Comments on the Fitbit tracker?!?

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Replies

  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    I could not agree more, this type of device is good if you want to evaluate your daily routine and then determine a daily calorie intake from that point, but relying on this type of device for accurate calorie burn during excercise I do not recommend. Since I started using a heart rate monitor, I noticed a huge difference from what I was actually burning, and what many of the excercises here on MFP were giving me just by simpy using the database. I was burning less calories on some excercises and more on others, and that makes a huge difference if you are a person who decides to eat back some of the exccess calories of the day which I am one of those.

    This is why I still use my Polar HRM for any activities that will get my heart rate above 120 bpm (running, biking, swimming). I know the MFP database likes to give ridiculously high numbers. I don't log walking as exercise at all because it doesn't get my HR up high enough.
  • kais79
    kais79 Posts: 41 Member
    I have tried several times to lose weight over the years. These include weight watchers, slim-fast, diet medication, gym memberships and personal trainers. I have never had the success with any of those attempts that I am having now with the Fitbit; and it costs much less than any of those things. I won't say this will be the case for everyone as my circumstances are currently more favorable for my success; but for me, it's been the key to starting to achieve my most desired goal.
  • ExplorinLauren
    ExplorinLauren Posts: 991 Member
    I only recently started reading about these but have some concerns. What I read suggests it is nothing more than a glorified pedometer. It tracks your steps, and calculates calories burned based on the data.

    Here are my concerns:

    1. By using your steps, it is going to provide a very generalized calorie burn reading....nothing I would put a great deal of faith in.
    2. I am reading threads and posts here where people are seemingly using the data to track calories burned doing other activities other than walking, or climbing stairs, which would be even less accurate, and not what it was designed to do. I see many do this with hrm's too so I am not real surprised by this.
    3. If you are logging the calories burned for walks you take as part of an exercise program, that is one thing, but it appears some are wearing it throughout the course of their day, then logging the calories burned as exercise. That practice is going to give people all kinds of problems because the data would be inaccurate, and inflated, since throughout the day it is going to misread some body movements as steps and calculate accordingly. Also, your daily activity is not exercise and is already factored into your TDEE, which is what is used to determine your calorie goals for the day. If you log them again as exercise, you essentially counting them twice, and as a result, probably eating more than you intended to since your net totals will be off.

    Based on what I read, it is highly rated for what it is and what it does, but it seems like it is being used improperly by many.


    Part of this is true. But part of it isn't necessarily. For instance, when your fitbit is linked with MFP it tells you calories burned above and beyond whatever you set your activity level at. Also, when you exercise, you have to enter the time you started and finished and you only log exercise through MFP. That way your fitbit doesn't count your extra steps or extra activity as extra exercise.... it will sync up with the fact that you were extra busy at that time and not count it twice. But you also can not wear it for accurate exercise calories burned. If I'm doing P90X, my fitbit doesn't know what exercises I'm doing, so it can't accurately tell my cals burned (I have a HRM for exercise) .. Fitbit is just going to tell you what you burned based on your weight and info you entered and based on how many steps/floors you climbed and how active you are.

    Its a great tool, I love mine ... but you need a HRM also if you want to track specific calorie burns while exercising :) I have the Aria scale also, which I love that too :)
  • charduck01
    charduck01 Posts: 5 Member
    I won my Fitbit in a raffle drawing. I had never heard of it before then. I absolutely love it! It is what motivated me to do more exercising. It tracks calories burned, stairs, steps, how active you are and even tracks your sleep patterns. I have linked it to mfp and it takes the guess work out of entering the exercise part of it. I don't find it bulky at all. Per the instructions, I wear it on the middle of my bra & don't even know that it is there and it sync's automatically to my laptop when I am near it. LOVE IT!!!
  • MandiS80
    MandiS80 Posts: 127 Member
    It's a decent pedometer but it's not as good as some might lead you to believe. While it says it tracks sleep, that's not totally true. It tracks your movement. So, if you move about at all while sleeping, it shows you as awake. On the other hand, if you quietly are in the bed reading, not moving, it may show you as sleeping. Not at all accurate.

    It also misses floors at times. Sometimes when you walk a flight of stairs, it won't show it. And, when you don't walk stairs, it shows you as having done so.

    Moreover, it takes calories from your BMR and not calories burned in activity only. Therefore, you can easily be misled into thinking you've burnt more calories in activity than you have in reality.

    It tracks steps reasonably well and accurately. But it does not track other activities like weight lifting or yoga as just two examples. Also, it does not show the speed at which you are walking. For the price, it should at least do that.

    But, it's handy and small. Some people love theirs. Or say they do perhaps trying to justify paying so much. They're not too sturdy and many people have to have them replaced multiple times.

    Finally, customer support stinks. It's all by email and you may not get a reply to a week or more.

    As far as tracking sleep, ok, so it doesn't really KNOW when you're sleeping, but it does track movement, but if you are quietly sitting there reading a book, why would you start the timer (sleep function) This gives you a good idea of how much you move throughout the night... the more you move, the less rested you are, am I wrong? If you don't move lots throughout the night, you're sleeping better.

