About Dominique

Dominique · ‎01-07-2014

Fitbit trackers are essentially pedometers, ie.devices designed to count steps. Ask yourself this question: what is a step when you're snowboarding? Your Fitbit will detect activity as you move your hands, but chances are it will underestimate calories burned. You would probably get more accurate calories with a heart rate monitor.

Dominique · ‎01-06-2014

Just guessing (since your step data is only visible to friends): 110K and 89K were your steps for the last six days, plus the ongoing day. The total count will increase until Midnight on the ongoing day, at which time the oldest day is dropped and the new day that just started is added. You are not "losing" steps, the fluctuation is normal.

Dominique · ‎01-06-2014

I can see why Fitbit chose not to include heart rate monitoring in their trackers. You may want to consider competing products like the Basis B1 Band or the Polar Loop (see this thread about these), or use a separate heart rate monitor in addition to your Fitbit. Some apps (eg. Digifit iCardio) let you import calorie data derived from your heart rate into your Fitbit account.

Dominique · ‎01-06-2014

I'm not aware of any Fitbit device that would analyze sleep cycles. I'm quite skeptical about the ability of any tracker to analyze sleep cycles based on arm movements. FWIW, I made some experiments of my own with a heart rate monitor and I wrote a post about it.

Dominique · ‎01-06-2014

You've only been using your Fitbit since Christmas (12 days). You've been hitting the 10,000 step mark almost everyday, which is a very good start. I'd say a loss of 4 kg in such a short period of time is highly unusual, almost too big to be true/healthy. Half-a-kilogram in 12 days is not bad at all. It took me two months to see any weight loss at all. It was only when I increased my daily step count to 15,000 that I started to lose weight (fast). Have you made any changes to your diet? There are only so many extra calories you can burn with moderate aerobic activity like walking. If you have unhealthy eating habits, you also need to make some changes to them.

Dominique · ‎01-05-2014

@weymiensn wrote: Today I went for a run as ordered by my Endomondo training plan. At the middle of the workout my calf muscles started to tighten and after a while it became rather painful and hard to continue running. I think I did not strecht properly or something, though as a novice I don't know really. If running is a new activity for you, it's better to listen to your body rather than to the Endomondo training plan. I also think there's a confusion between warming up and stretching. You may want to have a look at the following link: http://www.maxcapacitytraining.com/warming-up-stretching-and-cooling-down.html

Dominique · ‎01-05-2014

@RicoFitness wrote: I'm not looking for abs, but really hoping to tone and get under a bmi of 20.. BMI as a goal is for people who are outside the normal range: if your BMI is 40, you want to bring it down to 30, if it's 30, you want to bring it down to 25, if it's 17, you want to bring it up to 20. Yours is within the normal range, you don't have to do anything about it. A BMI of 20 with your height would mean a weight of 124 pounds, btw: are you sure you want to lose 19 pounds from your current level?! A good goal would be to increase your activity level. Your Fitbit is perfect for that. Your profile shows you were quite active before Christmas (around 10,000 steps per day), but are now down to 3000-4000 steps. This is very low for someone your age and in your shape. Forget about weight and BMI, get moving, eat/drink healthier/smarter (veggies instead of sugary stuff, water instead of sodas etc.) and you will see results.

Dominique · ‎01-04-2014

Kapalua wrote:Thanks for posting all that information. Is the BLE Heart Rate Monitor app used with any BLE HR monitor such as the Polar H7? I would never have anticipated such HR variability while we sleep. Either that or you have great dreams! Yes, the BLE Heart Rate Monitor app does work with the Polar H7, and I assume it would work with any other BLE compatible HR sensor. The app actually calculates heart rate variability (HRV), which I didn't know. I thought the SweetBeat app for iOS was the only one with support for HRV. The HRV value appears as one column in the CSV output by the BLE Heart Rate Monitor app. I haven't figured out how to interpret HRV yet. Do tell us what kind of results you get if you manage to log your HR during an entire night's sleep!

Dominique · ‎01-04-2014

@Dale1937 wrote: It is important to me to track my heart beat. I purchased from Fitbit for $50 on 12/14 a heart beat addition, but it hasn't been added. (Reported to Fitbit on 1/1 and have a tracking number.) What "heart beat addition"?! I'm not aware of any Fitbit device that tracks heart rate for the time being. If you absolutely need heart rate tracking, you probably bought the wrong product. Products you may want to consider for that are the Polar Loop, the Basis B1 Band or the Mio Alpha.

