Fitness Tracker

[Lightnin']

Anybody out there using a fitness tracker for daily calorie burn and activity? I just got a Fitbit to see how it goes. Any tips or tricks you use?

[Rex]

Anybody out there using a fitness tracker for daily calorie burn and activity? I just got a Fitbit to see how it goes. Any tips or tricks you use?

I refuse to make my life in any way even more dependent on any additional pieces of electronics.

[Bean]

I refuse to make my life in any way even more dependent on any additional pieces of electronics.

That's Rex for ya....the man is a machine and does not need additional machines to get in his way. There is something rad about having a simplistic view of needs vs wants. Complicating and adding more variables always creates potential of getting in the way. But hey..if you can build a solid structure around the fit bit and make it work for you, go for it. I have never used one because for myself it is not a need.

[Altered Beast]

Anybody out there using a fitness tracker for daily calorie burn and activity? I just got a Fitbit to see how it goes. Any tips or tricks you use?

It's fun to track how many steps you're walking everyday so you at least have an idea of what it will take to get into shape. Don't become dependent on it just use it for reference to make sure you're getting in your steps (I'm imagining you are using this for more cardio purposes?). I know people who if they don't meet their goal for steps throughout the day they make up for it on the treadmill (I don't want to hear it, it's 105+ with full fucking humidity here in Houston and it's nowhere near the hottest part of summer! On Sunday the heat index will be 110-115!!).

Remember, it's just a tool to help you achieve your daily fitness goals and nothing more.

[ChrisTuttle]

I refuse to make my life in any way even more dependent on any additional pieces of electronics.

150%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not just that it is useless in the grand scheme of things. Might be cool to know or have an idea. I have never in any show I competed in kept track of calories burned or even taken in per day. All based on progression, how I felt, and how I looked.

Now there is nothing wrong with using them if you want to keep track just for fun but it does over complicate things. Def need to take the numbers with a grain of salt.

I tell all my weight loss clients to NOT use it during my programs.

[ChrisTuttle]

It's fun to track how many steps you're walking everyday so you at least have an idea of what it will take to get into shape. Don't become dependent on it just use it for reference to make sure you're getting in your steps (I'm imagining you are using this for more cardio purposes?). I know people who if they don't meet their goal for steps throughout the day they make up for it on the treadmill (I don't want to hear it, it's 105+ with full fucking humidity here in Houston and it's nowhere near the hottest part of summer! On Sunday the heat index will be 110-115!!).

Remember, it's just a tool to help you achieve your daily fitness goals and nothing more.

Tracking steps is cool. When you do you will tend to park further away to jack those numbers up. AAHAH

[Lightnin']

Anybody out there using a fitness tracker for daily calorie burn and activity? I just got a Fitbit to see how it goes. Any tips or tricks you use?

I refuse to make my life in any way even more dependent on any additional pieces of electronics.

That's Rex for ya....the man is a machine and does not need additional machines to get in his way. There is something rad about having a simplistic view of needs vs wants. Complicating and adding more variables always creates potential of getting in the way. But hey..if you can build a solid structure around the fit bit and make it work for you, go for it. I have never used one because for myself it is not a need.

It's fun to track how many steps you're walking everyday so you at least have an idea of what it will take to get into shape. Don't become dependent on it just use it for reference to make sure you're getting in your steps (I'm imagining you are using this for more cardio purposes?). I know people who if they don't meet their goal for steps throughout the day they make up for it on the treadmill (I don't want to hear it, it's 105+ with full fucking humidity here in Houston and it's nowhere near the hottest part of summer! On Sunday the heat index will be 110-115!!).

Remember, it's just a tool to help you achieve your daily fitness goals and nothing more.

150%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Not just that it is useless in the grand scheme of things. Might be cool to know or have an idea. I have never in any show I competed in kept track of calories burned or even taken in per day. All based on progression, how I felt, and how I looked.

Now there is nothing wrong with using them if you want to keep track just for fun but it does over complicate things. Def need to take the numbers with a grain of salt.

I tell all my weight loss clients to NOT use it during my programs.

Tracking steps is cool. When you do you will tend to park further away to jack those numbers up. AAHAH

Thanks for the replies guys. Im mainly using it to track exercise in total and sleep. I'm not over complicating just simplifying for myself. I've had quite a bit of a struggle with total sleep hours in the past and this is help me correct that.

[ChrisTuttle]

Thanks for the replies guys. Im mainly using it to track exercise in total and sleep. I'm not over complicating just simplifying for myself. I've had quite a bit of a struggle with total sleep hours in the past and this is help me correct that.

Sleep it is very useful. I did it for a while as well. Learned real quick how much I sleep like shit.

[Nmowery]

I kinda wanna wear one at work some time, just to see how many steps I take in a 12 hour shift, or to guess how many calories I burn when I spend an entire day moving heavy shit by hand, but curiosity isn’t worth the cost of one.

[Cellardweller]

Why do we feel the need to measure/ count everything nowadays? Do you really need a special watch to tell you if you slept good? How do you feel when you wake up? What does walking 10,000 steps per day tell you? That you’re fit? That your cardio vascular efficiency has improved? How fast you can run a mile is a better measure of that. To me Fitbits just seem gimmicky.

[greytarzan]

I use one, a Versa. Thought the FitBit was a gimmick for housewives. Got it because the wife was into it and challenging her via the app brought us some fun.

If you get an upper tier one with the heartrate monitor, that is pretty damned useful. Found out my resting rate is 86-90bpm. That is on the high spectrum.

But...

It really helped with one thing. Sleep tracking.

Wore it for a few weeks before I found out it tracked sleep. Made me realize I average 3-4 hours of sleep a night, even though I am laying in bed for 7. Changed a bunch of my daily routine and am now progressively getting more sleep. More sleep gives me better recovery and better performance in the gym.

Been on the same routine for 10 years prior to having it. I had no idea I was constantly sleep deprived. I could truly care less about the steps.

To sum it up, if you get one - make sure it has the heartrate and sleep tracking. Those two ARE useful.

[ChrisTuttle]

Why do we feel the need to measure/ count everything nowadays? Do you really need a special watch to tell you if you slept good? How do you feel when you wake up? What does walking 10,000 steps per day tell you? That you’re fit? That your cardio vascular efficiency has improved? How fast you can run a mile is a better measure of that. To me Fitbits just seem gimmicky.

Agree! When I prep or diet down for a shoot I do not even write my diet down. I got off memory and progress weekly.

[N. Motta]

Why do we feel the need to measure/ count everything nowadays? Do you really need a special watch to tell you if you slept good? How do you feel when you wake up? What does walking 10,000 steps per day tell you? That you’re fit? That your cardio vascular efficiency has improved? How fast you can run a mile is a better measure of that. To me Fitbits just seem gimmicky.

Because purchasing and using new gadgets and measuring/tracking arbitrary stats makes people feel like they're doing something or somehow progressing. And it's always fun to tell friends and coworkers about your new toy and boast about taking X amount of steps a day.

When in fact, it's a lot like jerking off. You're having fun for awhile, but you're never really going to get anywhere.

[Altered Beast]

Because purchasing and using new gadgets and measuring/tracking arbitrary stats makes people feel like they're doing something or somehow progressing. And it's always fun to tell friends and coworkers about your new toy and boast about taking X amount of steps a day.

When in fact, it's a lot like jerking off. You're having fun for awhile, but you're never really going to get anywhere.

L O L !!!!!!!!!!! This is one of the greatest posts I've ever seen here on the FORVM!

The great American past time is consumption. We are programmed and conditioned from birth to buy whatever shit the system owned corporations are selling.