Mad at Fitbit

[Texas Proud]

Not wanting to set anyone off, but what do these, and similar products, help you do?

I've used a scale and tried to be mindful of my intake and overall activity level and adjust one or both when the scale starts lying to me . Have friends that wear them daily, and they talk about their "steps", but haven't had to occasion to ask how they have helped them.

Sincerely want to know I'm missing some useful guidance or info.

Sorry if this too sharp a diversion from the topic....

It is kinda a motivation factor.... as an example, I have about 7600 steps right now... if I was in the 9000 range I would walk and get to 10,000....my DW will try and get 20,000 steps...

I like the HR function... it has shown that I have a huge range of heart rates and I am waiting for my doc to get info from a few places and go to a cardiologist....


They do have 'rewards' that some try and get... I have never reached 20K, but DW has reached 45K... I have done over 100 floors a few times and DW has hit 300...

 

[Bestwifeever]

Not wanting to set anyone off, but what do these, and similar products, help you do?

I've used a scale and tried to be mindful of my intake and overall activity level and adjust one or both when the scale starts lying to me . Have friends that wear them daily, and they talk about their "steps", but haven't had to occasion to ask how they have helped them.

Sincerely want to know I'm missing some useful guidance or info.

Sorry if this too sharp a diversion from the topic....

Well, if you sincerely want to know.... You are probably not one of these people who needs this or cares about this or both, but many find wearing trackers make them more conscious of their activity level and then increase that level. Like getting on a scale seems to make you more mindful about your weight, from your post. It's just another tool for some of us to try to stay healthy. Personally, I like wearing mine but I don't care what anyone else does, as no one here gets out alive, but since you asked and are sincerely wanting to know

Researchers who examined 26 studies with more than 2,700 total participants discovered that wearing a fitness tracker, even if it was a low-tech pedometer, resulted in significant increases in physical activity. Those who wore fitness trackers had a nearly 30 percent jump in physical activity, which translated into an additional 2,283 steps each day. Having an ever-present goal, such as 10,000 steps, and wearing a device to remind you of that goal were important indicators of whether people would move more throughout the day.

Do people who wear fitness trackers really walk more? | HowStuffWorks

 

[FlaGator]

Well, if you sincerely want to know.... You are probably not one of these people who needs this or cares about this or both, but many find wearing trackers make them more conscious of their activity level and then increase that level. Like getting on a scale seems to make you more mindful about your weight, from your post. It's just another tool for some of us to try to stay healthy. Personally, I like wearing mine but I don't care what anyone else does, as no one here gets out alive, but since you asked and are sincerely wanting to know

Do people who wear fitness trackers really walk more? | HowStuffWorks

Thanks. I do have days when lethargy sets in, and having a daily goal would help me get out of the chair.

 

[JoeWras]

What do they do? I think someone mentioned it well. It gets you to understand what it takes to get a decent amount of steps in. Some of them also "ping" you to get you to move. Mostly, though, I think the step thing is overblown.

My TomTom does a bit more. It counts my laps in the pool. That helps me a lot since it is easy to lose track. I can also turn on a GPS and it maps my bike rides or walks/runs. That's nice for comparison purposes, and to get you an accurate count of your riding miles. It is better than a phone, and you don't need your phone.

All in all, I like the concept of trackers. Just make a damn band, battery, device that lasts!

 

[Texas Proud]

The Charge HR I have... started to split at the sides about 9 months in. So I got one of these sleeve/covers to put over the main area and keeps it together:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GSQELLS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Lately, I'm finding that the battery dies after 24 hours, so I've got it charging nightly. The Charge 2 HR is supposed to be a much better unit (now $129 on amazon, also at Costco...) so I might get that when my Charge really dies.

I like the concept. Now that I realize it's pretty much an annual expense, I'll just plan for it, and be happy when they last longer.

I was thinking about this post last night...

You know a product is built badly when someone else comes up with a device to fix your screw up..

 

[haha]

Have friends that wear them daily, and they talk about their "steps", but haven't had to occasion to ask how they have helped them.

