Since I have been dieting I haven't really put any effort into exercising because I wanted to get the eating part under control before I added another change into my life. I am now ready to start exercising. I have joined the local gym which will be opening in a few weeks and I am really looking forward to that.

I have seen online and heard some people mention in some threads about the FitBit. I've looked it up and I'm fairly certain I understand what it does but I'm hoping that some members here could help me decide which one is best and how these helped you in your weight loss journey. What are some things I can do with these fitness trackers??

Thanks!!!

Congratulations on all of the healthy improvements you've made/are making in your life!

I love my Fitbit and enjoy seeing my steps add up over time. I'm a very basic kind of person. The easier and more accessible a gadget is the more likely I will use and commit to it. I have the Fitbit Zip that tracks steps, miles, and calories burned. I don't need to know how long I sleep or how many flights of stairs I climb so the Zip serves me well. Several times a day I synch it to the Fitbit app on my iPhone. I believe all of the Fitbit devices have this ability. Of course you can also synch your data to your computer as well.

I just recently updated my iPhone so using the app is something new and so far I'm only utilizing the steps/miles aspect of it. Through the app you can also log different types of exercise and also food (if I remember correctly).

If you haven't done so already I encourage you to visit the Fitbit website and check out the different models. The one I purchased included the battery, Fitbit, cover (in your choice of color) and the toggle to synch it to your computer.

Good luck!

I have the fitbit flex, I have had it for about a year and can honestly say it has changed my life. At first I thought I walked a lot at work but when I see the tracked steps I realized I have been a couch potato and had no idea how much 10K steps (recommended daily) truly where. The fitbit tracks my steps/cals and has the capability to track sleep( although I don't use it because I do not like sleeping with jewelry (fitbit flex bracelet)). I am very competitive and most friends at work and around me have it, we are constantly on each other backs to get moving and get on top of the ranking list which helps my exercise habit. I believe it has helped me increase my movement; I park further at work an anywhere I go just to get the steps in and make sure I stay on top of the list. Sometimes I go on random walks around my house just to get my bracelet to vibrate (hit 10K steps). In addition it links to my fitness pal which is the app I use for calorie tracking, this helps me get in vs. out and make sure I am burning more than what I eat. Also they have multiple colors and styles which makes it fun to wear 

Best of luck and feel free to ask any specific questions 

I have the Fitbit zip. I had the Fitbit flex and returned it (I didn't like wearing the bracelet all the time, it clashed with my real jewelry!).

The zip is awesome. I paid about $40 for it after finding it on Ebay brand new with free shipping. I think it's about $60 in the store.

I set it just to track my steps and hook it to my bra strap every day. Out of sight, discrete but so motivating!

I use the app. on my phone to track my progress and it's so easy. I do between 10,000-12,000 a day on average but try to do more on weekends.

The only thing discouraging to me is that it (obviously) can't track my stationary workouts since I'm not moving. For example, I take a class at my gym that works out arms and while I sweat and build muscle, the Fitbit thinks I'm idle for the 45 minute class. I just call it bonus calories burned.

I love mine and wish I got one a long time ago.

I started with a Jawbone UP24 bc it's a little more fashionable, but I did not like the fact that it didn't count stairs, so I moved to a FitBit Charge. There's not a tremendous amount of difference between the Flex and the Charge, except the Charge has a display, which I wanted.

I use the iPhone app and really like the set-up and being able to sync it with My Fitness Pal is fantastic in my book!

The only drawback I can find is I can get a little obsessive about hitting my steps for the day. My goal is to try and see things on a weekly average vs. daily. I do the same thing with my food intake. Could be the former WW girl in me speaking.

There are a ton of different trackers on the market and I would recommend researching more than just the FitBit, since you mentioned using it in the gym. Some are better than others in regards to tracking exercise outside of running/walking.

http://www.cnet.com/news/best-fitness-trackers-2015/

I find this website very helpful.

Congrats on your progress!

Thank you so much for your input and recommendations. I am going to do a bit of research and hopefully I'll have my new fitness tracker this weekend.

I started with a fitbit flex, over a year ago. I love/loved it.

As a reward for 3 years of maintaining, I recently ordered the charge!