    Missing stairs I have not seen mine do, but yes, I have seen it count some flights, I believe the rate is 10ft.... if you're climbing a hill, it may see this as a flight or more as your increasing the height of movement. (Inclinometer... sp)

    Things like yoga, riding a bike and similar activities it's not going to be very accurate, I mean, it's not a HRM and it's not magic so things like this will obviously not be tracked accurately.

    Customer service was awesome, my dog chewed my charger and I emailed them asking if I could buy another one, and they sent me one free of charge. Email correspondence was about 1 day turn-around

    I do love mine and I'm serious when I say that, I feel more motivation to get the badges every day and compete with the friends I have.with FitBits, I have zero reason to say that to simply justify my purchase.

    The price tag is a bit steep, but in my personal opinion and everyone else I know with one, it's worth it.
  • rm830
    rm830 Posts: 531 Member
    I just got mine and so far I love it! It's motivating and gets me moving around more than I would otherwise....but I did stair stepper at gym today, and got through 9 floors but it didn't register so I did have choice words for the fitbit this morning...
  • RedHotHunter
    RedHotHunter Posts: 560 Member
    I love mine. I use it "properly." I've spent $100 on much sillier things. And lastly, I'm just downright confused by the person that called it "bulky." It's the size of a thumb drive or AA battery.
  • MandiS80
    MandiS80 Posts: 127 Member
    I just got mine and so far I love it! It's motivating and gets me moving around more than I would otherwise....but I did stair stepper at gym today, and got through 9 floors but it didn't register so I did have choice words for the fitbit this morning...

    It will register the height.... every 10' you climb... since you don't actually move up it doesn't see this as flights of stairs.
    Someone can correct me if I'm wrong
  • ChristyRunStarr
    ChristyRunStarr Posts: 1,600 Member
    I've had it for a day and I am in a serious love/hate relationship. It motivates me to move more in my office enviorns for sure.

    What's the hate part?
  • RedHotHunter
    RedHotHunter Posts: 560 Member
    I just got mine and so far I love it! It's motivating and gets me moving around more than I would otherwise....but I did stair stepper at gym today, and got through 9 floors but it didn't register so I did have choice words for the fitbit this morning...

    Hoping to help you... fitbit logs stairs by logging your movement in conjunction with altitude. So it WILL measure an uphill hike, but not the stair climber at the gym. It also doesnt log escalators or elevators (yes I tried it with a 70 story building lol).
  • sarahrbraun
    sarahrbraun Posts: 2,261 Member
    I have had mine for almost 2 months, and I almost never take it off! It is a pedometer that measures steps, mileage, altitude ( flights climbed)
  • justjen0117
    justjen0117 Posts: 50
    I have both a Bodymedia Fit and the FitBit. I was using my FitBit until I started experiencing syncing problems beginning 7/17. Apparently, when a Mac goes to 'sleep' you have to reset the FitBit and uninstall/install the software - at least this is my experience with it. Too much work for me!

    I went back to my Bodymedia Fit. I've been wearing it on my left calf and it's pretty much the same calorie count as it was on my arm
  • nnylee
    nnylee Posts: 811 Member
    I love it. It goes perfectly with my Polar FT4 HRM.
  • argenterie
    argenterie Posts: 93 Member
    I got mine about 2 weeks ago, and I already am in Love with it. I love the sleep feature, it's incredibly helpful. And it has been motivating me to take the stairs, run around, etc. to try to get my "badges". I really love it! If you have the cash, it's really amazing little device!
  • ChickFlintstone
    ChickFlintstone Posts: 7 Member
    edited October 2015
    First, when discussing technology in heterogeneous groups such as this, please don't use acronyms without including an explanation. It is the same awful difficulty 30somethings' would have trying to read a text from a teenager!

    Secondly, we are talking about "gadgets" not respirators; and as such, they should not be expected to calculate life /death situations...consult your primary physician! Great Scott!

    I am so encouraged by the posts of a few that reflected the device has prompted them to move more or at least become "aware" of the need to increase their activity levels
  • ChickFlintstone
    ChickFlintstone Posts: 7 Member
    ChickFlintstone wrote: »
    First, when discussing technology in heterogeneous groups such as this, please don't use acronyms without including an explanation. It is the same awful difficulty 30somethings' would have trying to read a text from a teenager!

    Secondly, we are talking about "gadgets" not respirators; and as such, they should not be expected to calculate life /death situations...consult your primary physician! Great Scott!

    I am so encouraged by the posts of a few that reflected the device has prompted them to move more or at least become "aware" of the need to increase their activity levels

  • ChickFlintstone
    ChickFlintstone Posts: 7 Member
    Now where in the www (worldwide web) is the rest of my Reply?!? See what I'm saying?
  • TanyaW2009
    TanyaW2009 Posts: 7 Member
    Hi
    I have the fitbit one... and LOVE
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    ChickFlintstone wrote: »
    First, when discussing technology in heterogeneous groups such as this, please don't use acronyms without including an explanation. It is the same awful difficulty 30somethings' would have trying to read a text from a teenager!

    Secondly, we are talking about "gadgets" not respirators; and as such, they should not be expected to calculate life /death situations...consult your primary physician! Great Scott!

    I am so encouraged by the posts of a few that reflected the device has prompted them to move more or at least become "aware" of the need to increase their activity levels

    This thread is three years old.
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