Fitbit users!!

I got one for Christmas and love it! I definitely move more thanks to my fitbit.

I've had a charge hr since around November and it definitely makes me more active as I'm constantly challenging myself to beat the day before's step count to the point where I walk around in circles.

as with anything it is a estimate. a good one but not 100% accurate. it will definitely give you an idea of your activity level

Somewhat glorified, yes. But the benefits are greater than that of a pedometer. I received my Flex for Christmas, and after a week of technology frustration, finally got it set up and working properly. I love that it teams up with MFP, to chart my macros and extras. The graphs and daily/weekly trends help me to challenge myself daily, they explain to me after time what is working and what is not working for me. I can now see how completely sedentary I've been, and have upped my steps from a mere 5000 a day, to almost 14000!!! That is a lot of movement!! The sleep feature is the best part, as it really does help to explain the intensity of your workouts with or without a good nights sleep. And it proves to myself when I'm sure I didn't get any sleep, I really didn't, another goal to work on in the all encompassing goal of improving Tracy!! All in all, I'd recommend an activity tracker like my Flex, especially if you are a competitive person. I compete with myself, daily. Can't help myself when there are numbers to chase! Good luck in whatever you decide, I have no regrets here
added: And no, I don't believe the tracker to be 100% accurate, but it is much more accurate than guessing, or not even trying!

Lisa_Dubh wrote: »

So is it a glorified pedometer? All that's different is the heart rate and sleep log?

I have the Charge (non HR Fitbit bracelet) and to me the greatest benefit is the daily ability to see exactly what I'm actually burning instead of guessing based on my exercise sessions. It has really helped me to see how non-exercise activity can make a big difference in my TDEE. Those extra steps do add up and they are a lot easier to get in on a daily basis than an intense hour long workout. Seeing the calories in vs. out on a weekly basis is really helpful and encourages me to be brutally honest in logging my food and exercise (because Fitbit won't measure non-step based exercise--not a big deal in my opinion, unless you are primarily a swimmer or biker, for example, then I might find that to be a problem).

I didn't understand the big deal about sleep monitoring until I got a Fitbit. It really is helpful because I know I have to be on guard with mindless eating and low energy the days I don't get enough sleep. Also, the buzzing alarm is the best alarm I've ever used.

Compared to all the other Fitbits I've had (I've had them all), I find the Charge the easiest to charge, keep track of, and maintain.

Lisa_Dubh wrote: »

So is it a glorified pedometer? All that's different is the heart rate and sleep log?

I guess, if you would call a chainsaw a glorified butter knife.

Others have mentioned many features of the Charge and Charge HR that I also have found beneficial; sync with MFP for adjust calorie target, heart rates, sleep, steps, stairs, water intake (much better implementation than MFP's IMHO), distance, charting of all the above, custom goals, milestone badges (which I find a bit juvenile, but to each their own),... and I've only had mine a week.

I particularly like that I can track my workouts to see if I need to step it up or back it down a bit in order to stay in the HR range I want throughout the workout.