How I Used FitBit To Lose Weight

As you can see from the graph I pulled from the FitBit phone app, I have been losing weight steadily since I purchased my FitBit back in January. During that time many have asked me what I have done and the FitBit has been one of the main components.

There are several options to choose from if you are thinking about buying a FitBit and it all depends on what you want to track and how much you are willing to spend. The cheaper option ($59) is the FitBit Zip which will just track your steps and sync it with the phone app and website. If you want to track your sleep and stairs then you might want to look at the FitBit One (this is the one I have, its $99). The One comes with additional features such as a silent alarm and a wrist band to use at night. The newest model is the FitBit Flex, which has all the same features (and price) of the FitBit One but it can be worn in the shower and, allegedly, can be worn while swimming up to 10 meters below the water (I don’t know, water and my FitBit still makes me skeptical).

So after you have your FitBit the first thing I would do is download the app for your phone (which is free) and get everything set up. Make sure you set up your profile on the website and adjust your daily and weekly step goals (if you need to; the default is 10,000 steps a day/70,000 a week). I adjusted mine to 8,000 steps a day, 50,000 for the week. If you bought the FitBit One or Flex then set a stairs climbed goal if you want.

If you are going to track your calories, which I highly recommend if you are in it to lose weight, then I would suggest downloading My Fitness Pal. FitBit does have a feature where you can record your food but I don’t think its as extensive as the database available with My Fitness Pal. Alas, do not fret because these two apps can talk to each other. FitBit will send calorie and weight information to My Fitness Pal and it will use that data to adjust how many calories you can still consume after accounting for what you have already burned. This is a great way to manage your diet, especially since you can use the bar-code scanner in My Fitness Pal to quickly add your meals.

My next suggestion is that you always record all your specific workouts. If you run, bicycle or walk outside then the next app I suggest is MapMyWalk (or MapMyRun); actually there are a suite of apps under the MapMyFitness umbrella so pick the one that best applies to your workout regime. If you link the FitBit app with one of these apps then when you record a workout it will automatically add that workout to the activities tab on your FitBit. If you use a treadmill or stationary bike (which is what I use at home) then make sure you record those activities on the FitBit app. Anytime you add an activity the FitBit can more accurately track your legitimate steps for the day. NOTE: If you travel in the car for long periods of time during the day you should record that in your activity log because the FitBit might mistake bumps in the road as actual steps.

Once you have all the apps you want downloaded and synced up with FitBit, now comes the hard part. You have to stick to it. Use the data that you receive from the apps to motivate you to your goals. Record your weight regularly so you can see the chart that illustrates your progress (similar to the one I posted above). As a geek, and a gamer, I think having the data has been the biggest motivating factor for me. Exercise regularly and make sure to always record it. I am trying to walk 3-5 miles a day and exercising 3-4 days a week. I always make sure that I am burning more calories then I consume.

You will find that you don’t mind walking and taking the stairs a lot more just so you can meet those step goals for the day. Before you know it, you’ll be out buying smaller clothes and giving the old ones to Goodwill.

[Links: FitBit | MyFitnessPal | MapMyFitness ]