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Fitbit - do you use one

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Post by Annieh Tue Dec 26, 2017 4:14 am

I see many people using fitbits now to track their steps etc. Do you think this is worth doing. Is it enjoyable or does it feel like you are being nagged?
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Post by ONTARIO Tue Dec 26, 2017 8:49 am

I've gone back and forth on getting one myself. I am interested in the comments about this.

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Post by Narrowminded Tue Dec 26, 2017 9:10 pm

I use a tracker, but moved to Garmin. I had Fitbit one which is no longer made. The new wrist worn ones displays do not stay on. You have to flip,your wrist just so or tap for it to come on. Problem is, it times out in like 3-5 seconds. If your trying to check your watch for the time it usually doesn’t work. Long thread going for about 4 years asking them to increase the time or give options on how long to stay on etc. Fitbit has mostly ignored the request. They finally updated last month saying they will not change the software for their current trakers, but may consider it for future ones. Now if that doesn’t bother you, they have a good product.

I have the Garmin vivoactive HR and prior vivofit. I really like their product as well. Most of all, I like the screen always being on

Both have good software/apps that the trackers sync to.

I have found that it can be very motivating to work toward a goal number of steps. There have been times when I ve taken a break.

If you like competition, there are challenges that you can participate in, which will help you get your steps in.

For me, I do think it’s worth it, mostly because of being home with DH all day, I could sit too much.

Hope that helps
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Post by ekba Wed Dec 27, 2017 8:10 pm

I used one for about a year. I was more interested in averages than precise daily goals, so it did not nag me. For me, the most useful thing was building data on common activities. So, I know that a normal office day is about 7200 steps. A day stuck in an all day meeting is down around 4000 steps. A normal weekend hike runs between 9000 and 12000 steps.
The sleep data were also interesting.
The number of floors climbed was not very accurate. A windy day would count many floors. One beach walk (very flat) with a hurricane just offshore came in at 49 floors climbed.
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Post by sharperhawk Wed Dec 27, 2017 9:38 pm

I have a Garmin Vivofit 2. It uses a regular watch battery so I don't have to recharge it. I haven't looked at recent models, but I would definitely want my next one not to need recharging. Before the Vivofit, I had a pocket pedometer, and a wrist version would be just fine for my purposes. The sleep data and Bluetooth synch are nice, but I would give those up to avoid another high-maintenance device like a smartphone.

If you have a routine that involves walking everyday, you don't really need a step tracker. If you don't have a routine, a tracker helps a lot. I have found a few patterns that work for me. For example, 5000 steps before lunch, 7500 before dinner, 10,000 by the end of the day. Another pattern might involve lots of short walks of around 1000 steps each. The first is easier, but the second is probably more beneficial because it breaks up stretches of sitting more effectively. Having a step number a glance away provides a lot of flexibility, which is nice because some days put different demands on my schedule.
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Post by nikitakolata Fri Dec 29, 2017 12:30 pm

I've had a fitbit for years and I really like it. I have the fitbit flex 2 and the blaze. I thought I'd love the blaze, but it's honestly just too big for me. I sometimes use it during workouts to track my heart rate, but I don't use it much which is a disappointment due to the cost. It's too uncomfortable to sleep with it on, also.

The flex, on the other hand, I like a lot. During the day I put it in the band of my bra so I can still wear a watch (it doesn't have a clock anyway). The downside of that is that I need to sync it to my phone in order to know where I'm at with my steps at a given point in time, but I don't usually check that much during the day anyway. At night I wear it in the bracelet to track my sleep and the bracelet doesn't bother me at all. The main reason I don't use the bracelet during the day is that I want something more fashionable and having a watch is nice because I use public transportation and I hate having my phone out to check the time.

I guess I just like having the data, even though intuitively I usually know whether I've been very active or really sedentary. What surprises me is that on days I feel like I've been a total sloth I usually end up with 6,000 to 8,000 steps anyway. I also have found the sleep data very useful, especially since I had a lot of sleep issues over the summer that are just now getting better. It's nice to have something to confirm that, yes, I am sleeping better. I also enjoy the challenges and the competition does motivate me to walk more.

The smaller/less complicated fitbits are not that expensive and they've been my favorites. I liked my fitbit one until it accidentally went through the washer, which is when I got the flex.
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Post by nikitakolata Fri Dec 29, 2017 12:32 pm

Regarding the charging, the only time I charge my fitbit is when I'm in the shower and putting on my make-up/fixing my hair. So, it's on the charger for like 30 minutes a day, max. That's enough for it to stay charged. If I forget a few days in a row I'll charge it overnight. So, I guess for me the charging is a total non-issue. I have the charger set up next to my sink in the bathroom and usually I remember to plug it in.
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Post by ONTARIO Fri Dec 29, 2017 12:41 pm

Hubby and I are not cell phone people at all. We do use tablets. Do you have to sync the data with a phone, etc???

