a bit about the fitbit

I have had several inquiries about my Fitbit recently, so I thought I would share a bit about it here << see what I did there? >>

There are several different models of the Fitbit, in a range of prices, and I would suggest that before making a purchase you evaluate your motive/need for a fitbit [more on this below].

[screen shot via fitbit.com]

“Do you love your fitbit?” / “Is it worth it?”

I do / Yes. It is super lightweight, sleek, and I barely even notice it. I think the data collection is quite accurate and it fills the need that I was seeking.

I have the Fitbit Charge HR that I purchased specifically for the heart rate monitoring function. While a Polar FT7 Heart Rate Monitor [or similar] might be slightly more accurate, I do not want to wear the strap monitor around my chest. I also want a monitor that I can wear 24-hours, and I am definitely not leaving the strap monitor around my chest for that length of time.

The heart rate monitor function is important to me, because I have been very focused on weight lifting and want to maintain a heart rate in the fat burning zone while I lift [in the cardio zone, your body may burn muscle stores instead of fat]. I also don’t want to fall below the fat burning zone while I lift, which is easy to do if you are resting between sets. The charge HR has allowed me to keep a constant eye on my heart rate and incorporate sprints and other HIIT cardio between sets to keep my heart rate in the sweet spot.

[screen shot // 6 min peak + 6 min cardio are from my post-lift 1.5 miles // 42 min fat burn is from my lifting session and exactly where I want to be for max muscle gain]

There is a fitbit a step above the Charge HR that has a GPS function [Fitbit Surge]. If you are a runner/walker/hiker I think this would be very helpful and important. Since I have not recently been putting physical investment in to running, I did not deem it a necessary expense.

For many, the purchase of a fitbit is likely related to the need to be motivated to be active and simply move on a regular basis. What I have come to love about the fitbit, in addition to the heart rate monitor, is that it motivates me to do more during the day. One more load of laundry or taking the recycling to the basement equals a few more flights of stairs [which the Fitbit Charge HR also monitors] and a few hundred more steps. Vacuuming >>> more steps. It has also motivated me to add a mile or two on the treadmill to the end of a lift session. Would I buy the fitbit just for the pedometer? Probably not, but it has been a really nice asset. If you are simply looking for the pedometer function, I would look in to a less expensive version of the fitbit.

[yesterday’s steps are almost all from a day of running errands and an afternoon filled with housework, other than a quick five-minute warm-up on the treadmill plus a lift session]

The sleep log is fascinating to me. I sleep well at night, but it is nice to see at what points of the night the fitbit registers me as awake or restless. For example, mine is currently showing me a pattern of The Littlest waking  up in the wee hours of the morning, crying. Something that clearly needs attention. I would imagine if you have an infant at home it could also help you notice potential sleep/feeding patterns. Would I buy it just for the sleep monitor? No. Not a need of mine.

One final item worth noting. I LOVE the fitbit app on my phone that uses blue tooth to sync the data where I can see the bigger picture of my daily activity, calorie output vs. calorie input, etc. If I didn’t have a compatible smart phone for the app, I am certain I would not take the time to download the data to my computer.

I am very pleased with the purchase, and feel it was worth the expense [investment in my health]. I am interested to see how well the device holds up over time, but so far so good!

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