Weight loss success with a pedometer?

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daisyverma
daisyverma Posts: 234 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just wondering if anyone has had success losing weight by using a pedometer?

I have seen the fancy ones on the market, like the fitbit, jawbone etc..and also the HRT watches and such. They probably do work in some way, but just wonder if the need for expensive gadgets is necessary?

A simple pedometer costs about 15 to 20 bucks and I wonder if I can just use that.

Is it the right tool to use for aerobic type classes? i.e the Les Mills classes?

Replies

  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    Is it necessary? No. But I lost about 35 lbs. to goal the year Fitbits came out, using one.

    You can buy a pedometer as cheap as $5 but if it's not going to be a fun tool, will it motivate you? The new ones are fun because they transmit your data to their site and show you nice charts and such. The old school ones are a lot less interactive.

    No, a pedometer isn't the right tool for Les Mills classes.
  • Aviva92
    Aviva92 Posts: 2,333 Member
    edited January 2015
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    There is a pedometer as part of my ipod. I used that. Never looked into the fancy stuff and I lost weight just fine, also around 35 pounds in a year.
  • Oldred
    Oldred Posts: 11 Member
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    I love my Fitbit. Most of all the way it connects to My Fitness Pal. I have found that I walk about 10,000 steps everyday in my job. But very little at home. Something I need to do something about. :#
  • daisyverma
    daisyverma Posts: 234 Member
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    what is the difference between a fitbit and a HRM?

    I want to use it for aerobic classes
  • sassymanatee
    sassymanatee Posts: 102 Member
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    I chose a regular pedometer since fitbits are pricey and seemed to not be too different. I love the pedometer and has been helping a lot in motivation and making me aware of how active and inactive I have been.
  • rebeccaisafish
    rebeccaisafish Posts: 87 Member
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    A fitbit is a pedometer, it counts your steps, and some of them track sleep as well. It's designed to be work all day. A HRM is a heart rate monitor that is designed to be worn while "exercising" to see your calorie burn.
    a HRM is good if you want to track progress and intensity of what you do for "exercise.
    A Pedometer is good if you want to increase your overall activity outside of what you do specifically for exercise.
    Use both if you want, or use neither.
  • madhatter2013
    madhatter2013 Posts: 1,547 Member
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    I just bought one for my hubby for Christmas and he loves it. Just gotta remember to put it on in the morning. I set his goal for the day and he never knows what it's going to be. It's a game between us. It's been working for him so far.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited January 2015
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    Necessary - no
    Would a cheap one work as well - probably

    Would I be without my fitbit and the automatic synch and calorie adjustment - hell no

    (I have a flex, but downgraded to a zip so I can attach it to my bra / pocket and wear bracelets)

    I also use an HRM for workouts

    I love toys - the one with the most toys, wins :grinning:
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    edited January 2015
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    daisyverma wrote: »
    what is the difference between a fitbit and a HRM?

    I want to use it for aerobic classes

    Neither the fitbit nor an HRM are ideal for use in an aerobics class. Fitbit will only count step-based activity - primarily walking/running - if you're doing anything more than that in an aerobics class (punching, sit ups, push ups, for examples) it won't get recorded and your calculated burn will be off the mark.

    However a HRM is designed for steady-state cardio activities - like running. Not aerobics class. So if you wear a HRM for the calorie burn information it will, again, be off the mark. It might be closer to accurate than using whatever the MFP database says, but it won't be perfect, and might not even be close to reality.

    I suggest you look into the Misfit Shine or Misfit Flash, which claims to have the ability to distinguish between several different exercises (running, cycling, swimming, soccer, and tennis to name some); it also tracks steps. I can see that maybe working better to count an aerobics class. It also tracks sleep, and it has a replaceable battery which lasts up to 6 months - no charging required. ETA: Oh and it syncs with MFP, too. But downside there is no online interface, if you don't have a smart phone, tablet or iTouch then it's pretty much useless.
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
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    For my actual main weight loss the only tool I used was a pedometer. It was very helpful to know how many steps I was taking and motivation to take more. Walking and calorie counting were about the only things I did differently than I had before and it was a completely successful strategy.

    I did obtain an HRM after a while and that was fun to know a little better how many calories I was burning. Eventually I went to a bodymedia band which I wore for 16 months. The data was very entertaining but in the end it was not really helpful to my maintenance.

    After a few years of relatively successful maintenance I now only use a scale, a food scale and food logging. I have a pretty good idea of what I am doing as far as energy burn and I have also tried to refine my eating habits.

    Get a good, easy to use pedometer and get walking!!!
  • sssgilber
    sssgilber Posts: 90 Member
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    I have a Ozeri 4x Razor, less than $30 on Amazon. It doesn't link to anything so I manually enter the time into my MFP exercise log. I like checking the numbers on its screen throughout the day.

    FYI-when you forget to remove this pedometer from your shirt and it goes through the wash, a bowl of rice and a new battery does wonders.
  • daisyverma
    daisyverma Posts: 234 Member
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    There are so many options and gadgets out there! Still confused but ill try by buying a simple pedometer first..just to see if I get bored of gadget assisted weight loss (Im also forgetful).

    I keep hearing about a food scale. How do people use that to lose weight?
  • leooftheyear
    leooftheyear Posts: 429 Member
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    daisyverma wrote: »
    There are so many options and gadgets out there! Still confused but ill try by buying a simple pedometer first..just to see if I get bored of gadget assisted weight loss (Im also forgetful).

    I keep hearing about a food scale. How do people use that to lose weight?

    i got the fitbit flex for christmas and i love it, the way it interacts with MFP is really useful.... i have a regular pedometer but i never use it and hated wearing it, given it counted EVERY bump in the streets that i hit while driving and found it to not be accurate. The Fitbit is good because of the interaction with MFP and i wear mine for the Les Mills (CX Works and Body Combat) and it works fine for them. Also gives you a fairly accurate TDEE based on your weight loss goals.

    The food scale is to weight everything you eat to get a more accurate calorie count.
  • kcjchang
    kcjchang Posts: 709 Member
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    One can use heart rate as a matrix to track performance but you should know what it actually measures and what is inferred from the measured data verse the misinformation out there. See this on HRM http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/the-real-facts-about-hrms-and-calories-what-you-need-to-know-before-purchasing-an-hrm-or-using-one-21472.
  • gnik1
    gnik1 Posts: 30
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    I am using the fitbit as someone mentioned it measures your sleep pattern. It is pretty accurate since I suffer from sleep apnea and the graph it showed was similar to my CPAP machine report. Do you need it to lose weight probably not but it does make it easier to monitor. What I also like about my fitbit is the ability to count stairs using the altimeter. Don't be fooled they fixed it so it only counts when you go up and not down and it won't count if you use the lift I tried that :p

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