24 Mar Fitbit and it’s Effectiveness in Aiding Weight Loss
By now, you have probably heard about the FitBit. It seems like in the last few years they have gotten getting increasingly popular. A FitBit is a physical activity tracker designed to help you become more active, eat a more well-rounded diet, sleep better and ultimately, helps you lead a healthier lifestyle.
Throughout the day, FitBit is worn on your wrist and logs a range of data about your activities, including the number of steps you take, distance traversed and calories burned. It’s also sensitive enough to detect just how vigorous your motions are, which differentiates a slow stroll from a jog that consumes far more calories.
At night, the FitBit monitors your sleep quality. It knows when you go to bed, how frequently you awaken and how long you lie awake. The clip has a built-in OLED (organic light-emitting diode) that scrolls current activity data. So if it’s late in the day and you still have 8,000 steps to get to your goal of 15,000, you know it’s time to get going, and fast. A little flower avatar “grows” as you become active and gets shorter if laziness takes hold.
Every time you pass within 15 feet (4.5 meters) of its wireless base station, FitBit automatically offloads a cornucopia of numbers. From there, your statistics go to your online profile, where you can peruse details, monitor your progress (or lack thereof) and redouble your dedication to getting into shape.
Aiding Weight Loss
If you’re just starting a weight loss plan, it’s crucial to know the number of steps you take each day or how many minutes you were active. To start off, keep it simple since moving more is a great goal within itself.
When you’re ready for a bit more, compare your tracked numbers against exercise goal you’ve set for yourself. For instance, you may be working to increase from 10,000 steps a day to 12,000, which is an excellent goal for fitness and weight loss.
You can use your device to:
- See if you reached your target goal each day or how close you were to meeting it
- Set a smaller, shorter-term goal so you’ll feel successful right away; doing so will help you to stay focused.
- Send yourself reminders to move if you’ve been sitting too long. (This is an excellent way to give yourself a jolt to help you break that bad habit.)
Once you’ve been exercising a while, think about using your device to track a workout’s intensity. To do that, look at the number of calories you burn and how they increase over time. You can also check how long it takes to burn a certain number of calories, and work on shortening the time. The aim is to challenge yourself and continue to improve over time. 
The FitBit has online communities that you can join to keep you motivated. When you share your fitness goals and how much you’re exercising each day, you will feel more accountable.
Moira M from the FitBit Blog shares her journey, “I started getting in 10,000 steps a day and I realized how easy it is to fit activity into my life and how good it made me feel,” she says. “If I hadn’t reached my goal yet at night, I’d jog in place while watching TV.” Moira started working out in other ways too: She tried yoga, got back in the pool, and signed up for sessions with a trainer. “Four weeks into it, I knew I wanted to start eating better because of how good I was feeling,” she says. She took simple steps, like cutting down on refined carbs and making sure she ate breakfast every single day, instead of skipping it. “It was amazing how good it felt to eat right,” she says. “I didn’t miss my old eating habits at all!” The weight quickly began to come off and Moira’s clothing size went down. “I’m not the weepy type, but when I was able to go shopping in the regular clothes section, instead of the plus-size section, I was in disbelief,” she says. “It had been 15 years since I could fit in regular clothes!” While Moira isn’t done with her journey, she knows she’s going to get there. “My goal isn’t a weight, it’s a feeling,” she says. “I’ll know when I’m at my goal when I feel good in my skin.”
Remember that consistency is essential to successfully change your life, your health, and your weight. Wear your device and upload your data regularly. That’s the best way to get accurate info on your activities, what you eat, and your progress.
Click here to join Dr. Marvin’s Fitbit community! Dr. Marvin is a board certified surgeon who specializes in Bariatric procedures. To learn more, or to make an appointment please call the office at 713-993-7124.
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