Why I love my Fitbit!

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Flookbird
Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm more of a lurker on these forums than a poster, but today I hit a milestone and thought I'd write a post! I see a lot of people asking whether they should get a Fitbit and hopefully this will help!

Today is exactly a year since I got my Fitbit and started using MFP properly. It's also the day I hit 5 million steps taken according to my fitbit! I have worn it every single day and night since I got it.

In that time, using a combination of the 2 tools, I have lost a further 25lbs (on top of the 60 I'd already lost using Weight Watchers) and more importantly I have maintained that lost - something which it has taken me 32 years to learn to do! (For anyone interested, I'm 5'7 and have gone from 221lbs to 136lbs).

So, here's why I love my Fitbit (please add your own!):

1. It has (combined with MFP) taught me how to maintain my weight. It tells me how many calories I've burned, I eat them, my weight stays within a range of a few pounds! Bingo! If I want to lose a few pounds, I eat less than what it tells me I've burned, and guess what? Yep, I lose the pounds.

2. It makes me want to move more. I can directly see how moving affects my calories burned and therefore the number of calories I can consume. Want a glass of wine with my tea? Run on the spot while watching TV to 'earn' it!

3. It gives me goals which help to improve my overall fitness. I'm super competitive, even with myself, so I find the badges, challenges competing against other users, and graphs/data about steps taken, calories burned, minutes active etc hugely motivating.

4. It keeps me grounded when water weight scale fluctuations happen! I'm inclined to panic at these things even though I know it's not logical. I panic much less now because I know for sure that I haven't gone over my calories enough to have gained fat - I know because I have data to back it up, which I know I can trust because it's been really accurate for a whole year!

5. It's paying for itself! I'm signed up to the Bounts website/app. I get 10 points for every 7000 steps I take. The points add up and can be exchanged for high street shopping vouchers. I have already had a £15 Debenhams (UK department store) gift card after 3 months of using the site. And guess what? My daily step average has increased from 12k to 14k because I love earning the extra 10 points that gives me. If you want to sign up you can use my referral code, newton1753 at Bounts.it. I also use the Pact app - do 10k steps a day and log my food? Earn money. Miss a day and pay money! I haven't missed a day, and although it's only around $1.50 a week earned, it all adds up!

There's loads more I could say, I really do love my Fitbit! Why do you love yours?
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Replies

  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
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    ohhhh this is a message from heaven!! today I was running around trying to find a bed bath and beyond store to get my fit bit and couldn't find it at all the store, I'm in a pretty tight budget right now and while walking trying to find the store I wasn't sure and felt so guilty about spending the money that i just left.
    but you know what I think that I earn it and tomorrow will try to buy it.

    btw the one the I'm getting is the flex, will that be ok? I know there are others better but that's the one that I can afford right now :sweat:
  • Flookbird
    Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
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    That's the one I have and I love it! It's the best £70 I have ever spent (and they are even cheaper now!). If you can afford to prioritise it above other things then go for it!
  • Blueseraphchaos
    Blueseraphchaos Posts: 843 Member
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    I only own the one. It works for me because i rarely do exercise besides running and walking, and weights but i don't ever log them..

    You could try Amazon, you can get them pretty cheaply.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    I like the One because it counts floors/hills as well as steps. I used to hate climbing floors/hills because they were do hard for me to do at 300 lbs. Now I can do them, seek them out, and lovethat my fitbit counts them!
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
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    Cool, thank you both! Will do a little search now and see where I can find the best price :)
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
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    karyabc wrote: »
    ohhhh this is a message from heaven!! today I was running around trying to find a bed bath and beyond store to get my fit bit and couldn't find it at all the store, I'm in a pretty tight budget right now and while walking trying to find the store I wasn't sure and felt so guilty about spending the money that i just left.
    but you know what I think that I earn it and tomorrow will try to buy it.

    btw the one the I'm getting is the flex, will that be ok? I know there are others better but that's the one that I can afford right now :sweat:

    I had the flex for a long time, and it was fantastic. TBH I only upgraded so I could get the GPS function for hiking. I use to use run keeper but I am paranoid about bringing my phone with me after I almost dropped it down the side of a canyon. My mom has the flex and she loves it.

