Wednesday, May 9, 2012

FitBit Ultra...initial thoughts

I just got this from amazon last night....I've always wanted to check these little things out, so I succumbed.  So far though, I'm intrigued!

What came in the package?  The Fitbit Ultra, a "pager" style holder (not really needed), a synching/charging cable/base, and a soft wristband that holds the fitbit while you sleep.  There is absolutely no paper in the package...you are simply directed to go to Fitbit.  You then download the synching application and create an online account.  Simple.

The application download took forever to install, so I just let it run when I went to bed.  Finished setting up my account in a mere 2 minutes in the morning.

Now, one thing I like about this is that is somewhat syncs with MyFitnessPal.  You log all of your activities at Fitbit, and all your food at MyFitnessPal.  They do not sync instantaneously, but if you are looking for trends or prior-day successes, this is well done.  You should not log activity in MyFitnessPal, nor log food in Fitbit, as its possible that you will double-count calorie intake/burn.

So, I really started using this just before 7am.  Based on my weight, activity level, etc, the online tool estimates your calorie burn and then when you sync your device, its trued up.

Initial surprises:

  • It was easy to attach to the side of my bra right under my upper arm...there is no chance of it slipping and it really is quite small.  I could feel it, but it didn't bother me.  I'll do this if I have form-fitting waist clothing, but its easy enough to put this around the waistband if the clothing is better suited for this.
  • I'm shocked at how little I exert energy while at work.  I know that its a desk job, but I seriously walked less than 1500 steps before leaving work.  I burned a mere 1200 calories before 5pm.  This was an eye opener already.
  • Knowing how little I burned at work made it more necessary for me to exercise tonight...hard NOT to do this!
  • The Fitbit can be viewed at any time to get current day's stats....so its more up to date/accurate than the website/mobile application.
  • Its 8pm, and my busiest time (eg most energy used) is definitely in the evening.  My Fitbit currently states 8:20pm, 8909 steps, 4.83 miles, 2042 calories burned, 2 flights of stairs climbed.  This was AFTER 30 minutes on the elliptical, so I already know that if I do not actively exercise during the week, I'm a FOOL thinking that I can maintain my weight during a normal work week.

I'm curious to see how this day compares to my average work day versus an average weekend day over the next few weeks.  What really is "norm" for me?

1 comment:

  1. I bought one for my mom for her birthday this year and am SO curious how it's working -thanks for the review! I've been eyeing the Nike Fuel band too, since I've been using Nike+ for years. Wish they offered free trials!

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