Gadgets -- BodyMedia?

tifftheneutron

Love my bodymedia. My only complaint is that I sometimes have issues with the Bluetooth, but once I get home and sync it on the computer, I can tell it is still working. I have had it about two weeks now.

Tash128

I have had both, I like the body media because it gives you a much better break down of how many calories your burning. I find the fitbit tends to over estimate my calorie burn and it doesn't always count steps, I know that neither divide is asunder percent but if you are more interested in seeing a more accoutre account for how many calories you burn then go for the bodymedia. I had one about three years ago and used it a lot then lost it I just got the newer one about three weeks ago and love it. You can sync it with your phone and upload the data to their site, and it syncs with MFP which is awesome. You can also down load pdfs of your charts. the fitbit is basically a glorified pedometer, A very cool one but still it basically just counts steps, it monitors sleep but I don't think it is vary accurate.
There is a new gadget coming out that looks so very cool it is basically the same as the bodymedia you where it on your wrist like the file band and up but this one has better sensors and is whiter proof. If can tell when you are swimming, walking, lifting weights, its really cool except its not out yet. It won't be out till June it's called Amiigo, looks really awesome if it will work as great as they say check it out http://amiigo.co/

But for what is out now Go for bodymedia right now they have a sale you get 15% to 20% off regular price so it's pretty comparable in price to fitbit, it's about $15 more. Get Bodymedia Link that one is the blue tooth one.

chadgard

Bodymedia takes a few days to get accurate. It'll adjust a bit over the next couple days. In the instruction manual you talks about how the first 3-4 days the calories might be off slightly.

My first couple of days were also a little odd, like the manual says. But, at the same time, I have _never_ gotten a day as low as the MFP "sedentary" setting. I think by "sedentary" MFP means literally sitting at a desk all day, only moving to eat and go to the bathroom. You're shopping and such, so you're moving around (and you have to take more steps to get places if you have short legs). My weight loss since getting the Bodymedia has been very consistent with what you would expect with my net calories for the week (I track my -average- weight for each week, which smooths out the bumps associated with regular weight fluctuation), so I feel it's very accurate for me.

As they say in the investment world, past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. It may not work for you, but I'm pretty confident it will if you give it a couple of weeks.

HaywireII

There is a new gadget coming out that looks so very cool it is basically the same as the bodymedia you where it on your wrist like the file band and up but this one has better sensors and is whiter proof. If can tell when you are swimming, walking, lifting weights, its really cool except its not out yet. It won't be out till June it's called Amiigo, looks really awesome if it will work as great as they say check it out http://amiigo.co/

I have to say the Amiigo looks impressive (actually looks too good to be true). If that lives up to they hype when they ship them out I'll buy one for me and one for my wife. All of the data tracked on MFP and on the Body is helping to keep me motivated and that device looks like it would dump out a ton of data.

chellebublz

I did alot of reading about both a few weeks back and decided on the BodyMedia because it seems to be more accurate. Alot of people trust it more than HRMs, I should get mine Tuesday so will see!

chellebublz

That Amiigo looks amazing I think if I make my 35 MORE pounds by July goal I will reward myself with it xD

alandanziger

Aw man, ANOTHER gadget I'll have to buy? :-)

My big disappointment with the BodyMedia (I only got it yesterday, take this with a grain of salt) is that it isn't a heart rate monitor. I wanted that too.

If the Amiigo does that, on top of everything the fitbit and bodymedia do, and syncs with MFP, I'll be handing down the other gadgets to my folks this summer! :-)

d2footballJRC

Aw man, ANOTHER gadget I'll have to buy? :-)

My big disappointment with the BodyMedia (I only got it yesterday, take this with a grain of salt) is that it isn't a heart rate monitor. I wanted that too.

If the Amiigo does that, on top of everything the fitbit and bodymedia do, and syncs with MFP, I'll be handing down the other gadgets to my folks this summer! :-)

I'm interested in the Amiigo as well, but one thing from what I've been reading is the Amiigo isn't an all day thing like the bodymedia from how they've worded things. It does have heart rate monitoring but I don't see a chest strap which interests me as well. I'm wondering if you are going to have to have a HRM strap from Polar or Garmin to use with it. It looks like a great device, I've been on the fence on pulling the trigger on it.

