Random Thoughts about a Fitbit and Track Tuesday

For the past month, I’ve been walking around with a happy little fitness gadget on my hip.  Actually, this little fitbit fellow is only happy if I’m moving.  On my more sedentary, lazy days, he’ll stick his tongue out at me until I move.

 Then, once I start moving, he’s happy again.  He was really happy at my kids’ running club.

He enjoyed the Gasparilla expo and the Gasparilla Arts Festival too.

This fitness gadget is perfect for the person who doesn’t have time to work-out.  If that’s your excuse, then you will find satisfaction in learning how much calories you burn throughout the day.  For a more active person, like me, it’s seems a bit silly.  When I run, I burn calories.  If I cycle, I burn calories.

However, the fitbit comes in handy on my rest days, because let’s face it, like most moms on the run, I rarely rest.  I’m running up and down stairs chasing after a toddler.  I’m carrying loads and loads of laundry.  I’m shopping.  Basically, I’m still moving and that’s where it’s nice to know how many calories I burned during my usual mom duties.

After a day with my new happy little BFF fitbit, all the information recorded onto the device via Bluetooth connection and all that data is uploaded and logged online, once setting up a fitbit account.

FitBit_ScreenShot1

I decided to wear the fitbit to Gasparilla Half Marathon to see how many steps I would track during the race as well as pre-race and post race.  With walking up to the start line and walking back to my car, I was curious to learn how much more would be added to a finished race distance.  For 13.1 miles, my Garmin recorded 1370 calories.  The fitbit recorded 14.41 miles, 2598 total calories and 29,997 steps.

FitBit_ScreenShot2

And for that, my fitbit was happy.

A couple of years ago, when I was trying to lose all my pregnancy weight, the fitbit would have been perfect.  I desperately counted my calories and recorded my foods in an attempt to lose the weight I gained after baby number three.   But now, with all the intense training I do, it seems silly for me to track my caloric intake and my food.

As an experiment, I wore the fitbit on a rest day to track my steps and calories burned.  Then, based on my age and weight, I wanted to learn what the fitbit recommended if I wanted to lose ten pounds for a sedentary lifestyle.

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On a typical housework chore day, it recommended a intake 685 calories. For most my rest sedentary days thereafter, the recommended caloric intake averages under 600 calories.  I find that appalling!  That is not a healthy weigh to lose weight!

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So, I have to say. I’m honestly not a fan of the fitbit.  I prefer to run to eat.  Refusing yourself nutrients and essentially starving yourself is not the best way to lose weight.

Speaking of running for food, here are my sprints for today. Since my legs were still stiff after Saturday’s half marathon, I wore compression sleeves.  My hamstrings were hurting too.  About halfway into our sprints, it started to sprinkle and I really hate running in the rain.  To take my mind off the raindrops, I serenaded Chrissy and Maribel with some rain songs, which turned into a rainy day song montage.  It definitely took our mind off the rain and the soggy sprints.

TrackTues_sprints3-12-13

Even in the rain, I took 3295 steps calories and burned 505 calories.  And my fitbit was very happy.

Do sprints in the rain make you happy?  Is it possible for sprints to make you happy?




SE_Ambassador

“Disclosure: I am participating in the Verizon Wireless Ambassador program and have been provided with a fibit device in exchange for my honest opinions about the product.”

*Also linking up at*

Stacy

9 comments

  1. Jenny says:

    Okay, so either the FitBit is VERY generous with calorie burn or the Garmin is off. I’m going with the FitBit being off. Here’s why. For Gasparilla you ran 13.1 miles and burned 1370 calories (Garmin.) Adding in the additional 1.3 miles that the FitBit calculated, it gave you an additional 1200 calories burned. I don’t know anyone that can burn 1200 calories in 1.3 miles 😉 Right? Or am I reading it incorrectly?? That seems crazy high. I’m super happy with my Polar 🙂

  2. erin says:

    I cant believe it suggested just under 700 calories as intake? I only use my iPhone to track distance – I don’t trust the “calories burned”, it doesn’t take into account too many things. And like you said, if you love fitness, running, working out – I don’t think it’s necessary to track like that. I do like the faces. That was my favorite part of your review.

  3. David says:

    This could really work with me. I walk a LOT every day, but it is a pretty variable amount. I also tend to walk at many different paces – from really high paced when needing to get somewhere in a hurry or late at night, to leisurely strolls. I try to keep track of it, but the different pace, uncertain times, etc. make it difficult. This is exactly the type of gadget that I need.

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