Fitbit, do I buy one?

katielatham1996
katielatham1996 Posts: 5 Member
edited November 15 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi guys

I am really contemplating getting a fitbit, but I've seen mixed reviews about the accuracy, I wanted to use it for gym classes to get an idea of how many calories I burn ect.

Does it work and is it worth it? Please help.

Replies

  • ShandaLeaS
    ShandaLeaS Posts: 136 Member
    For me, it has helped tremendously. It motivates me to move. I never realized how little I actually was doing. I have manually counted my steps and compared to my FitBit and it's always spot on.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    A Fitbit measures activity throughout the day. Unless you're involved in a step-based class, it wouldn't really work for what you want.
  • mushypeas1977
    mushypeas1977 Posts: 9 Member
    I've just bought one after a huge slump in my weight loss. waiting for it to be delivered.
  • Terri6627
    Terri6627 Posts: 39 Member
    If you get the Charge HR, it monitors your heart rate as well for even greater accuracy. So it will know you're working hard even when it's something without a lot of arm movement, ie. biking.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    malibu927 wrote: »
    A Fitbit measures activity throughout the day. Unless you're involved in a step-based class, it wouldn't really work for what you want.

    This, fit bit is great if you want to see how much you are walking each day, and it is fairly accurate if you are doing walking/running exercise. I line dance and wear mine while I am doing that, it does NOT track that well, there is alot of back and forth and I think it confuses it.

    You would probably be better served by a HRM with a chest strap.

  • andielyn
    andielyn Posts: 233 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    A Fitbit measures activity throughout the day. Unless you're involved in a step-based class, it wouldn't really work for what you want.

    To measure burn just during a gym class then a heart rate monitor (HRM) is probably better. I have a Polar HRM (one that uses a chest strap) and also a Fitbit. The Fitbit is great for my total daily calorie burn and step-based activities like walking, but I also use my Polar HRM for specific activities. Newer Fitbits have models with built-in HRMs but I can't speak for their accuracy and have a general bias against HRMs that don't measure using a chest strap.

  • stacygayle
    stacygayle Posts: 349 Member
    I love my Garmin Vivofit. I researched both and this one definitely fit my needs. I would think that a fitbit would be just as good.
  • IAmTheGlue
    IAmTheGlue Posts: 701 Member
    Do it! I love, love, love mine. If you think it will motivate you, get it. I have the Fitbit charge hr and I love seeing how little differences in the day really add up. For me, it is super motivating and makes me get my butt up and moving.

    I pace my dining room / kitchen / foyer and run up and down the stairs to get my steps in if I'm under my goal. I'm getting no less than 10k steps a day. On Sunday I had 23K steps & 33 flights of stairs!
  • searsvls
    searsvls Posts: 164 Member
    I bought one but returned it. I was riding in the car and it counted my steps!! (I think that I was tapping my hand listening to music). Couldn't get right in the head after that knowing that it was not accurate.
  • mzjenn2u
    mzjenn2u Posts: 78 Member
    Personally I would get a HRM, I love my polar ft7 its awesome for tracking my heart rate and cals burned during my workouts
  • kpw818
    kpw818 Posts: 113 Member
    If you want heart rate, I believe there is a fitbit version that includes that.

    My mom sent me the basic one, and I was under the impression it had GPS, so I was like "sure I can use that for running". Then I realized it just counted steps and was more for getting back into shape and not for althletes. Unfortunately, it is just sitting on a shelf in my room right now.
  • katielatham1996
    katielatham1996 Posts: 5 Member
    Thank you everyone, that's really helpful! I might look at heart rate monitors then :-)
  • erinelizabeth882
    erinelizabeth882 Posts: 102 Member
    kpw818 wrote: »
    My mom sent me the basic one, and I was under the impression it had GPS, so I was like "sure I can use that for running". Then I realized it just counted steps and was more for getting back into shape and not for althletes. Unfortunately, it is just sitting on a shelf in my room right now.

    kpw, I can take that off your hands for you ;)

    I'm also thinking about getting a fitness band. Keep in mind that Garmin vivofit (and possibly some of the fitbits) you can get with a HR monitor to wear during workouts, which would help you get an accurate calorie count.

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