Peoples opinions on buying Fitbit or not????
Replies
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My opinion: I've bought several Fitbit Zips, and I'm done wasting money on these things.
The wrist-worn trackers may be better, I don't know. But I don't like things on my wrists, so I've bought the Zips. They die fast. After the factory batter dies, all subsequent batteries seem to have about a 1/4 of the lifespan. The last Zip I bought, I started getting email reminders about a "low battery" only a few days after replacing it with a brand new one. In addition, the housing for the Zip is garbage. The end-cap falls off it eventually and then it's a PITA to keep clasping it on and off clothes.
And the thing is... it's just unnecessary. I've bought at least three of them, at $50 a pop. And for what? So I can be exact with the number of steps I'm taking? I've found that without the Fitbit, if I just walk for 30 minutes every day... in addition to my regular weightlifting routine, I get the same results.
I'm of the mind now that these pedometers are just a money grab by companies preying on people's need for confirmation.
We all know how to walk, and for how long we should be walking. Just go walk. Save the money for something fun.
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I just brought a fitbit flex 2 with Christmas money
It's waterproof and I swim a lot as well as other exercise so that's a big bonus.
I struggled with it at first but now I use it to be more accurate with exercise calories as I think I was putting too much for exercise.
You can add friends on there too and compete which is fun1 -
Maxematics wrote: »I have a Charge 2; it indeed has a HRM. I had the Charge HR for over a year before I upgraded. I love mine. I don't get the crazy amounts of false steps some people claim to get nor do I receive the grossly overestimated TDEE that some people claim to receive. It got me from 139 pounds down to 107 pounds, back up to 118 after a much needed bulk, and back down to 113 where I am now. I don't need it, no, but I have it, I enjoy using it, and it keeps me motivated.
I'm beginning to think I need an upgrade!
I love the fact that another poster mentioned the band can be changed, that's been a major drawback with the Charge HR, the band starts to peel off after a few months. My husband's Fitbit is holding together with a ton of Gorilla glue and a few prayers. 
Mine is starting to peel now as well. 
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I got the charge 2 for Christmas and it's so much better than my old One! Hated having to clip the thing somewhere. It is inaccurate for stationary bike unfortunately so I have to add that manually (highly doubt I only burn 50 calories in 20 minutes, lol), but otherwise, really nice. The heart rate tracking really doesn't seem off much at all otherwise. And I got two new wristbands for it.
It definitely motivates you to move more though when you realize that a few more steps can help you burn more calories for the day easily! It made me realize that I can burn as many calories during an active day on my feet than just going to the gym for 1.5 hour and lazying all day, for example... and that my TDEE on active days is higher than I thought (and on lazy days much lower than I thought, so I got to limit those).2 -
Michael190lbs wrote: »In the summer I average over 20,000 steps a day
20,000 steps a day ? 20,000 steps for me is just over 11 miles. Now I'm an avid walker, on average I walk 5 to 7 miles 3 to 4 times a week. Now I've done 12 and 13-mile hikes but they always result in excessive fatigue and recovery times. I'm not an old man but I couldn't imagine walking 20,000 steps every single day at least not at any reasonably useful pace.
I'm not talking leisurely walks either I'm talking maintaining a heart rate in the 70 percent of max range. I'm not sure walking a leisurely 5-11 miles with a heart rate just above resting actually accomplishes much than wear and tear on your joints. By the way, I use a Polar heart rate monitor for feedback but It's completely unnecessary.
I've lost a total of 110 pounds so by this point I can easily judge my exertion level. My basic rule of thumb is, If I can easily hold a conversation while walking then I know I'm not exerting myself anywhere near hard enough to do much good.
For example yesterday I walked just about 4.5 miles and burned over 700 calories while maintaining an average heart rate of just about 130. The day before my German Shepherd and I went on a 6-mile hike and burned over 900 calories. Today is a rest and recovery day.
Anyhow, that's the issue I have with devices such as the Fitbit. They tend to make people obsess over attaining a raw number rather than focusing on an effectively balanced exercise routine which is a combination of both exertion and duration. I find this obsession over attaining a single raw number to be more problematic with people who suffer from some form of OCD.
