To think fitbits are largely a load of bollocks

[ihuli]

Well, more the 10,000 step thing. Which is all people I know seem to use them for.

Basically most of the steps are used shuffling around indoors and a bit of cooking. The odd small stroll.

So you can then justify no other health attempts such as a healthy diet or actual exercise that causes exertion.

Ok, I’m aware not very fitbit user fits this model and they probably have loads more functions, but I know a hell of a lot of people who are reasonably rotund or unhealthy who do this. Then justify sweet treats. Just tracking ‘steps’

I can sympathise, I’m peri-menopausal and it’s shit. And I’m not a shining example myself, but I do thing it’s best not to kid yourself you’re fit or healthy with the 10000 step thing if you do little else, plus acquire steps through stuff like typing sometimes.

It’s not a criticism of people as such, it’s that this marketing sells an unhealthy easy answer for profit. When people need to be told to get their heart rate up, eat fruit etc. People love the easy solution

I recognise that my Fitbit isn't 100% accurate re step counts and calorie burn but think it's really useful for tracking trends and encouraging me to be more active on a day to day basis. I also track my food and drink on the app and have found I'm snacking less and drinking more water.

The heart rate monitor seems spot on as it correlates with my heart rate strap when I'm on the treadmill.

My only real bugbear is that mine is supposedly GPS enabled when connected to my phone. Yet a run on Sunday saw me do 10 miles on the Fitbit and 8 miles on Strava (both using phone GPS).

The most useful thing about my Fitbit is that it’s paired to my phone so every time I get a text or phone call it buzzes and says who’s calling or shows what’s written in the text. I find this absolutely invaluable when I’m out as I can’t always hear my phone ringing when it’s buried in my bag. Nothing to do with its function for counting steps, which I can take or leave generally!

I know the Fitbit is not that accurate. However, I do like mine as it does make me move more and walk that bit further with the dog to get my steps/activity minutes up. I think if you’re using it to increase your amount of activity or compete against others with a Fitbit it’s great. Not so good if you’re only using it to get to 10,000 steps however.

One of my colleagues claims to do 20/30/40k steps a day according to their Fitbit. What they actually do is sit at a desk all day then ride their horse. I know horse riding is exercise but it's not steps!

I too am peri menopausal and used my first one (a little Fitbit zip) to do exactly what it is supposed to do. It kept me conscious of the fact I needed to walk more, take the stairs when I can, even just go to the loo on the next floor. Not so I could eat more, though I have seen people do this.

Now I am onto a different model and use most functions as I run to help with bone density and weight - osteoporosis and obesity are high in my family. I also use the period tracker (very handy for me) and the sleep tracker and the silent vibrating alarms and notifications. And most people I know who wear one use it for fitness too. But then I don’t have a corporate job and many people I know are trying to be healthier.

If the tracker makes you aware that you should be doing more exercise- it is doing the basic thing it is designed for.

I find mine useful to keep an eye on how much walking I'm doing, especially now it's wet and I've probably had several short errands rather than a nice long walk. I don't expect it to be 100% accurate, although on a decent walk it's not bad - doesn't always detect shuffling around the house. The only time I share my results is when we're disputing how many miles we've walked.
Walking lots doesn't justify not eating properly but then what form of exercise would? Most fitbits track your heart rate; if you want to monitor your weight use scales!

If I do school runs walking, plus an extra dog walk and work 5 hours on my feet with young kids, I hit 10,000! If I drop any one of those things, I won't get to the 10,000. I think mine's a good one in that it doesn't count if move my arms or peel potatoes. Only actual steps.

I don't have one anymore but found it very useful to help me just move more. I probably don't walk 10k+ steps on a normal day so it helped me mentally think oh I've only done 2k so far maybe I'll go for a walk etc I wouldn't take the 1 steps thing too seriously but for me it meant I'd end up doing more moving about than not if I was wearing it

I had one that was rubbish I could move my arms and it counted it as steps. My daughter wants one for her Birthday in December don't know which one to get her.

A lot of people don't reach 10,000 steps a day so having a fitbit pushes them to do this. Annoyingly my fitbit is not sensitive to me typing, driving or even cooking in my kitchen or even pottering around putting clothes away because my stride is not a stride but more of a gentle step. So I do believe it's as accurate as can be.

I use all the functions despite still being overweight it motivates me to reach targets and walk/treadmill etc until I reach my 15,000 target. I know when my active minutes (sweaty breathless) are more than 60 minutes then I'm on target to lose weight. I don't use calorie allowance feature which might be what your talking about when people stop and have treats. They estimate I should eat more than I should IMO.

You also don't need a fitbit as there lots of other brands that count steps for less. I don't understand why you think people find it an easy way out of eating healthy and exercising, if anything it highlights what areas are being neglected. If you eat too many cals or you've stopped short of your walking goal it reminds you to get on with it. Its like a personal trainer on your wrist.

