have bought things other people would never use, much less pay to use.

    The world don't move to the beat of just one drum. :)

    Pay to use? I think you have it confused with the Bodymedia. Fitbit does offer a deal where you can pay for more information but that is optional and really not necessary.
    You didn't have to pay for it? It was free?

    Of course I paid for the actual Fitbit, but the way you worded it made it sound like you had to pay a subscription fee to use the website.
    No, sorry.

    I wouldn't use it if it were free, much less pay for it. Hope that's more clear. Sorry. :)

    Still, not slamming people who like them! Everyone likes what they like. :)
  • kittiekat89
    kittiekat89 Posts: 20 Member
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    I've seen a lot of comments like this and some people can be completely obsessed with them. personally i charge mine while in the bath/ shower... it makes sense. lol

    I do rely on it a bit though but only so i can see how active i have been. i don't pay much attention to previous day/week but i do think maybe i should go out for a walk and honestly it works but that's just me.
  • happyapathy
    happyapathy Posts: 44
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    I can see how it would be a problem for people with certain personalities. But I love my FitBit One. I'm a giant data nerd, so I like seeing how long I slept, how many flights of stairs I've climbed (especially when I'm outside where there are no stairs. I went on a hike while camping and climbed 197 "flights of stairs"), I like trying to figure out what I did at work to get 2000 extra steps on certain days, and it reminds me that I should exercise extra on the days where I have to decorate cookies at work (my step count will be ~3000 steps lower because I don't move as much when I decorate). I don't really compare day to day or get extremely competitive with myself.



    Plus, mine's linked with Pact, so I earn money for hitting 10,000 steps.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    I'm confused. Did someone tell you that you were required to use one or that you couldn't be successful without one?
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,088 Member
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    It's totally unnecessary for me, as I use the iifym method so it doesn't matter how many steps I've taken. I do have friends that swear by them and can't live without them.
  • simplydelish2
    simplydelish2 Posts: 726 Member
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    I sooooooooooo agree. I had a flex - question the accuracy, the sleep tracking is worthless, and if you do a lot of walking carrying items (like groceries, a child, etc.) so your arm isn't moving - it doesn't count the steps hardly at all.

    I would never recommend it.
  • NotJustADieter
    NotJustADieter Posts: 229 Member
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    Here's the thing- for people like me, who are mostly sedentary, it's a godsend. Why? Because I can't lie to myself about how much activity I got. I don't look at it as comparing steps one day to the next, I look at it as seeing how active I actually was. The sleep tracking on my flex is also amazing for me- I have PTSD and it lets me see what times of night/how often I toss and turn due to nightmares- which means I can look at my daily routine and see if there is a correlation.

    Plus, if I see I'm 4000 steps short of my daily goal, my mom also has a fitbit and she and I will go on a walk. Feeling my wrist do its "buzzy happy dance" (my term) is a huge motivator.

    It's also nice to see what times of day I'm most active. I might forget that I jogged to class, but my fitbit will remind me- which reminds me to go earlier. I like seeing the chart at the end of the day of /when/ I was most active, because I try to adjust my lifestyle to include those factors.

    Honestly, it's been the thing that really got me out of a plateau. Because I'm tracking 24/7 unless in the shower (which is when I charge), I can't lie to myself. Just like how MFP makes it so I can't lie to myself about food, my fitbit means I can't lie to myself about how much I move.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,135 Member
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    OP, thank you for stating your opinion about Fitbits and not slamming people who do use them. :flowerforyou:

    I love mine, but my husband is "meh" about his. Sometimes I get bummed for not reaching my step goal, but I don't beat myself up about it.
  • ScottH_200
    ScottH_200 Posts: 377 Member
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    It goes back to the old glass half empty or half full perspective.

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