I have a close friend who got herself a Fitbit. She suffers from OCD, She would literally walk in circles around her living room at a pace that was reminiscent of an 8-year-old being forced to walk to Sunday school simply to build the numbers up on her Fitbit yet couldn't figure out why she wasn't losing any weight. She wouldn't walk with me because she said I walked to fast and that she didn't like to get sweaty.
My point is 20,000 steps every day if done at any reasonably beneficial or useful heart rate seems like an awful lot. You could be doing more damage to your joints and soft tissue than you would otherwise be doing with shorter more intense routines. My mom was a waitress for over 20 years and I know she easily walked more than 20,000 steps a day, The end result was varicose veins, arthritis in both ankles and both knees finally cumulating in both hip and knee replacement surgeries. Obviously, more isn't necessarily better.
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I had one for my birthday in October and set myself a daily target of 10,000 steps which I have kept. It has been a fun way to get motivated towards being active, an extra incentive. I run, walk, do step aerobics etc which all count. For cycling, it is not so good because it tallies up steps1
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CaptBligh001 wrote: »Michael190lbs wrote: »In the summer I average over 20,000 steps a day
20,000 steps a day ? 20,000 steps for me is just over 11 miles. Now I'm an avid walker, on average I walk 5 to 7 miles 3 to 4 times a week. Now I've done 12 and 13-mile hikes but they always result in excessive fatigue and recovery times. I'm not an old man but I couldn't imagine walking 20,000 steps every single day at least not at any reasonably useful pace.
I'm not talking leisurely walks either I'm talking maintaining a heart rate in the 70 percent of max range. I'm not sure walking a leisurely 5-11 miles with a heart rate just above resting actually accomplishes much than wear and tear on your joints. By the way, I use a Polar heart rate monitor for feedback but It's completely unnecessary.
I've lost a total of 110 pounds so by this point I can easily judge my exertion level. My basic rule of thumb is, If I can easily hold a conversation while walking then I know I'm not exerting myself anywhere near hard enough to do much good.
For example yesterday I walked just about 4.5 miles and burned over 700 calories while maintaining an average heart rate of just about 130. The day before my German Shepherd and I went on a 6-mile hike and burned over 900 calories. Today is a rest and recovery day.
Anyhow, that's the issue I have with devices such as the Fitbit. They tend to make people obsess over attaining a raw number rather than focusing on an effectively balanced exercise routine which is a combination of both exertion and duration. I find this obsession over attaining a single raw number to be more problematic with people who suffer from some form of OCD.
I have a close friend who got herself a Fitbit. She suffers from OCD, She would literally walk in circles around her living room at a pace that was reminiscent of an 8-year-old being forced to walk to Sunday school simply to build the numbers up on her Fitbit yet couldn't figure out why she wasn't losing any weight. She wouldn't walk with me because she said I walked to fast and that she didn't like to get sweaty.
My point is 20,000 steps every day if done at any reasonably beneficial or useful heart rate seems like an awful lot. You could be doing more damage to your joints and soft tissue than you would otherwise be doing with shorter more intense routines. My mom was a waitress for over 20 years and I know she easily walked more than 20,000 steps a day, The end result was varicose veins, arthritis in both ankles and both knees finally cumulating in both hip and knee replacement surgeries. Obviously, more isn't necessarily better.
Maybe the person you quoted is in the service industry. Just saying.3 -
I love mine that I received for Christmas last year, as it helped me to be more aware of where my body and I are at. Everyone is different, and everyone's goals are different. During this year. I've increased my average sleep from 5 hours to 7 hours...I've also increased my activity level from sedentary to lightly active, then up to active....I'd never NOT have one now.1
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I find having one is a lot of fun. I also have the Aria scale and I use my Fitbit to track my sleep too. I find it very motivating.2
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I personally love mine. It was great to finally find out my true TDEE (all online calculators were around 100 cals off), plus, sometimes I am in a competitive mood and try and outdo the number of steps from the previous day. I also like knowing how many cals I've burned during cardio (even though I personally halve the calories).Slm86665166 wrote: »I have the Blaze. I think it's accurate for steps, but I do not feel it is on my lifts. It does not track the stair master like I thought it would. Also, I found better tracking with my Polar Watch for lifts. FitBit users can feel free to add me.
