How/why would anyone "cheat" in a challenge??

[mandynicole]

I've had my fitbit since Christmas. It has really helped me stay active and push myself. I've found so many awesome people to do daily, weekly and weekend challenges. I've never once questioned anyone's amount of steps. I have a very active job and there are days I push myself at the gym more than usual in order to get more steps. I usually get about 15k-25k a day.

However, I started a workweek challenge and added someone that I know and is new to fitbit and wanted motivation to start working out.. The steps seemed unrealistic for this person especially since they sync every few minutes, but I wasn't going to question it at first. Yesterday I was busy at work and was ahead by almost 8,000 steps. Within the hour this person ended up pulling ahead of me. 

I spent 2 hours on the treadmill and pushed myself to get my 45k badge before midnight. I was almost 15k ahead of the person and after 5-6 hours when I woke up the person ended up 10k ahead of me.. Which means they'd have to do 3k-4k per hour.

The numbers simply didn't add up. I know you can't manually log activity/steps and have them show up in the challenge. I hate to call anyone a cheater when it comes to fitbit, but it just doesn't seem humanly possible.

Has anyone else had an issue similar to this? Or am I completely wrong for thinking that the steps aren't realistic?

[SunsetRunner]

I think I’ve been in challenges with several cheaters. One guy got 300,000 for the week. And he’s older than I am and I’m 51. And it’s been snowing where he lives and he doesn’t have equipment at home so only walking outside. And he works. I’m five days he “walked” five 26 mile marathons. I don’t think so. It’s sad. And frustrating. 

[SunsetRunner]

Jeff,

Assuming you are using your same username , can you please check your forum.officer account? I sent you a PM and would really appreciate it if I was able to get in touch with you. Thanks.

S/F

[SunsetRunner]

Jeff,

Assuming you are using the same username, can you please check your forum.officer account? I sent you a PM and would really appreciate it if I could get in touch with you. Thanks.

S/F

[WendyB]

Dont invite him back Plain and simple

[WendyB]

@SunsetRunner  Go away please. This is not a dating site

[Brinagh]

It is also possible that they may not have their fitbit set to autosync.    My daughter for example turns her bluetooth off on her phone.   She turns it on a few times a day to sync her fitbit.

[Odyssey13]

Hi @Brinagh  I'm sure your daughter doesn't sync every 50,000 steps or so. There are people who are high steppers, without cheating, but there are those who find ways to cheat. Welcome to the forums!

[CarolJeanne76]

I t is very frustrating when someone who enters a goal day challenge with 5000 steps routinely wins by taking over 30,000 steps.  This goes on challenge after challenge.  It is not fair to those who enter with step goals close to their daily average.

[Odyssey13]

@CarolJeanne76  it sure is frustrating, but there isn't much any of us can do with those people. I've always kept my goal at 10,000 steps a day. Once I was in a challenge with someone who had 1 (One) step as their goal. Of course they beat all of us by a huge percentage. All you can do is find a group of like minded and like stepping people who are honest. It is sad that these people need to be the winners, when the real winner is the person who keeps stepping even when they can never get near the first spot in the race. 

[Grimmer0409]

I totally agree, I have seen some posts of 100,000 a day regularly, I just do t know how that is sustainable.  

One thing I will say is that although my wife and I both have Charge 5 devices, step for step when we are both out together I tend to to record more steps than her, we are the same height but her legs are longer. I don’t mind a challenge and I know how hard it is to do 20/25/30 thousand steps in a day so for someone to record far more than this has too much time on their hands 😊

[MarilynBeth2]

I had one day of over 50K.  I was just very competitive.  I wasn't cheating.  I walked most of the day (time the sun was up.)

[Lkbous]

I’m finishing up a June step challenge where the leader has 9.5 million steps for the month!!  Come on, he/she went 250 miles a day for 30 days!?!  I don’t think so.  I like to challenge myself with the numbers, but it means something to me for my own accomplishment and comparison to others that it means something to, as well

[alexthecat]

@Lkbous Fitbit doesn't have challenges anymore. I don't know where you are doing challenges now. I just started using the StepUp app, but I used to use StrideKick. With StrideKick, you can just add any amount of steps that you want. You could add 10 million steps and beat your friend, if you were the kind of person who would do that. It's just ridiculous! 

[Lkbous]

I’m doing sincerely health app and you can’t add steps at all

[alexthecat]

@Lkbous I'm not familiar with that app. Do you like it? I'm always interested to learn about other apps. 

I agree that the person in your challenge is cheating. There are various ways to do that and I don't want to speculate. Tomorrow is a new month, so maybe it's time to start a new monthly challenge without that person. 

[Lkbous]

I do like it. It’s through the Vons/albertsons co and I earn points from the challenges and for closing my rings and the points can be redeemed for groceries.
Sent from my iPhone

[Lkbous]

I have.  It’s so frustrating.  I’m not a hardcore runner/walker so I do push myself really hard in a challenge, and I do want to place, but it wouldn’t be fun or challenging to cheat!  I don’t get it, either.