My comparison Fitbit Ultra vs BodyMedia FIT Core

zellagrrl

Thank you for posting this! I've been doing a lot of thinking and considering...

wolfchild59

I have a BMF and just wanted to add a few notes about some of the cons listed.
1. The sub cost. As one person said, if you get it from Costco you get an entire year included, that's how I got mine and it made the value much better. I do wish they had multi-month discounts though, for once that ran out. Like 6.95 for one month at a time but if you buy another full year or six months you get a lower monthly rate.
2. The crappy food database. It's an easy workaround, I just don't use it. I log everything in MFP and then make a single entry in my BMF site once a day. I just use the create food option and use the Summary page from MFP to enter my calories and macros as a new food item and add it to the day. Takes about a minute and makes it so BMF has all my nutritional data for the day.
3. Incorrect calories. For workouts I know BMF tends to underestimate due to less arm movement (biking, ARC trainer, etc) I just remove it and only wear my HRM. Then I use the Edit off-body option in the calories burned section and enter the number of calories from my HRM into the BMF numbers. Again, takes about a minute.

I've never found either workaround to be troublesome or difficult, so it's never been a con for me.

Also, while in the very beginning I found myself constantly wanting to see my burn through the day, once I'd been wearing it for a month or so, I found that I had a pretty good idea what my days looked like based on what I was doing. So I stopped worrying about it and even stopped carrying the display that my hubby had gotten me as a gift.

MsDandimite

For you with Body media or bodybuggs there's a free "program" you can use. I use it and it doesn't differ from the numbers on the actual site. (I can't even renew my subscription even if I want to, since they won't take payments from outside of the US :P)
The facebook group with all the info is here https://www.facebook.com/groups/124814374205032/.

I love my bodybugg, but can't wear it since I've a nickel allergy

Debbiedebbiey

Bump .... Free???

greaseswabber

Thank you for this review. Detailed and well written.

Bump for later reference.

tcat2012

Thank you for this very useful review!

lilmisfit

Thanks for the comparison! I love my fitbit!

1lizette1

Thank you for taking time to do that. I've been himming and hawing over the 2 and you just helped me make my decision

kelliann14

Can someone help me here... I don't have much weight to lose.... 15-20 lbs but I've been at a standstill for over 6 months now. MFP says I should be eating about 1200 cal/day but I'm literally starving. And I don't think it's accurately measuring my daily caloric burn since I'm on my feet and moving ( as a NICU RN ) for about 13 hours a day. But yet I'm not losing weight. My sleeping patterns are horrible and have been forever. I was thinking of buying a calorie burn counter and am confused on what I should buy,.. I've read reviews on the body bugg, my fit bit,and bmt... Any suggestions... Oh and I should add that I'm also in the process of quitting heavy smoking which I know also changes your metabolism.

MamaWannaRun

bump

Starlage

Nice review.

I've had my BMF for about two months now and I LOVE IT. I got the BMF core for $60 off ebay (used, works perfectly) and did end up buying a 2nd armband for $13 from the bmf website. All in all I'm totally satisfied with my purchase. I started off plugging it in daily to look at my burns and eating a 500 deficit from the previous day's burn but this became too much work. So I ended up using the BMF data so that I can more accurately take a 3500 deficit off my week's TDEE- so I averaged out a week's burns and took 500 off that, which landed me at 2250 a day. I've stuck to that for a good couple of months now and it's working amazingly. It took my body a good month to adjust to higher calories (and I did gain a few pounds in the beginning) but I'm so happy now and an regularly, slowly losing. SO HAPPY. I love my bmf! I wear it all the time, don't care whether it shows, like answering questions about it- love it. Now that I know the 2250 a day average works out regularly to give me a weekly 2500-3500 deficit I don't plug it in very often, usually just to charge it, check my exercise burn so that I can add it to MFP. I changed MFP calories to 2250 (not far from my no-exercise day burns) and add my exercise calories so that I can still have that challenge of keeping my 40-30-30 balance for carbs, protein and fat. So, I'm not following MFP's plan anymore but I'm still using it because it's the best food diary database around and I absolultely love the community feature. At this point I could probably stop wearing it because I have an idea of what my average burns are depending on what my day consists of, but I'm still addicted to seeing all the data and reassuring myself that 2250's a good level.

Starlage

also, before I got my bmf in March I had started increasing my calories away from MFP's suggestions and used this website to get my TDEE (and take a 500 deficit off of it):

http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced

Now that i"ve had the BMF awhile I know that that calculator's not far off! if you can't afford a device but still want to increase, try the calculator above. it's accurate as long as you're accurate with your daily activities.

