Fitbit. Cost vs Effect

christinev297 wrote: »

All i want to know is how many steps, kms and calories i burn everyday. I don't need a sleep monitor because i already know my sleep is crap, i don't need a stair counter as i don't walk up or down any steps, I dont like the thought of having to wear a bracelet all the time and i don't need a heart rate monitor because the only exercise i do is walking.

Based on all of the above, is why i chose the Zip. It fits my needs perfectly

Yes. I also have a Zip and it works well for me. Being able to wear it under clothes is a big plus.

It has helped me to increase my casual activity, and that is making a difference with weight loss. I pretty much always get an intense workout for an hour a day, but before the FitBit, I wasn't moving enough the rest of the time. It also helps me to monitor when I am overdoing things.

Buying a fitbit was the best thing i could have done. I was averaging 2000ish steps a day before i got it, now i'm averaging around 20,000 a day. All in the space of a few weeks.

I got a fitbit and it has definitely helped me. I was previously walking and assuming I did a lot more than I actually did! Now I'm walking at least 7.5k steps a day.

angelexperiment wrote: »

The polar loop is supposed to count for if you have to use a stroller. It does not have a altimeter for stairs tho. It can be worn swimming to 20. It is waterproof and can be used while cycling. It is the only band that can hook up to a chest strap hr monitor which is the most accurate hrm. Tho both are bought separately. This is what I want. I initially wanted the fitbit zip but have heard many bad reviews so if im spending that much 20 more for a loop might be worth it.

I have a Loop and it counts steps if I am pushing a shopping cart, but it also registered over 2K in steps when I was on my knees scrubbing the grout on the bathroom floor yesterday lol. That was the first time I have noticed any drastic discrepancies in the step counts.

For everything else it is fairly accurate. It helps keep me moving as I see it flash and know its time I need to get up and move around to avoid getting the dreaded inactivity stamp. I use the HRM when I am out with my dogs or on the treadmill as I have to watch my HR closely per DR orders until I have another stress test done.

The Loop website is not as interactive as the Fitbit site from what I have seen but I dont really use that part of all that often.

OP it all depends on what you want out of it. For me it was totally worth the investment to get an activy tracker as MFP comes close but its based on averages not your actual caloric needs. I thought I was fairly active outside of work, I have a desk job where I would normally sit for 8 hrs a day, the Loop proved me wrong. I was a couch potato the majority of the day & night, I have now done almost a complete turn around activity wise.

Before you go out and buy it. Download the app. When i was on my search thats what i did. And i ended buying Jawbone (still available at Groupon for $49) because i liked their app better. It was faster and had more things to offer, like you can but between the hours of 4-5pm i did cycling. It records the right amount of calories you burned during that time. And it still gets paired w MFP. Also i know to some it might not matter, but i liked the look of it aswell. Its sleek. Another thing, i used to have the Sketchers go walk (horrible) and it was so hard for me to synk w my phone. Jawbone you plug it in to your phone and takes 3 seconds to load. Its all up what you are looking for, a pedometer or a all in one? I recommend Jawbone.

I have the Fitbit charge hr and I love it! This brilliant little device has given me the motivation to get more active, every day I'm trying to improve on my calorie burning and daily steps it makes me walk more and I find it really helpful when doing cardio as the machines at my gym are far from accurate

I have the Jawbone up24, love it! VERY worth the cost. I love how it bugs on me if I sit too long and the sleep tracking.

I have the Fitbit charge hr and the fitbit Aria scale. The pair cost right around $300 & it was worth every penny. I do need the HR monitor as my heart is a little wonky.

Getting my fitbit was a life changing decision. I was a little hesitant because of the price but my husband said " It might just save your life " & I got it.

My doctor told me once that most of his patients die of denial. My fitbit makes me face reality. I know what I weigh. I know how active I have been and I will not go to bed until all my bars turn green. It is very motivating.

It was worth it to me. I'm down 33 pounds since February 19th. I wear it constantly and I have found it to be accurate.

OP: based on your profile and assuming you want to do some walking (maybe get out a few stops before your destinations) any of the trackers that **fit your budget** will do fine.

From the cheapest Jawbone to the fanciest Fitbit. At the end of the day they ARE just fancy pedometers.

Having said that, I have personally used the Vivofit, Mio Fuse, Surge, and Charge. I kept the Charge and when I want more accurate HRM I use a Scorsche Rhythm+.

I did not keep the Charge because it was inherently more accurate than anything else. I did keep it because the overall Fitbit package including wrist based HRM, website, integration and friends features (especially as it connects me to real life friends) made sense to me.

So yes, the Zip is not as nice as the One, and the Charge is not as nice as the Surge; but, if money is tight the Zip will do fine to help you figure out your general level of activity and to encourage you to move around more.

For the people looking for "accuracy", you won't find it here, unless you only engage in steady state aerobic activities, and even then it will just be a good estimate.

What you will find is just a slightly better estimate of your general activity level than your own guesses.

And if, like a couple of the posters in this thread, you get to the point of including thousands upon thousand of steps in your day, well, that translates not only into better cardiovascular health; but, also into a lot of delicious calories

(Yes, I do believe that calories from walking count just as much as calories from any other exercise--and to date this continues to be true. My Fitbit adjustment used to be accurate at 100% eat back. As of March 2015 it seems to require some dialing down. Still trying to figure out if the new eat back amount is 95%, or maybe, gasp, as low as 90%!)