FitBit

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MasonMelissa
MasonMelissa Posts: 525 Member
in Motivation and Support
A friend of mine is looking at a FitBit. She is wondering what the benifits of using this device are. She had a Mytrak and is looking to get rid of it. Any advice good or bad would be apreciated.

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  • tbresina
    tbresina Posts: 558 Member
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    I want one too but would also like a little advice. How does it work, where is the best place to wear it etc!
  • MasonMelissa
    MasonMelissa Posts: 525 Member
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    Bump
  • ChristieStearns
    ChristieStearns Posts: 94 Member
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    Hey guys. I just got mine 3 1/2 days ago so I'm no expert but I am loving it so far. I did a post about it on my blog, all the things you can see etc. http://christies-blog.com (posted yesterday March 11, 2012). Basically it tracks everything you do, encourages you to move more and gives you goals, lots of graphs to see your stats. It integrates with MyFitnessPal, too! So I track everything here and it syncs to my FitBit.
  • MasonMelissa
    MasonMelissa Posts: 525 Member
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    thanks for the info!!!
  • ambitious01
    ambitious01 Posts: 209 Member
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    I got my FitBit about two weeks ago. Before that i used a timex heartrate monitor( one with a chest strap). I bought the Fitbit for 99.00 from their company. I paid an additional 49.00 for one year of " a fitness trainer". I wear it on my wrist while I sleep and it keeps track of how well I slept. My only grievance with the FitBit is that is doesn't seem to be ever so fair. On the elliptical today I had it set for a workout. I did 30 minutes on it and it gave me credit for 284 calories burnt. It knows my weight but not the intensity I workout on. The elliptical machine tracked 395 calories since I use high resistance. When it put my exercise info on mfp it lowered it to 184 calories!!!!! I don't know that I recommend one. I worked my tail off last weekend and it only counted step!!!! I think I'd rather recommend the BodyMedia, made by BodyBugg.
  • crudd123
    crudd123 Posts: 244 Member
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    Under Groups, search Fitbit Users-that is a group on here! You can get lots of info on there! Good luck! I've got one and love it!
  • MasonMelissa
    MasonMelissa Posts: 525 Member
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    thanks
  • crudd123
    crudd123 Posts: 244 Member
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    Also some people synch it to MFP, I don't! I think it way over estimates calories burned!
  • ginblossm
    ginblossm Posts: 3 Member
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    I have had mine for only one day. Everyone at ork has one and we have fun competing with each other. It syncs to MFP but I have not figured it out yet. It comes with no instructions. You have to go to fitbit.com to get any info from it. My Target stores here in Minnesota has the fitbit for $89.95.
  • lungry1980
    lungry1980 Posts: 37
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    I have been thinking about getting a fitbit or the polar ft60. I havent been able to decide. I hope this forum helps me too!
  • SafireBleu
    SafireBleu Posts: 881 Member
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    I love it. I wear it on my bra during the day and on my wrist at night. I log foods and exercises here and it seems to give me about the same amount of calories a day that I have set up here. I do recommend using a HRM for actual workouts though since this does not really know the intensity of your workout and can not give you an accurate burn. I use this all day and strap on the HRM when I work out. I enter the calories burned from my HRM onto MFP and it makes the adjustment on FitBit
  • smiley61
    smiley61 Posts: 24
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    will it track your workout calories I don't need to track steps. Is it accurate? My bow flex watch seem high in my calorie count.
  • BellydanceBliss
    BellydanceBliss Posts: 330
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    I use both the fitbit and the HRM with chest strap. I do bellydance and other dancing fitness stuff that are a gentler flow of things...the fitbit doesnt pic up in that for me as much so i wear both...they favor each other nicely because the HRM isnt fool proof either. The fitbit tracks movement all day so I scored an extra 500 i think it was lol.
  • ChristieStearns
    ChristieStearns Posts: 94 Member
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    As far as instructions.... I had trouble finding them too!!! On the FitBit site at the very bottom there's a Help menu with an FAQ, FitBit 101 and a Product Manual. This is where I started. When it comes to syncing with MFP, I found instructions when I went to set up the link. Those instructions were on the myfitnesspal site under tools.

    For the person who said it lowered it to 184 after you put in your workout. This has confused me too. 1. you have to log your workouts and meals ONLY on myfitnesspal. 2. you have to put in the workout start time so it will reconcile your workout with fitbit, 3. give it a few minutes and refresh. You will see everything correct plus sometimes an ADDITIONAL fitbit adjustment on top of what you put in for your workout burn. it will never subtract from what you say your workout burned if you collect other info from a machine or heart rate monitor. 4. Fitbit only tracks steps. So like when I go to Curves, it underestimates because it can only count what I'm doing on the cardio portion. When I'm working on the weights machines, it just thinks I'm sitting on my butt. So a heart rate monitor or other device works good in conjunction, or just using MFP to look up exercises.

    Still learning but this is what I've figured out so far. :)
  • Meggeler
    Meggeler Posts: 42
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    I have had one about a month. I love it. It seems quite fair to me, it is always within 2-3 calories of my treadmill values. The sleep function is really interesting. It shows you how many times you were up during the night and real sleep times as opposed to bed times. I find I walk a little more just to satisfy the 'bug'.

    I was warned about losing it (small) so purchased a 8" lanyard that can attach in the lining of pockets and the FitBit. With the included holder I can put it unobtrusively into the back part of my front pocket, works great.

    I think it is a great buy but the forum on FitBit.com hass a lot of complaints about reclined exercises. Since all of mine are upright and more or less steps (Wii Tennis etc..) it works. Reclining equipment is not is accurate.

    BTW it has an altimeter, measures the floors you climb. Doesn't work with my attic steps tho' and I tried :smile:
  • LadyBeryl
    LadyBeryl Posts: 344 Member
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    Although I try to keep it I like it primarily for tracking sleep. I put everything in MFP and sometimes FitBit will add an adjustment if my MFP exercise calories are too low.

    Since I never eat my exercise calories, it doesn't matter to me if they overestimate.
  • tminus31
    tminus31 Posts: 7
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    You have seen the FitBit at Target in Minnesota? Thats where i live so just curious.
  • MasonMelissa
    MasonMelissa Posts: 525 Member
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    thanks everyone for the great insight on this product.
  • ambitious01
    ambitious01 Posts: 209 Member
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    I have relinked my fitbit and everything is beautiful with it. I still wish I'd bought a different device though :smile:
  • Meggeler
    Meggeler Posts: 42
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    Did you get:

    " . . .. the elliptical machine tracked 395 calories since I use high resistance. When it put my exercise info on mfp it lowered it to 184 calories!!!!!"

    Working correctly?

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