Decisions, do I buy a FitBit Charge HR.....??

_rachel_k
_rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
edited November 13 in Health and Weight Loss
I am looking for positive and negative feedback on the Fitbit Charge HR.

I struggle to lose weight and stay constantly losing and I am wondering if tracking my daily activity (not just my long walks/runs) will provide me with a better idea of what my daily burn/calorie intake should be.

Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Before you invest in the FitBit, have you tried the tip about only eating back 50% of your exercise calories?
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    Something like that kshama, it's not always 50% but I only eat back a portion depending on how hungry I am that day
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    _rachel_k wrote: »
    I am looking for positive and negative feedback on the Fitbit Charge HR.

    I struggle to lose weight and stay constantly losing and I am wondering if tracking my daily activity (not just my long walks/runs) will provide me with a better idea of what my daily burn/calorie intake should be.

    Any Fitbit (not just the Charge HR) will calculate your TDEE, the number of calories necessary to maintain your current weight. When you connect your accounts, MFP will adjust your goal every day to TDEE minus deficit.

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

    But you still have to learn to log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Logging is simple, but it ain't easy. Logging works.
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    There are calculators on the internet to determine TDEE as well (1963 using desk job), but I'm wondering what I really burn day to day and I think having the HR will give me a better idea. I don't log short walks through the mall, going up and down stairs in the house 5 times a day, whether or not I'm running around the office/plant all day, etc.

    I know how important it is to log accurately and honestly, not trusting the weight on Quest bar packages, etc.
  • erojoy
    erojoy Posts: 554 Member
    I enjoy my fitbit HR. I look at it all the time and go what only 2900 steps?! I gotta get moving. And then I end the day over 10,000. I've actually had a many 18,000+ days. It keeps me accountable. I lift heavy and hate cardio. haha so it forces me to move. Its kind of what ever works for you. I think its great.
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    Thanks erojoy. Are you trying to lose weight? If so, has it helped you more than if you didn't have it?
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    I have a Fitbit One - wear it clipped to my pocket/waist rather than on my wrist. It was very helpful for me, to put my level of activity into a numerical form. Showed me how inactive I was and was a major tool to help me lose weight. Maintaining for 7 months now. :)
  • selinabailey
    selinabailey Posts: 4 Member
    I have a Fitbit flex and love it, it showed me just how inactive I was on the weekends compared to at work (I work in a school - easily do 8000 steps before dinner), but I've heard that the jawbone is more comfortable.. Find my Fitbit can be a little uncomfortable if I'm wearing a jacket/coat..
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    Congrats StaciMarie! That is super exciting!
  • swirlybee
    swirlybee Posts: 497 Member
    If you have a smartphone and carry it with you all the time, then you can just download the fitbit app for free. It tracks your steps fairly accurately. I have the fitbit zip because my phone is usually in my purse. Like others above, it's kept me accountable in terms of getting off of my butt during the day and going out there walking. I don't have personal experience with the fitbit Charge HR but I've read all over these forums that HR monitors are only good for steady-state cardio, so if you're getting the Charge HR to get an idea of what you truly burn, I don't it'll quite work for that.
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    I have an iPhone 5c so it won't count my steps
  • IAmTheGlue
    IAmTheGlue Posts: 701 Member
    I have lost 50 lbs since the end of January and I credit this loss to MFP and my Fitbit Charge HR. Seriously, it is the best money I ever spent. I have the fitbit charge hr and the fitbit Aria scale. It cost right at $300 for the pair and it was worth every penny. :)
  • Jelaan
    Jelaan Posts: 815 Member
    edited June 2015
    I started with a fitbit one which I kept clipped to the front of my bra as I often have no pockets or waistband to clip it to. Was great for keeping me more active. I got a fitbit charge hr for mothers day and it is even better especially on lifting days as I am getting a better idea of calories burned. It is very good on cardio days and I frequently check between the fitbit and cardio machines to see if they are in sync for steps, calories, etc
  • vaporhockey83
    vaporhockey83 Posts: 84 Member
    Had the One before and invested heavily in the Surge. I love both products. The HR part is pretty cool...they say it's as accurate as it can be for a wrist based monitor. Overall, it helped me realize how much I wasn't doing. It's pushed me to get up more at work for small strolls and more. I think it's very helpful in knowing your burn though I'm still skeptical sometimes about the amount of calories it gives me, but it's adjusted with time. The distance/steps part seems to be very accurate for as long as I've had one (you do need to know your stride distance for walking/running for more accuracy). For the data and the motivation, I think it's an excellent tool. The only negative I have on any of the Fitbit wrist bands is that arm movement can cause "steps". I've lost 25 pounds while using mine, so I trust that it must be as close to correct as possible.
  • kookykrazee
    kookykrazee Posts: 23 Member
    I love my HR. It keeps me focused and I like the watch band. It gives me more input on my sleep patterns and my resting heartrate. Get if it if will be that extra daily push, but ultimately you have to get your self one foot in front of the other. Good luck! :)
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    Thanks everyone. I am motivated most of the time to go running almost daily (I pulled my quad so I have been pretty sedentary for a month) but even running Map My Run and my treadmill said I burned like 400 calories in half an hour and that seems way too high but still I ate my 1700 calories but never lost more than 2 lbs in a month
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    I may check the return policy at the stores and maybe test drive it for a few days and then take it back if I don't like it lol
  • Jesuisyasi
    Jesuisyasi Posts: 8 Member
    Is it waterproof?
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited June 2015
    _rachel_k wrote: »
    I am looking for positive and negative feedback on the Fitbit Charge HR.

