Fitbit in NZ?

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Amy_nz
Amy_nz Posts: 145
Hi all - I'm a sucker for gadgets - does anybody in NZ have a fitbit? It seems pretty cool - I'm pretty sure it heats pies and makes coffee and all sorts of things. But being a techno-retard (doesn't fit well with being a sucker for gadgets!) I'm not even sure that it'll work here!

I'll be getting an HRM in the next coupla weeks anyway, but just interested in fitbit too.

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  • KahuNZ
    KahuNZ Posts: 401 Member
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    I do and I love it - great little motivator that lives on me. I got it from Amazon about NZ$130. Message me if you want to know more
  • twoboys2012
    twoboys2012 Posts: 352 Member
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    I do and I love it - great little motivator that lives on me. I got it from Amazon about NZ$130. Message me if you want to know more

    have you tried any other ones ... as wondering if others are just as good or if fitbit better? i also need to get something as I like to be accurate with my exercise too and wonder what i am like through out the day
  • jamesg2012
    jamesg2012 Posts: 25
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    anyone tried any watches on trademe that have work other than fitbit?:wink:
  • twoboys2012
    twoboys2012 Posts: 352 Member
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    I have heard people talk about ones called polar f??? (something like that) and i have seen then on trade me but i don't wanna spend money on something that is not as effective. My bro has one that he loves and it goes on his shoe (kinda like a pedometer) and is linked to his watch and it all links up and tells him distance he ran, running rate, steps, cals burned, HR, etc etc and has a chest strap that he uses ... will get the name of that one ... of course tho these things do cost money!!
  • Amy_nz
    Amy_nz Posts: 145
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    Ooh, excellent! Kahu, does a fitbit do everything, or do you think it would be useful to have a heart rate monitor with a chest strap etc as well?

    I've looked into the polar ones on trademe but they apparently don't have stopwatches. The Sigma ones do, and they seem to get okay reviews as well, so I'm aiming to get one of them next week. They seem to sell for anything from $50 to hundreds of dollars (I very won't be getting the most expensive one!).
  • twoboys2012
    twoboys2012 Posts: 352 Member
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    The one my bro uses and reccomends is called a Garmin f 60. Pretty sure he got it on trade me too ... he says it has all the extra stuff and at a cheaper price
  • jamesg2012
    jamesg2012 Posts: 25
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    anyone with ideas on cheaper watches..thanks Rene had a check on these watches and they are $500....Im thinking of getting one for 30-50 dollars...Cheers guys
  • jamesg2012
    jamesg2012 Posts: 25
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    Ooh, excellent! Kahu, does a fitbit do everything, or do you think it would be useful to have a heart rate monitor with a chest strap etc as well?

    I've looked into the polar ones on trademe but they apparently don't have stopwatches. The Sigma ones do, and they seem to get okay reviews as well, so I'm aiming to get one of them next week. They seem to sell for anything from $50 to hundreds of dollars (I very won't be getting the most expensive one!).


    Where do the sigma ones come from...Can't find any on trademe...Any advice would be helpful thanks
  • Amy_nz
    Amy_nz Posts: 145
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    Where do the sigma ones come from...Can't find any on trademe...Any advice would be helpful thanks

    There's a trader called lpggas who seems to be pretty good - 2700 trades, 100% positive feedback. They've got them in stock - they're really good at responding to questions too.