Yeah, but lifting burns hardly any calories at all. I don't even both tracking lifting cals even though I lift for an hour or so.0 -
I wore Fitbit hr for most of last yr and I loved it. I just purchased hr 2 because I want to lose some more weight ... it helps a lot1
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Chef_Barbell wrote: »Maybe the person you quoted is in the service industry. Just saying.
I have several friends who own restaurants. Last year two them gave Fitbit's to all their waitress's. Some of those girls walk in excess of 20,000 steps a day. What's amazing is many of them are still considered medically obese, Yet they're walking 20K ++ steps a day and always on a diet.
The problem is intensity. if you don't break a sweat and your heart rate doesn't rise much above resting rate then you aren't really accomplishing much more than stretching your muscles and wearing out your joints.
I know many who claim that walking 2 miles is no different than running two miles. My observations of nearly 40 years don't concur. Prior to my knee injury, I could easily run a 5k. After my injury, I was lucky if I could walk to the bathroom.
I gained nearly 110 pounds after my injury and It took years to get to the point where I could even walk a mile, eventually, that turned into jogging a mile.
The weight came off substantially faster Jogging a single mile every morning then it did when I was walking 5 miles a day.
Jogging and the higher sustained heart rate and fitness level that goes along with it substantially increases your resting metabolic rate. The end result is you burn more calories throughout the day including while resting than you would if you were only walking that same mile every day.
In simple terms, there is more to weight loss than simple calories burned during an exercise or steps taken during the day. Exertion level and duration directly impact fitness level and fitness level directly impact resting metabolic rate.
Unfortunately, due to another injury unrelated to jogging, I gained about 60 pounds back after losing 110 so I'm back to walking. I won't be able to jog again until I lose another 30 pounds, it's just to much stress on my knee. But walking 5 to 7 miles 3-5 times a week at a good brisk pace which keeps my heart rate in the 70 percent zone is helping me lose 3-4 pounds a week.
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Sweating is just a cooling factor it is not indicative of how hard you work out. I have a friend who kills it in the gym but hardly ever sweats4
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CaptBligh001 wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »Maybe the person you quoted is in the service industry. Just saying.
I have several friends who own restaurants. Last year two them gave Fitbit's to all their waitress's. Some of those girls walk in excess of 20,000 steps a day. What's amazing is many of them are still considered medically obese, Yet they're walking 20K ++ steps a day and always on a diet.
The problem is intensity. if you don't break a sweat and your heart rate doesn't rise much above resting rate then you aren't really accomplishing much more than stretching your muscles and wearing out your joints.
I know many who claim that walking 2 miles is no different than running two miles. My observations of nearly 40 years don't concur. Prior to my knee injury, I could easily run a 5k. After my injury, I was lucky if I could walk to the bathroom.
I gained nearly 110 pounds after my injury and It took years to get to the point where I could even walk a mile, eventually, that turned into jogging a mile.
The weight came off substantially faster Jogging a single mile every morning then it did when I was walking 5 miles a day.
Jogging and the higher sustained heart rate and fitness level that goes along with it substantially increases your resting metabolic rate. The end result is you burn more calories throughout the day including while resting than you would if you were only walking that same mile every day.
In simple terms, there is more to weight loss than simple calories burned during an exercise or steps taken during the day. Exertion level and duration directly impact fitness level and fitness level directly impact resting metabolic rate.
Unfortunately, due to another injury unrelated to jogging, I gained about 60 pounds back after losing 110 so I'm back to walking. I won't be able to jog again until I lose another 30 pounds, it's just to much stress on my knee. But walking 5 to 7 miles 3-5 times a week at a good brisk pace which keeps my heart rate in the 70 percent zone is helping me lose 3-4 pounds a week.
The women who hit 20k steps and are obese are probably just snacking too much at the restaurant. It's ALL about diet.
