Tell me about the FitBit

[Twoboos]

DH got me a FitBit Charge HR for my bday. (Honestly I'm pleasantly surprised it isn't an Apple Watch! ) A FitBit wasn't on my radar at all, so tell me why I should be excited? i know everyone who has one loves it. If you love it, did you want one? Did you grow to love it as you used it? Also, how tightly do you wear it? It's kind of uncomfortable and leaving a mark on my arm, but I feel like if I loosen it a notch it won't get correct readings.

It says I've taken almost 1700 steps in the past 2 hrs (6-8am, just in my house) so I'm not sure how accurate it is, LOL.

[khalloc]

I have the Charge HR. I really like it. I wear it on the 2nd smallest notch. I have a size Large, but the size small fit me too, the large just felt more comfortable. I dont wear it to bed anymore. i used to. I just dont need the sleep monitoring as much and I like sleeping without it.

[Mommy_Mea]

DH got me one for Christmas out of the blue, and I have found it really useful! I was really shocked to find out how little I move on a work day, even with taking public transportation. Now I get off a few stops early and go for a walk at lunch to make sure I hit my 10,000 steps. I take the stairs more often. Just lots of little extra movements. I did just take a week off from wearing it, and found I really fell off the "wagon". Back on today and moving a lot more.

You are supposed to wear it a little loose, the instructions say so. It will get uncomfortable really fast if you wear it tight.

I wear it to sleep sometimes. It is most useful for getting a good resting heart rate, but it doesn't really change my sleep habits.

[AnnieW625]

I have had a flex since November, 2014. I do think it is motivating to remind me to take the stairs daily, and get up and walk a bit. I have my step count set at 5000 because I want to make my goal daily, and most days I do. I am on my 3rd unit though and Fitbit has replaced the other two when they have stopped working (won't sync or charge) with no issues so that is a good thing. The first unit lasted six months and the second unit lasted about 8. I can't sleep with it on as it makes me restless. Overall I think it is a good motivator, but I think at least for the flex it is a little overpriced.

I wear the large band as well. Also the Fitbit brand flex bracelets are way overpriced for what you get, and I much prefer the knockoff Ismile brand ones I get on Amazon for way cheaper, 3 for $9.

[ang79]

I have a Flex that DH got me as a B-day present 1.5 yrs. ago (I asked for it). He actually bought it off Ebay, said it was new but not in box. I've had no problems with it, other than the original band broke after awhile. I bought a set of replacement bands on clearance at Target (Smart Buddie bands) and found that the clasp seemed to work better on those (seemed more secure). One of them is just starting to split a bit, so I found another clearance set of bands a few weeks ago that I bought to replace it with.

I found it very motivating at first, even though I don't have many friends to link to (not many IRL friends that have one). I've slacked off quite a bit in an exercise routine over the winter, need to get back into that. Even though I am on my feet a lot for my part time job (substitute elem. teacher), the Flex doesn't track many steps on my work days, I think because I'm not moving my arms a ton as I walk around the classroom. I love the vibrating alarm so I do wear it at night and have the alarm set to wake me up every weekday morning. I also have a Zip (bought for DH but he won't wear it). I used it a week when I was a counselor at Girl Scout Day camp, because I didn't want my Flex to get wet or lost. But I find its a pain to remember to clip on each day, so I prefer that my Flex is always on (unless swimming or showering).

[wendibird22]

I have the Charge HR and love it. Wear it 24-7 except to shower and charge it. You do have to calibrate it to your stride or the step count and distance will be inaccurate. You can do this on a treadmill or pace over a known length. I did floor tiles at work because those tiles are an even 12" so 10 tiles is 10 feet and I counted the # of steps across 10 feet. You can do # of steps on a known distance on the treadmill or around a school track.

I do find hitting the 10K step mark motivating. It also has a new feature on the app that's 250 steps each hour, so that encourages me to get up from my desk and walk around.

I wear mine just above my wrist bone and slightly loose. I do have to wear it one notch tighter in the winter than in the summer.

[Kindra178]

I love mine - I got the Surge about a month ago on recommendation from my doctor. I find it almost impossible not to reach 10,000 steps. Yesterday my Fitbit died so I didn't have it on until 2 pm. I still reached 10,000 steps (prior to wearing it, I did an Orange Theory class and walked the dog two miles). I wonder if mine is over counting my steps. On weekends I will have close to 20,000 steps.


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[boolady]

I love mine - I got the Surge about a month ago on recommendation from my doctor. I find it almost impossible not to reach 10,000 steps. Yesterday my Fitbit died so I didn't have it on until 2 pm. I still reached 10,000 steps (prior to wearing it, I did an Orange Theory class and walked the dog two miles). I wonder if mine is over counting my steps. On weekends I will have close to 20,000 steps.


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Wow. That's really impressive. I have to really consciously try to get to 10,000, especially during the work week.

[Mommy_Mea]

I love mine - I got the Surge about a month ago on recommendation from my doctor. I find it almost impossible not to reach 10,000 steps. Yesterday my Fitbit died so I didn't have it on until 2 pm. I still reached 10,000 steps (prior to wearing it, I did an Orange Theory class and walked the dog two miles). I wonder if mine is over counting my steps. On weekends I will have close to 20,000 steps.


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Wow! The best day I have had was around 18,000 steps, and that was with a 3.5 mile run and a long hike with the family.

[mmommy]

I have the Charge HR which I bought myself for Christmas this year. I wear it loose, and push it a bit higher on my arm during exercise to get it to stay put. I'm pretty sure this is what the instructions said to do - it is quite loose above my wrist bone and takes an accurate HR this way.
I have found it great to motivate me to move more during the day at work, and I find it, paired with MyFitnessPal to track what I'm eating to be a good way to make sure I'm staying on track towards my health goals. I'm not exactly dieting, but more just trying to be aware of what I'm eating and how much I'm moving. I have been exercising religiously, and with the Fitbit and MyFitnessPal I've lost 10 lbs since January. I'm excited. It has come off slowly, and I have been working hard, but it hasn't been a huge shift but rather small changes which I think I will be able to maintain.
I don't usually have trouble making 10K steps, but I don't always make it, and I walk a ton since I live in the city and don't drive much. I wonder about people who are walking 20K/day. What are you doing? I can take a bootcamp class, walk 20 blocks, and still only maybe make my 10K. I just checked and the most I've reached since January is 19K. That was a day I ran a 5K and walked about 40 blocks.