Sincerely want to know I'm missing some useful guidance or info.

Sorry if this too sharp a diversion from the topic....

Just makes us sexier.

 

[Cobra9777]

...what do these, and similar products, help you do?...

Yes, it's all about awareness and motivation. Just one example of many: in the past, I would circle around the parking lot at Home Depot or wherever looking for a spot as close as possible to the entrance. No more. I park with the employees in the further-out spots and walk.

I just have a basic Fitbit Flex. But I love reading the weekly progress report that I get via email. It says whether I'm up or down from prior weeks, average calorie burn, how much restful sleep I'm getting and more.

When I first retired, I wanted to lose 40 lbs. I did it in just 3-4 months using a combination of: (1) myfitnesspal.com to plan and track meals, calories, carbs, etc; (2) mapmyride to track bike rides, other workouts, and associated calorie burn; and (3) the fitbit to track steps, calorie burn, and to pull it all together including my weight loss tracking.

I'm a data-driven type, so it was very motivating to carefully track calories in and calories out, and predict what my weight loss should be at the end of each week. It's just very satisfying to see the result line-up with the data.

I no longer track all that data but DW and I are still low-carb eaters most of the time and I still wear the fitbit just for the weekly summary report.

 

[Gotadimple]

+1 on the weekly status report.

I've been using a Fitbit One, and still have the original clip. I don't clip it to anything, just put it in my pants pocket. The status report tells me when I'm being less active. And it beats me wearing a low-tech pedometer and then writing down the daily steps.

So from that perspective it is interesting to have. Quality of their products has gone down, when this one finally dies, I won't replace it with a Fitbit brand.

- Rita

 

[explanade]

I also got a Misfit as well, which can be worn on the shoe. That might work better for bicycles and stair climbers.

No weekly status report from them.

Nothing from Apple Health either.

 

[Aerides]

No one became a 10 just from using a fit bit, but it's in the category of "every little helps" afaic.

I find myself:
Going a little out of my way, doing an extra lap in the store, parking a little farther out
Getting up and walking around a bit when I realize I'm at 9500 instead of going to bed
Looking at my weekend to make sure I complete 70k each week, finding the time for an extra run or walk if needed

The new Charge2 also has little alarms to make sure you know to get up and get a few steps every hour - I like that idea (and that will be the next one I buy and break in a year!)

 

[Lsbcal]

I've been using a Garmin Vivofit for about 3 years. My first one was replaced under warranty just before the 1 year mark. DW's has been fine for a few years now.

Best features for me:
1) easy to read display, large font
2) very accurate on my running mileage (you could calibrate it too and adjust via on-line profile)
3) can wear it 24/7 and it's OK swimming and in the shower
4) over 1 year battery life (then you replace using jewelers screwdriver)
5) very reasonable cost through Amazon
6) can buy colorful bands to change off for fun

My opinion is that the market is very fragmented and many people are attracted by features best left to their phones.

 

[HawkeyeNFO]

Another happy Vivofit owner here. I like that it doesn't need to be charged periodically. On my first battery still, and it's been about 18 months. I certainly walk much more than before. I bought my wife a pack of about a dozen different colored bands on Amazon, which was about $10, so now she can pick any color she wants.

 

[FlaGator]

Originally Posted by FlaGator
Have friends that wear them daily, and they talk about their "steps", but haven't had to occasion to ask how they have helped them.

Sincerely want to know I'm missing some useful guidance or info.

Sorry if this too sharp a diversion from the topic....

Just makes us sexier.

All I need to know

I appreciate all the info. Have been generally happy with my physical condition, but need to spend more time on my feet and stay moving to keep my lower back stronger. Using one of these along with a daily goal could be the ticket.

 

[iloveyoga]

I really like my Garmin Vivofit. You don't have to charge it and it goes in the water. It was relatively inexpensive too.

 

[Scuba]

My Fitbit Zip died less than 60 days after purchasing it. The clip broke before that. Fitbit replaced the clip and the device but would not give me a refund, which I would have preferred.

