Making the most of Fitbit Alta hr

[shipfaced]

I've just been given a fitbit!
How do I make the most of it? I am finding the setting very complicated. Also, I am amazed at how many steps it seems to think i am doing. Wore it last night too and it noted times I was awake and asleep - how does it know this?

Excited but want to avoid it being a pointless expensive gadget

No advice?

Hi, I have a Charge HR. I don't quite understand what you want to know - once you have set it up the dashboard and the app explain what everything is. Have you done that?

If you want to know how something works just google eg "fitbit sleep" and you will get the fitbit help page that explains everything. I don;t find the sleep function very helpful (or perhaps accurate).

If you want to check step accuracy, count your steps to the corner shop or something and then note what it thinks you are doing several times. Mine is pretty consistent.

I love my fitbit and I know others on MN do too. Wear it for a bit, note how it logs different exercise, see what motivates and interests you? They are not to be taken too seriously I think, but I do find I try to please mine!

One of the ways I got the most out of my fitbit was to add friends - not usually people I know in real life, I found quite a few through a mumsnet thread. And the to do the challenges - daily showdown, workweek hustle and weekend warrior. It brought out the competitive side to me and I liked to be top or near the top of the leaderboard in steps.
Through the community board I found a challenge to walk 2015 miles in 2015 (I got my fitbit in the January of that year) and signed up to that which I completed in the November. So it really worked for me. Part the way through that year I was enjoying long walks and feeling much fitter so joined a gym too. I no longer wear my fitbit and walk far less than I did that year but I'm doing 6 - 8 exercises classes a week and am fitter than I've ever been.
I've owned steppers, bikes, situp bars and all sorts over the years but the thing that made the difference was a little activity tracker worn around my wrist!

Thanks. I didn't know challenges existed. Where do i find them? Also, how do i track food?

Hopefully someone will come along with the know how - it's 18 months since I used mine and I've forgotten how. I never used the food tracking.

I have just got one too OP and love it already. Fascinated by the sleep bit on the app, well just the whole app really. You can use Fitstar too which is great! I have ordered the Fitbit Aria Scales too.

I track food through mfp they sync really well but I use the calories remaining on the Fitbit app rather than the mfp as Fitbit is less generous unless I really NEED chocolate and wine