    I struggle to lose weight and stay constantly losing and I am wondering if tracking my daily activity (not just my long walks/runs) will provide me with a better idea of what my daily burn/calorie intake should be.

    No

    Get a cheaper more basic model like the fitbit zip

    There is no point in measuring HR outside steady state cardio for calorie burn! the basic cheaper models do the job of tracking daily activity just fine ..and for step based activity the lower models give a good estimate of running and walking

    I haven't got dressed without my fitbit for about 10 months ...love it
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    _rachel_k wrote: »
    I ate my 1700 calories but never lost more than 2 lbs in a month.

    The less you have to lose, the more slowly it comes off. That's just the way the human body works. A healthy, sustainable loss is .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight.

    Eating at a more aggressive deficit will not get you to goal any more quickly. So if you're 25 lbs. overweight, 2 lbs. in a month is right on target.
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    I am approx 40lbs overweight, I don't REALLY know how much I have to lose, depends when I'm happy with what I see in the mirror. All I know is I don't want to wait 20 months for it to come off
  • Beccajo2004
    Beccajo2004 Posts: 29 Member
    I love my Charge HR. I had the flex before and I'm very happy with the upgrade. Its great to see your resting heart rate and to be able to see when your getting your heart rate up enough when exercising. Plus the watch style band is AWESOME. Much much better. Most definitely worth the money.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited June 2015
    _rachel_k wrote: »
    I am approx 40lbs overweight, I don't REALLY know how much I have to lose, depends when I'm happy with what I see in the mirror. All I know is I don't want to wait 20 months for it to come off

    Buying a heart rate monitor or activity tracker will not enable you to lose 40 lbs. in 5 months.

    Please read the Sexypants post. So much good "MFP 101" information: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    honestly, neither is necessary for weight loss.

    calorie deficit, accurate logging and a food scale are you need, IMO.
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    editorgrrl who said anything about 5 months?

    I appreciate all the HELPFUL information people have offered

    ndj1979 I am trying to find a more accurate calorie burn so I know how much to take in
  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    I recently upgraded my wearable tech (I bought a Garmin Vivoactive with chest strap HRM). Did a lot of research and read reviews. I knew what I wanted it to do and went form there. I found this review site helpful and thought you might, too.
    http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404445,00.asp
  • _rachel_k
    _rachel_k Posts: 243 Member
    Thanks Psychgrrl
  • irenechannie
    irenechannie Posts: 1 Member
    In today's worlds, there are lots of fitness tracker on the market. Especially some of them are connected with apps, which make all things smarter.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    edited June 2017
    I had a Fitbit (had a Flex and a One) for 4 years, trackers are a GREAT tool, it was accurate for me for my TDEE so I knew I could trust it. However I am so competitive that I just could not have a day when I didn't hit my steps goal, I kept wanting to do more and more to the point I was averaging 22k a day. The more I moved the hungrier I was and the more I needed to eat. Then I burned out, yeah not pretty! But it certainly helped me figure out my maintenance calories in the early days and for that reason I would recommend a tracker to anyone who isn't sure of how much they are burning.

    If you are the kind of person who needs incentive to move more then a fitness tracker could be just the thing :smile: For me, I'm active in general so its not necessary for me any more.
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