Thinking about a Fitbit- advice?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I've gained a bit of weight again and I really need to do something about that.  Sadly I wasn't as active as I should have been this summer and I've put on about 15 pounds over the twenty extra pounds I'm already carrying.   

I am thinking about a Fitbit, although for the life of me I am wondering if it is really worth it.

I have a Samsung Phone which comes with an app called S Health which does a pretty good job of keeping track of your steps and general activity.  It also has a food and weight tracker if you remember to input things, which is something I generally don't keep up with so well.  And, the S5 phone also includes a heart rate monitor that is well integrated into S Health.

Also, I have a Pebble smarsmurfch with an app called Misfit which tracks my steps and (supposedly) my sleep.

I think (correct me if I'm wrong) the Fitbit doesn't really do much more than what I already have, except for one thing- the public tracking/sharing feature that allows you to challenge and monitor friends.  I'm wondering... does anyone else have a Fitbit and use these services?  And if so, do you find that it helps?  Motivation is always key to these things, and I wonder if I will be more active if I know people are watching me, or if there's a little friendly competition going on.

That having been said, if there are other Fitbit users here (or anyone else willing to get in on it) does anyone else think that an official MTO Fitbit challenge thread might help them?

Just a thought anyway.... left to my own devices I'll just sit in front of the TV, but if there's sufficient motivation it could be very positive.

Def

[AimlessWanderer]

Unless it gives you electric shocks if you've been inactive too long or eaten too much cake, it's probably not worth it.

One thing I've found useful in worrying about your weight, is to NOT own a set of scales  I've still got a rather proficient beetle bonnet, but I have no concerns about being X pounds/stone overweight 

[Grant Lamontagne]

My problem is that my pants don't fit anymore and it's either lose weight or buy new clothes.

I hate shopping for clothes.

Def

[Mr. Whippy]

Depends.  For me, it takes any joy out of activity because everything gets quantitated.  For me, planning activity that I enjoy  WITHOUT measuring its effect works better.  The key is scheduling it and doing it

[sawman]

I stopped eating so much. Food is the enemy! 

[Etherealicer]

Unless it gives you electric shocks if you've been inactive too long or eaten too much cake, it's probably not worth it.

Nah... it should insult people in public places, so you have to run

I had a phase where I put everything into a database... In the end I spend more time tracking my activity than being active and that seems pointless too...

[Corwyn]

Seriously?

You're getting fat and you want to buy a watch?

Eat less, less potatoes, meat, bread, alcohol and sweets.
Eat tons of vegetables, salads, cottage cheese, sour milk  and light boiled meat or fish.
Some light running or an exercise bike to keep the muscle tone and you're set. Swimming is an awesome exercise too.

I lost 15 Kilograms in one month like that.

Buying a new watch is just an excuse to get a new toy, not eat properly and sit in front of the screen. Now go out to the produce section, stay away from the Christmas goodies and make us proud you Canadian hunk, you 

[Grant Lamontagne]

You just named off all the things I do eat in tye eat less section and all of the things I don't eat in the eat more section!

Def

[dks]

you just need a heavier watch and a surge to carry with you, for exercise purposes..

If your trousers will not fit just blame whoever is washing them for shrinking them.


..and wear tracksuits, or a momoo

[magentus]

Would a weight loss thread help? I'm in the same boat as you Def, my job is a lot less physical than I'm used to and my trousers are getting tight (don't get excited Harley) and I'm trying to eat less.

Being a lone worker motivation is difficult so if there are enough of us who want to support each other to lose a bit of weight I know I would feel more motivated.

Just a thought. Also - what Corwyn said.

[eamo]

Seriously?

You're getting fat and you want to buy a watch?

Eat less, less potatoes, meat, bread, alcohol and sweets.
Eat tons of vegetables, salads, cottage cheese, sour milk  and light boiled meat or fish.
Some light running or an exercise bike to keep the muscle tone and you're set. Swimming is an awesome exercise too.

I lost 15 Kilograms in one month like that.

Buying a new watch is just an excuse to get a new toy, not eat properly and sit in front of the screen. Now go out to the produce section, stay away from the Christmas goodies and make us proud you Canadian hunk, you 

What Corwyn says. I was in a similiar position, only a lot more overweight then that. The basic equation is eat less and excersise more. I'm now a fairly healthy weight through monitoring what I eat and how much I eat, I still enjoy a beer now and then etc etc. I also started running.

I've done a lot of reading, and a lot of trial and error and here's what I think -
Diet - not "a diet" but changing your diet and eating healthier, and less food overall. It's anal, but I started tracking my food using an app and it was shocking to me the amount of smurfe I was eating. Thats about 80% of the battle.

Exercise - find exercise you enjoy - as i said, i like running, I didn't, I started it cos i had to do something and found I enjoy to the point I am hoping to do a an ultra (or more) next year. Thats the other 20%. If you start exercise you don't like, you won't stick at it.

The final 100% is mental - if your heart isn't in it, you won't last. You have to want to. And this trumps everything else.

