Current Events > Are fit bits worth it?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Never thought about getting one.
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I used to be super morbidly obese and started losing weight three years ago. I began by eliminating foods that are obviously bad for me and didn't even bother exercising but still lost a lot of weight. After the "common sense" changes stopped yielding benefits, I had to learn to consistently track calories. Then, after getting my calorie intake to the lowest point I could while still being able to function properly (1800 calories is my minimum), I had to ramp up activity for further weight loss.

Walking was a big part of that because it was relatively easy in all aspects but it became a bit of a time sink, even though I really enjoy it. I also didn't really know how much energy I was spending and instead relying on vague calculators that estimate based on what I put in. I tried doing various types of exercise but I still wasn't losing much weight.

I decided to get a Fitbit to see if that helped and after 7 months, it has, for the most part.

I can't comment on other models but I have a Fitbit Charge 3 that I got for around 50USD (it was on sale) and I wear it all the time. It has a simple black and white screen, no frills. It displays time, steps, heart rate, calories burned, and distance walked. Through the app, it tracks a bunch of different things like activity minutes, resting heart rate, cardio/fatburn/peak zones, water intake (manually input) and various goals like weight loss and activity goals.

The biggest problem is that the step counter is totally inaccurate. I can flail my arm about for 30 seconds and log hundreds of steps. I didn't really want it for a step counter, so that's okay, but it would've been nice to have everything in one place instead of having to rely on my phone for that.

Another big problem is that it has a feature to automatically detect what activity you're doing based on heart rate for a better estimate of calories burned. This model can do, I think, running, cycling, weight lifting, and two or three others. That, too, was totally inaccurate. I'd finish the day with random bouts of cycling or weight lifting that I didn't even come close to doing. Upon encountering that, I began feeling like I had wasted money on a useless item.

However, if you turn that feature off, it will just log generic activity and that's when I started finding it very useful for my situation. I don't take it as a certainty that I've burned what is displayed at the end of the day but over time, it seems to have lined up closely enough with my total daily energy expenditure and the results I was to expect (and achieved) based on that.

It also tracks your sleep and gives you a score based on how often you're in a deep sleep, light sleep, REM, and awake, which I've found useful as I've always been an awful sleeper. Sleep is becoming more important to my body composition goals as I get slimmer and the smaller things start mattering more, so I'm trying to perfect it. That, too, is not without problems as it can sometimes track sedentary or relaxed moments as sleeping, but I think there's a workaround for that. It hasn't bothered me too much so I've never tried it out.

It can also give an estimate of your oxygen variation, which I found very beneficial when trying to switch to sleeping on my back. I've had breathing problems my whole life and slept on my side as a result but now I'm having back problems from that and need to sleep flat on my back for best comfort. I still instinctively roll to my side throughout the night sometimes and I noticed that on nights when I do that, there are bigger than usual fluctuations in my oxygen. This corresponds to days when my sinuses are dry and as long as I use nasal spray, I generally don't have those fluctuations. That gave me a little extra motivation to use my spray as often as I should because it's one thing to somewhat recognize that you don't feel well but something else entirely to see data that clearly demonstrates the problem. This is something I'll expand on in my final analysis.

Aside from that, it has an activity reminder if you're too sedentary, can be used as an alarm and timer, display (but not respond to) phone notifications, show weather, do relaxation/breathing exercises, and probably has some other things I never bothered to figure out. I've never been a watch guy, and I generally can't keep any kind of accessory on my body (RIP 500 pairs of glasses) but the benefits have gotten me used to it and now I feel weird without it.

Random notes: it came with a large and small wristband. I used the large one and it cracked in half within six months. A replacement was only $10, not a big deal, but I didn't like that it gave out so fast. It is water resistant to a certain depth but I never let it get wet because you still have to dry it off and I don't like that feeling of water sloshing around on soggy skin. It's easier to remove it in the first place.

So, is it worth it? Aside from model and price, that depends mostly on to what extent you'll actually use it. I've become grossly dependent on mine but it has been a tremendous boon during this tougher part of weight loss where I can't cut out soda and go for a daily walk to lose 5lbs in a week. Seeing my calories burned (or not burned) motivates me to get in some extra activity, go for a walk, or whatever. There's a great deal of satisfaction in seeing the various data after a hard workout or a hike that keeps me on track. It also helps me relax on rest days, since I can look through all I did in the days prior and be like, "It's okay to chill. You've earned it and you need it."

Some people don't get that thrill or utility out of it. I know others who've gotten them and it has the opposite effect. They'll get a reminder to be more active and just ignore it or take it off. I bought one for my mom, she wore it one day, and it's been in a drawer ever since.

tl;dr: if you can find utility in a model in your price range and actually use it, it's worth it.

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Thats what the British call weens and balls?

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Ive had one since August. I wear it all the time but havent been hitting my step goals the past few months cause its winter and winter fucking blows.

but during the warm months it helped me stay in shape. I wanted to exceed the step goal every day and in doing so I dropped like 9 pounds in two months.

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