I had a Misfit for about a year and loved it. Lightweight, not bulky, and actually attractive to wear! Plus you can swim and bike with it too. However it also died and the replacement device they gave me died after only a few weeks.

I like the Fitbit app and data display a lot, but not sure what I'll do when the replacement dies. Maybe just go without.

 

[haha]

I have gone 5 years on 2 Fitbit Ones. I I gave my first a full cycle in the washer, so I can hardly complain. What I especially like is the friends function, and the badges. I just got my Nile, for walking the 4000+ miles of the Nile River. Right now o have 200 steps to go to reach 15,000 on the day, and you can bet that I will get that. Plus 4 more floors to get 50 on the day. For me anyway, this stuff is somehow more motivating than the considerably less certain, albeit more important hoped for health benefits.

 

[Texas Proud]

I know that some have listed they like their pedometer.... I do not want just a pedometer... I have a couple that are nice... but they do not track your sleep or your HR...


And I charge mine when I take a shower... there has only been a couple of times that I have needed to leave it longer than that to charge and that is mostly because there is something wrong with out plug and you think something is plugged correctly and it is not... so it was not being charged like I thought...

 

[Ronstar]

I can't remember if I had one or 2 fitbits. Last one wouldn't hold a charge and finally quit working at about the one year mark. Gave up on Fitbit - I've used a Garmin Forerunner235 for the past 18 months with minimal problems.

 

[Texas Proud]

OK......

SO, I glued my fitbit back together and it seemed to be working just fine...

BUT, I have now found out this is not the case... the 'floors' feature seems to have gone haywire... it said I climbed 72 stories yesterday!!! It has me climbing 13 stories in one 15 minute period.... so that feature is now kaput...

I cannot see a pattern... I have 10 floor today even though I have only come upstairs twice... but they list a bunch of different times so it is not doubling or triple counting, just making errors...

 

[Bestwifeever]

Fitbit was so good at establishing the market for digital trackers but competitors really beat it to the punch in developing products with more features sooner. Ditching its earlier liberal replacement policy hasn't helped FB's reputation either imo. I love my little Flex 2 (following my zip and original Flex) but I know I won't buy another one.

DH has a Charge and occasionally spends an hour or so on the phone with customer service trying to get it to resync. Otherwise he is really happy with it.

 

[explanade]

Wow you must have messed it up good to break one of the sensors but no the others?

Not sure if they use barometric sensor for stairs or some kind of accelerometer.

 

[W2R]

I don't think the Fitbit's stairs count is very accurate. I seldom if ever climb stairs, but it says I do. It's a limitation of their technology for that feature, not anything broken, AFAIK.

 

[explanade]

Actually pretty accurate for my Fitbit One. I do the stairs all the time.

Doesn't work with stair climbing machines at the gym though, because it has to detect altitude change.

It's one of the reasons I like about Fitbit over other brands, though not all models have it.

 

[W2R]

Actually pretty accurate for my Fitbit One. I do the stairs all the time.

Doesn't work with stair climbing machines at the gym though, because it has to detect altitude change.

It's one of the reasons I like about Fitbit over other brands, though not all models have it.

Maybe my Fitbit One is just too sensitive. I have long suspected that it counts climbing into my SUV as climbing a flight of stairs. It does count each floor that I climb as just one floor, but it adds stair climbing when I haven't done any and has done so from Day One about five years ago.

 

[explanade]

If I go on a hike and climb a hill for a couple of hours, it will register a lot of floors.

Often this is going on dirt land, some with irregular rocky sections.

I don't know how precise the sensors are that it would notice a difference between steps on a staircase vs. going up a grade in some hiking trail.

Fitbit says they use an altimeter sensor and it looks like it senses 10 feet changes in altitude:

https://help.fitbit.com/articles/en_US/Help_article/1141

But how that's accomplished is the question. This one forum post suggests it's measuring barometric pressure:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Surge/Surge-Altimeter/td-p/611682