Bodymedia LINK - WoW! What a motivator! - My review

SweetTea111104

Ok so I had ordered the body media but returned it because I realized that it doesn't show it as you are working out so I ordered a polar ft7. That way I could see my calories as I am working out. So question. Should I use the polar for working out and the body media for the rest of the day?

neacail

Ok so I had ordered the body media but returned it because I realized that it doesn't show it as you are working out so I ordered a polar ft7. That way I could see my calories as I am working out. So question. Should I use the polar for working out and the body media for the rest of the day?

My BodyMedia Link shows me calories burned as I'm working out: providing I use the workout feature on it. When actually doing a workout I keep my armband on, but I also use my Garmin HRM.

neacail

Seems like a person's heart rate would be an important consideration for it to consider too. I wonder why they didn't design it to also monitor heart rate.

I expect a chest band would be required for the most accurate readings, and I imagine that having a band wrapped around one's chest all day is pretty uncomfortable. My Garmin's chest-strap is almost unbearable after two hours.

CatMcCheesey

Thanks for taking the time to share your review - I'm going to buy one.

SmartAlec03211988

The BodyMedia CORE 2 coming out in August will have an optional heart rate monitor attachment.

I'm getting it. I've had the LINK since June of '12 and I would never do without it, and the CORE 2 is also waterproof so you don't have to take it off when showering and doing things where it'll get wet. Score!

hdkerr

bump

dixieracer27

Bumping for more info!

johnguitarman

Great to see so many of you also have the Bodymedia fit Link and Core. I absolutely love it! It really is so inspiring to see your progress in real time(If you have the LiNK) and watch as your steps are taken and your calories burn in realtime taking off those pounds.

I have mine set up so it has me taking 10,000 steps a day. Thats 5 miles and about 500 calories burned right there a day. My plan is to do that 6 days a week getting in 30 miles a week! I have never ran anywhere close to that a week. Of course you dont have to run to get those steps. You could walk, do aerobics, Hiit training, zumba, hip hop abs, biggest loser dvds, Tae bo etc. Whatever floats your boat! Again its very motivating and gives you a visual cue to keep you motivated and reaching for your goals.

I was also initially turned off by subscribing but the way I look at is this. For $59 bucks for a year I have invested in my physical health and that will benefit me in the long run in more ways to count. This tool will help me to achieve my fitness goals, build a strong healthy heart, lose weight, get in shape, learn to overcome bad eating habits, feel better about my self, increase my stamina, my energy and so much more. I used to blow $59 bucks on about 3 days of fast food, junk food at the store etc and not think twice about it. Why should I think paying such a small price for something I am going to get so much out of stop me from bettering my health? Again it is just a tool. You have to put in the work and effort to meet your goals but this thing will be there to provide the plan, take the guesswork out of how many calories you should get in a day, provide motivation and visual feedback so you can achieve whatever goals you set for yourself.

Its really worth it in my opinion.

pinkraynedropjacki

Meh...forget it.


I'd rather my FitBit any day. I don't like the idea of having to pay a fortune for something & then pay to be able to look at what it's doing.

pinkraynedropjacki

Wait I just looked at it.

It measures your sweat amount & lets you know via that how active you are? I sweat in my sleep..... hardly active yet it would count that as active? What a joke that is. What about in summer? You can sweat doing nothing, it's going to think you are being very active.

Also detects how hard you are working? Really? I walk HEAPS. IF I walk slower, my arms still do the same movement, perhaps even a little more if I'm trying to stop my hands from swelling up by putting them up in the air, or even less when they are on the top of my head..... yet it will assume I'm working more or less even though I'm not...... then how's it going to count my steps if my hands are on my head? The band is on my arm that's no longer moving hahaa.