    Twoboys, thanks for the recommendation - have bid on one!
  • jamesg2012
    jamesg2012 Posts: 25
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    amynz cheers for he info:smile:
  • KahuNZ
    KahuNZ Posts: 401 Member
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    The Fitbit is easy to set up and use and I like all its features...it tells you how many floors you have climbed or hills. Its so little I wear it all day and use it to log my sleeping time as well (though this is a bit gimmicky but cool anyway).
    It motivates you if you haven't say, climbed your 10 or more floors for the day - you set your own goals - steps/floors/km's/calories burned etc.. Can join up with 'friends' - I started a NZ group so you can see each others progress (this is on the Fitbit site - only 3 of us so far, but it will grow).
    I log my food on MFP as well as my exercise (only because I want my exercise to show up on my news feed here). This transfers over to the Fitbit site when you have them linked. I have had no problem with this.
    The fitbit works best with lower body as in walking and running - if you do a lot of upper body stuff it does not record that - you need to log that exercise separately.
    I also use a HRM when I run on the treadmill - only because I like recording how well I am doing and seeing improvements. The fitbit is a pedometer but that does more and far more accurate I believe than a $40 pedometer from the sports shop or chemist. A pedometer does not record floors either. Its has a digital display and syncs when your computer is turned on. Shows graphs etc on the website
    I think its a great tool for me or anyone who likes to walk/run and achieve daily or weekly goals.
  • Amy_nz
    Amy_nz Posts: 145
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    Awesome - I just bought a HRM on trademe (yaaaay!), and I think I'll get a fitbit too!

    Love me a gadget.

    Enjoy the rest of your weekend - beautiful and sunny in Welly!
  • Davincimel
    Davincimel Posts: 3
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    I have the fitbit and a heart rate monitor (a polar one) I use the fitbit for my everyday moving around and the heartrate monitor when i do a gym session. I find the heartrate monitor more accurate in terms of calories burnt when you aren't stepping, so doing more traditional gym exercises like pressups, bench press etc. I love the fitbit because it is instant feedback (and instant extra calories) if you're creeping a little close to your food goal you can go and walk a few flights of stairs and synch it again! it is healping me change behaviour like taking stairs rather than the elevator so i earn credit. I love that the fitbit and myfitnesspal sites talk to each other so synching on fitbit gives you exercise calories on myfitness pal. and the part i love about my polar HRM is that it is press and go for a workout session. has the chest strap and watch, and gives you a summary of calories burnt, maximum and average heart rates and time spent in your optimal training zone. all really useful information. It also bluetooth synchs to the polar website so you can see how your sessions progress and compare your workouts. and yep, I'm a sucker for going all OCD on the gadgets too! :)
  • Amy_nz
    Amy_nz Posts: 145
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    I got my fitbit today! So far I like it, but in my (very unscientific) experience it seems to be over-counting my steps. I'm sure I'll get the knack of it though! Plus I went for a five minute drive and it counted some steps (not many, only four) - I've got some learning to do I think!
  • Davincimel
    Davincimel Posts: 3
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    Amy you can download the manual from the website and it tells you how to calibrate it to your steps using a treatmill that might help. so far I've been pretty lucky in that it seems to be accurate for my steps and isn't registereing car drives. (in the long run though I'm thinking 4 steps isn't going a long way towards cheating in the 10,000 steps a day challenge!) good luck and have fun with it!
  • Amy_nz
    Amy_nz Posts: 145
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    So far so good - yesterday's unscientific experiments were VEEEERY unscientific! My slightly-more-measured ones today had a lot more success. It did count a couple of hundred steps each way on the train, but the trains are very rocky and rolly so I'm not surprised.

    So I'd say that it's pretty accurate for me - so far (and it's only day one, I'm being pretty hasty about these things) I'd say that it over-estimates my steps but not by a helluva lot. So if I was to wear it between leaving for work and getting home, that should even up the steppage.

    It's so little! It's teeny tiny!
  • KahuNZ
    KahuNZ Posts: 401 Member
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    So far so good - yesterday's unscientific experiments were VEEEERY unscientific! My slightly-more-measured ones today had a lot more success. It did count a couple of hundred steps each way on the train, but the trains are very rocky and rolly so I'm not surprised.

    So I'd say that it's pretty accurate for me - so far (and it's only day one, I'm being pretty hasty about these things) I'd say that it over-estimates my steps but not by a helluva lot. So if I was to wear it between leaving for work and getting home, that should even up the steppage.

    It's so little! It's teeny tiny!

    It is so weeny tiny and lovely.
    All I can say is don't sweat the small stuff - a few steps here and there doesn't make a whole lot of difference in the overall scheme of things.