Dominique · ‎01-04-2014

@Dale1937 wrote: I'm still unsure of how to confirm that I have gone to bed or arisen!! From the manual (p. 23/37): To enter sleep mode, tap your Flex rapidly for one to two seconds. Your Flex will vibrate and display two slowly dimming lights to indicate that sleep mode has begun. [...] When you wake up, tap your Flex rapidly for one to two seconds to exit sleep mode. Upon exiting sleep mode, your Flex will vibrate and flash all five LED indicator lights. Fitbit Flex support page: https://help.fitbit.com/#product_flex

Dominique · ‎01-04-2014

On a couple of nights, I logged my heart rate with my Mio Alpha HRM watch and I compared the results with the sleep log I get with my Fitbit One. In both cases, these were "good" sleeps, as deemed by Fitbit (98-99% "efficiency"), and their duration was about the same (about 7 hours). During the first night (November 26, 2013), I used the Runtastic Pro app on my Android smartphone (Nexus 4). With Runtastic, I only get a graph, as well as the average and maximum heart rate during the logged "activity". The curve on the graph only includes snapshots every 2-3 minutes (it's possible to read them by hovering the mouse on the graph, in the Runtastic website). Here is the comparison Fitbit vs. Runtastic: During the second night (December 21, 2013), I used the BLE Heart Rate Monitor app, also for Android. That app didn't create a graph, but I could export the raw data as a CSV file (I had to purchase a Premium in-app feature for that), which I could import in Excel in order to create my own graph (see below). The CSV file included almost second-by-second data (23,800 HR values in total!), so it provides much more detailed data than Runtastic. I was also able to add a linear trendline in Excel (a similar trend can be observed on the Runtastic graph). Here is the comparison Fitbit vs. BLE Heart Rate Monitor: It was interesting to see that even when sleeping, the "resting" heart rate is not a flat curve, there's quite a lot of variation. Has any of you performed similar experiments?

Dominique · ‎01-03-2014

@pancrat wrote: Insanity is a high-intensity interval fitness training program designed esp to help those who are already fit to reach the next level. It's a 2 month regimen consisting of 6 days/week plyometrics and body-weight exercises witha recommended high-protein clean-eating nutrition program. Not too glitzy, but really demanding. I wouldn't call it a weight loss program, but you can't really help but lose some fat and build some muscle by the time you complete it due to its intensity. Well, this is the kind of stuff you see on the Insanity home page: Sure, it's an extremely demanding fitness programme, but it's marketed as a way to transform a beer belly into a six-pack in 60 days.

Dominique · ‎01-03-2014

@Heidikins10 wrote: So it sounds like my One is just going to track the steps as steps I walk ( which is still a good thing). Don't worry, "losing" a few floors won't affect your steps, calories or VAM's. Floors are just a bonus, an extra motivator. The funny thing is I've "climbed" almost 20,000 floors in the nine months I have been using my Fitbit One and I'm hardly using any stairs (I live in a house in the country side and very seldom even see high buildings). This is because the area where I live is quite hilly, so my walks includes lots of ups and downs.

Dominique · ‎01-03-2014

@pancrat wrote: Anyone progressing through the Insanity workout right now? I must admit I hadn't heard anything about Insanity before starting using a Fitbit. I'm based in Europe and Insanity (as well as the company behind it) is more or less unknown on this side of the Atlantic. My understanding is that it is being heavily promoted on TV and advertised as some kind of "get-slim-fast" magical recipe to overweight people. I have no doubt there is a huge market for it in the US. Are American people so gullible as to believe you can transform yourself from obese into superfit in a couple of months? Don't some of them even die from doing this stuff? Just wondering...

Dominique · ‎01-03-2014

With so many veggies to choose from, it's hard to believe they would all make you gag. Maybe you just haven't found the ones that are right for you. Is there a style of cuisine you like? Indian, Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean dishes (to mention a few) all include very tasty ways to prepare vegetables. If nothing else cuts it, you may want to consider green supplements. Have a look at the following video: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/fat-loss-course-for-men-day-4

Dominique · ‎01-03-2014

Does Amazon UK ship to Russia? I live in Finland and I bough mine from them. Free delivery with DHL and it was very fast too.

Dominique · ‎01-03-2014

There is nothing to "calculate" and there is no "correct" body fat goal: it's up to you to decide what you want it to be. Have you had a look at the body fat percent reference from the American Council on Exercise: Mine is currently at 16-17% (according to my Aria scale). I'd like to bring it down to 15%. That doesn't sound like a lot, but it's surprisingly hard.

Dominique · ‎01-03-2014

@RunningRach wrote: Do you still go out in the rain? I have no problem whatsoever with rain (and snow). In fact, it makes me feel I'm getting a return on my investment on the jacket and trousers I purchased for that purpose I bought them on sale in late Spring and I tried them in the Summer, but they were too hot. So in Summer rain, I just get soaked (I'm not made of sugar!) and let my cloath/shoes dry.