    We are friends on the Fitbit website and interact quite a bit. We live a continent apart, and it's a fun way to stay in touch daily.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Getting a fitbit is the hands down absolute best thing I have done since starting this weight loss thing!!!
  • jessmessmfp
    jessmessmfp Posts: 38 Member
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    I love my fitbit hr charge. It definitely has given me motivation. I never really knew what was my daily calorie burn. I was super surprised to find out I burn around 2000-2300 calories a day. No wonder I can't maintain a 1200 calories diet. It made me feel more comfortable in eating a higher calories diet - knowing Ill still lose. It also points out the days I'm too lazy - and only burned 1800 calories - and I need to move it more.
  • karyabc
    karyabc Posts: 830 Member
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    MakePeasNotWar wrote: »
    karyabc wrote: »
    ohhhh this is a message from heaven!! today I was running around trying to find a bed bath and beyond store to get my fit bit and couldn't find it at all the store, I'm in a pretty tight budget right now and while walking trying to find the store I wasn't sure and felt so guilty about spending the money that i just left.
    but you know what I think that I earn it and tomorrow will try to buy it.

    btw the one the I'm getting is the flex, will that be ok? I know there are others better but that's the one that I can afford right now :sweat:

    I had the flex for a long time, and it was fantastic. TBH I only upgraded so I could get the GPS function for hiking. I use to use run keeper but I am paranoid about bringing my phone with me after I almost dropped it down the side of a canyon. My mom has the flex and she loves it.

    We are friends on the Fitbit website and interact quite a bit. We live a continent apart, and it's a fun way to stay in touch daily.

    That sounds like so much fun! I'm so excited to get my fitbit, I have a pretty active job and I'm always curious about the steps, cals burn and all of that.
  • marciaholland77
    marciaholland77 Posts: 85 Member
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    Without my Fitbit and MFP I've lost 42 lbs. with the continued use of both of them I have every hope of keeping it off
  • victoria_1024
    victoria_1024 Posts: 915 Member
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    Do fitbits count only calories burned from walking or do they include exercise calories? I'm so clueless, I thought they just counted steps.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    victoria_1024 wrote: »
    Do fitbits count only calories burned from walking or do they include exercise calories? I'm so clueless, I thought they just counted steps.

    They count your TOTAL daily burn. I've got a basic fitbit zip. I don't know if the swanky heart rate monitors are different.

    I do wish they only counted deliberate exercise. It would make things a lot clearer

  • Flookbird
    Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
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    victoria_1024 wrote: »
    Do fitbits count only calories burned from walking or do they include exercise calories? I'm so clueless, I thought they just counted steps.

    Any step based exercise is counted by the Fitbit. Any exercise which isn't step based (eg swimming/cycling) has to be logged separately. I log my swimming on MFP, some people would log it on Fitbit. Whichever you do, if your accounts are linked then they will 'talk to each other' and share that info. So I log my swim on MFP including the time I started and the length of time. It sends that info to fitbit, which counts it in my total calorie burn for the day and then sends that info back to MFP. It sounds more complicated than it actually is - as long as you only log it once and out the correct times in, it all sorts itself out!
  • Sweep79
    Sweep79 Posts: 30 Member
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    christinev297 wrote: »
    victoria_1024 wrote: »
    Do fitbits count only calories burned from walking or do they include exercise calories? I'm so clueless, I thought they just counted steps.

    They count your TOTAL daily burn. I've got a basic fitbit zip. I don't know if the swanky heart rate monitors are different.

    I do wish they only counted deliberate exercise. It would make things a lot clearer

  • Sweep79
    Sweep79 Posts: 30 Member
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    Thank you! Bounts - well fancy that! I had never heard of it. I have just joined and used your code.
  • wintersyve
    wintersyve Posts: 29 Member
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    The Fitbit Charge was down to te same price as the flex at Argos when I bought mine 6 weeks ago. Might be worth checking out.
  • hapeximendios
    hapeximendios Posts: 29 Member
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    I just signed up for Bounts as well with your code, thanks very much! I also love my flex and never take it off except to charge it!!
  • Flookbird
    Flookbird Posts: 81 Member
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    Sweep79 wrote: »
    Thank you! Bounts - well fancy that! I had never heard of it. I have just joined and used your code.
    hapeximendios wrote: »
    I just signed up for Bounts as well with your code, thanks very much! I also love my flex and never take it off except to charge it!!

    Great! It really is good! The app can be glitchy sometimes but as it's all free I'm not complaining. You can also get points for gym check ins, and auto logged activity on other apps like Strava and Swimtag. It seems too good to be true but it really isn't - I have the maxi dress to prove it!
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    I got the Flex because I can wear it and it counts my steps while I water jog (even though I log that over on Fitbit to get the burn number accurate, I still want those step numbers!).

    I love it. I think it was one of the best investments I've made besides good high-quality shoes towards being more fit. I got it with an eye towards the future and maintenance, but it's come in so handy now. It's VERY motivating and I found out that my TDEE is much, much higher than I thought it was.

    I've had it almost 4 weeks now, and right now, my average burn is a bit over 2100 calories. What the what now? Heh. I'm going to be 53 at the end of the month and I'm short. I've had myself set on sedentary on here because my exercise can be sporadic due to chronic medical issues. Thanks to my Fitbit, I've been able to up my intake from 1200 calories to 1400-1500 calories and still lose.

  • hapeximendios
    hapeximendios Posts: 29 Member
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    How do you see your average burn please? I can only find my average over the week? I'm still getting used to it!

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