Bodybugg/Body Media Fit Questions Thread:

liftingbro

I'm starting this thread to be sort of a Q & A for people interested in the Body Media Fit/Body Bugg.


Ask any questions you like, I will try to answer them as best I can with my 4-5 months of use. I know there are other people here who know a lot about the devices and they may be able to help as well.

For starters:

How does it work?

Motion: The armband contains an accelerometer that measures motion from multiple perspectives.

Steps: The accelerometer counts steps by measuring the distinct patterns created by running or walking.

Galvanic skin response: When you sweat, your skin becomes more electrically conductive. This measurement helps the device understand how active you are.

Skin temperature: There’s an electronic thermometer inside your armband that monitors how hot you are.
Heat flux: When you move, your muscles produce heat. Your armband measures the heat that’s flowing from your body into the environment.


Does it track Heart Rate?

NO. Heart rate isn't very reliable for tracking calorie burn. Too many things can artificially inflate your heart rate including caffeine, medications, and genetics. These things raising your HR do not always mean that you are burning more calories.

How accurate is it?

One study done has shown that it is within +/- 10%.




Ask anything else you may be curious about.

TK421NotAtPost

When you purchased it, did you find that the numbers it came up with were different than the formula used here on MFP?

kd10680

Bump....glad you posted this...I am interesting in getting a bodybugg and your q and a is just what I needed!

liftingbro

When you purchased it, did you find that the numbers it came up with were different than the formula used here on MFP?

Yes, it was different.

My Bodybugg says that I burn about 3500 calories per day average. On an off day if I don't do much I'd burn 2800 to 3000, on workout days as much as 4100. MFP said I'd need to eat 1400 perday to lose two pounds per week. I'm eating around 2000-2200 on average and losing 2-3 pounds per week.

I adjust my intake to may daily burn so that I stay with a 1000 calorie deficit.

chrissertoo

I have used the non blue tooth body media armband for the last year, but just bought the blue tooth Armband BW and can't sync the mobile app on my Android phone with the website activity manager. I input food on my cell phone, sync'ed the armband and the info put into the mobile app doesn't appear online. What am I doing wrong?

joejccva71

Good thread. I own a bodymedia fit and its great. Not 100% accurate but the longer you wear it the better it gets accustomed to your body.

chrisdavey

I ordered one about a week ago so just subbing to this thread

bentobee

I adjust my intake to may daily burn so that I stay with a 1000 calorie deficit.

I do the same.

taso42_DELETED

Good thread. I own a bodymedia fit and its great. Not 100% accurate but the longer you wear it the better it gets accustomed to your body.

Is this actually true? Does it really have some sort of adaptation algorithm? I don't remember reading or hearing about that when I owned one for a short while....

joejccva71

Good thread. I own a bodymedia fit and its great. Not 100% accurate but the longer you wear it the better it gets accustomed to your body.

Is this actually true? Does it really have some sort of adaptation algorithm? I don't remember reading or hearing about that when I owned one for a short while....

There's a pretty big thread over at bodybuilding.com in regards to this. I questioned it also at first.

whisperingdragon

Bump!

:flowerforyou:

baisleac

Good thread. I own a bodymedia fit and its great. Not 100% accurate but the longer you wear it the better it gets accustomed to your body.

Is this actually true? Does it really have some sort of adaptation algorithm? I don't remember reading or hearing about that when I owned one for a short while....

If you use the website, the website tracks your loss/gain and adjusts the bin numbers in the device itself, eventually matching your burn to your loss/gain. This can be done manually if you keep accurate records for yourself.

dawnemjh

I have had the bodymedia fit since february and have actually gained a couple pounds !
I average about 500-1000 calorie defecit each week and have lost and gained the same 5 pounds since I got it. I am starting to doubt its accuracy. When I increased my intake so that I was burning 250-500 calories per day I didnt lose. When I averaged 500-1000 burn each day I didnt lose?
Any thoughts??

baisleac

I have had the bodymedia fit since february and have actually gained a couple pounds !
I average about 500-1000 calorie defecit each week and have lost and gained the same 5 pounds since I got it. I am starting to doubt its accuracy. When I increased my intake so that I was burning 250-500 calories per day I didnt lose. When I averaged 500-1000 burn each day I didnt lose?
Any thoughts??