For me it was a lifestyle change, and for the better.

This is just my opinion, experience - everyone is different.

[sawman]

I've lost 29 pounds this year and think a weight-loss thread is a TERRIFIC idea!

[sawman]

Corwyn mentioned cottage cheese which is one of the tastiest, most enjoyable things you could possibly eat (IMHO). Add some black or green olives and you have a real treat

[ducttapetech]

Green olives eh? I gonna have to try that.

[sawman]

Green olives eh? I gonna have to try that.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Seriously?

You're getting fat and you want to buy a watch?

That sounds perfectly logical to me. 

Def

[SAK Guy]

Seriously?

You're getting fat and you want to buy a watch?

That sounds perfectly logical to me. 

Def

+1  I'm getting fat and I want to buy SAKs!

[Etherealicer]

Seriously?

You're getting fat and you want to buy a watch?

That sounds perfectly logical to me. 

Def

It might be blunt, but he is right...

No reward for gaining weight!

How about this:
You measure your weight once a week. You and your MT collection have to maintain weight, so, you gain weight you have to sell, you loose weight you can buy tools

[magentus]

Seriously?

You're getting fat and you want to buy a watch?

That sounds perfectly logical to me. 

Def

It might be blunt, but he is right...

No reward for gaining weight!

How about this:
You measure your weight once a week. You and your MT collection have to maintain weight, so, you gain weight you have to sell, you loose weight you can buy tools

You are playing with fire E Thizzle.......

[Etherealicer]

Seriously?

You're getting fat and you want to buy a watch?

That sounds perfectly logical to me. 

Def

It might be blunt, but he is right...

No reward for gaining weight!

How about this:
You measure your weight once a week. You and your MT collection have to maintain weight, so, you gain weight you have to sell, you loose weight you can buy tools

You are playing with fire E Thizzle.......

[red_rider_1979]

I'm in the same situation as Grant and also thinking of getting a fitbit, the Charge HR to be exact. I have 3 plus-sized female colleagues who have been using it for months and they seemed to be "linked" such that they are able to monitor each other's progress. 2 of them would take the stairs instead of the lift in between lessons (I'm a school teacher), hit the gym or go for yoga/pilates after work etc. The other colleague, who is severely obese and not as active as the other two ladies, just uses the fitbit to keep her heart palpitations in check (she teaches low-progress pupils). Over time, I've observed that 1 of them has slimmed down quite a bit while another seemed to be on her way there as well.

Even though I have bought more than 100 SAKs after joining this forum, I am not someone who is easily influenced by others into getting the latest digital gadgets (I am still using my iPad 1 after so many years). I just feel that I need to pay more attention to my health at this point in my life and having a constant reminder would push me in the right direction towards losing weight. If shelving out $120 gives me a shot at turning my whole life around, I feel that it is a small price to pay. Even if the fitbit fails as health gadget, it still serves as a cool looking watch. So, why not?

[Aloha]

These tools are great for monitoring your progress.  They are also great to let you know  if you have done the "required" steps etc.  Diet however will always be the number one factor.  I recently cut down on my carbs and sugars and lost nearly 9 pounds, my roommate lost 6lbs.  We didn't add any w/o regimen either.  What works for everyone is what you decide to put or not put into your body.  I had a neighbor friend die of a massive heart attack.  He walked every night and yet continued to eat poorly.  These are just my thoughts but fresh vegetables, less carbs, less sugars are an important start.         

[sir_mike]

I am sure my doc wont be happy with my weight when I get my yearly physical next month as I too have gained some and have made some changes but need more and will continue to work on it.

However, I am surprised that I even had money left over to eat let alone eat alot after buying sak's, mt's and other gear!  I didn't know this was possible! 
 

[JP]

Wishing you the best in your healthy food choices! Spend the fit bit money on stocking the larder. I was weighed at the docs last week and I am down 15lbs from the spring mostly through a change in what I eat. ...no more sugar drinks or fast food....the mirror and belt notches will tell you how well you are doing...as will the significant other.

Sent from my XT1563 using Tapatalk

[ironraven]

You can get the "required number" of steps in, sure, but if it's 50 here and 100 there, it does something but not as much. I was playing that game for a while with an old school pedometer. Lost not much, was still over 300 at the start of the  year.

This year, I walk minimally every other day and closer to every day. Set the timer on my phone for 15, 20, or 30 minutes, depending on how far I feel I need to walk. Start walking. Wait for the alarm to go off. Turn around. Or run the stop watch during the day, anything less than five minutes doesn't count. Cut out HFC almost entirely, white flour items out in favor of whole wheat or whole grain, sweets mostly means dried fruit, lightly salted nuts when I want a crunchie/munchie something.

Currently at 257 +/- 3, weighed daily at the start of the day. That works out to not quite a pound a week- it's a lot of weight, but it is healthy. Then I get dressed... knife... other knife... SAK... light... Leatherman... phone... steel toes... I gain 10 pounds in minutes.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I walk a LOT at work.