I compared two days with my fitbit - one day I barely did 35 minutes on my bike for exercise (160 calories) but was on my feet baking/cooking all day and ended up at 2330 calories that day with 8000 steps. Other days I hit 17k steps but spent most of the day sitting and ended up burning 2300ish calories as well.
I absolutely believe that it's accurate - overall activity matters just as much as steps.6 -
I love my Fitbit Alta. The calorie burn number is always accurate for me and I have lost consistently. I'm not very fond of the issues I've had with the Fitbit Aria scale. Im having to send mine back for a replacement already and it's only been 3 months since I got it.1
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CaptBligh001 wrote: »Michael190lbs wrote: »In the summer I average over 20,000 steps a day
20,000 steps a day ? 20,000 steps for me is just over 11 miles. Now I'm an avid walker, on average I walk 5 to 7 miles 3 to 4 times a week. Now I've done 12 and 13-mile hikes but they always result in excessive fatigue and recovery times. I'm not an old man but I couldn't imagine walking 20,000 steps every single day at least not at any reasonably useful pace.
I'm not talking leisurely walks either I'm talking maintaining a heart rate in the 70 percent of max range. I'm not sure walking a leisurely 5-11 miles with a heart rate just above resting actually accomplishes much than wear and tear on your joints. By the way, I use a Polar heart rate monitor for feedback but It's completely unnecessary.
I've lost a total of 110 pounds so by this point I can easily judge my exertion level. My basic rule of thumb is, If I can easily hold a conversation while walking then I know I'm not exerting myself anywhere near hard enough to do much good.
For example yesterday I walked just about 4.5 miles and burned over 700 calories while maintaining an average heart rate of just about 130. The day before my German Shepherd and I went on a 6-mile hike and burned over 900 calories. Today is a rest and recovery day.
Anyhow, that's the issue I have with devices such as the Fitbit. They tend to make people obsess over attaining a raw number rather than focusing on an effectively balanced exercise routine which is a combination of both exertion and duration. I find this obsession over attaining a single raw number to be more problematic with people who suffer from some form of OCD.
I have a close friend who got herself a Fitbit. She suffers from OCD, She would literally walk in circles around her living room at a pace that was reminiscent of an 8-year-old being forced to walk to Sunday school simply to build the numbers up on her Fitbit yet couldn't figure out why she wasn't losing any weight. She wouldn't walk with me because she said I walked to fast and that she didn't like to get sweaty.
My point is 20,000 steps every day if done at any reasonably beneficial or useful heart rate seems like an awful lot. You could be doing more damage to your joints and soft tissue than you would otherwise be doing with shorter more intense routines. My mom was a waitress for over 20 years and I know she easily walked more than 20,000 steps a day, The end result was varicose veins, arthritis in both ankles and both knees finally cumulating in both hip and knee replacement surgeries. Obviously, more isn't necessarily better.
You are forgetting the benefit of NEAT.
Not all step-based activity needs to be EXERCISE.
I also get around 20K steps a day. The first 5-6K of those are a run. Unless it's my long run day.
After that? Short little strolls, some of them brisk, some not, mostly just to keep my arthritic joints from stiffening up.
Not all activity that a person has needs to be deliberate exercise.
One of the best things I ever did was get myself a Charge 2.
I've been eating at deficit, with some maintenance breaks here and there, for 2 years now. Metabolic adaptation is a thing, and one of the ways of offsetting that is with activity.
The move reminders from my Charge 2 and my little strolls allow me to have a very generous TDEE for a short petite 54 year old woman.
So no, you don't need to walk all those steps at a brisk pace for them to be beneficial.8 -
singingflutelady wrote: »Sweating is just a cooling factor it is not indicative of how hard you work out. I have a friend who kills it in the gym but hardly ever sweats
QFT. I hardly ever sweat. Even in the heat.3 -
I use an Apple Watch, but regardless of what you choose, a tracker can be a big motivator in being more active. Do it!1
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CaptBligh001 wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »Maybe the person you quoted is in the service industry. Just saying.
