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Can a Fitness Tracker Help You Lose Weight?

By HERWriter Blogger
 
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fitness trackers: can they help with weight loss? MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin

Losing weight can be an uphill battle for most people. It takes time, focus and energy to do the things that need to be done to lose weight.

Logistically, it really is quite simple though. People who want to lose weight need to eat less and move more. The hard part is accurately keeping track of those two things.

There are numerous smartphone apps that can help anyone track their food and get an accurate caloric count of all the food they eat. But knowing how many calories the walk around the park burned or accurately keeping track of how many miles you ran this morning is a bit tougher. However, this is where fitness trackers fit in.

Fitness trackers are wearable technological instruments that can calculate everything from steps taken to calories burned to amount and quality of sleep achieved each night.

Fitness trackers keep people honest. They record everything and track it over time to see the amount of activity one does (or does not do).

This information can be motivational. Perhaps it will motivate one to park the car farther from the entrance, take the stairs at work, or get in an extra day at the gym. It keeps the user more mindful of the day's activity level and can be the first step to losing weight and getting in shape.

There are a number of fitness trackers on the market which can be worn different ways and have slightly different functions.

Some are clip-on and can be worn under clothes. Others double as watches or bracelets. No matter the form, all fitness trackers give users a real-time understanding of their fitness and activity levels. Here are three popular fitness trackers:

The Misfit Shine is one of the most stylish trackers. Its radial face looks more like a piece of jewelry (and can even be worn as a necklace). It tracks steps, sleep, and discerns between different activities like running, swimming and cycling. The Shine is waterproof and uses a watch battery for no charging.

The Fitbit One is very discreet as it can be clipped to a bra strap and only weighs 8 grams. It is a very accurate pedometer and has a great visual display to see steps taken, miles walked, and calories burned right from the tracker (as opposed to having to check an app).

The silent alarm is a nice bonus, as is the price tag that's less than $100 , all of which helps to make this fitness tracker one of the best rated ones on the market.

Basis Carbon Steel Edition is a watch-like fitness tracker that does just about everything. It measures steps taken, calories burned, as well as the user's heart rate and pulse. It can even measure the user's skin temperature, perspiration, and sleep.

This high end fitness tracker can also automatically tell the difference between various activities. It is a tracker made by tech geeks for tech geeks, and it shows.

Sources:

PCMag.com. Web. 24 March 2014. "The best activity trackers for fitness.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2404445,00.asp

Time.com. Web. 9 January 2014. "26 fitness trackers ranked from worst to first.
http://time.com/516/26-fitness-trackers-ranked-from-worst-to-first

Reviewed May 15, 2014
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith

Add a Comment2 Comments

EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

This is my first fitness watch. Watch have many different features that hold steps, heart rat, track sleep, and antilock facet as well. The first day I use this watch I was so shock because there is no button to turn on the device, until I put it in the charging port watch turn on by itself. Some of the watches they use really cheap rubber band, so after wear for a while it well feel extremely itchy. This product I wear almost a month, so far I never have any issue with the rubber band. the best activity trackers and fitness bands on the market right here. Whether you’re an experienced athlete or an absolute fitness beginner, you’ll find what you need.more seebest fitness tracker

July 28, 2017 - 11:40pm
Blogger

I don't personally have a tracker but I know some people who do. Seems that it creates some competition amongst friends which adds to the motivation. This gamification started popping up in the gym years ago when video games found their way to our exercise equipment. I believe these tracker will be very common - much like "smart" phones have found their way into our lives.

November 17, 2014 - 10:22pm
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We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

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