Fitbit? Pedometer? Runkeeper? Nike+? HELP

LeilaFace
LeilaFace Posts: 390 Member
edited November 10 in Fitness and Exercise
I want to get one of those calorie/exercise tracker devices because I do a lot of workouts alone and a lot of them I'm guessing at how many calories I burn (Like my fat burning yoga or hula or walking a mile up and down the hill by my house, running in the woods, hiking and even strength training).

The Fitbit is offered on MFP so it's the first one I heard of that isn't just a pedometer and seems to track calories burned according to Heart rate, time, etc.

I don't want to be crediting myself calories I'm not burning or shorting myself on the calories burned.

Has anyone used any of these devices, have any suggestions on which one to buy or have any experience to help me decide what to do? If nothing else how do I track calories when there isn't any real way to know (exercise machine, etc?)?

MAHALO!!!!!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/apps/show/fitbit
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Replies

  • Anayalata
    Anayalata Posts: 391 Member
    I've been looking at the fitbit for a while now but I'm not entirely convinced on the accuracy of it yet, but it's not like I own one.

    For workouts nothing beats a Heart-Rate Monitor.

    I wear a pedometer when I go for walks and just use MFP's "Walking 3.0 mph" and round down the time I walked.
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    I have a Fitbit, which I love, but it's not a true Heart Rate Monitor (HRM). I don't know how accurate its calorie count is. There's a huge discrepancy between my Fitbit calories and my machine calories. I use it to track my steps and flights, which is actually fun for me.
  • smilebhappy
    smilebhappy Posts: 811 Member
    bump to read later :)
  • p0pr0cksnc0ke
    p0pr0cksnc0ke Posts: 1,283 Member
    bitty bump
  • CarolineSuzanneSmith
    CarolineSuzanneSmith Posts: 127 Member
    bump to read later. i'm also in the market for a good HRM/calorie counter, but can't decide on one.
  • RAFValentina
    RAFValentina Posts: 1,231 Member
    I track my runs using Nike+ and link to machine but in terms of calories... I use my Polar RS300X which is fantastic and I think accurate as can be for a mid range HRM.
  • blondejillie
    blondejillie Posts: 305 Member
    Love my fitbit. Wear it on a cord round my neck and synch it online several times a day. It's extremely motivating to watch the step count and distance increasing, and makes you want to take that one extra flight of stairs...that one extra walk with the dogs to earn your daily badges. Also tracks how often I'm waking in the night, quality of sleep, etc.
  • mrs_lanza
    mrs_lanza Posts: 33
    I'm a huge Nike+ user. I started using it to track my running but now they came out with the Nike Fuel which tracks everything. I love it! :smile: I highly recommend it. If you end up getting Nike + let me know and I'll add you as a friend on the nike page!
  • Sherie13
    Sherie13 Posts: 250 Member
    Oh, I want a fit bit so badly. But if you are trying to track the calories burned, it's not as good as a HRM. I've done research on this. A lot of people that have both have to go into fitbit website and adjust the calories to match their HRM when they work out. Machines are usually off as well. I'd say get a Heart Rate Monitor that comes with a chest strap. I have a Polar one I got for pretty cheap and free shipping on Amazon.
  • getsveltEagain
    getsveltEagain Posts: 1,063 Member
    I use a bodybugg (also a bodymedia) that I can wear 24/7 minus water time (ie shower). This has proven to be very accurate since I get the full picture of what I am burning in a 24 hour period. It uses two metal plates that are touching your tricep to sense the tempature, wetness, and a few other chemicals to tell just how hard you are working out. I suggest you look into it :wink:

    According to the website Bodybugg.com "The armband has been shown to be over 90% accurate when determining calorie burn through the entire day. More specifically, a recent independent study tested the armband in real-life situations. Participants engaged in "free living" activities, including brisk walking, running, bicycling, sedentary activities, home activities, home repair, occupational activities, strength training, and ball games. The study compared the armband to a $40,000 "portable oxygen analyzer", the gold standard for measuring calories. Results showed:

    Total Calories for free living activities: mean error <10%.
    Total Minutes of exercise: mean error <5%.

    Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine. July 2010. Berntsen et al."
  • jolleymomma02
    jolleymomma02 Posts: 3 Member
    Hi! Both me and my husband have a fitbit and we love it. It doesn't monitor your heart rate, but we like that it's tied in with MFP. You can set it to track your exercises and it will update it to MFP and update your calories you can have for the day. So far we don't have any complaints with the fitbit except I wish there was a way to also track your heart rate. I think it's cool it monitors your sleep.
  • izerop
    izerop Posts: 69 Member
    I use runkeeper on my mobile device. It's great as long as you can carry a mobile while you are running/walking (and have battery, service in the area). It also accepts HRM measurements at the end of the work out if you so wish. It bases calories on your weight and other factors (elevation climb (hills)). I like it. I add the workouts here on MFP and the calories are usually lower here, but I just leave it.

    Its not a bad tool for being free!
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    Love my fitbit. Wear it on a cord round my neck and synch it online several times a day. It's extremely motivating to watch the step count and distance increasing, and makes you want to take that one extra flight of stairs...that one extra walk with the dogs to earn your daily badges. Also tracks how often I'm waking in the night, quality of sleep, etc.

