6 Best Fitness Tracker Watches For Weight Loss
6 Best Fitness Tracker Watches For Weight Loss
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If you have spent any amount of time looking for a fitness tracker, you will see that there are so many out there and it can be overwhelming to know where to start.
As a weight loss accountability coach I have used many fitness trackers over the years, and it is an important tool for many of my clients on their weight loss journey.
My first fitness tracker watch was actually one of the biggest catalysts for my weight loss. I’m a competitive numbers girl and I was so motivated by seeing the amount of calories I was burning in a day, and competing with myself to burn more the next day. I felt like a winner if I kept the same amount of steps, or got more each day.
When I first started my weight loss journey I was doing Weight Watchers, so the fitness tracker watch actually helped a lot with that system. It was so motivating, and really useful for my watch to show me how much I had to exercise in order to burn the desired amount of calories.
Because of this instant love of fitness watches, I’ve tried a lot of different ones over the past 10 years. I loved to see what features some had that others did not, and how they could benefit my fitness journey in different ways. Because I know how many options are out there, I wanted to share with you a short list of the ones that I consider to be the best out of all the fitness tracker watches out there.
Before you start looking at your options, however, it is important to know what a fitness tracker watch is, and in what ways you want it to be an added tool for your weight loss or fitness journey. In order to make the most informed decision, here’s a couple of questions I think will be important for you to consider.
What is a fitness tracker watch?
Fitness trackers, or activity trackers, are mobile devices that you keep with you while you exercise, or throughout the whole day. They can be in the form of a watch, an app on your phone, or even those old pedometers you might have worn 20 years ago.
For this article, we’re talking about the kind of fitness trackers that you can wear as a watch. I love these because a lot of tracking your fitness or activity happens throughout an entire day, and the watch is just an easy accessory to keep on your wrist.
What do fitness trackers measure?
Fitness trackers can have a lot of different features that measure your exercise. The most basic feature is that they count your steps. This is a great tool to get a good measurement of how active you are throughout the day. If you work at a desk, you might find that you need to get up and walk around more, and a fitness tracker watch will be a great way to measure that.
Fitness trackers can also measure your heart rate. In the past, you used to have to wear a band around your chest, that would connect to your watch, to get an accurate heart rate reading. Now, the technology has evolved enough that your heart rate can be taken just from your wrist. If your heart rate is something of concern for you, there are even watches that can actually take an ECG of your heart!
There are also other features to consider when thinking about getting a fitness watch. Some are better for underwater use, some are both fitness trackers and an extension of your phone capabilities, some are good for tracking routes if you’re running or biking outside, and others have better GPS features.
What are the benefits of using a fitness tracker?
There are so many benefits to using a fitness tracker when you are trying to lose weight or maintain your fitness level.
Like I said before, my first fitness tracker really unlocked my motivation for losing weight. I was able to see in real-time how many calories I was burning, and it really helped me stay focused and on track with my goals.
There are so many tools you can use to lose weight, and this is just one of them. Even among the different fitness tracker watches, there are many different ways they will be helpful for your specific weight loss or fitness journey.
Some of my clients like to focus on steps and calories. They will want something they can wear all day and probably something that just works really well in the background.
Your choice of watch also depends on the type of fitness activities you do. If you’re a runner, it would be good for you to have one that tracks times and distances. If you are really into high intensity interval training (HIIT), you might want to be able to set a goal heart rate zone, and track that on your watch. If you swim or participate in water sports, you want to make sure your fitness tracker watch will work even if it gets wet.
Just like how dieting or weight loss is not a one size fits all plan, the best fitness tracker for you is very dependent on your specific needs. You want your fitness watch to specialize in specific areas that others might lack. Or you might just want one that does absolutely everything. No matter what you need, there is a fitness tracker for you.
What features should you look for in your fitness tracker?
The are so many different features you might want your watch to have, but here’s a short list of questions to help you narrow down what you’re looking for:
What fitness activities do you want your watch to be able to measure?
Does your fitness tracker watch need a phone and/or WiFi connection?
Do you want your fitness tracker to have multiple applications or limited only to weight loss/fitness?