I have several friends who own restaurants. Last year two them gave Fitbit's to all their waitress's. Some of those girls walk in excess of 20,000 steps a day. What's amazing is many of them are still considered medically obese, Yet they're walking 20K ++ steps a day and always on a diet.
The problem is intensity. if you don't break a sweat and your heart rate doesn't rise much above resting rate then you aren't really accomplishing much more than stretching your muscles and wearing out your joints.
I know many who claim that walking 2 miles is no different than running two miles. My observations of nearly 40 years don't concur. Prior to my knee injury, I could easily run a 5k. After my injury, I was lucky if I could walk to the bathroom.
I gained nearly 110 pounds after my injury and It took years to get to the point where I could even walk a mile, eventually, that turned into jogging a mile.
The weight came off substantially faster Jogging a single mile every morning then it did when I was walking 5 miles a day.
Jogging and the higher sustained heart rate and fitness level that goes along with it substantially increases your resting metabolic rate. The end result is you burn more calories throughout the day including while resting than you would if you were only walking that same mile every day.
In simple terms, there is more to weight loss than simple calories burned during an exercise or steps taken during the day. Exertion level and duration directly impact fitness level and fitness level directly impact resting metabolic rate.
Unfortunately, due to another injury unrelated to jogging, I gained about 60 pounds back after losing 110 so I'm back to walking. I won't be able to jog again until I lose another 30 pounds, it's just to much stress on my knee. But walking 5 to 7 miles 3-5 times a week at a good brisk pace which keeps my heart rate in the 70 percent zone is helping me lose 3-4 pounds a week.
Yeah... no. They are still big because they eat too many calories. Period.4 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »CaptBligh001 wrote: »Michael190lbs wrote: »In the summer I average over 20,000 steps a day
20,000 steps a day ? 20,000 steps for me is just over 11 miles. Now I'm an avid walker, on average I walk 5 to 7 miles 3 to 4 times a week. Now I've done 12 and 13-mile hikes but they always result in excessive fatigue and recovery times. I'm not an old man but I couldn't imagine walking 20,000 steps every single day at least not at any reasonably useful pace.
I'm not talking leisurely walks either I'm talking maintaining a heart rate in the 70 percent of max range. I'm not sure walking a leisurely 5-11 miles with a heart rate just above resting actually accomplishes much than wear and tear on your joints. By the way, I use a Polar heart rate monitor for feedback but It's completely unnecessary.
I've lost a total of 110 pounds so by this point I can easily judge my exertion level. My basic rule of thumb is, If I can easily hold a conversation while walking then I know I'm not exerting myself anywhere near hard enough to do much good.
For example yesterday I walked just about 4.5 miles and burned over 700 calories while maintaining an average heart rate of just about 130. The day before my German Shepherd and I went on a 6-mile hike and burned over 900 calories. Today is a rest and recovery day.
Anyhow, that's the issue I have with devices such as the Fitbit. They tend to make people obsess over attaining a raw number rather than focusing on an effectively balanced exercise routine which is a combination of both exertion and duration. I find this obsession over attaining a single raw number to be more problematic with people who suffer from some form of OCD.
I have a close friend who got herself a Fitbit. She suffers from OCD, She would literally walk in circles around her living room at a pace that was reminiscent of an 8-year-old being forced to walk to Sunday school simply to build the numbers up on her Fitbit yet couldn't figure out why she wasn't losing any weight. She wouldn't walk with me because she said I walked to fast and that she didn't like to get sweaty.
My point is 20,000 steps every day if done at any reasonably beneficial or useful heart rate seems like an awful lot. You could be doing more damage to your joints and soft tissue than you would otherwise be doing with shorter more intense routines. My mom was a waitress for over 20 years and I know she easily walked more than 20,000 steps a day, The end result was varicose veins, arthritis in both ankles and both knees finally cumulating in both hip and knee replacement surgeries. Obviously, more isn't necessarily better.
You are forgetting the benefit of NEAT.
Not all step-based activity needs to be EXERCISE.
I also get around 20K steps a day. The first 5-6K of those are a run. Unless it's my long run day.
After that? Short little strolls, some of them brisk, some not, mostly just to keep my arthritic joints from stiffening up.