I started with a Fitbit and liked the community around it - it was lots of fun competing with friends. But yes, 10,000 is pretty arbitrary.

Like a PP I have health insurance through Vitality through my work, and through that, I could buy a discounted Apple Watch, then dependent on how active I am determines what my monthly payment is on the watch - I've just completed my 2 year credit period, and over the whole 2 years, have only had to contribute £5 to the payment of the watch (plus the initial £99 deposit). That's been really motivating (plus the free cinema tickets, Amazon Prime, £0 excess on insurance claims, Starbucks etc).

I don't pay much attention to my steps anymore - now it's all about closing my rings - so 30 mins of elevated heart rate every day, burning a set number of active calories, and standing throughout the day. Plus the Watch sets me other monthly challenges, I can compete with friends (but unlike Fitbit, it's only 1 person at a time, which is less fun).

I'm now eligible to start the scheme again with a new watch, and DD is pestering me as she wants to inherit my current watch.

It's not supposed to be accurate. It's supposed to get you moving more than you would if you were just left to it, to make you more aware of the time you just sit down.

It's not a piece of medical equipment ffs.

I work from home and have found it really useful. I thought I was pretty active, it has shown me that I was active three days a week when I went to the gym and pretty much a blob sitting at my desk the rest of the time!

So for me, it's been great - means I get up and go for a walk to make sure I'm more active most days.

I don't have a fitbit (although my mobile has a step tracker thing and I look at that most days) but surely the whole point is 10,000 steps is bugger all? So, anyone justifying treats because they've managed 10,000 steps is just kidding themselves.
I mean, I have a totally sedentary job and do hardly any exercise and I get a good 7000 steps a day. But I'm aware that's crap.
I only get 10,000 by actually going for a (short ish) walk as well.

Absolutely love mine. Have lost and kept off 3 stone in the 2 years ive had it, and probably best of all for me is I don't begrudge having to go back upstairs to get what I forgot to get as it all counts.

I don't think walking 4 miles a day is bugger all.
Having read these threads before, the best trick to increased exercise seems to be getting a dog.

No the science behind it is good but it needs to be consistent and also needs to include resistance training to improve fitness

Most trackers have an inbuilt error factor of approx 10%

I have a step counter on my phone. I only reach 10000 steps by walking the equivalent of about 4/5 miles! Walking 5 miles a day is an excellent goal to have.

Properly walking 4 miles a day is not bugger all.

@ BirdandSparrow - walking 10k steps across a day is definitely bugger all but Fitbits are designed to be most accurate when walking it all in one go which is 4/5 miles. Most people who do this type of walk everyday at the moderate to active pace the Fitbit recommends will lose / be able to maintain a normal weight

I have one, and find it relatively accurate - I also use my phone and kind of settle somewhere in-between the two figures (though there's usually only about 1000 steps in the difference). Agree with a previous poster who mentioned that it's a wrist-worn device and so maybe you should not wear it if you are going to be doing a lot of hand movements while otherwise remaining sedentary. I had to stop wearing it while teaching actually, because I gesture so much. On the flip side, it doesn't record steps accurately when I'm pushing the buggy (which is a LOT), as my hands don't swing. So, it balances out, I think.

10,000 steps a day really isn't that much. My job is totally sedentry and I can easily get to 5000 or so just walking the kids round the corner to school and sports activities and popping out for bread. What I mean is if you think 10,000 steps is enough to justify "treats" then of course you will not lose weight. It's not enough to be burning off a slice of cake or anything. It's a start, it's not being "active" really. Like I say, I can get to 10,000 relatively easily with a sendentary job and no real exercise, a 20 minute walk and other pootling.

Maths on this thread bemuses me! I too get to 5000 without trying, just walking around a bit at work. But the other 5000 talks a real effort to go for a walk or run in the evening.
Have just had a look and the last day I did almost exactly 10000 steps, I used 2400 calories according to Fitbit. I could only eat 1400 of those as I'm trying to lose weight, but of course I could fit a slice of cake/bag of crisps into that total if I wanted to. Isn't a healthy choice, but it is a choice and saying you can never eat cake again is more likely to make people fall off the wagon than saying you can eat it if you do an hour's exercise.

Like I say, I can get to 10,000 relatively easily with a sendentary job and no real exercise, a 20 minute walk and other pootling

If I walk the dogs down the road in the morning for 10 mins and then walk them at lunchtime for 45, I still only do about 6000! This is my phone not my fitbit, it only starts counting when you are properly walking.

Ive done 1700 steps today and that's just walking round the supermarket and wandering around at work. I have to properly go for a walk to get to 10k.