At least once a week, usually twice I spend many hours walking around what amounts to an 11 acre parking lot.  On those days I'll usually at least double the 10,000 steps most fitness trackers say you have to do every day.

Other days I'm climbing over equipment, up gantries, walking through muck, or climbing 119 stairs to a tower to get around 30 pounds of samples to carry down.

My job is fairly physical, plus when I'm not working there is often work that needs to be done at the house.  Most recently I've been rebuilding steps.

And, on top of that there's also two large dogs at home that need to be walked, fed and played with.

I might be lazy but I'm not inactive.

Ded

[N_N_R]

So where's the Weight Loss thread?

I used to battle with that crap a lot during my teen years (I somehow presume most of you aren't teens, though ). Then at one point I figured... that happened later in my life, that:

- You don't think about food so much if you're actually BUSY with something
- You don't think about food so much if you think about your HEALTH and not your looks
- I sleep till late, so I can eat twice, not three times a day
- I could actually fight myself and eat less sugar (i do have a freakin sweet tooth )
- Tracking your weight and counting calories will ONLY drive you nuts.
- You should just change your lifestyle entirely and change your diet and everything forever. Do not regard weight-loss as something temporary because as soon as the thing is "over", you're likely to slip into old habits again
- Do not expect fast results, because if you lose weight fast, you're likely to gain it back faster
- Me personally, if I exercise (I did a lot at one point), this only makes me ravenous and I eat three times more than I would usually, so exercise isn't the best option for me

I think if one is to lost weight, they should just not eat till their FULL, but eat.. just a regular/small/ portion of food at a time; avoid sugar or cut it out completely if you can (currently I'm trying to eat processed sugar just once in five days or so, attempting to extend the period, having just my two coffees with honey in a day); eat your protein and carbs separately and don't mix all types of food in one meal ..


I don't think it's exercise that helps you lose weight unless you starve yourself. Exercise may help you be toned and look good, but if you just exercise and don't reduce your calorie intake... I don't think anything good's gonna happen. (my personal experience).


I also think that all the general advice you can hear all over the place is ... well, crap. You should personally figure what works for YoU. We're different people, so the usual.. "always have breakfast" or "eat three square meals a day" or "eat every two hours but little" and such general advice does not apply to everyone.

[Aloha]

Boss, your situation is not unusual.  You have an active job and are fairly active at home as well.  You get out from time to time actively yet, what gives?  You still find yourself getting heavier or frumpier.  I see it all the time, fat guys or guys with big bellies who shouldn't be given their professions.  What the heck guys with pretty physical jobs still gaining weight? 

Atrophy and sarcopenia come to mind ( not saying this is the case with you).  Our bodies become accustomed to our daily grind no matter how physical.  Ever notice when you've done something out the ordinary physical, how your muscles ache afterward? 

I went to the driving range with my son and whacked a couple buckets of golf balls around and whoa.  The next day my back, shoulders, and arm muscles felt it.  My teen son however pshhh.

I'm a firm believer first and foremost that diet, not dieting is most important.  All those carbs and sugars in a older bodies is a big part of us getting fatter. 

Remember just because you are burning calories due to all that walking doesn't necessarily mean you are burning fat.  I'd venture to guess with all the carbs and sugars most eat all you are really doing is keeping from really getting fatter.  Sorry if this sounds harsh. 

When I used to train hard I used a simple philosophy, LSD.  Nope not that one, Long, Steady, Distance is what I'm talking about.  At some point you have got to dig into the fat stored and this requires long, steady, distance IMO.

I'm certainly no professional but from all I've read and personally put in to use these are my opinions.     

[dks]

It is just middle age spread

[detron]

I was doing good on the weight loss front,  by changing how I ate.  I had adapted to the serving sizes.
then I added some serious exercise to the equation, and that made me want food badly.  (no longer happy with serving sizes)
if I did not eat good, I did not feel like exercising, but when I did eat good I ate too much     but I did work out.
I got that problem fixed but now my issue is my Scholarship thing I spoke about here

now my problem is finding time to work out.

I leave the house Monday - Friday at 5:30am and get home at 4:00pm.   (For Work mostly in a chair too.)
Saturday I Leave the House at 6:30am and get home at 5:30pm   (for school)
my homework, reading, labs, and studies take about 35 hours a week.  (this is a very intensive compressed training regiment with certification exams, not normal tests)
on Sunday I devote 10 hours to homework.
that leaves 25 hours for 6 days, so 4 hours and 15 minutes a day.
so M-F I get home, eat dinner and study/read/do labs/etc  till 9:00 or 9:30 pm.  I also sometime have to help the kids with homework, so that might add 30-60 minutes to my finish time.
Saturday, I get home and study/read/etc until 10:00pm.

I am still working out, but I was doing better when I would go hiking for 12 miles 5 times a week.
now I just do some curls with 20 pound weights in each hand several times a day, some pushups, etc.

the thing I have noticed is that the intense level of these classes appear to work my brain to the point I need more fuel