Not all activity that a person has needs to be deliberate exercise.
One of the best things I ever did was get myself a Charge 2.
I've been eating at deficit, with some maintenance breaks here and there, for 2 years now. Metabolic adaptation is a thing, and one of the ways of offsetting that is with activity.
The move reminders from my Charge 2 and my little strolls allow me to have a very generous TDEE for a short petite 54 year old woman.
So no, you don't need to walk all those steps at a brisk pace for them to be beneficial.
All of this. People are constantly amazed when I post on these boards saying that being a petite female over 40 is not necessarily a guarantee that you have a low TDEE and HAVE to eat 1200 cals in order to lose weight. My TDEE is 2200, verified by my FitBit and actual results. When I mention that, I invariably hear "well you must work out like a fiend". Nope. I walk for 30-60 minutes each morning, do a light circuit with dumbbell about 3 days/week, and take a couple short walks during the work day if I can get away from my desk. Otherwise, the rest of my 15k or so steps are just my daily activity, up and down stairs at my house, chasing after two little boys, taking the dog for a walk,etc.
The contribution of NEAT should definitely not be underestimated.7 -
I started with a Fitbit flex in 2014 and it motivated me to train for a half marathon! I upgraded to Charge HR last Christmas (gift) and liked the phone call alerts. I have about 15 friends in my Fitbit community and we do workeek challenges to see who can get the most steps in. It often motivates me to get moving even when I don't really feel like it. I also like that it has silent alarms and tracks my sleep. On Christmas Day my new puppy chewed up my Charge HR and I really miss it! I think I'm going to get a Charge2 because I'm geeky and want the text alerts.2
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I've got an Charge HR.
It's helped me keep moving. I like timing my walks to the gym and elliptical workouts.
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I've had all of the non-HR models and really love my Alta right now. I'm miss having the stair tracking feature my charge had, but I like the smaller wristband.
I would say it isn't for people who don't like tech or aren't going to change what they do even if they see the data right in front of them, but it works great if you want to be nudged into more activity and you are willing to invest a little time and energy in learning how to use it.
I think it's great for figuring out your TDEE and it has completely changed how I feel about getting in that extra activity. I never send someone to get something for me anymore if I can get some steps doing it myself!1 -
I really love my Fitbit One..... it is very accurate for me! Been wearing the same one for 2.5 years, will probably get another One when this one dies.1
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I've had a fitbit for nearly 3 years, It has definitely motivated me. I went from averaging 2-3k steps a day up to 15-25k every day. I dont know how many mph i walk, but i average 130 steps per minute.
I also love how it automatically syncs straight to MFP, set and forget.2 -
DW and I have used fitbit for a couple of years now. When one unit did fail, the company replaced it free of charge - even picked up the return shipping.
Quality company, fitbit.
Would make a great acquisition for Underarmour, just in case anyone there is listening. Ahem.1 -
I use an Apple Watch, but regardless of what you choose, a tracker can be a big motivator in being more active. Do it!
Me too, and the activity app option on the Apple Watch is one of the main factors that I put it on as soon as I get out of bed everyday. If you are someone who will be motivated by having a target to reach (steps, calories etc) then go for it. There is no tracker that will magically make you fitter or thinner but if you like stats and goals then it's worth a try.1 -
I have never met someone who owns a fit bit who is more fit than they would be if they did not own one. So unless you just like the way they look as an accessory or a cool bracelet save your money1
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I just got the Garmin Vivoactive HR and I love it. Tracks all my calories burnt and workoutS heartrates helps me stay concious of what I eat and built in GPS and even is water proof and tracks swimming. Best Christmas gift ever1
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I've had a Fitbit One for 18 months and I love it. I find it really motivational and I find myself feeling accountable to it to go and hit my 10,000 steps. In fact, if I walk somewhere and it's not logged, I feel I've missed out!
The app is great and I have it linked to MFP. I lost all my baby weight after my first child using this combination. I'd love a higher spec Fitbit, but I can't wear it to work so I'll stick with the One.
My partner laughed and said I'd wasted my money, but he is impressed by how it motivates me.3
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