Our main concerns are:
1. Charging - don't want to have charge it all the time
2. User friendly - want to be able to Bluetooth data to our tablet
3. Size - don't want an obtrusive size
4. Easy to read data - want to be able to readily see steps, etc

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Post by sharperhawk Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:02 pm

Ontario, I think you would like the Garmin products. For Vivomove and Vivofit 3 (current models, according to Amazon), the batteries are rated for one year but will probably last longer. They work fine with tablets. My Vivofit 2 is slim and lighter than most watches. I never take it off except to switch out the wristband and clean it. The step number can be read right off the display, or you can switch to a few other displays, including the time.
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Post by ONTARIO Fri Dec 29, 2017 1:15 pm

sharperhawk wrote:Ontario, I think you would like the Garmin products. For Vivomove and Vivofit 3 (current models, according to Amazon), the batteries are rated for one year but will probably last longer. They work fine with tablets. My Vivofit 2 is slim and lighter than most watches. I never take it off except to switch out the wristband and clean it. The step number can be read right off the display, or you can switch to a few other displays, including the time.

Hey, since it's a Garmin does it have a built in GPS?

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Post by nikitakolata Fri Dec 29, 2017 2:21 pm

ONTARIO wrote:Hubby and I are not cell phone people at all. We do use tablets. Do you have to sync the data with a phone, etc???

Our main concerns are:
1. Charging - don't want to have charge it all the time
2. User friendly - want to be able to Bluetooth data to our tablet
3. Size - don't want an obtrusive size
4. Easy to read data - want to be able to readily see steps, etc

I don't know anything about the Garmin products, but if you are interested in a fitbit then I think the Alta or Alta HR would be the best one for you based on what you wrote.  Those show your steps and the time so you would know at any time how far you've gone.  They are also small and comfortable.  You could sync them to your tablet instead of a smartphone.  

https://www.fitbit.com/alta

The alta HR just has a heart rate sensor in it, if you want/need that feature.

Oh, and a tip if you are going to buy a fitbit... If possible, use a 20% off coupon at Bed, Bath and Beyond. They might claim that fitbits are excluded but I've gotten the discount both times I bought one anyway. You'll probably have to buy it in store (online the exclusions probably actually work). That's just a thought if the price concerns you at all.
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Post by KetoJulia Sat Dec 30, 2017 12:08 am

I have a Fitbit One and I wear it in my bra, on the side. Love it. I've had it since mother's day of 2013 and have walked 21,738,493 steps since then! I'm a little.. cough.. competitive with my older sister... ahem.
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Post by Narrowminded Sat Dec 30, 2017 12:26 pm

Loved my Fitbit one. I wish they still made it

The Alta, looks good, but when I tried one I could not get the display to cooperate and when it did come on, it wasn’t long enough to actually read it

The Garmin’s always on display works better for me, if going to use it as a watch as well.

I’ve thought about switching back to more simplistic, like the flex 2 or even a misfit shine. Some days I’d really like to wear a nice watch and those two can be worn just about anywhere with the right accessory.
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Post by KetoJulia Sat Dec 30, 2017 1:13 pm

WHAT?!?!?! They don't make it anymore? Holy crap, I had no idea! That really sucks. I would go to the original fitbit, the zip, before anything else. Personally, just because I don't want anything on my wrist. Doesn't go with my stupid clothes I have to wear to work. The zip I could still tuck into my bra like my sister does. Man, can't believe they don't make the One anymore. I think I'm a little more salty about that than I should be! WHY THEY GOTTA GO CHANGE STUFF ON AN OLD LADY? I was planning on getting a new one ONE DAY since I kinda washed mine and now I have to charge it every other day rather than every 9 days or so. Ah well. Whatever. Grumble, grumble.

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Post by Lovebird Sat Dec 30, 2017 3:52 pm

https://www.fitbit.com/zip

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Post by Narrowminded Sat Dec 30, 2017 7:57 pm

Actually I have a zip. However it’s now eating batteries for lunch and it doesn’t do sleep metrics. I really like the sleep function.

Also I’m kinda mad at Fitbit as a company. They do a lot right, but thousands have been asking for 4 years for the option to have the screen to stay longer on the Alta on up. Finally last month they answered and said maybe on a future tracker but they won’t make the software change on the current ones. Why it took them 4 years to reply to this request is beyond me. I initially they said they would consider, then dead silence for 4 years
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Post by The Walrus Mon Jan 01, 2018 9:19 am

I had a very early generation FitBit and had a lot of trouble with it - found it to be very high maintenance with little payback.  However, I would like to have a tracker - I just don't want to pay for one or have to maintain it.  Shocked  Makes it difficult to actually HAVE a tracker.  But I think about it all of the time, and look at different ones online.  The Garmin would probably be my best choice.  Maybe soon.  

I really want an Apple watch.  Probably won't get one, though. Despite that, I think they are a good idea and would definitely get me moving more.
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Post by ONTARIO Mon Jan 01, 2018 10:52 am

The Walrus wrote: I think they are a good idea and would definitely get me moving more.

I agree. I seem to need a lot of external motivation these days and I'm thinking that having a daily goal staring me in the face might work. I don't know why but I just have zero desire to do anything.

I have hubby researching them right now. He's going to order one for each of us. We're leaning toward Garmin.

BTW.....how do they fit? I have very small wrists.

