I've been using fitbit flex and fitbit force since mid December and it has really made a difference for me.

It doesn't really matter what activity monitoring device you chose to go with but here's a NYT article on them.

The Monitored Man

quote:

Can trackers really change behavior in people? Last year, Dr. Rajani Larocca, a primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, conducted a six-week lifestyle program for 10 patients with diabetes ages 50 to 70 that included weekly sessions to encourage exercise and healthful eating; each participant also was outfitted with a Fitbit Zip tracker.

“Every single person increased their activity,” Dr. Larocca said. “People felt more knowledgeable.” Eight months later, about half the patients from the group still wear a tracker.

Researchers at the Center for Connected Health in Boston have been giving activity trackers to subjects for six to nine months, then studying changes in their behavior. Dr. Kamal Jethwani, head of research at the center, said he saw three distinct groups of people among study participants.

quote:
About 10 percent are “quantified selfers” with an affinity for this kind of feedback; just by looking at the numbers, they are motivated to be more active. An additional 20 percent to 30 percent need some encouragement in addition to tracker data to effectively change their behavior.

^^^this is where I fall.

quote:

But most of the subjects observed by Dr. Jethwani don’t understand the data and need help making sense of it. For them, he said, social motivation from a friend or joining a team or workplace challenge may be more effective.

I figure I’m in the second group, the ones who need a little push. One of my favorite features is the Jawbone UP’s inactivity alert. I set mine to vibrate on my wrist if I haven’t moved in the past hour. And Jawbone’s smartphone app offers personalized tips that are actually interesting. For instance: “When you go to bed 30 minutes later than average, you tend to take 971 fewer steps the next day.” And after several late nights, I was told: “Go to bed before 12:44 a.m.” Well, O.K.

Other trackers, like Fitbit’s, have tried to increase motivation by focusing on short-term goals — making it to 10,000 steps each day, for example. The Basis tracker awards points for keeping to “streaks” of healthy activity, like the number of days you’re active for more than 30 minutes.

Of the trackers I tested, Nike’s FuelBand put the strongest emphasis on competition with friends. But almost all the apps now have social features allowing you to share your activities, offer encouragement and hold one another accountable for goals.

All the data you’re recording is tied to a particular company’s software, so you can’t take it along if you decide to switch tracking devices. But many allow calorie data to be shared with other apps, like MyFitnessPal or LoseIt.