Fitbit or no fitbit?
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I've a charge HR, its good. Works well as a watch too
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Fitbit Charge HR. I only ever take it off to shower, swim, or charge the battery. I love it. Not only does it make me sure my math is spot on, it also is a huge motivator for me to stay active. I've got nothing to say against it and a million billion good things to say about it.0
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I have both a fitbit charge and a Samsung Gear S2. The fitbit is best for sleep tracking and it syncs with MFP easily. It also sends you a weekly report with all your steps through the week, sleep, stairs, etc. The S2 is nice because I get my texts on it and it maps my walks but it doesn't sync with MFP or track my sleep.
The fitbit is fantastic and it kept me motivated because I wanted to hit my daily step counts and I wanted to keep my weekly reports up
My only issue with BOTH is that both have problems tracking your steps when you're pushing a stroller or a cart, any time your arm isn't swinging. You have to keep the watch in your pocket if you want it to count your steps while you push something around.0 -
My Fitbit flex is a great motivator to get off the couch. I work long hours behind a desk (typically at least 10 hours M-F), so by the time I get home I typically only have 3,000-4,000 steps (if that sometimes). I've added a lot of friends from MFP to Fitbit as well and we participate in daily and weekly challenges. I hate being super far behind on challenges, so I find it motivates me to get and and go for a walk or run instead of sit on the couch until bedtime. Even if I'm not doing a challenge, I'm disappointed when I see a really low step count, because I know I can do more - I'll walk around my house if that's what it takes!
I only take mine off to shower and charge (mine only needs to charge approximately once per week).0 -
Does it really not count steps when you're pushing a shopping cart? I've often thought I should have way more steps after finishing a shopping trip, but it didn't occur to me that it was because I was pushing a cart!
I've also noticed lately that when I go on my morning coffee run across the street, the steps seem to be less if I'm carrying my coffee in the same hand as my FitBit. It's almost as if it counts arm swings, instead of steps.
I really LOVE my FitBit, but now that I'm paying a little more attention to the steps, I'm noticing things that I never had before.0 -
I have both a fitbit charge and a Samsung Gear S2. The fitbit is best for sleep tracking and it syncs with MFP easily. It also sends you a weekly report with all your steps through the week, sleep, stairs, etc. The S2 is nice because I get my texts on it and it maps my walks but it doesn't sync with MFP or track my sleep.
The fitbit is fantastic and it kept me motivated because I wanted to hit my daily step counts and I wanted to keep my weekly reports up
My only issue with BOTH is that both have problems tracking your steps when you're pushing a stroller or a cart, any time your arm isn't swinging. You have to keep the watch in your pocket if you want it to count your steps while you push something around.
See I keep hearing this, but this doesn't happen to me. Mine counts my steps whether I'm swinging my arms or pushing my kid in a grocery cart or what have you. I wonder why the difference. Am I doing something to cause this? I dunno, but I have repeatedly checked cause I'm all paranoid about that now from hearing it and it counts completely accurately for me.0 -
Does it really not count steps when you're pushing a shopping cart? I've often thought I should have way more steps after finishing a shopping trip, but it didn't occur to me that it was because I was pushing a cart!
I've also noticed lately that when I go on my morning coffee run across the street, the steps seem to be less if I'm carrying my coffee in the same hand as my FitBit. It's almost as if it counts arm swings, instead of steps.
I really LOVE my FitBit, but now that I'm paying a little more attention to the steps, I'm noticing things that I never had before.
It doesn't.
A hospital I used to work for gave a big discount on fitbits, and nearly everyone had one, but when people realized the wrist models didn't count steps while pushing things, you started seeing nurses and techs pushing wheelchairs and beds down the hall one-handed, swinging the other arm to get their steps!
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Does it really not count steps when you're pushing a shopping cart? I've often thought I should have way more steps after finishing a shopping trip, but it didn't occur to me that it was because I was pushing a cart!
I've also noticed lately that when I go on my morning coffee run across the street, the steps seem to be less if I'm carrying my coffee in the same hand as my FitBit. It's almost as if it counts arm swings, instead of steps.
