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?

[rattiemomma]

Did this make anyone else think of Howard on The Big Bang Theory? Lol!

https://youtu.be/PnTXqqCVaSI

[WendyB]

I remember that episode. LOL @rattiemomma

[Jbell0129]

I agree..I'm in. Challenge now where the 1st time user hit 40k 40k 30k and 60k ....totally bullcrap

[Jjdaughters]

Wow! I can't believe you get 45k a day. Didn't know that was possible. My goal for a day is 5000, but then I have alot of medical issues. My daughter gets 10,000+ a day. She really pushes herself. My niece had the audacity to question our step goals because she and my sister weren't reaching their daily goal. Made my daughter more determined. I'm also glad to see my workout on the air climber is fine. For some reason, my Fitbit doesn't count all my steps.. I think it's because I walk with a limp. So, I would say it would be possible. One person I do challenges with sandbags her steps. She doesn't synch until the last minute and wins. This doesn't bother me. As long as I reach my goal. Like a previous poster said.. you're competing against yourself.

[Odyssey13]

Welcome to the forums @Jjdaughters

As long as you and your sweet daughter continue to step and do your best, that is all that matters. Your niece might want to take a closer look at her own steps or lack of them. It's easy to sit down and not get many steps in a day.

You keep on doing what you've been doing. This is all about you.

Keep on stepping.

[Odyssey13]

Welcome aboard @Jbell0129

Don't worry about what other people do, even if you don't win the challenge, you're still a winner as long as you're stepping.

[heatherdpear]

I wonder if they are riding a bike and using an iPhone. My hubby gets real high counts when he rides his bike

[mandynicole]

I appreciate all of the comments. The situation ended up being that this person was not earning steps on their own and now no longer uses their fitbit.

My main issue was that I felt uncomfortable confronting someone, I personally knew, about their steps. In challenges, I'm more than okay with having fitbit friends that get an obnoxious amount of steps. It motivates me to push myself even if I don't get close to their steps. It's just not fun to compete with someone that you know isn't actually getting those steps. 

I apologize if my orignal message came off the wrong way. I wouldn't ever question a random fitbit friend for their steps. I would just ask for advice on getting more steps. My fitbit is for myself only.

However, challenges are what keep me moving. I've always cheered on someone with less steps than me and someone with more steps than me. It's suppose to be friendly competition and it was frustruating to deal with that situation. 

Thank you all for your feedback!

[Dominique]

The good thing about challenges is you can choose whom you invite (when you create them) and whether or not you accept an invitation from someone. After you have been around for some time, you will know who are honest and who aren’t, and who are more or less in the same league as you. I’ve now been in the Fitbit sphere for three years and there are many friends who have been all the time in the same range as me (80 to 120k per week). Even if I don’t know them personally, I know they are for real and are not cheating. I enjoy being in the same challenges.

[breakingblue]

It's not completely unrealistic. If I walk for 15 mins straight on a break I can generally do around 1.5k-2k steps depending on my walking speed. So doing 3-4k in an hour is highly realistic to me at least. 2k at my step length is approx a mile. I personally compete against people who do A LARGE amount of steps on a daily basis and it's fairly easy for them to hit 25-45k steps a day with their active jobs or walking motivation. I run a lot and find I actually get more steps walking than I do running. Just food for thought. 

[Nessibear999]

Yes definitely I worked my **ahem** off but it took me all day, I'm talking TreadClimber and elliptical plus going outside playing with my kids picking them up from school all walking and running I was out about 51,000 steps but no joke took me all day I was exhausted my legs were jello, 1 hour before she was only at about 25,000 steps 1 hour later she was at 52,000 steps that is impossible she's not a professional Runner and there's no way she got those steps. But hey she might have won that round but at the end I really know I put into true hard work and I know for a fact she did not and therefore I will no longer do challenges with her. Sucks when people are unfair and don't know how to lose. But in the end they are really the ones who lose I lost 5 pounds a week woohoo 🙂

[Odyssey13]

Hello and welcome to the forums @Nessibear999

Congrats on the weight loss! Way to go! You are the true winner.

There are friends (not ones I do challenges with) who seem to sync weekly so they often get 200,000 or more steps added at one time.

You're doing great. The real loser is the one who feels the only way to win is to be dishonest, but they are hurting themselves. You can only be true to yourself and know each step you take counts for a healthier you.

Keep on stepping!

[WendyB]

@Nessibear999 Congrtas on your loss!

[Nessibear999]

I didn't lose! I actually did the steps.

[Nessibear999]

Thank you and exactly, I don't see why anyone would cheat.

[LazyToUltra]

I hope your not going on about the same person as me mandy...... As we both follow each other and there is a certain person that I can never beat........ One week I had ran upto 45 miles in 5 days and ran on the spot along with my busy 9-5 job.... I still lost the week challenge by about 40K !!! 

[WendyB]

@Nessibear999 I was congratulaing you on your 5# Loss. Not steps

[Astroniklas]

I don't know why people would ever cheat. I had to remove one of my friends off my list today. She was like 11,000 steps ahead of me 5 minutes immediately after I was done going to the gym completing 25,000 steps after 2 hours. So in other words she was doing 30,000+ steps immediately after I was done. Needless to say I was visiting gym in random occassions and never regularly on certain days/time.

[shipo]

Too funny; last year I was added to a challenge put on by a co-worker's son in the military.  After two weeks the group dropped me from the challenge because I was getting in way too many steps.  The thing is, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary (for me); I live on a horse farm, take care of eleven horses (I typically have 10,000 steps before I even get to work), and run between eight and twelve miles every day.  I guess two consecutive weeks of 200,000+ steps was just too embarassing from a "fat old man" as my co-worker calls me.  🙂

[HelloSushi]

I'm gonna admit it... I've cheated. My friend and I were cutting it close but I stopped being active for a few hours because I was studying and doing homework. Around 11PM I noticed that he stopped updating and was probably asleep so I shook my arm while studying for 30 minutes and was able to pull ahead of him by 1000 steps. I just really wanted to win since beating him was obtainable. Not sure how your friend is doing it but that's how I did it.