Fitbit Charge HR, all hype?

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Crissena
Crissena Posts: 13 Member
edited April 2015 in Fitness and Exercise
I have been a MFP member since 2011 and lost over 70 pounds using MFP only. I have kept most of it off but slacked off over the winter with all the holiday goodies around. I wanted to lose about 5 pounds and received a FitBit charge HR as a gift in January. I still logged my food on MFP and synced my steps and exercises from the Fitbit app. I am sad to say after 2 months of trusting my Fitbit I have gained 5 pounds INSTED of losing it!! I am so upset that I stopped syncing MFP with fitbit's steps and may see if I can return it. I do not trust it whatsoever! I do know that other lifestyle and health factors can effect weight gain but I know how to get and stay healthy. I eat fairly well and even when I don't exercise I am fairly active. I would like to know if anyone else has any similar experiences with the Fitbit Charge HR?

Replies

  • kuranda10
    kuranda10 Posts: 593 Member
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    Nope, I'm losing at a pretty steady pace. I had the FitBit One before the HR. After testing accuracy, I'd say the HR under-reports.
    There is a FitBit group on MFP that mya be able to answer questions
  • ThatLadyFromMN
    ThatLadyFromMN Posts: 301 Member
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    Sometimes it doesn't read my HR, sometimes my steps "freeze", I just take it for what it is and try and be as active as I normally am, actually I think I'm even more active because I want to reach my steps goal. My fitbit is a constant reminder that I should be active, I do like it for the HR while lifting and being on the treadmill.
  • carrieliz81
    carrieliz81 Posts: 489 Member
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    I have had similar difficulties with my regular old FitBit Flex. It doesn't do anything with HR, but because the extra movement it tracks throughout the day allows you more calories than you would normally have under MFP's system, I do eat more which has slowed my progress. Technically it should be working closer to one's TDEE or whatever, and you do see a big difference with the FitBit calorie burns on total couch potato days vs. active days. But -- I'm not convinced it is accurate enough for significant weight loss. I would say it is a good tool for me for weight maintenance, probably??? But in terms of losing, I have to make myself consistently stay at least 150-300 calories under what my FitBit is allowing in order to make progress. At least for it to work for me (an admitted cheater).
  • rayneface
    rayneface Posts: 219 Member
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    ThatLadyFromMN wrote: »
    Sometimes it doesn't read my HR, sometimes my steps "freeze", I just take it for what it is and try and be as active as I normally am, actually I think I'm even more active because I want to reach my steps goal. My fitbit is a constant reminder that I should be active, I do like it for the HR while lifting and being on the treadmill.

    I would tend to agree with this - take it for what it is, not as 100% accurate, really nothing is. We can only use it as a tool to help motivate us to be more active and have a better idea of what those active moments look like, but again not exact.
  • NexStar3
    NexStar3 Posts: 13 Member
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    Have you updated your information with the fitbit? IE: weight, age? I was thinking of getting one & now I'm not sure....hmmmm??
  • candiigraham
    candiigraham Posts: 53 Member
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    I find that the HR is just merely a tool to make me stay active. I don't really swear by MFP or Fitbit, but they both keep me in line and that's why I continue to use them. I wouldn't be quick to blame an app, watch, HR monitor, etc. for weight gain. Putting on muscle could be the culprit, your monthly cycle, or even higher sodium intake. Be patient and keep doing what you can, you have lost 70 #'s and that in itself is a celebration.
  • DaddyOf3Gs
    DaddyOf3Gs Posts: 6 Member
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    I also have my Fitbit HR synced with MFP but I have to say I love it. I haven't been using either extremely long (MFP since January, Fitbit since February) but I still seem to be losing an average of 1lb per week. MFP is set to lose 2 a week but I can't really complain. I feel as if the Fitbit took a lot of pressure off and made tracking foods easier mentally. I have tracked calories for awhile just recently switched from another app to MFP. The Fitbit for me opened up so much as I don't feel as restricted and therefore I'm not hungry all the time. I recommend the combo to lots of folks that I talk to about getting into a healthy lifestyle so I hate to hear you had negative results as I wouldn't want to lead anyone on a backwards path.
  • BrawlerBella
    BrawlerBella Posts: 400 Member
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    My experience has been the same as @kuranda10. You've got to look at all the factors, food intake, carbs, protein, workouts not to mention TOM. Take a good look at your diary Salt/Sodium could be a major culprit which causes water retention/weight gain. I don't think blaming the Charge HR entirely is an accurate account of what's going on with your body.
  • Crissena
    Crissena Posts: 13 Member
    edited April 2015
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    @NexStar3
    Yes I put all my info in and actually just checked it when I realized I gained almost 5 pounds. I have eaten around 1500 calories a day for 2 months with an occasional cheat day but even with that my Fitbit says I burn on average 2000 calories a day and normally gives me an added 200 calories for earned steps. So I should be way under and losing steadily. I do still wear it but honestly I feel like, why should I? I did better without it :/
  • Crissena
    Crissena Posts: 13 Member
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    Thanks for your replies! I know it's not 100% accurate, nothing is, but the reason I wanted it was to help me with maintaining my weight loss and track my activity. I feel like it's so off, what's the use of it? I just wasn't sure if I was the only one who got such bad results...
  • BarbieAS
    BarbieAS Posts: 1,414 Member
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    Remember that the outputs from any Fitbit are still just estimates. They are generally slightly better estimates than using online calculators because your actual activity level is more customized, but they're still based on estimates of how many calories an individual with certain stats would be expected to burn on average. These trackers can be very valuable, but you still need to take the output and compare it to your own results and adjust as necessary, the same way that you would adjust you calorie goal if MFP told you you "should" be losing 1lb per week, but you found you were losing far less or far more than that. Personally, I've had a Fitbit for long enough (several years) that I know it generally puts my TDEE at about 6-8% above where it actually is, based on actual results. But, if it doesn't work for you, that's ok. It can still be very valuable for others!

