Bodymedia Fit vs. Fitbit - opinions, please!

Mindful_Trent

I've read on the site that you can't wear it swimming and with summer coming up, I go swimming a lot. So how do you all account for cals burned while in water??

BodyMedia allows you to manually log activities during "off-body" time. They have 10 different swimming options (Generic and various strokes). You pick the activity, the time and it estimates your calorie burn for that based on your personal info. If you don't do this, it will give you a more generic off-body estimate which will definitely be too-low.

rachmass1

So the way I am reading this is that BFM is more accurate but it may be uncomfortable, is a bit cumbersome with the food logging, and you have to pay extra to really use it properly. Fitbit is less obtrusive, doesn't get physically worn so more comfortable, and is seemless with the food logging, but in total is less accurate?

Comes down to comfort and convenience versus accuracy?

Mindful_Trent

So the way I am reading this is that BFM is more accurate but it may be uncomfortable, is a bit cumbersome with the food logging, and you have to pay extra to really use it properly. Fitbit is less obtrusive, doesn't get physically worn so more comfortable, and is seemless with the food logging, but in total is less accurate?

Comes down to comfort and convenience versus accuracy?

A few clarifications/points - Not everyone finds the BMF uncomfortable; I forget I'm wearing it, and it doesn't bother me when I'm sleeping at all... as far as the fitBit being less obtrusive, people rarely notice the BMF that I wear (when it is under a sleeve), though I do have the slimmer model. The food logging isn't actually a big deal, because it allows you to put your total daily calories in - you don't have to log all your food in BMF to put the calories in. I just have my detail log in MFP and then the total for each day in BMF. It's one extra step, but certainly nothing cumbersome since I'm in BMF anyways to upload my device data.

Also, you *have* to subscribe to the BodyMedia website to use the BMF - there's no getting around the subscription, so there is that extra cost to consider. It's $6.95/mo.

twinmomtwice4

I've read on the site that you can't wear it swimming and with summer coming up, I go swimming a lot. So how do you all account for cals burned while in water??

BodyMedia allows you to manually log activities during "off-body" time. They have 10 different swimming options (Generic and various strokes). You pick the activity, the time and it estimates your calorie burn for that based on your personal info. If you don't do this, it will give you a more generic off-body estimate which will definitely be too-low.

Thank you for answering this for me!!

joy31021

bump

MissTattoo

I have a BMF and love it. I don't even notice it anymore. The food logging is terrible, but I still track on MFP and just enter the calories as one meal on the website. I have the link so I like checking my phone every once in awhile to see where I'm at. I now just get up at work and go walking around or stand up at my desk and move around my cubicle. I park at the end of the parking lot in just to get steps and I take the long way around stores to get the steps and calories burned in.

I got mine on Amazon for like $105 because of the coupon.

Quasita

the only one that actually calculates your TDEE is the BodyMedia device. Fitbit only monitors activity that causes the unit to be in motion, and calculates burns based on algorithms. I have a BM Fit Link, and I completely disagree that the phone monitoring does what a good pedometer would do.

One thing that has really changed for me is that not only did I discover that my estimated TDEE on MFP is about 300 calories over my actual burn for the day, but also that I over burn on certain exercises. Once I started logging my calories into the daily estimate portion (I do my macros on MFP, and use BM as the overall tracker) to keep track of a running deficit instead of one for the day, I started dropping 1-2 pounds every 3-5 days. Since it measures expenditure things like temperature, sweat, and conductivity, I never get the same burn for the same length of time doing the same exercise... I just feel way more confident in the accuracy.

Anyway, BMFL is great for someone that is very interested in minute details. You can see your burn TO THE MINUTE for any day you've logged. The subscription fee is minimal, and you get a lot of bang for your buck if you use the website the way it's intended. If you are serious about figuring out the most accurate TDEE and tracking by the minute, I'd go with the BM unit of your choice. If you just want a fancier workout tracker that is not a heart rate monitor, FitBit might be okay... but honestly, if it's a small difference in price, go with BodyMedia. I have one, and now three people on my FL have one as well, and we all love it.

UrbanRunner81

I ordered the bodymedia fit (still waiting for it lol). What sealed the deal for me is counts more when you are weight lifting, not only during but the afterburn.

Can you show the proof of that for me??

I got mine so I am seeing that it actually works. I only burned like 140 calories weight lifting yesterday but then my calorie burn exceeded where it would normally fall. I would like to account that for the afterburn since I didn't do any other exercise but I still burned 2400 calories for the day when I should have just been in the 2200 range.

_Amy_Budd

Thanks so much for all the feedback - I did get the Bodymedia Fit (link version) and I love it. Very helpful to figure out actual TDEE on a daily basis.


Amy