I’m a little obsessed with activity trackers. I know they are not every large girl’s cup of tea, but getting metrics on my energy output as well as my energy input validates me in some way. I do know that some people use those things to shame themselves, but after years of doing it through Weight Watchers, My Fitness Pal, and a activity trackers, it’s made me honest with myself in a way that I wasn’t quite able to do BEFORE I started tracking.

I don’t try every little thing I eat, just the ones I know really count. I’ll track mayonnaise, but not ketchup. Sometimes I’ll track BBQ sauce. I don’t necessarily track every time I walk, but if I spend 20,000 steps in NYC, I want credit for that! It’s kept me in control, and helped me regain control when I’ve felt like I’ve lost it. I let myself slide every now and then, accept the fall, and try to be mindful and not judge.

Anyhow, every year there’s a new way to track energy output and input. There’s a ton of options, most of them not worth your time or money. I’ve tried a few, and I plan to actually write up my experience.

I’ll put it out there, though – the one that I think is the best all-arounder is the Fitbit One.

This was the second activity tracker I owned, and not without its flaws. I haven’t had one for over a year, but I realized I missed it after my third RMA with Jawbone in a year. The FitBit One is easy to lose if you’re not careful, and can be annoying to sleep with in the wrist pocket, with the wrist holster velcro degenerating quickly. However, it’s more fully featured than many of the small, non-wrist based wearables, and has a relatively device friendly eco-system, decent customer service, and is easy to wear.

Also, of the brands I’ve seen, FitBit seems the best suited for those who are a little less tech-savvy. It allows you to use their website as well as a smartphone, and their site includes a fair amount of support information.

I won’t be returning to FitBit at this point, mostly because I primarily want a sleep tracker, and don’t want a wearable I have to keep on my wrist during the day. However, I do think that the FitBit One is a great bet for someone starting out with a wearable.