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Post by Meant2Move Tue Jan 02, 2018 1:38 pm

I'm kinda late to the party on this thread, but definitely have some opinions.

I've had a Fitbit One for just over 3 years and love it. I to am in the "cannot believe that Fitbit has discontinued the One" camp. I too wear it in my bra.
- It comes with a dongle that plugs into a USB port on a computer so that is an alternate option for syncing. I almost never sync with my phone.
- It has sleep tracking, it seemed fairly accurate, but not great.
- I love the floors feature for elevation gain tracking and find it to be remarkably accurate.
- Steps are very accurate, and if you customize step length, mileage is good too.
- I've never paid any attention to calories and have no idea if they are reasonable.

For a basic tracker the Fitbit Zip is good, doesn't do sleep or floors, and they can go through batteries rather quickly. I like the rechargeable aspect of the One.

I recently added a Garmin wrist tracker, the Vivosmart 3. I went with it because it is small on my wrist. I knew up front that wrist based trackers are less accurate in terms of counting steps (wave your arms and get steps) and that wrist based Heart Rate (HR) tracking is substantially less accurate than a HR chest strap, and may be off by as much as 40 beats per minute. But, I am not usually willing to put the chest strap on, so I was willing to take the reduced accuracy to have a little more HR information. I've done a couple of comparisons of chest strap to wrist and have an idea of where/when the inaccuracies occur.

My Garmin bases distance on steps, there is no GPS, so I get more miles than I truly earn sometimes. Depends on what I'm doing. I've done a number of hikes and been pleasantly surprised to find that the step-based miles on the watch are pretty darn close to the GPS miles on my phone using the Strava app. On the other hand, I just did a 24 hour event where my Garmin managed to accumulate 10 extra miles over what I actually did while on the course, and I did not spend that much time walking back and forth to the bathrooms! Laughing

The Garmin syncs to my phone and has to be recharged about every 5 days (more when I'm doing a lot of activities in workout mode and it is buzzing me with alerts). It does use my phone battery faster (bluetooth) but I just turn the bluetooth off if I need the phone to last longer.

I like the "move" alerts - too easy to sit at my desk for a long time. This at least gets me to go walk up and down the stairs or pop outside. I don't believe my One does alerts or maybe I've never turned them on.

Anyway, if you go with a wrist based tracker, be aware that it is almost certainly over-counting your steps and that the HR info, if included, is not super accurate. But if you like gadgets and something that reminds you to be more active, I think a tracker can aid in that. I like looking at the daily graphs - I can plot strategies to increase movement across my day, not just exercise based movement.
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Post by Meant2Move Tue Jan 02, 2018 1:42 pm


Ontario wrote:BTW.....how do they fit? I have very small wrists.
I first ordered the same watch that NM has and decided it was much too big - big watch face, too much overall. Not for me, but it did fit my small wrist.

The Garmin I have (vivosmart 3) is a small face, narrow band, highly adjustable, and comfortable.
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Post by ONTARIO Tue Jan 02, 2018 2:24 pm

Meant2Move wrote:


The Garmin I have (vivosmart 3) is a small face, narrow band, highly adjustable, and comfortable.

Does this allow you to sync with a tablet/computer so you can track your progress? This is the one I am looking at but then I read one review on Amazon that said you couldn't sync it. Is the review wrong or what?

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Post by Meant2Move Tue Jan 02, 2018 6:25 pm

Well, let's just do some experimenting... I've an older iPad so I'm not terribly optimistic about this working.  I also have a new Windows 10 laptop. A quick glance at the reviews for Garmin connect on the Microsoft does not make me hopeful, it appears there are bluetooth problems with it.

iPad - turned on bluetooth and it didn't see any devices, not to surprised. Looked at the app store and am not seeing an appropriate app, I believe it is iPhone only. Well call that a bomb.

Windows 10 laptop.  Downloaded the app and installed.  Pairing went OK, but first sync wasn't good. Stopped and started bluetooth and it worked OK.  Hmm, I've lost the pairing to my phone... might be that it must be one or the other. I'll sort that out. Good news is that yes, it did connect and sync to my laptop.

Edit to add it was quick to get it to reconnect to my phone. I'm guessing I can likely switch back and forth without much trouble.
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Post by sharperhawk Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:07 pm

My Vivofit 2 synchs with my iPad Mini (1st gen) via Bluetooth. I doubt that the Vivofit 3 would change that. I can't speak for Android.
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Post by ONTARIO Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:33 pm

I just pre-ordered a Garmin VivoFit 4. They aren't yet released in Canada. But I found it on the Amazon Canada site.

I pulled out an old pedometer that was sitting in the junk drawer. I've been wearing it and Lord, I had no idea how easily I could be controlled by an electronic device. Embarassed I've been watching the steps and I've been known to walk around our 8 foot kitchen island a dozen times to meet some arbitrary number on the pedometer. Sad. Good, but sad.

I think I'm going to really like the activity tracker.

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Post by Narrowminded Sat Jan 06, 2018 11:36 pm

Sounds like a great choice Ontario. And walking around the kitchen island is a given Smile. Due to DH, many days my take long walks is laps around my first floor. I expect soon my carpet will be worn with that pattern.
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