I really LOVE my FitBit, but now that I'm paying a little more attention to the steps, I'm noticing things that I never had before.
Mine counts steps when I'm pushing a cart, carrying bags/cups, or whatever. I have heard some people lose steps when pushing carts, but I don't.0 -
CoffeeNCardio wrote: »
See I keep hearing this, but this doesn't happen to me. Mine counts my steps whether I'm swinging my arms or pushing my kid in a grocery cart or what have you. I wonder why the difference. Am I doing something to cause this? I dunno, but I have repeatedly checked cause I'm all paranoid about that now from hearing it and it counts completely accurately for me.
I did find that the accuracy was better when I started wearing my fitbit on my dominant hand, but keeping my settings to non-dominant.
What does bug me is that it doesn't count steps if I'm just strolling. I often pace when I'm on the phone at home and because I don't have enough momentum, it doesn't register as a step.0 -
I don't know how accurate a fitbit would be for unpacking to be honest. I would set it as lightly active and forget about trying to adjust based on activity.0
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I like my charge HR. I think it is motivating to see the steps. It doesn't seem to monitor my sleep well. Not sure if it is something about the way I sleep.
My husband won it in a raffle. I don't think I would have it otherwise.0 -
Activity trackers (Fitbit, et al) are a fad. They are totally unnecessary as proven by the billions of people that have never owned one.0
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beemerphile1 wrote: »Activity trackers (Fitbit, et al) are a fad. They are totally unnecessary as proven by the billions of people that have never owned one.
If we're going by the population of earth having had something or not, then we could call automobiles a fad. Or computers. Or any number of tools that some people have access to and others do not.
A fitbit is not necessary for weight loss, but much like a hammer isn't required to pound a nail into a wall (rocks work great:) ) it's just a tool to make the process a little easier.0 -
CoffeeNCardio wrote: »See I keep hearing this, but this doesn't happen to me. Mine counts my steps whether I'm swinging my arms or pushing my kid in a grocery cart or what have you. I wonder why the difference. Am I doing something to cause this? I dunno, but I have repeatedly checked cause I'm all paranoid about that now from hearing it and it counts completely accurately for me.
I wear my fitbit on my non-dominant hand and I have it set up that way on their website. I donno what you are doing differently but I went shopping once and it only counted like 2,000 steps and my friend had over 20k. So I started putting it in my pocket and it was much more accurate after that. Some people even attach it to their shoe laces, lol.
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I've had my flex since April and would feel a little lost without it. The data and the challenges with friends and co-workers is helpful and motivates me when I am struggling.0
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CoffeeNCardio wrote: »See I keep hearing this, but this doesn't happen to me. Mine counts my steps whether I'm swinging my arms or pushing my kid in a grocery cart or what have you. I wonder why the difference. Am I doing something to cause this? I dunno, but I have repeatedly checked cause I'm all paranoid about that now from hearing it and it counts completely accurately for me.
I wear my fitbit on my non-dominant hand and I have it set up that way on their website. I donno what you are doing differently but I went shopping once and it only counted like 2,000 steps and my friend had over 20k. So I started putting it in my pocket and it was much more accurate after that. Some people even attach it to their shoe laces, lol.
Maybe I walk really...hard? The thing is supposed to count impact as a step, not just swinging. I do have a tendency to hit heel-first pretty loud... Maybe it jars me enough to translate up to my arm. I'll have to video it for you guys, cause I'm not special to anyone but mommy, so something has to be going on.0 -
beemerphile1 wrote: »Activity trackers (Fitbit, et al) are a fad. They are totally unnecessary as proven by the billions of people that have never owned one.
What a goofy assertion.
Freestanding trackers probably won't be around forever in the sense that this technology is already being incorporated in to multi-functional devices like smartphones and watches, but the idea that tracking of biometrics is a flash in the pan just because it hasn't existed before now is silly. It's helpful information that's increasingly cheap and easy to acquire- why would that be a "fad?"0 -
beemerphile1 wrote: »Activity trackers (Fitbit, et al) are a fad. They are totally unnecessary as proven by the billions of people that have never owned one.