How many pounds are you looking to lose? Your ticker only shows 4. This would indicate you would need a very moderate deficit, 100-250 calories per day. As your body gets closer to its ideal weight, it will try to hold on to reserve fat stores.

dawnemjh

I have had the bodymedia fit since february and have actually gained a couple pounds !
I average about 500-1000 calorie defecit each week and have lost and gained the same 5 pounds since I got it. I am starting to doubt its accuracy. When I increased my intake so that I was burning 250-500 calories per day I didnt lose. When I averaged 500-1000 burn each day I didnt lose?
Any thoughts??

How many pounds are you looking to lose? Your ticker only shows 4. This would indicate you would need a very moderate deficit, 100-250 calories per day. As your body gets closer to its ideal weight, it will try to hold on to reserve fat stores.

well I originally wanted to get down to 155, which was 4 pounds when I started, but now I have put on a few pounds so I have 8 pounds to go. I have lost alot of weight years ago (120) and now the last few pounds dont want to go.

baisleac

I have had the bodymedia fit since february and have actually gained a couple pounds !
I average about 500-1000 calorie defecit each week and have lost and gained the same 5 pounds since I got it. I am starting to doubt its accuracy. When I increased my intake so that I was burning 250-500 calories per day I didnt lose. When I averaged 500-1000 burn each day I didnt lose?
Any thoughts??

How many pounds are you looking to lose? Your ticker only shows 4. This would indicate you would need a very moderate deficit, 100-250 calories per day. As your body gets closer to its ideal weight, it will try to hold on to reserve fat stores.

well I originally wanted to get down to 155, which was 4 pounds when I started, but now I have put on a few pounds so I have 8 pounds to go. I have lost alot of weight years ago (120) and now the last few pounds dont want to go.

That's very common. Your body wants to keep fat stores in case of future privation. It's evolution. Those last few pounds will be the most resistant and you'll need a very conservative deficit to coax them off.

robin52077

I love mine.

And I definitely eat a lot more with it than i did without. It taught me that 1200 a day is literally starving. On a day when I lay in bed all day I am at 1600, on a busy day at work on my feet for ten hours I am at 2400-2500, so since I work a lot, most days I can eat a little over 2000 calories a day, that's a far cry from 1200. My headaches and crabbiness and dizziness are gone, and I look and feel better.

tellybelle

I have one but haven't lost anything yet by using it. I'll be watching this thread for more opinions on it. It also shows a much higher burn than what I thought I was actually burning.

liftingbro

I have used the non blue tooth body media armband for the last year, but just bought the blue tooth Armband BW and can't sync the mobile app on my Android phone with the website activity manager. I input food on my cell phone, sync'ed the armband and the info put into the mobile app doesn't appear online. What am I doing wrong?

I don't know for sure what it is, but I know that some phones just don't run certain apps well. That could be the case here or there could be another issue but that's all I have for ya. I would call their customer service line.

mjboswell

I have a high SPA (spontaneous physical activity), I'm always fidgeting, will it be able to measure that movement?

liftingbro

Good thread. I own a bodymedia fit and its great. Not 100% accurate but the longer you wear it the better it gets accustomed to your body.

Is this actually true? Does it really have some sort of adaptation algorithm? I don't remember reading or hearing about that when I owned one for a short while....

At first I thought this was false, but after about 3 weeks it settled higher than when I started. I was averaging 3200 at the beginning, now I'm averaging around 3500 per day under the same routine. Others have seen it dip a little. So, I think there is an adjustment phase.