FitBit ... BodyBugg .... anyone?

emmaleigh47

Anyone have either of these? How do you use them? How accurate are they ... and do do they work... do you have to wear a HR monitor strap or do they work another way?

seemichellerun

I have a Fitbit and I love it! I just clip it to my pants and go about my business. I also love how it tracks my sleep for me. It's not a heart rate monitor so there is no chest strap. http://www.fitbit.com/faq

jtodacheeny

Great question! I have been wondering the same thing! I'll be interested to see what everybody has to say. Thanks for asking it!

MegJo

I have a GoWear Fit which is essentially a bodybugg its made by the same company (Body Media). I really like it. You wear it around your bicep. After an hour or so you don't even notice it. I don't wear it all the time like some people do - I did at one point and it was super interesting to see how many more calories I burn just standing up instead of sitting down. It also tracks sleep, and steps taken. My favorite feature is the "trip" it works like your car does. It has a second meter that you can set to see how many calories you're burning during a specific time frame. I set my trip right before I start my work out and it'll show how many calories I've burned since I set it and how many calories I'm burning a min. There are three downsides to the GoWear. The first is the software. Its not very easy to use. It also has a food tracking system, but its pretty crappy so I use MFP for that because its far superior. The second is the display doesn't come with the armband, you have to purchase it seperatly. The display is awesome for motivation, without it you wouldn't know how many steps you've taken or how many calories you've burned until you got home and plugged it into the computer. Its awesome to set a goal of 800 calories for a workout and see the numbers ticking away. The display can be wornt as a watch or it can clip onto clothing, purse, or the armband. The third downfall is that you have to pay to use the software. Its cheap, I bought it for a year and I think it wasn't too much. Even though I don't even use the software at all I still have to pay for it because eventually the GoWear's memory gets full so you have to dump it into the computer. That part is a major pain.

Anyway - I love having an exact number for my calories burned. And I have adjusted a lot of my daily activities after wearing the GoWear. Its neat to see how many calories you burn doing different things!

emkamp03

I am also quite interested, I kinda have deal with my husband, If I make it the whole month of January and complete my 30 day shred (show my consistancy and my real want to do this) he is thinking a Valentine gift for me....or at least that is the bug I have put in his ear! I am 13 days in and show no signs of stopping!

MegJo

Oh - and no you don't have to wear an additional strap. I think when I was doing research before I bought it I read somewhere that it calucates calories burned by the heat and contraction of your muscle (you wear it on your upper arm), sweat, and something else...heart rate maybe?

brocksmom

I just ordered a fitbit on Monday and got it on Thursday, so far I like it alot.

Karen

bjshields

That's SO weird! I was just thinking in the shower (about 10 minutes ago), "I wonder how that Body Bugg works & how much it costs." Anybody?

lotusfromthemud

I have a bodymedia, love it. I forget I'm wearing it usually (if it gets sweaty/too tight, it itches...but I have super-sensitive skin) You do have to subscribe to their website (around $10 a month) but the reports are worth it. I have lost a (very stubborn) inch around my low waist since getting it, so I'm pretty pleased.

I blogged about it a couple of times, too:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/viviakay/view/in-which-vee-buys-a-bodymedia-armband-and-breaks-up-with-her-hrm-48820

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/viviakay/view/armband-thingee-update-what-i-ve-learned-in-a-month-51559

(in case you want to read lots and lots of words about it. ) I think it's a great tool, and I get a much more accurate picture than I did with my HRM.

LoveMy3Boys

Does the fitbit have a subscription that you pay for like the bodybugg? The fitbit seems pretty cool. I am also wondering if it has an application for phones like Android?

Anyone know

brocksmom

the fitbit has a free web site to log in your progess, you can pay 50 if you want to upgrade.