So is counting calories, proved by the millions who aren't fat and aren't counting calories.
So is weight lifting based on the millions of people who are healthy without ever lifting weights.
So are running shoes based on the millions of people who are healthy without using running shoes.
Oh, don't forget the gymnasium. How many people never step foot in a gym and are healthy?
And the list can go on...
Amirite?
It's a tool just like anything else you use to lose weight and be healthy. The high horse should be left elsewhere.0 -
I enjoy having a fitness tracker, it helps keep me honest & also helped me realize how little activity I get on a daily basis as a grad student (I rarely get over 5,000 steps). It pushes me to make more of an effort to move and also makes sure I'm more accurately tracking calories.0
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beemerphile1 wrote: »Activity trackers (Fitbit, et al) are a fad. They are totally unnecessary as proven by the billions of people that have never owned one.
Virtually all our possessions are unnecessary. That doesn't mean that they aren't also useful for some of us.0 -
I know fit bit calculates tdee with your steps but does it automatically calculate non step based activity like Zumba? If you use fitbit how do you account for something like that?0
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tara_means_star wrote: »I know fit bit calculates tdee with your steps but does it automatically calculate non step based activity like Zumba? If you use fitbit how do you account for something like that?
It depends what kind of fitbit you have. Zumba is fairly steady state cardio, although not so much as walking or jogging, so I wouldn't trust the steps if you had a step-counter only, but if you have the kind with a HRM, I would feel safe eating back 50% of those calories. I only walk or run (doesn't get any more steady state than a treadmill), so I eat all mine back and have lost consistently doing that.
ETA: Autocorrect doesn't understand acronyms, so it keeps changing "A HRM" to "AN HRM". The latter is incorrect and it bothers me.0 -
So without the HRM. You'd log Zumba separately in mfp and maybe eat back half?0
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tara_means_star wrote: »So without the HRM. You'd log Zumba separately in mfp and maybe eat back half?
That sounds about right. Make sure you put in the correct time when you enter the log, so then it cancels out whatever the fitbit says for that period of time. Eat your 50% back for 3-4 weeks and check your progress, then adjust if necessary. With the charge hr, I don't log any exercise, it does it all for me, and has been very accurate. I've lost exactly what I expected to based on the math, but with a step counter only it's probably a bit different. Check out this group for more specific tips. These are experienced users of flexes and others you can ask for sure, they may have an alternative POV that works better.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1290-fitbit-users0 -
I like mine. I have a Fitbit Charge. I'm the type of person that likes motivation and the fitbit does that. This is why I like it:
1. it has a clock.
2. I can push a button to see where I am steps, burn, floors, etc. (so you don't have to check your phone or computer for updates)
3. I have alarms on it.
4. I can set goals to fit my lifestyle.
5. If I'm competitive, I can challenge friends.
I got mine on sale and it has been great. I totally recommend it but I know it's not for everyone.
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My Fitbit has definitely encouraged me to move more. I used to exercise for about 40 min. each day and thought that was enough to help me lose weight. But, after I got my first Fitbit, I realized how little I moved, even with a 40 min. workout.
I had a Flex for over a year and never had any problems with the band. I bought the ChargeHR in May because I wanted the HR piece. The ChargeHR has helped me go from struggling to get 10K steps a day to 18k steps a day! In that time I have lost close to 40 lbs. My husband just preordered the Blaze for me as a gift for when I hit 40 lbs.0 -
My fitbit undercounts my steps when I swing my arm while walking fast, and undercounts them less when I keep my arm unmoving. However, it is extremely accurate in figuring out my daily calories regardless of how (in)accurately it counts steps.... sooooo......0
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Using a Fitbit Charge HR is useful in that its built-in heart rate monitor allows it to sample your HR all day long and get a reasonably accurate total for calories burned. I find that aspect of it quite useful, and honestly, I think I'll be wearing *something* that will do that for me for the rest of my life. I like to know!