Dominique · ‎01-02-2014

@Inga wrote: I have the Precision Nutrition Binder and recipe books. What do you think of them? I like the general approach in the free content on their web site, but I'm not sure about the paid content. Besides, they charge horrendous delivery fees for any destination outside North America (I'm in Europe).

Dominique · ‎01-02-2014

@Inga wrote: are you male or female? Do you know many males whose concern is to get a "round buttom and sexy arms"

Dominique · ‎01-02-2014

Your BMI is about 23, which is within the normal range. If you currently have unhealthy eating habits and don't exercise, you can probably achieve visible results by switching to healthier eating habits and exercising. Anyway, being healthy and happy is more important than the way you look.

Dominique · ‎01-02-2014

Sorry, I overlooked your need to compare daily steps. There's nothing built-in for that in Fitbit AFAIK. The rolling 7-day step count is a better indicator IMO, since it evens out differences in schedules etc. Fitbit has an API that allows programmers to do quite amazing things. For instance, you can download all your raw Fitbit data into a Google Drive spreadsheet. If one of you is geeky enough, maybe you can continue from there.

Dominique · ‎01-02-2014

No HRM integrates directly with Fitbit. In fact, there's very little room for HR-related data in your Fitbit account and it has to be entered manually. In connection with Fitbit, a HRM would typically be used to get calories for non-step-based activities that your Fitbit tracker is not very good at tracking, for instance biking or swimming. I personally use my HRM outside Fitbit (I don't care too much about calories, whether in or out). You can choose between integrated HRM's (sensor + watch) like Garmin, Polar, Suunto etc., or a naked sensor (typically a chest strap) that can talk to your smartphone. There are lots of apps (for both iOS and Android) that can take integrate HR-data transmitted by a sensor. I have a Mio Alpha and a Polar H7. Both are Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and can communicate with recent smartphones that are BLE-compatible (iPhone 4s or Android phones running Android 4.3 or newer). The Mio Alpha is a watch (but it doesn't do much besides displaying the HR in real-time), while the Polar H7 is a chest strap. Both work equally well, but I find the watch more convenient to wear and operate.

Dominique · ‎01-02-2014

Aren't you friends with each others? You should see your Fitbit friends' step ranking in the mobile app, unless they have opted out of ranking.

Dominique · ‎01-02-2014

Thanks, Vicky, Cassian and syslam, for your advice and suggestions! After repeating today what I did yesterday (10 sprints of 110 meters in 15-16 minutes), my body would tend to agree that 2-3 times a week is better than everyday. This is what my first HIIT trial looks like in Runtastic: It will be interesting to see how the curve evolves over time. I'd imagine the slope of the last few reps would become steeper (shorter recovery times). I didn't know about Tabata, but I'll give it a try indoors, when we finally start getting snow outside (very mild winter so far). My neighbours gave me their apartment bike, it should be perfect for that (I don't picture myself sitting on it for hours in a row, but shorter bursts should be OK). The PACE Express video looked a bit too American for my taste

Dominique · ‎01-02-2014

That would have been me nine months ago! I was 52, not overweight (but BMI close to 25) and in poor shape (very easily out of breath). I started with the standard 10,000 steps. After a couple of months I was at 15,000 steps and in the summer at 25,000. I'm now back to 15-20,0000, but I have other goals too. It took me five months before I started running. I also walked much slower in the beginning than now. The main thing is to get moving.

Dominique · ‎01-02-2014

@MikeC wrote: I have been walking up several flights of steps a day and it does not show up on my dashboard. Which Fitbit tracker do you have? Not all of them support floor counting. Only those that have an altimeter (eg. One, Force) can do it.

Dominique · ‎01-01-2014

I agree with Mary: what you are "losing" in the pool by not using your Fitbit are mostly calories. You're probably taking more steps in five minutes walking around in your house than in one hour in the pool, so the step "loss" is minimal. The main advantage of the Flex is that it would automatically register you as being active during the time you spend in the pool, whereas other trackers would be left in the changing-room and would deem you sedentary, unless you'd manually log your activity.

Dominique · ‎01-01-2014

Look at long distance runners vs. sprinters: the latter have the bigger calves (same with all other muscles, btw) and it's not because they run more, they just spend more time at the gym doing weight lifting. This is not to say you won't get muscular calves by walking or running a lot, it's just they won't get bulky.

Dominique · ‎01-01-2014

I decided to experiment with HIIT for the first time, running set distances outdoors and starting over when my HR reached 110 bpm (60% of my max. HR). I first settled for shuttle runs (A-B-A), for a total distance of about 220 meters (240 yards): this was much too long and I could only do it four times, in a little under 9 minutes (including recovery), and I was totally wasted. Later in the day, I tried again, but doing only A-B (110 meters/220 yards) and B-A: I did 10 such legs in about 16 minutes, and I still felt OK after that (could do a 40 minute power walk right thereafter). A few questions to people who are into HIIT: did my second trial make any sense, in terms of distances and duration? Can I do it every day, or only 2-3 days of the week? Can I do steady state cardio (eg. 30-60 minute runs) on the same day? Any recommended sites where I could learn more about HIIT, get ideas about training programs etc.?

