do you have a fitbit?

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slimandsmiling
slimandsmiling Posts: 85 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi all..I was thinking of getting a fitbit but not sure if they are a good idea as there seem to have mixed reviews..I already have a garmin for running which I love..do you use a fitbit to? And has it helped you lose weight and maintain it..I am loving mfp ..and is showing me my portion sizes were way off'.no wonder I want slim x

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  • sugaraddict4321
    sugaraddict4321 Posts: 15,720 MFP Moderator
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    I have a fitbit zip, which is just the little one that counts steps, distance and calories. It's enough for me. I think it has helped me be more aware of how much I am moving vs. how much I should be. For example I might look at it partway through the day and see I've been overly sedentary. So I get up and do some jumping jacks or run up and down the stairs once. I don't sync it with MFP because I don't like the adding or taking away of calories. I prefer to log exercises separately (if at all). Hope that helps. :)
  • Losingthedamnweight
    Losingthedamnweight Posts: 535 Member
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    Its...er...uhh...This is a confusing topic for me. I had a fitbit and swore by it. Had the one and then the flex and used it religiously and it really did motivate me to get my 10,000 steps a day. Then the fitbit app got a couple updates that really screwed it up and i was getting irritated at wearing my fitbit, so i downloaded this app on my iPhone called argus and actually like it better. I always have my phone on me so i don't really need a separate individual tracker (that i need to charge) to track my activity.

    I used to get a little offended when people called the fitbit a glorified pedometer but looking back, i guess thats what it was. But it motivated me a bunch and got me started on this walking habit. The fact that it does such a good job at calculating your tdee is great, but i found the same functionality through apps on my phone that in my opinion, generate more accurate calorie burns. So can i recommend the fitbit? Yeah i guess. If you have the extra money and want something that's always on you. Otherwise, fitness apps for your smartphone have gotten really good
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited December 2014
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    Love my fitbit ...it has simplified so much for me

    I wear it constantly (originally a flex but now a zip which lets me wear bracelets again)

    I have MFP set to sedentary ...log my workouts on MFP (using my HRM) and have a better idea of my TDEE which I'm tracking over months which should help when I reach maintenance

    The fitbit can motivate me to move more on non-workout days or take the dog out as a trade off for eating more

    It is a glorified pedometer, but I love apps and I don't carry my phone with me like a lot of people ...also don't think a phone could be as accurate but they're all estimators anyway and if it stops working you'd adjust
  • gsager
    gsager Posts: 977 Member
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    I have a fitbit one and love it, wear it all the time. I also use my polar ft4 when I work out.
  • Jesea
    Jesea Posts: 374 Member
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    I love my Fitbit One!
  • itneverends_105
    itneverends_105 Posts: 7
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    I have one, it's like my daily mission now to make sure I walk everywhere! My highest step count is 15,000 so I'm always trying to beat it. Good motivation.
  • lewispwest
    lewispwest Posts: 498 Member
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    I have the fitbit flex and love it, I feel like an idiot if I leave the house without it.
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    I love my Zip. Is it a "glorified" pedometer? Well, yeah. But it syncs with MFP (my S Health phone app doesn't), it e-mails me weekly calories in/calories out reports (which makes data collection a snap), and it's inconspicuous and unassuming to wear. A pedometer plus a bunch of manual calculations could do the same thing, but for $59, it's worth it to have all that done for me automatically.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I have yet to read a single thing these fitbits do that the free apps don't.

    Anyone know of anything they do that apps like Map My Fitness and Argus don't do?


  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    I have yet to read a single thing these fitbits do that the free apps don't.

    Anyone know of anything they do that apps like Map My Fitness and Argus don't do?


    I don't need to make sure I'm carrying my phone at all times. :laugh:
    Seriously, I'm one of those people who leaves my phone in the bedroom or on my desk for hours at a time while I'm doing stuff. My flex on the other hand only comes off my wrist to shower or charge.

    I'm not sure exactly what the phone apps do, so I can't say if anything else is different.
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    shadow2soul wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    I have yet to read a single thing these fitbits do that the free apps don't.

    Anyone know of anything they do that apps like Map My Fitness and Argus don't do?


