are fitness trackers all they're hyped up to be?

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  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    I think the answer to that question lies in whether or not you're motivated by data/goals/awards. I love data and numbers and graphs, and also love having goals to strive for, so a fitness tracker provides motivation and incentive to me. If those kinds of things don't motivate or interest you, it will probably end up in a drawer pretty quickly.

    Garmin, Fitbit and Apple also have social media platforms associated with their trackers, where you can connect with/compete with other users. I don't use that side of it, so have no comment on it, but some people find the social aspect of it very helpful/motivating.
  • Lance1545
    Lance1545 Posts: 5 Member
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    If you decide to buy, be sure to look past the watch itself. Check out the software and the apps that are used with the watch. Make sure they're compatible with all the other platforms you use. I have the Samsung Fit2 pro and it does not work well with other programs including MFP. I don't recommend anything with Samsung.
  • LaurenD63
    LaurenD63 Posts: 57 Member
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    As mentioned, fitness trackers are good for measuring and awareness of how productive you are throughout the day in your activity. It's up to you to make the best out of it. I bought a cheap fitness tracker off Amazon this past week and I love it. I think it's fairly accurate since it's measuring roughly the same amount of calories that came through my old smart watch I used on a typical work day to and from the office. While it is not compatible with MFP, I just manually add the calories I burn as a made up exercise in my diary by the end of the day.
  • Momepro
    Momepro Posts: 1,509 Member
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    I personally love my smartwatch, even though it is considered ancient at this point (original Galaxy Gear Live). I use my HR monitor,sleep app, timer and step counter constantly, and they do help me keep track of how various changes effect my overall health.
    Plus getting phobe notificationson my watch, being able to reply to texts, and impressing randon children with my sillier inferactive watch faces is pretty cool too.
  • positivepowers
    positivepowers Posts: 902 Member
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    It depends on what you want the tracker for. I have a Misfit Swarovski crystal. My son gave it to me for Mothers' Day two years ago and I'm never without it. I use it for motivation because I like to track my activity but I take the advantages and drawbacks into consideration too because my Misfit isn't magick, after all. I did began running again though because my Misfit links to MFP and getting those extra calories is an added incentive (ice cream!)
  • _mr_b
    _mr_b Posts: 302 Member
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    Does a fitness tracker magically make you lose weight - no.

    Is it a tool to help you be more active and understand how you move throughout the day - yes.

    I love mine and have just upgraded. I love how much data I get and that I can now record everything on one device. For me it’s all about knowledge, with that I can be a fitter (and lighter) person.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,398 Member
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    I have a fitbit charge 2. Their calories are inflated a lot and so are their workout calories for me. But then I have a very high maximum HR, and despite changing it manually FB doesn't really seem to take it into account. So if I just walk through a supermarket FB calculates massive burns which aren't there in reality.

    But I use it to keep an eye on the minimum HR display (find it a good proxy to stress) and the sleep metrics to make sure I do get enough sleep.
  • CarlydogsMom
    CarlydogsMom Posts: 645 Member
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    I think it helps if you have a decent understanding of your own average calorie burns, because these things can be all over the map in terms of calculating/portraying calories expended. I walk every morning, into a nearby forest; it's a mix of walking and hiking. I've experimented with just letting it count my steps; measuring using the "walking" setting; and measuring using the "hiking" setting. Doing the exact same walk gives different calorie burns depending on whether the watch thinks I'm doing nothing special, or going on a focused walk, or hiking.

    I recommend that if you do get one (and I do really like mine for many of the reasons above), don't assume the data is perfect. Track what you can track and if you think it allocates too much of a burn, adjust the numbers in MFP or in your own mind. After years of losing weight and maintaining, I have a very good idea on how many calories I burn while doing the activities I regularly do.

