Fitbit users: How does it work, and has it helped you?

FitBit is a pedometer with a LOT more extra features. It counts how many "floors" you've climbed (actually floors or hills...elevation), how many steps taken, distance, and tracks sleep. As long as you keep it on it will track steps.

Hi Jade..no, you can't wear it swimming. it's not waterproof..but you can set it into timer mode and manually enter an activity. as horror said, it has many features. the main features for me?

-keeps me honest with my activity vs my eating (intake of calories vs output)
-it ties into both a fitbit tracking website and myfitnesspal..either or you can easily track food etc.
-it tracks every movement. you do burn calories just to live:)
-you can get a snapshot of your sleep pattern. as a troubled sleeper, it has been handy for me to track and see how it correlates to things i've done that may cause a bad sleep (too much caffeine, windy night, stress at work etc) and help me in managing my sleep.
-it updates via wireless basically if your computer is on and you're within 20 to 30 ft of the base station..very cool

ps- the real proof is in what has it done for me lately? i started using it in conjunction with the websites on dec 27th. i've lost 13lb in just under a month thanks to this.

They have a newer version out now - it's the fitbit ultra and I believe I read it is not water proof. I was trying to find it at the site

here -

Is the Fitbit Tracker waterproof?
The Fitbit Tracker is water resistant and should hold up through normal use throughout the day. However, it is not waterproof and should not be worn in water or during activities where it might get wet.

thats a good question i would like to know that too not that i swim but if i started again

interesting...thanks i still want one for general use and am wondering if there is a waterproof one

i found this http://www.finisinc.com/aquapulse/ 149.00

Just to chime in, I've got a FitBit Ultra and I'm extremely pleased with it. I've got it on my hip from the moment I'm out of the shower in the morning until I set it on the nightstand when I go to bed. It's allowed me to be far more aware of my activity levels through day. As others have said, it is not waterproof (but rather, water "resistant") so it can take a drop or two of rain, but will not survive the toilet, shower, hottub, or pool.

There are pros and cons, so you need to evaluate what you really need out of a tracker. The pros for me are that it very accurately tracks my steps which translates to miles walked/jogged/ran per day, as well as a calorie burn estimate from that effort. A single charge lasts for a good three days before you have to drop it on its base. Better than most cell phones. As far as cons, there are only a few minor things that deal more with the FitBit website and metrics than anything with the device. For one, there is no pause button anymore. That means that if you happen to drive or commute a lot, you either need to put the device into stopwatch mode or remember the exact moment you started and stopped, and then log that as an activity to zero out the calories. After two hours on the motorcycle the FitBit had me walking 78 miles and climbing 102 stairs. It's correctable, but annoying.

So there you go. Great for legitimate step, stairs, and calorie counting, bad for swimming and motorcycles. Best of luck on whatever decision you make!