Garmin Vivofit

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JoJoJubblies
JoJoJubblies Posts: 8
in Fitness and Exercise
anyone else have a Garmin Vivofit? How are you finding it, is it helping you stay active? I'm finding it more motivating for me to get up and exercise more.
Especially with challenges.

If you have Garmin connect my name is Jojojubblies
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Replies

  • marken999
    marken999 Posts: 15 Member
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    Yes its been helpful. Website has been iffy for a week. But they seemed to have resolved the issues. Ordered the heart monitor chest strap. I like that it syncs with MFP
  • JoJoJubblies
    JoJoJubblies Posts: 8
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    I'm looking at buying the heart rate monitor too. :)
  • CarrieCans
    CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
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    I've only had my vivofit a few days and i absolutely love it. I love it so much that i don't care that they are having syncing issues. I think it's all because of a high amount of traffic and they are trying to work with a lot. Even if that isn't right, i am forgiving because i like it so much lol.

    I keep track of everything in a spread sheet so it is all calculated before it syncs to the websites. I suspect that garmin is overestimating my TDEE a bit but that will take more time to figure out.

    The heart rate monitor is a must for me. It really showed me just how off my burn estimations were. I always suspected that my exercise bike heart rate monitor was lousy and now i know it really is. I can't wait until warmer weather so i can wear it when i do outside activities.

    I am really getting a kick out of the sleep monitor. I didn't think that would be anything that i paid attention to. Already i can see the groggy mornings are because of my BF waking me up when he gets up for work. I'm one of those people that half wakes up and can have conversations without remembering them. Now i can tell him what time he got up and if i was talking to him or not.

    I am seriously getting up and doing more throughout the day. That's what matters most in the end.
  • izu87
    izu87 Posts: 267 Member
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    I'm loving mine. Got it for Christmas. It's been very useful during the week at work when at some points I just forget to stand up and move for a little. Not only do I get to move, but my eyes get a bit of rest as well (IT specialist). So, I'm loving it! It's also very interesting to follow my sleep patterns. Quite interesting to find out that after my 6th hour sleeping I start tossing around like nuts and am hardly sleeping.

    But yeah. I don't have the HRM strap as I have a Polar FT7 for that.

    Certainly a good lil gadget. I'm mainly using the app on my phone instead of syncing via the site. There were a few hiccups during the past one week even with the app, but they were gone in an hour or so. :)
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    I agree the syncing issues are small compared to the benefits. I already know my MFP calorie number to stay under (with the minimum steps I want to take) and I log my activities on MFP so any additional walking calories are just a bonus. The sleep monitor is definitely one of my main reports. I also like to measure week over week my activities and calories to see if I am doing too much.

    It's so funny that I would burn all of these calories in workout sessions and still be 65% inactive for the day excluding sleep :) I guess I just sit around a lot and that red bar keeps me moving.
  • JoJoJubblies
    JoJoJubblies Posts: 8
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    I got mine for Christmas too, the syncing problems haven't worried me really. I'm a newbie to the fitness watch side of things and I love it. I like the sleep monitor side to it as well as the little red bar which motivates me to get up and exercise. :)
  • izu87
    izu87 Posts: 267 Member
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    Oh, yeah. The little red bars are super motivating. On my days off (like today) I would get up and pace around my room like a total nut job until I get rid of them xD Got me a few weird looks from the family, but after I explained it to them they were like 'Wow, awesome!'

    Have you already showered with it? I still avoid wetting it >.> Kind of paranoid that it might defect.
  • CarrieCans
    CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
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    i haven't taken mine off yet, for fear that i will forget to put it on. Showers aren't an issue and neither is my sloppy style of washing dishes by hand. I just have to remember to push it around as i dry off or i get a little irritated under the band.

    If the red bar comes on i get up and jog in place. My boyfriend said it reminded him of the movie flashdance (if you are old enough to know what i mean) and he started singing the song every time i got up. So now i just announce "maniac" before i get up and everyone knows what i am about to do.

    I also put an app on my phone that goes off every 20 min (i think) to remind me to get up. I have been sort of racing the red line trying to avoid it.
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    I played in the pool yesterday for about an hour and a half with my kids. That was one of the main reasons I got it. It didn't do a good job recording my strokes, but still ticking fine today.
  • izu87
    izu87 Posts: 267 Member
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    Oh, good to know then! I'll certainly test mine as well :P
  • JoJoJubblies
    JoJoJubblies Posts: 8
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    I swam with mine after a long hike the other day, I think it can survive up to 10m deep. :) I haven't taken mine off either. Haha
  • CarrieCans
    CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
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    I tried to "connect" with you Jojojubblies. Don't know how well that works because i tried that the other day with someone and it didn't find them. I think that person may have had their name wrong.
  • CarrieCans
    CarrieCans Posts: 381 Member
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    I'm pretty sure i'm CarrieCans over there as well if anyone wants to try and add me to their connections.
  • JoJoJubblies
    JoJoJubblies Posts: 8
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    It worked :)
  • HelenWater
    HelenWater Posts: 232 Member
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    I've had mine for several months and the red bar, along with trying to make sure I hit my step goal makes me look for opportunities to walk. I'm Polly274 on Garmin Connect. I have a hip injury at the moment, so most of my activity is walking the dogs.
  • Raptorjo
    Raptorjo Posts: 2 Member
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    Hi folks I also go one of these for Xmas and I am really enjoying the motivation. Can I ask are you logging walks on mfp aswell? I'm a little confused as to whether I'm supposed to or not. Does garmin take in account that you log it there aswell as it counts the steps already. I don't want to be counting the same excercise twice if you get me
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    As long as you enter the right time it shouldn't be double counting. I don't bother entering my walks on MFP, only my other activities. However, if walking is your only activity, then go for it.
  • Raptorjo
    Raptorjo Posts: 2 Member
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    Thank you :D
  • knkirk09
    knkirk09 Posts: 15
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    Mine was delivered this morning and I've gotten it all set up. I think it's going to be a great motivator for me! I have a question that I can't seem to find the answer to, though I've looked all around--which wrist do you wear yours on? I used to have a Fitbit Flex, and there was a setting to change it to either dominant or non-dominant side. I'm left handed and have been wearing the vivofit on my left wrist. I can't find any info about this and I don't want the calculations to be off. I don't even know if this is an issue with the Garmin and I may be concerned for no reason, but again, can't find any info on this. Any help is greatly appreciated. Also, if anyone wants to add me on Connect, it's under knkirk09. Have a great day! -Kara
  • 20yearsyounger
    20yearsyounger Posts: 1,643 Member
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    I'm right handed and I wear on the right. If you are concerned, there is an area where you can calibrate your settings. I basically used my gps tracker on the phone, walked a certain distance while counting the steps and then entered those numbers.

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