    What I'm REALLY interested in now, is that I have my Samsung Gear Fit2, but just won a FitBit Alta HR in a contest. When I get it all set up, I'm going to wear both on the same wrist for several days to see the difference in numbers, to see which one I prefer. I'm generally happy with my Gear, it doesn't seem to inflate my calories AS MUCH as what I've heard FitBits do. It'll be an interesting experiment.
  • SparkleHorse224
    SparkleHorse224 Posts: 98 Member
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    I've had a Jawbone, a Fitbit HR Charge, a Fitbit Alta, and now a Fitbit Charge 2 lol. I am not a super athlete but I really like the data. I linked it with my MyFitnessPal account and I keep track of food but then I can see steps, heart rate, etc. I had one without the heart rate monitor for a while but I realized I really like that feature - I'm an anxious person and it helps me see when my heart rate reflects that. It has a short breathing exercise feature too, which I enjoy as well. I wasn't sure I was going to like a fitness tracker but there is something very satisfying about getting to 10,000 steps and it shows a little party on the screen lol. Whatever motivates us, right?
  • ChelzFit
    ChelzFit Posts: 292 Member
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    I have had a Fitbit for about 3 years and just switched to an apple watch. I am getting used to the rings as opposed to the steps, but I still make sure I hit at least 10,000 a day not including exercise. When I started with Fitbit I realized how lazy I was throughout the day. I always had a mind set of I worked out today, so I have the right to be lazy. I was barely hitting 5,000. The device really motivated me to move more and now I cant live without a fitness tracker.
  • davepollack
    davepollack Posts: 19 Member
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    I think it can motivate you. Once I started hitting the 10K, I didn't want to go without hitting it. So it can definetly motivate you. But everyone is different.
    It also gives you a lot of info. Especially the ones with Heart Rate. They may not be perfectly accurate but it give you some sort of baseline.
  • Sugarbird23
    Sugarbird23 Posts: 3 Member
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    I love my Fitbit! It's a new thing in my life as I got it for Christmas, and I find it very motivating. I use it when I run, but for exercise that it doesn't track, such as swimming (not waterproof) and weights, you can add it in manually. I have an Alta HR and it's linked to my MFP account, which seems to work well.

    I'm pretty competitive (just against myself!) and I do strive to meet my goals, beat previous steps records etc., which motivates me. I also really like the sleep tracker facility.

    Yes, it's a tool, but if it works for you then it's great. It's making me move more and that has to be a good thing!
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
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    I havent regretted buying my fitbit for a second. I did buy mine used off craigslist though.

    But here are the changes I have noticed:
    *I like to see all of my data and if I notice with my weekly reports that I have been significantly less active than the previous week, it motivates me to go out and change that
    *I do get more steps in, I basically dont sit on the couch from the second I get home until I go to bed now when before I did
    *On the weekends I realize how truly sedentary I can be, im talking its 3 pm and I have 900 steps (I live in an apartment so theres not too much space to walk around) when I see that I have such a low number of steps it motivates me to go out and go for a walk or a hike
    *I will make the extra trip into the store or make the extra loop around the store rather than asking my husband to do it
    *I realized I need to get a walk in during my lunch break and get up every once in awhile at work, Its a struggle to even get 2,000 steps in while I am at the office

    Ive had my fitbit about a year so I think these changes are something that have stuck with me long term, im not as sedentary as I used to be, so I think just that was worth the money.

    I also have some step based goals that I use my fitbit for, in particular the app I am using Walk to Mordor I am hoping to finish before 2019, so my fitbit is really helpful in helping me keep track for that.
  • misskitty2018
    misskitty2018 Posts: 68 Member
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    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    I have a Garmin, but you get the idea :smiley:

    thxflqli6ugk.jpeg

    so cute ;)
  • misskitty2018
    misskitty2018 Posts: 68 Member
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    SparkleHorse224 wrote: »
    I've had a Jawbone, a Fitbit HR Charge, a Fitbit Alta, and now a Fitbit Charge 2 lol. I am not a super athlete but I really like the data. I linked it with my MyFitnessPal account and I keep track of food but then I can see steps, heart rate, etc. I had one without the heart rate monitor for a while but I realized I really like that feature - I'm an anxious person and it helps me see when my heart rate reflects that. It has a short breathing exercise feature too, which I enjoy as well. I wasn't sure I was going to like a fitness tracker but there is something very satisfying about getting to 10,000 steps and it shows a little party on the screen lol. Whatever motivates us, right?

    thanks for that info!
  • misskitty2018
    misskitty2018 Posts: 68 Member
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    davepollack wrote: »
    I think it can motivate you. Once I started hitting the 10K, I didn't want to go without hitting it. So it can definetly motivate you. But everyone is different.
    It also gives you a lot of info. Especially the ones with Heart Rate. They may not be perfectly accurate but it give you some sort of baseline.

    thank you for the helpful info
  • misskitty2018
    misskitty2018 Posts: 68 Member
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    Sugarbird23 wrote: »
    I love my Fitbit! It's a new thing in my life as I got it for Christmas, and I find it very motivating. I use it when I run, but for exercise that it doesn't track, such as swimming (not waterproof) and weights, you can add it in manually. I have an Alta HR and it's linked to my MFP account, which seems to work well.

    I'm pretty competitive (just against myself!) and I do strive to meet my goals, beat previous steps records etc., which motivates me. I also really like the sleep tracker facility.

    Yes, it's a tool, but if it works for you then it's great. It's making me move more and that has to be a good thing!

    helpful info! thanks

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