Do you have any heart rate concerns you need your watch to measure?
Do you need it to track outdoor routes or have good GPS?
Does your fitness tracker watch need to be safe to use in the water?
Remember that it’s ok if you don’t want your watch to have multiple capabilities. I actually prefer my watch to be more disconnected from other mobile capabilities so I can better focus on my fitness. You want to consider what it is you want out of your fitness watch so you don’t end up buying something that overwhelms you with more options than you actually need.
Ultimately, I use a fitness tracker to motivate me to be more active. This helps me stay healthy and keep my weight where I want it to be. And it’s also really fun for me to track and beat my personal goals. If you are a runner (which I am not) or an athlete there may be other things that a fitness tracker watch does to help you measure and improve your performance.
There are so many different watches out there, so I made sure to limit this list to ones I have used and feel really strongly about. The last thing I wanted was to add to your feeling overwhelmed in your research. If you have any questions about other watches, or how you can use them to help you on your weight loss goals, reach out to me!
6 Best Fitness Tracker Watches for Weight Loss
1. Fitbit Charge 2 & 2. Fitbit Inspire HR.
I have had both of these fitness trackers. I have used the Fitbit Charge 2 for a few years and have been using the Fitbit Inspire HR for several weeks now. I love that you can change out the bands as well to make them look less sporty. This green one was my all-time favorite band for the Charge 2 and I’m still looking for a new one for the Inspire HR.
Differences:
The Fitbit Charge has a larger face and is a little easier to use because of that. One of the things that drew me to the FitBit Inspire HR was the smaller size.
The Inspire HR does not track flights of stairs, which is one thing I do miss as it was fun to add that into my daily goals.
The Fitbit Inspire HR is waterproof, which may be a huge win for some people.
I’ve noticed that the FitBit Inspire doesn’t turn on when I flick my wrist over, and the Charge did. That was nice, so I didn’t always have to click the button on to see the screen.
I feel like the FitBit Charge held the charge longer and am finding I’m needing to charge the Fitbit Inspire more often.
The FitBit Inspire is less expensive than the FitBit Charge.
Similarities:
Both watches sync with the app, which is a fun way to set goals and see your progress.
They both track sleep, weight loss/gain, your menstrual cycle, a steps per hour challenge option, resting heart rate, heart rate minutes achieved daily, daily steps, total calories burned, and they both can be used for food and water tracking.
Both watches have a newer version out now: Fitbit Charge 4 & Fitbit Inspire 2 which I’ve pictured above.
I love the FitBit App, if you like data it will totally keep you motivated!
3. The Apple Watch.
I recently got an Apple Watch, but in all honesty, it was only because I was getting a Peloton and I wanted it to sync. Yes, I’m that competitive, but whatever keeps you motivated, right?
The biggest differentiator with this fitness tracker watch is that it’s also a phone. I do receive notifications on my Fitbit, but I cannot call from it, which I kind of like better. The Apple Watch also does track many of the same things that the Fitbit Charge and Inspire HR track, with the added benefit of a good GPS element.
While I have found a few apps that give you good data, I miss the streamlined features and look of the FitBit app. If I hadn’t got a Peloton I honestly would have traded it back for my FitBit Inspire.
It’s important to consider that the Apple Watch has fitness tracking features, but it was not created specifically for fitness tracking. It can do some amazing things, but if you want a focused and dedicated fitness tracker, this may not be it. It is more expensive than most fitness trackers, is a bit larger than I would like, and keeps you connected at all times. However, I know many people who love it, and in a world where we already have so many devices, you might be someone who prefers to have everything in one place.
It is great that they are always updating the Apple Watches, and when you look at the reviews here, you can see that it has 87% 5-star reviews out of over 1300 reviews.
4. Garmin Fitness Trackers
Garmin is one of the 2 most popular brands I hear come up when looking at fitness tracker watches. I have not personally used Garmin, but I know many people who love the brand and have tried out many different versions of their watches. It’s more watch than I need, for what I want to track. If I was a runner or cyclist I would look more into getting a Garmin.