    I don't need to make sure I'm carrying my phone at all times. :laugh:
    Seriously, I'm one of those people who leaves my phone in the bedroom or on my desk for hours at a time while I'm doing stuff. My flex on the other hand only comes off my wrist to shower or charge.

    I'm not sure exactly what the phone apps do, so I can't say if anything else is different.
    That's an excellent benefit. No need to carry the phone, if you weren't going to have it, anyway.

    Thanks!
  • Kenda2427
    Kenda2427 Posts: 1,592 Member
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    I love my fitbit, I have been wearing it since July 2013. It syncs to MFP and allows me to have competitions with my friend. The only thing I don't like is that it doesn't recognize my non cardio workouts like Bootcamp and strength training. But I just got a hrm so that should close that gap
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
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    shadow2soul wrote: »
    Kalikel wrote: »
    I have yet to read a single thing these fitbits do that the free apps don't.

    Anyone know of anything they do that apps like Map My Fitness and Argus don't do?


    I don't need to make sure I'm carrying my phone at all times. :laugh:
    Seriously, I'm one of those people who leaves my phone in the bedroom or on my desk for hours at a time while I'm doing stuff. My flex on the other hand only comes off my wrist to shower or charge.

    I'm not sure exactly what the phone apps do, so I can't say if anything else is different.


    That's me, lol! I can get a 3,000 step difference between my phone pedometer and Fitbit, just by my not carrying my giant Samsung everywhere around the house while doing chores (pajamas and yoga pants don't have pockets, right?).
  • McBoffin
    McBoffin Posts: 76 Member
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    Me and Mrs McBoffin both have a flex and we have the Aria scales too which also sync with MFP. No complaints with either product if I'm honest.
  • LazyCatPame
    LazyCatPame Posts: 112 Member
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    As someone who hates cellphones, the FitBit One has helped me a lot. I just synch it with the iPad and forget about the thing. Even when I had a cellphone with the pedometer app, I always left it somewhere forgotten and ended up with 200 steps in a day lol
  • ColdPlum
    ColdPlum Posts: 57 Member
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    Kalikel wrote: »
    I have yet to read a single thing these fitbits do that the free apps don't.

    Anyone know of anything they do that apps like Map My Fitness and Argus don't do?


    I really love the sleep monitoring function. I have learned so much more about my waking and sleeping patterns which has helped me make a lot of changes. I had been dramatically overestimating how much sleep I was getting, and the fitbit really helped me pay attention, and even get my butt to bed earlier.
  • brittmiasmom
    brittmiasmom Posts: 2
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    I got my Fitbit Flex recently. I wear it daily and I'm moving more. My Flex tracks my steps and my sleep patterns. I have it linked to MFP. When I go for a walk (gotta start somewhere) I start my Sport Tracker app since it maps where I have walked and how long & far I have walked. I also start my Charity Miles app. This allows me to donate $.25 per mile walking/running to my favorite charity.
    I wouldn't trade my Fitbit Flex for anything. I love it. In time I will get some kind of heart rate monitor, but only wear that as I am working out and still keep my Flex.
    I check my Flex almost like it was the newspaper. Mainly because I was very sedentary until recently and I love seeing how many steps/miles I get in a day. I haven't made it to 10,000 yet, but I've been close 8,000+.
    My advice is that if you are happy with your Garmin stay with it. Don't change because "everyone else has a Fitbit." You are getting healthy for you not for everyone else. :)
  • kaseasteele
    kaseasteele Posts: 86 Member
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    I have a fitbit flex that I use for all day stuff. I use my Garmin to track my cycling and running, then override the activities on the fitbit website since fitbit isn't all that accurate with cycling.
  • chloem33
    chloem33 Posts: 4 Member
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    I must admit I was completely sceptical about Fitbits but three of my family had one and couldn't praise them high enough. I borrowed a zip to use and I cannot live without it!! It completely motivates me to just move more, simple things like parking further away from a shop, walking instead of taking the car, taking the longer route on a walk etc. If I'm having a bad day (low step count) then I will go out for a walk which I would never have just gone and done before. At the moment I am unable to work any formal exercise into my routine so it works for me to increase the calories I use in a day. Hope that helps :)

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