    Exactly!!!
  • AdrienneKaren
    AdrienneKaren Posts: 168 Member
    I just bought a Polar....shoot....forgot the model type. Either way, it's an HRM and I can't wait to use it. I ordered it on Amazon yesterday for $80. I'll let you know how I like it if you want!
  • itsjustdawn
    itsjustdawn Posts: 1,073 Member
    Which Polar is best to get? I was going to post a topic but since this one was already started... I do want a chest-strap. I'll still use my Fitbit. It's attached to me at the hip (almost literally!).
  • cmarshel
    cmarshel Posts: 46 Member
    I use a Polar Bluetooth HRM ($75) that I pair to my phone with the SportsTracker Pro app ($5). Loving it!
  • jkburns29
    jkburns29 Posts: 10
    I have a Nike Plus and I love it, but if you want it to track more then just run/walks I wouldn't recommend it. Nike is about to come out with Nike Fuel. Its a bracelet you wear constantly and it can tell if you are sitting verse active and it can tell you how many calories you burn for every little thing you do. That is what I would recommend. Nike Fuel.
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I've got the polar FT60 hrm and its fantastic! X
  • LeilaFace
    LeilaFace Posts: 390 Member
    I use a bodybugg (also a bodymedia) that I can wear 24/7 minus water time (ie shower). This has proven to be very accurate since I get the full picture of what I am burning in a 24 hour period. It uses two metal plates that are touching your tricep to sense the tempature, wetness, and a few other chemicals to tell just how hard you are working out. I suggest you look into it :wink:

    According to the website Bodybugg.com "The armband has been shown to be over 90% accurate when determining calorie burn through the entire day. More specifically, a recent independent study tested the armband in real-life situations. Participants engaged in "free living" activities, including brisk walking, running, bicycling, sedentary activities, home activities, home repair, occupational activities, strength training, and ball games. The study compared the armband to a $40,000 "portable oxygen analyzer", the gold standard for measuring calories. Results showed:

    Total Calories for free living activities: mean error <10%.
    Total Minutes of exercise: mean error <5%.

    Source: British Journal of Sports Medicine. July 2010. Berntsen et al."


    I have never heard of that one. THANK YOU FOR THE SUGGESTION.
  • jdavison91
    jdavison91 Posts: 50
    I'm a huge Nike+ user. I started using it to track my running but now they came out with the Nike Fuel which tracks everything. I love it! :smile: I highly recommend it. If you end up getting Nike + let me know and I'll add you as a friend on the nike page!

    Do you have the Nike Fuel already? I didn't realize it was already out. I thought they were only taking pre-orders. If you have it, can you please provide a more detail review of what you like and don't like about it?
  • LeilaFace
    LeilaFace Posts: 390 Member
    Okay so what I'm kind of leaning towards now is:

    1. Fitbit + HRM (Kinda expensive to do)
    2. Heart Rate Monitor
    3. Nike Fuel
    4. Body Bugg

    Any other comments on those?

    Thank you all for all the help it's so hard to track calories burned. I really appreciate the fast response and all the help.
  • RussetBrunnette
    RussetBrunnette Posts: 107 Member
    I have a Suunto M4 HRM and love it, accurate and suggests workouts for you based on your fitness level
  • ratherbeskiing
    ratherbeskiing Posts: 847 Member
    I use the Polar HRM AND Nike +. I use the HRM for the HR and the Nike + for the distance and to keep my pace. I like them both. ::bigsmile:
  • KristenStone
    KristenStone Posts: 106 Member
    I have had my Fitbit for two weeks and I find it to be pretty accurate in the steps I take. I love it and would highly recommend it. It is not a HRM but it does track calories burned and it automatically adjusts to your MFP-so awesome! I personally rarely eat my excercise calories back so I'm not too worried about that-but it definitely gives me that extra boost to keep moving and I challenge myself to do 10K steps daily! (Probably would normally do 4-5K) :)

    Good luck with your choice!! :)
  • DyannAlvarez
    DyannAlvarez Posts: 162 Member
    I would recommend a heart rate monitor for calorie burn. I use the Runkeeper on my phone and love it. It's great for distance and letting you know how you're doing as far as time and distance. However the calories burned are always off from my HRM. I go by my HRM for accuracy on calorie burn. The 2 together are perfect for me.
  • leahalissa
    leahalissa Posts: 88 Member
    I've had a fitbit for a while now. I love it because it keeps me in competition with myself.

    HOWEVER, like said before, it's not a HRM. It in no way gives an accurate reflection of calories burned. It has a estimate based on your age, steps, BMR, etc. Still, a fun device to use :)
  • LeilaFace
    LeilaFace Posts: 390 Member
    So should I just get an HRM? Lots of people have been suggesting Polar brand. I guess I'll look into them. While The Fitbit and Fuel and Bodybugg seem awesome it seems a good old HRM will help the most with tracking calories and that's what I really need because I do so much outdoors stuff I have no clue what I'm burning and I hate guessing and making stuff up.
  • SaraTN
    SaraTN Posts: 536 Member
    I highly recommend the Bodybugg -- as it gives a full picture of your burn throughout the day. On one hand it is helpful in terms of motivation when you look at how many calories you have burned it can push you to go for that extra walk after dinner or if you have met your goal, I like to push for another 100 calories.

    I don't use their food tracking mainly because I started here and had so many items saved in my food diary and I did a lot of input for my recipes etc. I also like the pedometer on it -- I find it to be far more accurate than any of the others I have used in the past.

    It is a little more expensive. But worth every dime if you ask me... I actually bought one for my boyfriend for Valentine's day because he liked seeing my numbers and calorie burns as motivation for me... so why not him too?!
  • pamelad77
    pamelad77 Posts: 292 Member
    I'm thinking of waiting and getting the Nike+ fuelband.
    I love the idea of the fitbit but there have been issues with people driving and it logging the movements as steps. As I'm a uck driver this would cause some major accuracy problems. I sent an email to fitbit regarding this and they replied saying it is a known technical issue and they are working on it.
  • pamelad77
    pamelad77 Posts: 292 Member
    That would be truck driver, not uck driver lol
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