Here's the bad news. 1. Fitbit is pretty bad at product design and manufacturing. Every single person I know who uses a Fitbit One or similar (clip-on style) has lost at least one. I lost two before I gave up on them. I then wore a Fitbit Charge (non-HR) and lost two of *them* because of the idiotic band design. Gave up. Finally decided I'd give them one more try and bought a Charge HR. My first one began to fall apart (delaminate) after six months. I'm on a replacement sent to me by Fitbit, but this is the last Fitbit device I'll ever wear. I'm done giving them chances. 2. The Fitbit-MFP integration is, or can be, a s**tshow. Missing calories. Duplicate calories. Periods where it just doesn't work at all. And if I do the calculations manually using Fitbit's own data compared with my resting metabolic rate, the numbers MFP reports never, ever match. I've given up on relying on the numbers in MFP as being accurate and just use them as a rough guide. Each morning, I look up my Fitbit calories burned from the day before, subtract my RMR, and enter that into a spreadsheet I keep.
So, yes, having a fitness tracker—preferably one with an all-day HR monitor—is a great thing. Fitbit + MFP is a pain in the rear. I don't know how much of the software issues are MFP, so I don't know how much this would improve by going to a different brand of tracker.
I have had a One since 2013, and I have managed not to ever lose it. I clip it to my bra and it stays put, so it can be done. I may be in the minority, though.
Similar story here, except I have the Zip. I've never come close to washing or losing it.. Probably because it's attached to my bra every waking minute!
I think I've had just one incident in 12mths where it hasn't synced properly with MFP, and that was only for half a day.
Getting my fitbit and logging my food on here are the 2 sole reasons I've lost weight. I would never be without a fitbit, ever! I rely on it very much.
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I love Fitbit, although for the past 3 or 4 months I have been using Misfit instead. I started out with the Fitbit Ultra a few years back, then when that died switched to the One. Went through two of those within a year, though (lost one and the second one died - Fitbit offered to replace it but I couldn't find my receipt). So, I decided to give Misfit a try since you don't have to charge it, its waterproof and can wear it anywhere. I love that I can strap it on my ankle for my bike rides, and it uses a point system, which I found weird at first but now love because it means my bike rides count toward my daily goal. With Fitbit, if I go for a two hour bike ride, I will still fall short on my daily goal since it is centered around steps. I found I could somewhat overcome this by wearing my one right on the crease of my hip so that my pedaling motion could be interpreted as steps, and then overwrite the calories and other details from my Garmin once I was done. Still, a pain in the *kitten*. The other problem I had with Fitbit was the lack of waterproofing. My One ended up in the washer a few times. It survived fine the first couple of times, but I think that was the ultimate cause of its early demise.
My Misfit is on the fritz now, though, and the battery is only lasting 2-4 weeks and I have not been able to get any help from customer service. So, I just ordered the Fitbit Alta, and coupled with the Zip that I already have that should work out nice. I like the interchangeable bands, auto detection, move reminders, and silent alarm of the Alta, and Fitbit has made it easy to use multiple devices now. I would like to couple it with a One, but since I already have a Zip, which I got for free from a friend, that's what I'll stick with. Also, the Alta was $20 off with a coupon at Brookstone, and even with tax I got it with express shipping for less than the price everywhere else.0 -
I have used a Fitbit One for three-plus years. I wear it either clipped to the waist of my pants or stick it in my pocket. Never lost it, have had little sync'ing issues with MFP, and even had Fitbit replace the tip of the clip that broke off for free, no questions asked.
Related, I also have a Garmin FR235 that I wear daily. I use this for my running as it has the built-in HR monitor and GPS. It also counts steps. I have found that in day-to-day activity, the Garmin lags behind in step counts, sometimes as much as 10%. I think this is a result of it relying on arm motion versus the Fitbit being on my hip. However, when I go out running, or run on a treadmill, the step counts are almost exactly the same. I know the wrist-based Fitbits are extremely popular, but I believe the One and the Zip are actually more accurate for general day-to-day step counting.0
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