The Garmin fitness tracker watches range from $50-$475, so there are definitely multiple levels of specifications among these watches. Overall, I have found that they are a very trusted brand, and have dedicated themselves to developing great fitness trackers. If you remember, they started as a GPS company decades ago, so they have carried that technology over into their watches, and are great for outdoor fitness tracking.
5. Polar Fitness Trackers
Polar is the other most popular brand that will come up when searching for fitness tracker watches. I have not used one of their watches recently, but I did have the Polar f4 years ago and loved it. What I didn’t like was that you had to have a chest strap on with it to get your heart rate data. If you were a competitive athlete this really could be a great brand for you- but seeing as I just wanted to be healthy, I didn’t like needing to wear the chest strap. (I would NOT recommend this watch with all of the other options now. At the time it was great, but science in watches has come a long way.)
However, I know the technology has increased since I last used one of their watches, and they now have integrated heart rate monitoring in their watches. They are also very good for multiple fitness activities and outdoor, underwater, and GPS-based tracking.
Their watches range from $100-$499, so just like Garmin, they are a trusted brand with a lot of variety for what you need most in your weight loss or fitness journey.
6. Lets Fit Tracker
This last watch came up in my search when trying to find something affordable, that will still do the job of any $100+ fitness tracker watch.
It is just about $30 and has a lot of great user reviews. I have not used this one but it does seem to be a more affordable alternative that may be worth checking into. The technology is so accessible, that you can easily track steps, heart rate, and calories burned without having to spend a lot of money.
I may actually buy this one for my 10 year old who has been wanting a FitBit. As I’m sure you’re familiar, kids’ interests can change daily, and I didn’t really want to drop $100 or more on a fitness tracker for him before I know that he’ll actually keep it on and use it.
Based on the reviews this could be a great first fitness tracker watch if you’re just beginning on your journey.
How to decide what fitness tracker to buy?
I hope this helped give you a better idea of what to look for when deciding to buy a fitness tracker watch. There are so many options out there, that it can be overwhelming trying to narrow it down, and committing sometimes a large amount of money.
No matter what fitness tracker you are considering, my suggestion is to click on over to Amazon and then scroll down and read the reviews. You can also head on over to Youtube and get lost for hours watching video reviews. (I know, I’ve done it!)
Remember that no matter how much you research, you will have to make a decision at some point. Rather than spending weeks and weeks weighing pros and cons, set a timer for an hour while you research. Then at the end of the hour, just choose one. I know it might seem crazy to make such a fast decision, but in the end, there are a lot more important things you can spend your time on. Think about all the extra time you could have for making a meal plan, or playing a fun game with your kids!
Once you get your fitness tracker watch, set it up and USE IT!
This is the fun part! Once you make your decision and get your watch, you get to launch yourself even further with your weight loss and fitness goals.
If you are new to exercising, start with smaller goals and increase them weekly. You could simply start with having a goal to get 5,000 steps in a day and then work your way up to 10,000 in about 5 weeks.
Another great metric is heart rate. You can aim to get into your heart rate zone for 30 minutes 3 times a week, and then work up to 5-7 times a week.
If you get a watch that tracks sleep, take a look at how you are currently sleeping, and then set a goal to get 30 more minutes of sleep each night. Have fun with it!
Remember, your fitness tracker will be a great tool, but weight loss is about an entire lifestyle change.
While this is a post about the best fitness tracker watches for weight loss, it’s important to remember that exercise alone is not the key to permanent weight loss. It definitely plays a huge part in how healthy we are and how energized we feel, but we also must be conscious of what food we are using to fuel our bodies.
More often than not our weight is just a reflection of things (thoughts, feelings, or choices) we are not dealing with in our lives and are using food as a coping mechanism to cover up. Taking steps to get healthy will transform way more than your body- it will change your entire life. And you are so worth it.
If you need helping to stick with your goals, or even setting them in the first place, I am here to help! You can reach out to me directly and we can chat about what would help you best live your best life, or check out my programs and get started today!
Do you already have a fitness tracker watch? If so, which one do you have, and do you love it? Are you thinking about buying one soon? Let me know in the comments!