I just switched from the Fitbit to the apple watch. In addition to tracking steps, the watch reminds me every hour to get up and walk around as well as sets and monitors exercise goals for me. It also measures my heart rate. I got sick and tired of hearing my husband talk about the watch so I bought one knowing I could return it in two weeks. I love it! Btw. You can get an app that reminds you to drink water based upon target goals for your weight, height and activity level.
– I did need to get used to wearing a watch I haven’t worn one in years and I always clipped my Fitbit to my pants.
Just set up my new Fitbit Charge HR last night, and today is the first day I wore it all day. Totally, totally lacking in steps today, but I did work out with my trainer for an hour lifting weights, so there’s that. I’ve had a rough week, traveling (I wish’d I’d had it set up to wear as I pulled an OJ Simpson through several airports - I was a lucky one caught up in the United Airlines computer glitch on Wednesday) unexpectedly and am sure I did several miles in the combined airports. But I have it now, and still need to learn all the features. I was pretty impressed I managed to get it set up on my iPhone and MacBook.
OK, I’ll confess, I only did 5,600 steps today, but again, I did lift weights for an hour. Tomorrow is a new day.
I didn’t used to wear my Garmin Vivofit to run, since I use a Garmin 220 GPS watch that records all my data and uploads to my online running log, but now I wear the Vivofit, too. My goal is to get 6000-8000 steps a day OVER what I run. When I would do a 10 mile run, I generally didn’t make that goal (and didn’t feel I needed to), but if I have a 3 or 4 mile run, I do try to get the steps in. Otherwise, I am sitting on my butt (well, now I have a standing work station) all day which can undo the effects of the run.
I have a Fitbit, but I am 6’2" and it doesn’t register as many steps for my long strides as it does for my 5’4" sister. I got about 2/3 or less the steps she does when we go on a run together, but it is still fun.
@whuff24 – I have noticed something similar. I think the FitBit has calculated the distance of my stride based on my indoor stride. My outdoor walking stride is much longer, so it does not record the full mileage I walk outside. I just ignore it, figuring since I generally walk the same five miles each day, the device is consistently under on distance for the exercise walk and then I just focus on the next 10K+ steps I try to achieve.
I recall reading on some FitBit forum a few years ago about how to calibrate the device, but it seemed like too much effort.
When I forget to wear my fitbit, the steps don’t count. I know it is silly, but I could walk miles beyond what I normally do, but without the fitbit counting them, they are all for naught.
^ugh, mamon. It’s frustrating when you’re on a roll and realize you don’t have it on. I walked in the Relay for Life this weekend without it. All those lost steps!
@dmd77 – I thought I recalled reading about measuring stride and calibrating the device, or something, three years ago, but since many of my steps are not ‘exercise’ steps, I figured that one or the other, exercise & regular walking, would have to be wrong. Since I know that the exercise distance is under credited, I am just assuming the non-exercise is accurate. While it may not be, my next hope is that it is just consistent in its inaccurate measurement!
D2 bought the Flex with birthday money. Wore it a couple of days and then lost it walking in NY. She back tracked but couldn’t find it. Sad little girl.
I called customer Service and asked if they could do anything. Gave them the story. A replacement arrived today free of charge. Yay for excellent customer service and hopefully she will be more careful with the wristband moving forward.
I can also vouch for their customer service. My mom has a Fitbit Charge. The band frayed pretty bad and all she had to do was send a picture of it and they sent her a brand new Fitbit Charge. My son’s girlfriend Fitbit Charge stopped holding a charge, she emailed and they sent her a new one.
Regarding stride length: I measured my stride walking casually. I measured my stride running. I measured my stride using GPS for two miles and dividing it by the number of steps I took. To my enormous surprise, the lengths were within 3% of each other, so I took the average and called it good.
The fitbit settings will let you customize a stride length for walking and also one for running. I’m no technical whiz and I figured it out just hacking around. I find the step count is fairly accurate, overalll.Yes, it counts me brushing my hair, but then again, I don’t get credit for pushing a wheelbarrow around. (S1 rolled his eyes and said “Mom, it’s not like you aren’t really doing if the Fitbit misses it”)
I find that prioritizing calorie burn over steps has been very helpful in weight management. I was walking a LOT but not losing a thing; when I concentrate on intensity things have been going better.
Bumping back up to see if anyone has had any problems with the wrong time on their clock. Mine is about 15 minutes too fast. I thought it would reset itself when I charged it to my laptop, but it hasn’t.
