Fitbit

loadsandloads
loadsandloads Posts: 353 Member
edited December 22 in Food and Nutrition
Is anyone out there using a Fitbit. I'm considering getting one as I'm not all that confident in a normal pedometer. I considered HRM but don't know if that is enough. I just want an accurate way to track heart rate and calorie burn. Any help would be great. Thanks
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Replies

  • sgall123
    sgall123 Posts: 133 Member
    i have a fitbit but it doesn't track heart rate.. however its very good at what it does and certainly makes you move more!!
  • PurpleGyrl13
    PurpleGyrl13 Posts: 84 Member
    I have a fitbit. I love it. I love the fact that it tracks your sleep patterns as well. Tells you how long it takes you to tall asleep; how long you slept; how many times you were awaken during the night. Plus it tracks your steps taken as well.

    I just realized that all I was focusing on here was "non activity' function! LOL!!!
  • Healthy_Melva
    Healthy_Melva Posts: 91 Member
    How do you wear the Fitbit? I've been holding off buying one depending on how it is attached.
  • p0pr0cksnc0ke
    p0pr0cksnc0ke Posts: 1,283 Member
    I wear mine on the top of my bra
  • NewChristina
    NewChristina Posts: 250 Member
    7805 steps taken today
    78% of goal of 10,000
    4 floors climbed today
    40% of goal of 10
    You have climbed: The World's Tallest Sand Castle
    3.33 miles traveled today
    67% of goal of 5.00
    1411 calories burned
    65% of goal of 2,184 edit goal
    436 active score
    44% of goal of 1,000

    I quickly copy/pasted some info that the fitbit gives. I love it! :bigsmile:
  • nilesbollinger
    nilesbollinger Posts: 80 Member
    I love my fitbit! I use the belt clip and wear it on my belt.
  • sjackson902
    sjackson902 Posts: 154 Member
    How do you wear the Fitbit? I've been holding off buying one depending on how it is attached.

    I wear mine in the holder on the waist of my pants. Never had a real problem with it falling off. Only if I bang it on something. :)
  • happythermia
    happythermia Posts: 374
    I love my fitbit! It doesn't do heart rate - but it's still pretty awesome!

    oh, and as for wearing it - if I can I'll clip it to my bra (it's a little tricky with front hook bras!) on the holster. Or wear it at my waist with the holster thing.

    But if I'm wearing a dress that is a little tight (but not skin tight) I'll take it off the holster and VERY CAREFULLY clip it to my undies. I say very carefully because I'm terrified that I'll break the damn thing in half lol!
  • TurtleRunnerNC
    TurtleRunnerNC Posts: 751 Member
    Love my Fitbit & find it motivating to get moving. That said it is not an HRM (wish it were) so not as accurate as one on some workouts like 30DS.
  • letswalk
    letswalk Posts: 32 Member
    I use a Polar FT4 HRM. I LOVE it! :) Plus it's much cheaper than a fitbit and I feel it's very accurate. I don't need to know how much I sleep or how many steps a day I've taken. I'm a nurse. I take well over 10000 steps on days that I work!
  • MNA76
    MNA76 Posts: 1,541
    LOVE mine!! I wear it on my jeans or workout pants pocket.
  • staps065
    staps065 Posts: 837 Member
    I love my FitBit also! Great device and it does motivate but it will not give you a heart rate. If it did somehow, it would be the ultimate workout tool. I wear mine on my belt in the holder supplied. Haven't had a problem yet.
  • MeliciousGibson
    MeliciousGibson Posts: 248 Member
    I use a Polar FT4 HRM. I LOVE it! :) Plus it's much cheaper than a fitbit and I feel it's very accurate. I don't need to know how much I sleep or how many steps a day I've taken. I'm a nurse. I take well over 10000 steps on days that I work!

    I would sincerely love to find out where you got your Polar FT4 HRM, then - because I found them to be about the same price!

    I have a FitBit and have absolutely loved it!

    HOWEVER!!!!!! It doesn't do well in a washing machine. Hubby decided to help out on laundry and didn't unclip it from my sports bra (I wear it clipped to the front of my bra or sports bra unless I'm sleeping - then it goes in the wrist band for this purpose). It died. The good news is that if you lose it (or your hubby washes it) they will usually give you a COMPLIMENTARY REPLACEMENT!!! As in...FREEE!!!!! No questions asked!

    How awesome is that?!?! Their customer service rocks.

    OK - how well does it work?

    You can sync it up with your MFP profile, it "talks" back and forth about your calories in vs. calories burned, it tracks your steps and calories burned at 5 minute intervals. You can set the stop-watch feature and track how many calories you burn for a certain time period (such as a workout) or for sleeping (how many times you wake up). It sets daily & weekly goals for you to follow, which you can modify to make easier or harder depending on your level of fitness. It tracks your progress just like MFP - with the added bonus of your Blood Pressure, Resting Heart Rate, Glucose level, and more measurements.

    Yes, I love it.
  • heres2anewme
    heres2anewme Posts: 35 Member
    I recently bought a fitbit although i am not 100% sure of how to use it, except to track steps. I also own a body bugg. The reason I bought a fitbit was a friend of mine was here and we went every where together and her fitbit said she had about 3000 steps more than I did with my bodybugg. So I got to wondering about it and bought one so I could compare the fitbit with the bodybugg. Do I really like the fitbit? I might if I could get it to turn off the sleep when I tell it to and not to start it back without me saying so. Like I said I am not good at it yet. The one thing I have found is the fit bit says I get many more steps than my bodybugg if I have it attached to my bra or the top of my shirt, if I have it attached to my pocket on my pants it is closer with the body bugg, but still gives me a few hundred more steps, but not 1000s more.