    As a secondary, more obvious point - make sure that all of your settings are accurate and that you're weighing/measuring and accurately logging your food!
  • jj_steele
    jj_steele Posts: 71 Member
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    Hi. We have a few things in common:
    1) 1 have been a member of MFP since 2011;
    2) I have been on my current weight loss journey since the beginning of the year; and
    3) I am a Fitbit Charge HR owner.

    I love my Fitbit! I love MFP! It, like MFP, is a tool to aid us in reaching our health and weight loss goals. What we get out of these tools depend upon how well we utilize their features. I am still learning. Although the MFP app and the FIitbit app sync with one another, their calculations for some factors, i.e. calories burned, may differ. In fact, the calculations that you get for calories burned are very likely more accurately calculated by Fitbit than MFP, since your Fitbit uses your heart rate to calculate calories burned.

    I have lost 34 pounds since January 1. Also, I have been on a plateau since April 1. I received my Charge HR in mid-March (prior to that I used a Fitbit One). I was on a plateau then also. I was able to use the HRM on the Charge HR to help me "bust through" that plateau by making sure that I was, at minimum, working in my target "Fat Burn" or "Fitness" Heart Rate Zone when I exercised.

    I am assuming from what you have written that you are towards the end of your weight loss goals. You will need to work harder and likely will need to log more accurately and diligently (than you did when you lost your initial 70 pounds) to be successful. I have family and friends going through that same stage of weight loss and that seems to be their plight as well. Hope this is helpful. Good luck!
  • brb2008
    brb2008 Posts: 406 Member
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    I have just gotten mine and have been worried about having similar problems. One thing I did is change my stride to something LONGER than my actual stride, so it's counting less of them which I'm hoping will offset any inaccuracies. I also am going to ignore any 'adjustments' made. I could be wrong about it but I do not exercise to get fit necessarily, I'm exercising to lose weight and burn calories so I don't want to 'eat back' any exercise calories.

    I suggest you do The same with your stride, and potentially ignore the calories burned outside of exercise. So the number keeps counting all day because breathing, digesting, beating your heart all uses calories (your BMR), but it's also 'estimating' the calories you're burning walking around and it may be over estimating. In the end it's a useful tool but it's not doing the work for you. Increase your workouts for a few weeks, swap out a few servings of carbs for a little extra protein, and see if it's just your body being too used to your current plan. If it doesn't resolve itself then maybe the numbers from the fitbit are more detrimental to your efforts. Just don't trust it 100%, in the end it's a machine making educated guesses but YOU are in your body and know things aren't going how you'd like.
  • daniellemastin31
    daniellemastin31 Posts: 4 Member
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    I love my fitbit . I'm also linked in with mfp I don't eat my exercise calories but will have a treat day and almost at my goal but I have lost steady weight for 3 months now x
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    I love my fitbit! I love the competition between friends, and it really makes me want to hit 10k/day.

    That said, I don't trust the calorie burn any machine gives me, so I did not sync it with MFP. For me, Fitbit is for steps, MFP for food.

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