So, I caved and bought a Fitbit Flex. I had some REI money and it only ended up costing me $35 out of pocket :).
It took me a little bit to download and figure out how to sync it to my computer, but once I did it worked like a charm. If you're just getting one, I suggest charging the fitbit battery before starting the download, so your instructions won't be interrupted while you wait for the charge. I picked the ever so subtle slate gray color, so it would be a little less obvious. Frankly, the biggest challenge I had was getting the little brackets/clasps to fit in the tiny holes...good grief and I fight with those boogers every day when I put it on. Oh and it is a wireless connection to your computer. So, everytime you are near your computer, it updates without you doing a thing...so easy peasy.
This thing is pretty amazing. I didn't know I would be so caught up in how many steps i take a day, but I clearly am. I also use the fitbit dashboard to log my food, which is terrific and very easy. I love having all of these functions in one place and seeing how they all relate to one another. If I walk for this long, it equals this many calories and calculates the calories in my food choices. It also logs my water intake, which is something I can easily slack off of and this has made me far more accountable. The days I get my water in are the days I lose weight--it's that simple for my body. I find myself parking further away so I can get more steps in, walking the dogs more often, hopping on the bike for a spin around the neighborhood and anything else that will help me rack up those steps. I love seeing big step numbers...It's crazy and in so many ways, seems silly. But, it works for me. This morning I went grocery shopping and while it would normall frustrate me if I forgot something on the other side of the store, today I thought "Oh yes :) more steps to count! I am laughing at myself on this...so goofy.
The only aspect that is not for me is the sleep monitoring via the fitbit. I don't like to wear any jewelry, etc. when I sleep. I tried wearing it one night and boo on that one--I'll have to forego any nifty charts on my sleep patterns.
The batter has to be charged about every 5 days--fyi. The suggestion is to set a 5 day reminder in your phone, so it doesn't let you down when you need it. I already logged my dinner since we are going out tonight and it was terrific in helping me plan how much sushi I could eat and how many glasses of wine will keep me on track...looking forward to it already!
Oh, did I tell you that you get "badges" when you reach milestones--kind of like having a great spelling test mounted on the fridge!
I'll keep you posted Fitbit followers :)