Alarista

It says that it the amiigo will track heart rate, but it doesn't say how. I'm a little skeptical of a product that doesn't tell me how it works and isn't out yet. I'm wondering if it will be similar to the Jawbone UP in that they will have to rework it before it really functions as promised.

Also, does anyone know if you can connect a Bodymedia device to more than one service? Like I would like to sync it to my use here, however I would also like to sync it to earndit as well. And I've been scouring their website trying to figure out if it's doable.

aeich8899

it is I have mine synced to earndit, here, spark people, and everymove.

Tash128

That Amiigo looks amazing I think if I make my 35 MORE pounds by July goal I will reward myself with it xD

Yeah the Amiigo looks great! It's going to be my award for losing 80 pounds

Tash128

It says that it the amiigo will track heart rate, but it doesn't say how. I'm a little skeptical of a product that doesn't tell me how it works and isn't out yet. I'm wondering if it will be similar to the Jawbone UP in that they will have to rework it before it really functions as promised.

Also, does anyone know if you can connect a Bodymedia device to more than one service? Like I would like to sync it to my use here, however I would also like to sync it to earndit as well. And I've been scouring their website trying to figure out if it's doable.

It is doable you have to go the their App page and it will tell you which ones it is compatible with

verdemujer

I've had my Bodymedia for about 6 months and I love it. It shows someitmes when my sleeve is tighter than normal or if it's short sleeves. I don't mind as when someone does comment I just tell them what it is and why I wear it. What I love about it is not only does it tell me how much I burn all day long but my steps and my sleep time. It doesn't record really well for virgous bicycle riding though which is one of the few times it frustrates me. I tend to log my food here since they have a scanner here and the community is great. The food from here links to bodymedia site really fast and mostly accurately too. I then look at the BodyMedia site for my calories and stuff since the analysis there is better than here. I also took three months of print offs to my doctor when I had my physical in Dec. He was very impressed with the data it collects. Since so many varables effect each person differently, its a really great tool for me. I would highly recommend itand don't mind paying the small fee each month for the data. It's my health after all and that price is pretty small when considering the benefits that I'm getting. Of the three styles, I would reccommend the Link since it will link with a smart phone an lets you update from there though you still supposedly need a computer to charge it. I would say that MFP does NOT link as well to the Bodymedia site. This site tends to read the calorie burn data from Bodymedia once so here I actually often just log my exercise seperately. The exercise here won't load to Bodymedia and mess that data up. It's working for me!

Moretakitty

Bought one today from Costco. The link was on sale for $119.00 with a free year subscription.
My doctor actually suggested one so I figure what have I go to lose?

sassyladi0404

I have bodymedia link armband and I love it especially since I can link to MFP for nutrition..

TurquoiseSky

I think the choice all comes down to your personality type, and preferences by extension:

Are you a type A?
Do you like control?
Do you like information?
Are you a technophile?

If you answered yes to any of the above, you'll probably love this device!

I actually just took the plunge and purchased the BodyMedia Fit Core yesterday. For what it's worth, BodyMedia is consistently rated the most accurate based on the 3-4 hours of research I did this week. So excited for it to arrive!

chadgard

Of the three styles, I would reccommend the Link since it will link with a smart phone an lets you update from there though you still supposedly need a computer to charge it. I would say that MFP does NOT link as well to the Bodymedia site. This site tends to read the calorie burn data from Bodymedia once so here I actually often just log my exercise seperately. The exercise here won't load to Bodymedia and mess that data up. It's working for me!

You don't need to use your computer to charge the link if you don't want to. I use the power adapter for one of my deceased iPhones, and plug the USB cord the BodyMedia came with into it. It charges faster, and I don't have to deal with a computer that way.