FloraSin

I'm a runner, so the Fitbit is a no brainer for me. For more in depth measurements on my strength training (which is still in it's infancy, but I'm working on it), than I'll get myself a good HRM. I'm kind of in love with this Polar set which I can actually order from my job at a staff discount and will come to less than a hundred bucks.

Just my preference though.

alfpalmer

Great review! I've had my fitbit for 2 1/2 years - awesome customer support. I was on a waiting list for a year for my original fitbit. Its the best $99 i ever spent on myself.

Elleinnz

Bump

Unwr1tten

2 month update:

Using Fitbit daily. I attach it to a small cloth pouch that came with my “Slender Eyes” reading glasses. I keep the reading glasses with me all the time since I’ve entered that age group that requires reading glasses and having them and my fitbit connected ensures I always have both with me. I just tuck them safely in my front pants or shorts pocket.

Got my 2nd Fitbit cradle. Fitbit Tech support sent me a 2nd synching cradle very quickly, and all I had to do was ask for it and explain why I wanted it. I found that having the 2nd synching cradle at work is convenient. Keeping track of the extra Fitbit calories burned while at work is motivating.

I’ve stopped tracking my sleep. I am so consistent with my sleep that it was not worth my extra effort to wear it on the wrist strap at night. It’s not really much effort, I just don’t even need to track my sleep. Of course, if I start having any sleep problems later (for whatever reason) I’ll start tracking my sleep again.

I use the newly purchased Polar FT7 HRM from time to time as I try different exercises, just to be sure I’m tracking the correct calories. I don’t use it very often, just when I try something new. The first time I try the exercise I just keep track of the exertion level while monitoring the HRM, so I can get my target Heart Rate level to the same place based on exertion (how hard I breath). The next time I do that exercise I get back to that same level without the HRM. This is working for me now, but I’m thinking if I start doing any form of interval training, which I am considering, I’ll need the HRM to keep better tabs on calories burned during those exercises. For now, I just get in the target HR zone and stay there for 30 or 45 minutes. Then use MFP to enter the exercise and calorie adjustment. I’ve checked a few times and the elliptical, cycling, and walking tracks really close with the Fitbit numbers, but I override them and enter a more conservative number of calories based on my Heart Rate Monitors calculated calories burned.

Starting some strength training. Wanting to make sure I maintain my lean muscle mass or increase it. It can be easy to lose muscle when taking off pounds if not careful. I’m currently identifying the appropriate weights for specific exercises, so I haven’t gotten that heavy into it yet. I’ll be using the HRM to keep track of those calories burned because the FB won’t be accurate for that.

As of this writing I’ve lost 48 #’s. So, if I’m doing the math right that’s about 20 #’s since I started using the Fitbit 2 months ago. I keep a spreadsheet that I update daily with calories consumed, calories burned and current weight (among other things). It has become fairly simple math using MFP and the Fitbit to calculate and predict weight loss. There was a specific 9 days where I didn’t show any loss. But based on calories in vs. out I should have lost 3 pounds during that 9 days. I’m not sure why that happened, but on the 10th day, 2 pounds came off and then over the next week I lost my usual weight plus that 3rd pound, which put me right back on track. Before MFP and Fitbit, losing weight was almost a guessing game of how much I should be eating and how much the exercise was effecting my efforts. Now it’s just simple math and planning for the right meals so I don’t get to that point of being “ravenously hungry” at any time.

One last comment for this update: I started this journey on my own with some knowledge about nutrition, some exercise equipment and the desire to get healthier and fitter, I later added MFP, I then added FB, next I added Polar FT7 HRM. Most recently, I noticed a relative and added them as a MFP friend. I didn’t originally think it would benefit me having MFP friends. I’m not one to exchange comments very often, but after seeing their daily updates & following their progress, I recognize how motivating it can be. If you’d like, feel free to send a friend request. I won’t be that social, but when I do exchange comments or messages, I’ll put thought into it.

mcarter99

Good for you! I've had my Fitbit 2.5 years and like it a lot. I had a BB and returned it. I think just like you do on the tools you need for success. I lost 35 lbs. with Fitbit in 2010 and quit wearing/logging in 2011 and am trying to re-lose it again now. I sent you a friend request.

Lay821

Bump..for later!

RilantheFirebug

Thanks!

KarenJanine

Great review.

I've been looking into BMF but I'm in the UK and here's it's marketed under the brand name Ki Fit and is heaps more expensive than across the pond (Ki Fit + 12 months subscription ~ £270 i.e. $420). I can get the FitBit for about £80 and Polar FT7 for abut £70. It's good to know you got similar readings for BMF and FitBit and I think I'd be OK saving my money and going for the cheaper option, and perhaps also getting an HRM for more accurate workout readings as the two combined would still be considerably cheaper than the BMF and also would not have the subsciption to worry about.

Thanks!