Wow, no wonder I love my Fitbit just that little more now. It does all that this one claims it can do & actually works better at doing it.

johnguitarman

Your assuming things that are not true. It doesn't just measure your sweat and no that is not the only factor determining how active you are. You should read a little bit more about it before making assumptions. I had a fitbit, I gave it to my sister. They are two completely different products and no, the Fitbit does not do everything the BodyMedia does. Another assumption on your part. And how do you come to the conclusion that the Fitbit does better when you have never used the Bodymedia ? I have used both products and can make an educated evaluation on the functions of both based on personal use. The Fitbit is good for what it is but the Bodymedia goes well beyond the capabilities of the fitbit.

pinkraynedropjacki

Your assuming things that are not true. It doesn't just measure your sweat and no that is not the only factor determining how active you are. You should read a little bit more about it before making assumptions. I had a fitbit, I gave it to my sister. They are two completely different products and no, the Fitbit does not do everything the BodyMedia does. Another assumption on your part. And how do you come to the conclusion that the Fitbit does better when you have never used the Bodymedia ? I have used both products and can make an educated evaluation on the functions of both products based on personal use. The Fitbit is good for what it is but the Bodymedia goes well beyond the capabilities of the fitbit.

Assuming nothing. I got all this off the website & reviews.

I have a fitbit & HRM. Considering I lost over 70lbs in 7 months before even getting the Fitbit goes to show that a Bodymedia really does nothing extra at all. Only got the Fitbit because I knew I could do more & this was motivation. BM wont do anything to extra than that.

faely

Wait I just looked at it.

It measures your sweat amount & lets you know via that how active you are? I sweat in my sleep..... hardly active yet it would count that as active? What a joke that is. What about in summer? You can sweat doing nothing, it's going to think you are being very active.

Also detects how hard you are working? Really? I walk HEAPS. IF I walk slower, my arms still do the same movement, perhaps even a little more if I'm trying to stop my hands from swelling up by putting them up in the air, or even less when they are on the top of my head..... yet it will assume I'm working more or less even though I'm not...... then how's it going to count my steps if my hands are on my head? The band is on my arm that's no longer moving hahaa.

Wow, no wonder I love my Fitbit just that little more now. It does all that this one claims it can do & actually works better at doing it.

The Fitbit is mostly a pedometer; that's why you can wear it anywhere on your body/ in your bra/ in a pocket. The BodyMedia reads your body, not just your steps. Won't matter if you're swinging your arms. Simple research on the product gives that information. There is endless information on both, including millions of reviews which include side by side comparisons from actual users. I've done a lot of research on both products. Both come widely recommended by people of all kinds of different activity levels, but, as with any product, some like one more than the other, don't like either, or love both. It's all about personal preference. If you love your Fitbit that's great; but it doesn't mean the BodyMedia is a poor product or doesn't work. The many many success stories, such as this one, prove otherwise.

At any rate, I originally planned to get the FitBit One, but after reviewing both products, I would rather have all of the extras that the BodyMedia comes with because I don't just walk all the time. For me, there's more than just counting steps. I'm not stepping hardly at all when I do circuit training, which is what I do most of the time, so the FitBit just wouldn't be enough. The BodyMedia is expensive, but you don't have to get the subscription; there are ways around that. But, like the OP, I believe that rather than investing in another Big Mac or 10-pak of tacos, my money is better spent on things that will help me be healthy, even if its farther down the road.

watfordjc

Wait I just looked at it.

It measures your sweat amount & lets you know via that how active you are? I sweat in my sleep..... hardly active yet it would count that as active? What a joke that is. What about in summer? You can sweat doing nothing, it's going to think you are being very active.

You are also probably in the horizontal plane during your sleep and if you're doing nothing you're not moving around - you are ignoring the accelerometer. Your body temperature also drops when you are asleep.

Also detects how hard you are working? Really? I walk HEAPS. IF I walk slower, my arms still do the same movement, perhaps even a little more if I'm trying to stop my hands from swelling up by putting them up in the air, or even less when they are on the top of my head..... yet it will assume I'm working more or less even though I'm not...... then how's it going to count my steps if my hands are on my head? The band is on my arm that's no longer moving hahaa.

Again you are ignoring the accelerometer. Waving your hands has nowhere near the same force as gravity does. Sweat, body heat, movement, skin temperature... you appear to be saying it only has an accelerometer and you don't know how that alone can detect impact forces and that it is impossible to determine activity calorie burn using number crunching and data from all the sensors combined.

Wow, no wonder I love my Fitbit just that little more now. It does all that this one claims it can do & actually works better at doing it.

The Fitbit just has an accelerometer. Saying it works better without any understanding of the science is like saying clean eating works for everyone without any understanding of psychology. Saying it can do the same and better without having tried both and comparing the results to your actual calorie burn as determined in a clinical setting (I don't believe the equipment to determine actual calorie burn over 24 hours is available outside the lab) is a personal belief and not fact.

