what is the most accurate fitness tracker?

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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    The only exercise I do is walking. Is it true that a a Heart Rate Monitor would be useless for me?

    I have a fitbit zip at the moment.

    I walk, do yoga & occasionally rebound. I upgraded from the Fitbit Flex to the Charge HR because it has a secure buckle (like a watch), because it comes in purple, and because I wanted to treat myself to a new gadget.

    I lost the weight & maintained for eight months with the Flex, so I didn't "need" the Charge HR. In fact, I didn't even turn the HRM on for the first month. But now I love the data. More information is never a bad thing in my book!
  • SezxyStef
    SezxyStef Posts: 15,268 Member
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    HRM don't really give accurate readings on calories burned....

    They only give an estimate based on the setup and if it's not setup correctly...even the estimates are off and there are other factors that play into it such as illness, heat/humidity etc that can cause HR to increase and not increase oxygen intake...

    And in order for the HRM to be as accurate as possible it needs certain things beyond correct setup/adjustments and near perfect conditions...chest strap.

    They don't give great readings for heavy lifting, non steady state cardio...

    do you need one for weight loss no...are they handy probably...but if a tracker is motivating get a simple one, if you like data get a fancy one...

    They pretty much are all the same it's just based on preference of looks at this point.
  • Jgasmic
    Jgasmic Posts: 219 Member
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    earlnabby wrote: »
    editorgrrl wrote: »

    TDEE is based on sex, age, height, and weight—so your husband's burn will always be way more than yours.


    The only way to gauge the accuracy is to trust your Fitbit for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress. As I said above, my Fitbit burn is 100% accurate. YMMV.

    The longer you wear it, the better the numbers will be because it has more past data to factor in.

    Does it actually adjust how many calories it gives you based on your previous rate of loss that it records? I just have the zip because I wanted to see how many steps led to hip pain, just to have some more information to give my doctors, but the calories seem low based on how much I eat and lose. It doesn't matter because I'm not using it to determine my calories, but it would be pretty neat if it got to know my personal burn rate like that.


  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
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    24 hour wearable HRM are a waste of money UNLESS you want to track your heart rate for some medical or other reason

    They are no more accurate than a standard basic activity tracker

    Personally I'd go for a basic fitbit like a zip and an HRM with chestband for steady state cardio but that's only because I like gadgets and I like numbers...what happens in my body over time matters the most
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    I sync my Fitbit account with Trendweight.com (it's free), and more data definitely means better accuracy. But as far as my Fitbit burn, no.

    You can learn more in the Fitbit Users group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users

    We should all be looking for the maximum number of calories at which we lose weight—never the minimum. Trust your activity tracker for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress and adjust accordingly.
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 612 Member
    edited May 2015
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    I use a Polar V800 which tracks everything, but the Polar loop, A300 or M400 are great fitness trackers, and with the optional chest band for use when doing steady cardio they will cover all your calories for the day. I use and Ipod and have no problem syncing to MFP it transfers instantly.
  • Butterf1y_Effect
    Butterf1y_Effect Posts: 30 Member
    edited May 2015
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    dcrainmaker.com has very detailed reviews that helped me decide on which activity tracker was right for me. Accuracy was very important to me too. I previously had the Bodymedia armband. I now have the Polar M400 (w/GPS and Heart Rate strap) and absolutely LOVE it. The Polar A300 is also great (no GPS). Both have won awards and sync with MFP. Good luck on your search for the right device for you.

    Edited to add: For people with small wrists, the watch strap may be a little long, however, it trims nicely. :smile:
  • ScubaSteve1962
    ScubaSteve1962 Posts: 612 Member
    edited May 2015
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    The only exercise I do is walking. Is it true that a a Heart Rate Monitor would be useless for me?

    I have a fitbit zip at the moment.

    Some say it wouldn't but this all depends on you. and your motivation. When I started using mine, it was nice to look at my heart rate, and try to keep it a steady pace. It may help you increase your pace as you walk. Sometimes it helps to actually see progress.
  • kinkyslinky16
    kinkyslinky16 Posts: 1,470 Member
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    editorgrrl wrote: »
    kinkyslinky16 wrote: »
    I have a bodymedia, fitbit flex and my husband has the surge. The surge seems somewhat inaccurate to me. My husband and I will do the same thing all day (walk at the zoo) and somehow he will have more than double the steps, even though he's 6'4" and has a larger stride. His calorie count seems way too high to me as well. It will also show that he's climbed a few flights of stairs when he's climbed none. He likes it though.

    TDEE is based on sex, age, height, and weight—so your husband's burn will always be way more than yours.

    Fitbit's stair count does not affect your burn in any way—it's just meant to be a fun metric. It's based on changes in air pressure, so you can get lots of "flights" just walking outside on a windy day.