    If I could afford a bodybugg vs. a fitbit I would go with it. I think it is much more accurate, but it does not give all the information that the fitbit does, but for steps and how many calories you have burned it seems to be more accurate. I know it uses a more scientific way of calculating the information than the fitbit does. OK I don't guess I can say I KNOW it does, but I should say I FEEL it does.

    The bodybugg is on special right now for $99.00 I think.
  • mdcjmom
    mdcjmom Posts: 597 Member
    I love mine. I use it for everything..But i think you know that already from my logging. It really does motivate me to move more.That is part of how I managed to lose my weight It keeps me accountable for exactly what I have and have not done.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I have had a fitbit for about 3 weeks now. 90% of the time I clip it to the front of my sports bra. I basically have it there or in the wristband 24/7. I take it off like once a week to charge it over night.

    As a SAHM I put my activity level at sedentary, but until recently I pretty much hit 12,000 steps a day. It is interesting to see that some days I really AM sedentary, but other days I am pretty active just doing my normal daily activities!

    When I think that I have been super active, it is cool to look at your MFP account and see that you have gotten a "fitbit adjustment" under your exercise tab!
  • Ralphrabbit
    Ralphrabbit Posts: 351 Member
    Interesting topic.
    I have lost so many pedometers when worn at the waist & really want a fitbit but reluctant to lose something so expensive!! Are they secure??
  • loadsandloads
    loadsandloads Posts: 353 Member
    Wow...loving all the replies. Thanks for all the help. All input will help me decide whether to take the plunge. Thanks to all of you!
  • I am not sure I would use the Fitbit all that much. Love my Polar FT4 HRM though. It was cheaper than the Fitbit when I bought it so that is why I chose it.
  • sgthaggard
    sgthaggard Posts: 581 Member
    Are they secure??
    I run with mine and I've never even come close to losing it.
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    Interesting topic.
    I have lost so many pedometers when worn at the waist & really want a fitbit but reluctant to lose something so expensive!! Are they secure??

    I cannot imagine it possibly falling off my bra. It is shaped sorta like an old fashioned wooden clothes pin--the kind without a hinge on it. I have run on the treadmill, used the elliptical, done seated crunches, etc with it on, and it is ALWAYS snug on my sports bra.

    I haven't experienced it myself, but I have heard MANY stories of fitbits that were washed, and a few of lost/damaged ones, and the company is very happy to replace them. I have also heard stories of people who requested and were sent ( for free) extra charging docks and sleep bands for their fitbit.
  • poundsgalore
    poundsgalore Posts: 99 Member
    I absolutely love my Fitbit. I have owned it since Feb. It is awesome for keeping track of steps, calories burned, helps you to set goals for yourself if you find that hard, like I did!!

    I don't understand those comparing it to a HRM though because they cannot be compared, they are different types of monitors. There are HRM lovers and Pedometer lovers! A Fitbit is a pedometer on steroids!! And I love it :-) I think if you really want HRM monitor I would not get a Fitbit unless you can afford both.

    I have heard you can get them cheaper at Amazon or Best Buy. I got mine from the company. My base stopped syncing with my computer because I was carrying it to work with me I think and the chord was stretched but Fitbit replaced it for free. Great customer service.

    I carry mine in it's clip holder or in my pants pocket. I bought a little lanyard off ebay that I use with it that clips to my pants, just in case it comes off. It saved me from loosing it a couple times.

    Good luck!!
  • tbetts23
    tbetts23 Posts: 303 Member
    Just got mine today. So far I'm in love!
  • mcarter99
    mcarter99 Posts: 1,666 Member
    Interesting topic.
    I have lost so many pedometers when worn at the waist & really want a fitbit but reluctant to lose something so expensive!! Are they secure??

    I've had mine for 2.5 years so far, but I think 1.5 of those it was in a desk drawer. I haven't lost it but I'm pretty attentive to it and used to making sure it's safe when I disrobe, etc. A LOT of people run them through the wash accidentally, or lose them. You can put it on a pedo leash (or just a rubber band to your belt loop or whatever) easily.

    Someone above said her's puts itself into sleep mode? I had one for about a month that did that. They replaced it.

    I love mine and lost 35 lbs. with it when it was new. It's calorie estimates for me are pretty right on but I know which activities need logged and which it tracks well.
  • Healthy_Melva
    Healthy_Melva Posts: 91 Member
    From what I'm reading, I would have to use it on the wrist band. Can you tell me how heavy that would be and if it is large enough to interfere with normal activity? Perhaps I'll just use it when I am actually working out and not worry about how many steps I've taken for the whole day. Do you think it would be worth it for that?
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,758 Member
    The fitbit's not heavy at all...I don't even think it weighs a full ounce.

    You'd only have to wear it on your wrist if you want to track sleep. I don't but I still wear it to bed in a pocket or clipped to whatever I'm wearing to count those few steps to the bathroom if I wake up in the middle of the night. :smile:

    As for using just for your workout, it really depends on what you do for that workout. It's not accurate for strength training (but I'm not sure any weight loss device is) or for the ellptical. Most of my exercise is walking and it's awesome for that. :smile:
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Fitbit is good for tracking your everyday movements while you're at work or home. If you're looking for tracking calories burned and heart rate, FitBit is not the tool you're looking for, you would need a HRM to measure your exercise remotely accurately.
  • noturninback
    noturninback Posts: 96 Member
    bump
  • kimgettinfit
    kimgettinfit Posts: 20 Member
    I think the Polar FT4 was around $100 which is what I paid for my fitbit...I have both and love them.
  • bexblonde
    bexblonde Posts: 80
    Agree with the others, Fitbit and HRM's can't be compared. I have both, and when I go for a run I wear my Fitbit and my HRM and compare the data from both. I wouldn't be without my Fitbit, I love it!
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