Fitbit is fairly unforgiving!

[SunsetRunner]

I bought my first Fitbit three weeks ago and so far I have averaged over 11,000 steps a day (best day was 24,000 steps).  For the last couple of weeks I have been on leave and we have travelled around a lot (and done lots of walking). However, on two days in the last seven I haven't achieved my daily target for the very simple reason that one one day I was sitting in an airport, then sitting on a plane, then sitting in a car for most of the time, likewise on the second day for the return journey.

Another day I was really quite poorly with a nasty UTI and I didn't dare go far as I needed to be near a toilet (sorry if it's TMI)

But Fitbit appears to be quite unforgiving if you don't achieve your steps for a very good reason.  I wish there was some way of incorporating it into the daily stats (e.g. a dropdown list where you could select the reason you couldn't exercise) so that you weren't made to feel guilty.

Surely it's the overall averages that are important?  If I am averaging 11,000 steps a day and 66 minutes' exercise a day, I must be doing something right?

[AmandaGeorge]

Welcome to the world of Fitbit, @SunsetRunner!

Too right with Fitbit being unforgiving and I agree that there should be a way to explain inactivity but you get used to it after a while lol  I'd like for there to be a way to manually log active minutes that my Inspire doesn't record when I log steps that it hasn't picked up - I haven't had any active minutes on a Wednesday 'cos that's when I run my weekly virus scan for weeks worth of Wednesdays now even though I can record the steps and length of walk that I did (I literally count them in my head as I walk our dog on a Wednesday 'cos I know they won't be recorded otherwise lol).

I think there's a suggestion board somewhere so maybe we could both suggest our ideas on there ready for the next update?

[WavyDavey]

I understand what you two are saying. Just remember the Fitbit is just a device--it doesn't judge you. We can only judge ourselves, so if you don't feel any guilt internally, it shouldn't matter what the stats are saying for that day. Just remember your exercise and health is a marathon, not a sprint. It's long term effort that counts. What happens today or tomorrow isn't as important as this month or next month.

We do have a Feature Suggestions forum here where you can request new features. You could put something there--maybe request a feature to give you average steps per week or something of that sort?

[emili]

@SunsetRunner Welcome! I also will say big welcome to the step craziness that happens when you are being shown in real time your data. I feel for what you are saying, but to echo Dave... you are being unforgiving to yourself :).. your tracker is just telling you your data. look at your week as a whole, not necessarily day to day. 

[Hadden8176]

One thing you have to realize is that you're a human with a life. There are going to be days that you get all your health and fitness goals in and there are days you won't. That is life and its ok. You will have some bumps in the road and that is ok. Don't think too much about your device. All Fitbit devices are there to EMPOWER you. They are tools. Take the data that your device gives you and run with it. The days you do get everything... great,  the days you don't... DON'T SWEAT IT. 

[PatrickUMB]

It is completely unforgiving. My cardio score took forever just to get to good, even though I am in great shape. Then I had some allergies, so I toned down my workout routine for a few days and had a few drinks watching the Kentucky Derby. All of a sudden within 3 days, Im right to where I started when I first got the fitbit. Even a month later the needle has barely moved on it.