    The only way to gauge the accuracy is to trust your Fitbit for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress. As I said above, my Fitbit burn is 100% accurate. YMMV.

    Gizziemoto wrote: »
    Was waiting for UP but they made me so mad when I needed support on my armband that I cancelled by armband subscription, my armband was not even a year old, and swore I would never buy another product from them. Okay rant over.

    I used to have a Jawbone UP24, and my customer service experiences were so awful I'd never again recommend them to anyone.

    Yes, my husband's TDEE is much higher than mine... I have lost 70 lbs by knowing my own TDEE, so I am fully aware of how it works... I have calculated his TDEE and it's much lower than what the surge will guesstimate even on his most sedentary days... by well over 1000 calories. His TDEE is approx 3300... surge will guesstimate calories burned at 4700 when he's done nothing... and he's lost 0 lbs. I've lost 11 lbs since he's had his surge. I've told him to drop his cal intake but he hasn't yet.... which tells me that hes eating closer to maintenance than anything, and thus surge is wrong. He primarily likes it for HR function and the connectivity to his phone.

    My fitbit flex hasn't been bad, though. I just really don't like it on my wrist.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Is your husband logging everything he eats & drinks accurately & honestly? If not, his Fitbit burn may be entirely accurate.
  • kinkyslinky16
    kinkyslinky16 Posts: 1,470 Member
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    Oh, he has to log everything accurately??? Crap... let me tell him that and see if he has better results. Thanks!
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    Plenty of people lie to themselves about their intake—much less to their family & friends. When I started MFP my diary as private, but it still took me a long while to get 100 honest with my logging.

    The bottom line is all the calorie counts & burns are nothing but estimates. It takes trial & error to find the "sweet spot" where one is eating at an appropriate deficit.

    My Fitbit activity tracker shows me my TDEE (aka maintenance calories), and it motivates me to move more. Fitbit customer service is excellent. I lost the weight & have successfully maintained, and when anyone asks my weight-loss "secret," I say Fitbit + MFP.
  • ACyclingAdmin
    ACyclingAdmin Posts: 444 Member
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    There is a bit of an adjustment in logging everything as well. Sometimes you don't even notice it or forget you grabbed that cracker or cookie. I've been on MFP 40 days now and have missed a few things, it's a pretty steep learning curve in a different way than most are used to. I've learned a lot about weighing my food and portions.
  • sabrinafaith
    sabrinafaith Posts: 607 Member
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    kinkyslinky16 wrote: »
    editorgrrl wrote: »
    kinkyslinky16 wrote: »
    I have a bodymedia, fitbit flex and my husband has the surge. The surge seems somewhat inaccurate to me. My husband and I will do the same thing all day (walk at the zoo) and somehow he will have more than double the steps, even though he's 6'4" and has a larger stride. His calorie count seems way too high to me as well. It will also show that he's climbed a few flights of stairs when he's climbed none. He likes it though.

    TDEE is based on sex, age, height, and weight—so your husband's burn will always be way more than yours.

    Fitbit's stair count does not affect your burn in any way—it's just meant to be a fun metric. It's based on changes in air pressure, so you can get lots of "flights" just walking outside on a windy day.

    The only way to gauge the accuracy is to trust your Fitbit for several weeks, then reevaluate your progress. As I said above, my Fitbit burn is 100% accurate. YMMV.

    Gizziemoto wrote: »
    Was waiting for UP but they made me so mad when I needed support on my armband that I cancelled by armband subscription, my armband was not even a year old, and swore I would never buy another product from them. Okay rant over.

    I used to have a Jawbone UP24, and my customer service experiences were so awful I'd never again recommend them to anyone.

    Yes, my husband's TDEE is much higher than mine... I have lost 70 lbs by knowing my own TDEE, so I am fully aware of how it works... I have calculated his TDEE and it's much lower than what the surge will guesstimate even on his most sedentary days... by well over 1000 calories. His TDEE is approx 3300... surge will guesstimate calories burned at 4700 when he's done nothing... and he's lost 0 lbs. I've lost 11 lbs since he's had his surge. I've told him to drop his cal intake but he hasn't yet.... which tells me that hes eating closer to maintenance than anything, and thus surge is wrong. He primarily likes it for HR function and the connectivity to his phone.

    My fitbit flex hasn't been bad, though. I just really don't like it on my wrist.

    I had a polar and lost 40 lb with it. Git a fitbit and gained 30 back bx i eat my calories and it said i burned like 2800 cals a day. Now i have a microsoft band and im losing the gained weight, bc with hiit and weight 4-5 days a week, power walking for 2 miles a day and doing tons of stairs, still only burning 2200 calories a day

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