It's a bracelet, a bit larger than the flex. But, the thing I love about it, is I just need to tap it, and I can see my steps, miles and calories, along with some other things, so I don't have to keep syncing with my phone to see my stats.

Which device you choose, is up to you, and what works best for you.

Recently a bunch of us who have fitbits, have become fit bit friends, through facebook and fitbit, and are now doing fitbit challenges! Workweek hustle, weekend warrior, and there are 2 others. We see each others stats, throughout the day. We can message and cheer each other via the fitbit challenge!

It's gotten me off of my back side, and it's fun and pretty cool, to hook up with folks who want to be more active, looking for fun, support, accountability and so on.

The weekend warrior challenge, of this last weekend, was a testament. We all did our best, but via fitbit challenge texting, a few took a rest day, I had an out of town birthday party with my granddaughter. It was all ok, no scolding. It's just another means of support, and another way to keep us mindful, and focused.

I got the Fitbit One because I didn't want to wear the bracelet (Flex) all the time. One of the issues with it is that many people have lost it because it's so small, and sometimes if you clip it on it falls off and you don't know it. I keep it in a little drawstring bag in my pocket rather than clipped on for that reason. I like that it counts stairs, but sometimes I will go up the stairs and it doesn't register, and sometimes I will be walking very fast and it adds a flight or stairs where there are none. I have never used the sleep feature because it measures movement. If you are awake by lying very still, it thinks you're asleep and registers it as sleep. I never tried it, but heard this from other people.

What I am saying is, unless these things are really important to you, save some money and get the Zip.

Also, I think the Flex is the only one that is waterproof, in case you want to wear it when swimming. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong about that.

The nice thing about all of them is the online account. It shows you everything in detail. Your steps, stairs, distance...breaks it all down into 15 min increments. I love that fact. It gives you badges based on your accomplishments. I think it gives you incentive to exercise more and that's always a good thing. I have never used the apps.

I have the FitBit One and I love it. I keep it clipped to my bra, and I have not lost it yet. I like the One instead of the wrist models because it tracks treadmill workouts even if my arms are stationary, aka holding on to the sides. I sync with MyFitnessPal, and I love that A LOT.

I also have the Fitbit One. I wear it on the center of my bra and it doesn't go anywhere. I wear a watch on my left hand at work and my RoadID all the time on my right hand (allergies/weird health stuff, figured I ought to leave a clue...) so a bracelet style Fitbit was not for me.

I love it. I especially love it now that I have a phone upgrade that works with the mobile app. I use the calorie tracker intermittently (haven't lately) and it's definitely worked for me.

I have a Fitbit one (have Charge HR on order). I sync it with MyFitnessPal so I see my calorie deficit each day. I also wear a heart rate monitor during exercise and sync that with Digifit which talks to Fitbit to give a more accurate calorie burn. I love my Fitbit.

Any advice on which Fitbit to buy?

I have the Fitbit One and I love it. I actually tried the Charge HR and I couldn't stand it. It got snagged on my coat, it hurt my wrist in my sleep and left indents, and it was bulky and just overly annoying so I returned it and re-synced my One. My boyfriend is in love with his Charge HR so don't take my word as law, by any means, but I just did not like the bracelet style at all.

I have the flex and I love it. I wear it all the time, even when sleeping.

I find it odd that other users have said it doesn't pick up walking movement if your arms are stationary. I know it does for me, I don't move my arms on my elliptical or treadmill, but the dots will increase during my movement to show that I'm accumulating steps (and "active minutes") and will sometimes even vibrate if I'm on the machine long enough, letting me know I reached my step goal for that day.

I wear it on my non-dominant hand and have it set for that. I wonder if that matters, its picking up more sensitive activity that way.

Anyways, I love it. Keeps me motivated to keep moving!

I wear a fitbit and love it, but was wondering something. On days I work I will have 14000-18000 steps, on days I don't work I have 7000-10000 steps. i work 3 days a week. my question is, on the days I don't reach 10000 should i make sure i reach 10000 or will the high days equal it out. And maybe 10000 is not enough maybe I need to up my base goal steps. I am want to lose weight and am starting with healthy eating and walking. thanks for any help.