While I would agree that BM does a better job of importing nutritional data from MFP than MFP does of activity from BM, it does more than once (for me, anyway). It's just that there's often a 1-2 hour delay from when you sync the BM to when that activity finally appears in MFP, which can be somewhat annoying if you're trying to make decisions about what to eat at your last meal of the day, after a workout. But you can figure out what will be sent via the BM app on your phone. 'twould be better if it happened faster, but it's workable.

ShakeyF

For those ladies with BodyMedia that find wearing the armbands a bit obtrusive, I read on a Jenny Craig blogsite last year that you can tuck the device into the left cup of your bra (make sure it is right side up) and it will still work.

I have been wearing my device this way during the day (work) and when I go out, sometimes you just get sick of the questions and the readings are consistent with those I record when wearing the device on my arm.

The only downside of the BodyMedia I have found is it doesn't recognise the calories burnt during a Pump/Weight class - but I adjust for this manually.

jaz050465

The only downside of the BodyMedia I have found is it doesn't recognise the calories burnt during a Pump/Weight class - but I adjust for this manually.

What makes you say that. What are you comparing it with. Weight traing doesn't burn that many calories. If you're comparing it with MFP, then lots of people say they over estimate.

jaz050465

I do everything on BMF site. Once you get used to the food database it's ok, and at least you know all the information is accurate. With MFP, some of the data put in by others is wrong. That way, all the data is in one place.

jaz050465

Bought one today from Costco. The link was on sale for $119.00 with a free year subscription.
My doctor actually suggested one so I figure what have I go to lose?

In the UK it's 130 POUNDS with only one month subscription. We also can't use the Link or Core models.

chellebublz

Been using mine and love it. Idk if I'm actually using it right LOL I have it synced to MFP and all I use MFP for now is to log my food and use the forums. I let BMF do all the calories burned. I don't log any exercise in MFP now. Not sure if I'm suppose to be eating back any exercise calories. BMF says to eat 1510 calories so that's what I've been doing....

jaz050465

Been using mine and love it. Idk if I'm actually using it right LOL I have it synced to MFP and all I use MFP for now is to log my food and use the forums. I let BMF do all the calories burned. I don't log any exercise in MFP now. Not sure if I'm suppose to be eating back any exercise calories. BMF says to eat 1510 calories so that's what I've been doing....

If you've set your deficit to a reasonable amount, you want to keep that constant so if you do loads of extra activity over your goal, then you need to eat more to keep the deficit what it should be. Hope that makes sense.

chellebublz

That's exactly what I was curious about. If it wants me to have a 1000cal deficit, but I have a more active day and end up with a 1800cal deficit, do I eat 2300cal instead of 1500cal to make it an even 1000cal deficit.

enskpo

The new smart phone app update is working really well for me. You can now do a wireless sync to the website from your phone. No need to plug it in to your computer every morning (except to charge). Connecting to the body media link via bluetooth is much easier now too. One of the only weaknesses of this product is now fixed.

jaz050465

That's exactly what I was curious about. If it wants me to have a 1000cal deficit, but I have a more active day and end up with a 1800cal deficit, do I eat 2300cal instead of 1500cal to make it an even 1000cal deficit.

Yes. That's correct bayou are supposed to even it up over the week rather than each day but try to keep deficit as even as possible.

In the UK, you can pay extra to have a scientist give you advice and that's what I was told.

jett254

For those ladies with BodyMedia that find wearing the armbands a bit obtrusive, I read on a Jenny Craig blogsite last year that you can tuck the device into the left cup of your bra (make sure it is right side up) and it will still work.

I have been wearing my device this way during the day (work) and when I go out, sometimes you just get sick of the questions and the readings are consistent with those I record when wearing the device on my arm.

The only downside of the BodyMedia I have found is it doesn't recognise the calories burnt during a Pump/Weight class - but I adjust for this manually.

I'm going to try that and see if I get similar readings!

high5girl

I have the BodyMedia Link device and absolutely love it! It has helped motivate me to stay on track and workout. It syncs right up to my phone so I can see real time calorie burn, shows steps taken, even tracks how much you sleep!