Dominique · ‎01-01-2014

How about walking, for a start? I see you've been using your Fitbit for a couple of weeks and are averaging about 4000 steps per day. Use the default goal (10,000 steps per day / 70,000 steps per week) as your first main goal. You don't need to reach it right away if you think your fitness level is not sufficient for the time being. You can set intermediate goals (eg. 40/50/60,000 steps per week) until you reach it. Same with speed: you can start at your own pace and increase it as you get fitter (you can monitor your progress with speed via Very Active Minutes or VAMs).

Dominique · ‎01-01-2014

No idea, but see what Dr. John Berardi has to say about supplements in general: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/fat-loss-course-for-women-day-4

Dominique · ‎01-01-2014

@WendyB wrote: One I had one I used it daily. I loved it May I ask why you had to stop using it, then?

Dominique · ‎01-01-2014

First of all, there is no need to post the same question to multiple forums: just pick up the most relevant forum. In this case, I assume you want to count calories because you would like to lose weight, so the Weight Loss forum might be the most appropriate. I personally don't bother with counting calories, but many people are doing it successfully, so it can be done.

Dominique · ‎12-31-2013

@Madison wrote: How is the weather there in Finland? My mothers side of the family is Finish. We've had a very unusual winter so far in Southern Finland: it's hardly freezing and there's no snow at all. It will get colder and we will get snow, probably later on in January.

Dominique · ‎12-31-2013

I'm not sure which Fitbit you have, but I have the One and I need to press a button to tell it my sleep is starting, and press it again in the morning to tell it it has ended. My Fitbit therefore has a clue about the activity it's monitoring. When you do ballet, your Fitbit has no clue about the actual activity you're performing. From its point of view, you could be just as well playing volley-ball. It's far easier to detect movements that exceed a certain threshold (which is basically what your Fitbit is doing during your sleep) than to evaluate an activity that involves random moving around. Don't forget Fitbit is essentially a pedometer, ie. a device designed to count steps when moving more or less in the same direction. Maybe a heart rate monitor would be more adequate for estimating calories burned during ballet?

Dominique · ‎12-31-2013

@tallson wrote: Meanwhile I am putting my compulsive self in the "Fitbit mode". Increased exercise brings increased appetite do the same rules apply. Every answer seems to bring two more questions...this is alot like adolescence. 🙂 You may want to have a look at the free 5-video course from Precision Nutrition mentioned in the following post of mine: https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Weight-Loss/Precision-Nutrition/m-p/37793#M1058 I think it addresses several of your questions in a concise and easy-to-understand manner. I've been in "Fitbit mode" myself for nine months, with great success, but I still learned a few important things from that short course.

Dominique · ‎12-31-2013

There's a device called the Basis B1 Band that claims to do what you want. You can read about it here: http://walking.about.com/od/Computer-Linked-Pedometers/fl/Basis-B1-Band.htm?nl=1 http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/07/basis-b1-review.html Selected excerpts from these reviews: "It is not a substitute for a chest strap heart rate monitor to track exertion during a workout, or a workout coaching program." "... the Basis B1 was designed “for the other 23 hours of the day”, and as such the optical heart rate measurement has significant issues when it comes to accurately tracking heart rate at elevated levels associated with sports activities. Much of this originates from the fact that the optical heart rate sensor within the unit simply hasn’t been tuned to the constant and sharp movements associated with sports activity." At one point, I considered getting one. However, for the reasons mentioned above, I didn't and I ended up getting a Mio Alpha instead. I don't regret my choice, as the Alpha has proved to be a great HRM during my workouts.

Dominique · ‎12-31-2013

Freezing and snow are not problems in themselves, icy (and therefore slippery) roadways may be. With proper gear, you can walk and run in winter too. I live in Finland, by the way

Dominique · ‎12-31-2013

Your Fitbit doesn't measure your step stride: it just makes two assumptions about it (based on your height), one for walking and one for running. You can override these assumptions under Settings in your Fitbit account. My main problem with this is Fitbit and I don't agree about what still constitutes walking: when I power walk at 7 km/h (4.35 mph), Fitbit thinks I'm running, so I need to enter my walking stride into the field for the running stride in order to get accurate distances (and calories) when power walking. But then, I'm short-changed when running, since my stride is even longer then, but there's no field for it. Bottom line: if you want to know the exact distances you walk/run, get a GPS watch.

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