As you know, my Fitbit One died at the end of March, and they aren’t making them anymore. It was a month past when it would have been under warranty, so no dice in terms of trying to replace it. Boo. So I got a Fitbit Charge 2, which ended up being such a terrible solution for me that I let Jason have it. For awhile, I wrestled with my One, trying to limp it along, but that just wasn’t going to work. I got a Bellabeat Leaf, and while I loved the versatility and look of the Leaf, it didn’t keep track of steps in any way accurately. I returned it, and went back to the drawing board.
Needs: a pedometer that accurately counts steps and can sit in my pocket. Preferably, it would track elevation and a basic calorie count as well. The Charge 2 failed on all those points, but I started to think – what if I took the Charge off its band and just kept it in my pocket instead? Could I use it as a One even though it’s not a One?
So yes, I stole my own Charge 2 back from Jason (ha! I had his permission) to try this out. And at first, I was confused, because the Charge kept giving me a heart rate all day long, even though it was in my pocket. I did some research and figured out how to turn the heart rate monitor off, because the pocket-measurement was highly inaccurate and skewed both my fit minutes and my daily calories. And after that…it was practically like having a One again! Yay!
There was just one more thing I needed to make the situation perfect – some kind of case or cover to keep the tiny Charge from slipping around and possibly out of my pocket. I didn’t want to lose it! So I did some research, and found a perfect shop on Etsy, Giraffairy Creations, that makes all sorts of Fitbit accessories. I picked out a ClipWrap Slim, chose a fabric, and received my carrier case just days later. It’s pretty and sturdy and a perfect fit, and makes it so I now have exactly what I want in a pedometer/fitness tracker again!
The Zen Leaf 
So glad you found a solution! I’ve never had a FitBit. Jerry asked for one a few years ago for Christmas and promptly lost it – LOL! I used to use a Garmin watch to track my runs and work outs though and I liked that a lot.
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I used to use a Polar heart rate monitor during exercise, but I always hated that (the wet strap across your chest – just ugh!) so I haven’t picked that up again. But I don’t trust the calories estimated on MFP for exercise, so I prefer to have something that’s watching all the time. Ironically, I think I just found a better option for fitness tracker than the one I cobbled, if only I could afford it, haha!
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Oh, to be able to use a Fitbit and not have to wear it on your wrist! I am going to have to check out this store you found because I would love to wear a watch or bracelet again.
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It’s been lovely. I worried that I’d find some flaws with the system in the first week or two of using it, but it’s been perfect.
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I’ve never had a fitbit but feel like I should definitely invest in one if I ever hope to get my weight back on track. Glad you managed to turn the charge 2 into an (almost) charge 1.
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I’m not sure how much my Fitbit has ever helped me with my weight, but I really do like it for step-tracking and a general idea of how well I’m doing with movement throughout the day.
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