If someone asks me about the difference between my Ki Fit and a Fitbit, I list the specs, the pros, and the cons of each. This thread is about the Bodymedia and it helping people, and isn't one of the many about which product is best.

Topsking2010

Bump

newmelady

I need to check it out.

CrazyTrackLady

Great to see so many of you also have the Bodymedia fit Link and Core. I absolutely love it! It really is so inspiring to see your progress in real time(If you have the LiNK) and watch as your steps are taken and your calories burn in realtime taking off those pounds.

Its really worth it in my opinion.

I'm excited for you! I do, however, have a comment to make about the above paragraph: why must we be so dependent on technology to keep us entertained these days? This just seems like one more distraction for people to play with and be entertained by. I don't have the time or desire to sit around and watch my steps add up on some screen somewhere -- I have better things to do. I also don't need a piece of technology to affirm that I'm moving enough. I KNOW I'm moving enough because I'm cognizant of what I'm doing to make myself move.

And this isn't a comparison between BM and Fitbit either-- to each his/her own in preference.

Maybe I'm just getting a bit more cynical in my old age, but it seems like we've become a nation driven by "instant" everything: instant news, instant social media status information, instant statistics, instant weight loss, instant EVERYTHING.

CrazyTrackLady

Wait I just looked at it.

It measures your sweat amount & lets you know via that how active you are? I sweat in my sleep..... hardly active yet it would count that as active? What a joke that is. What about in summer? You can sweat doing nothing, it's going to think you are being very active.

You are also probably in the horizontal plane during your sleep and if you're doing nothing you're not moving around - you are ignoring the accelerometer. Your body temperature also drops when you are asleep.

Also detects how hard you are working? Really? I walk HEAPS. IF I walk slower, my arms still do the same movement, perhaps even a little more if I'm trying to stop my hands from swelling up by putting them up in the air, or even less when they are on the top of my head..... yet it will assume I'm working more or less even though I'm not...... then how's it going to count my steps if my hands are on my head? The band is on my arm that's no longer moving hahaa.

Again you are ignoring the accelerometer. Waving your hands has nowhere near the same force as gravity does. Sweat, body heat, movement, skin temperature... you appear to be saying it only has an accelerometer and you don't know how that alone can detect impact forces and that it is impossible to determine activity calorie burn using number crunching and data from all the sensors combined.

Wow, no wonder I love my Fitbit just that little more now. It does all that this one claims it can do & actually works better at doing it.

The Fitbit just has an accelerometer. Saying it works better without any understanding of the science is like saying clean eating works for everyone without any understanding of psychology. Saying it can do the same and better without having tried both and comparing the results to your actual calorie burn as determined in a clinical setting (I don't believe the equipment to determine actual calorie burn over 24 hours is available outside the lab) is a personal belief and not fact.

If someone asks me about the difference between my Ki Fit and a Fitbit, I list the specs, the pros, and the cons of each. This thread is about the Bodymedia and it helping people, and isn't one of the many about which product is best.

I have a recumbent bike and love to hop on there for about 45 min to an hour. I had my Fitbit on my hip at the time and wanted to see how accurate my fitbit's reading wasto the calorie reading on the bike. After my routine, I went to check my Fitbit's read and IT HAD NOT REGISTERED A SINGLE CALORIE BURN. I was a bit disappointed, to say the least/

PosterPens

i also have both, wear both and prefer my bodymedia. at one time a month ago, i got a badge from fitbit...a helicopter badge telling me "Congrats! you have climbed 500 flights of stairs!" i was like what the hell, huh how is that possible since i hadnt. then i read reviews on how wind and weather affects the fitbit, and this where that discrepancy came from.

bodymedia all the way. accurate, awesome and amazing. they also have options for monthly plans too, if you dont want to pay a yearly fee. also know bodymedia did just get bought out by jawbone, so who knows what will happen to their plans from here on out.

potluck965

I have had my CORE for about a month a love it!!!

I am an information junkie and this really feeds the addiction. I like to understand what I am doing well and what I am doing badly and this is the tool to help me with that.

I especially love the sleep monitoring ability.

As the OP stated, this device is a fantastic motivator.

If you get the CORE with display you can monitor what you are doing during a workout, etc.