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Do you recommend wearing a Bodymedia to see "true" TDEE?

shst07
shst07 Posts: 61 Member
in Social Groups
Hi.

I was thinking about getting one to monitor and average my TDEE every few weeks. Do those of you that have one feel it's reliable and helpful?

Thanks.

Replies

  • chuckles9189
    chuckles9189 Posts: 343 Member
    I use my fitbit. When I was running it was really spot on for my TDEE all day. However, since my cals are included in my calculations I don't log my workouts and now my fitbit is a couple hundred calories short everyday. still working on figuring this out.

    I love my fitbit and the way the website calculates my calories for the day. I pretty much rely on that and just track on MFP. (I also enjoy creeping on the MFP message board more...there is more action happening over here).
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    it's still estimated TDEE.

    They base sleeping and non-moving and barely moving calorie burn on Harris BMR, which may be inflated 200-400 over better estimated Katch BMR.
    They'll tweak the BMR value slightly based on body heat, but not much.

    Walking and jogging slow calories is based on weight and pace estimates, all you need there. Other type of exercise like bike and lifting and many cardio classes (where arm moves a lot compared to total motion) can be way off accuracy.

    I'm finding more and more commenting they are glad they got it to see, but it's become less and less important since not much really changes in avg routine.

    Expensive paying for web and syncing access for few weeks of interesting data.

    I think why many like the FitBit, gives visual goals to walk more, same data analysis and calorie burn estimate methods, ect, but free.
  • shst07
    shst07 Posts: 61 Member
    Thank you for the info. I will just save my money and stick to the scoobyworkshop.com value then. It sounds like that is my best bet.
  • hballack
    hballack Posts: 114 Member
    I like mine! I have had it since 12/25/12 (Christmas gift) and I have lost 6 lbs so far. It is a slow weight loss, but I am doing EM2WL, so I'm not starving myself and I'm lifting weights so that could be another reason why the loss has been slow. I shoot for about a 20% cut though, not a 15, so that might account for if the armband is off a little.
  • amanda_gent
    amanda_gent Posts: 174 Member
    @haballack - do you find your bodymedia device shows you (within 10%) the same burn that the scooby calculator did? I've got a fitbit, and while I like it, still feel like I'm not sure what my real burn is - although that could be because fitbit and mfp are not syncing well lately! Lol
    Thanks for any input!
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member
    I love my BMF!! I've had it since last May and I'd be seriously lost with out. I hate that I depend on it so much but it really has helped.

    As far as it lining up with numbers on the Scooby site, I find it to be comparable.

    According to my BMF, my average TDEE is around 2800-2900.

    On the Scooby site, he averages my TDEE at 2500.

    So if you take into consideration the 10% margin for error on the BMF, it's pretty comparable to the Scooby numbers.
  • amanda_gent
    amanda_gent Posts: 174 Member
    @twinmomtwice4 - Thanks! I think I'm going to live with my fitbit for a while (it's only been a month) and hope that syncing issues are resolved with mfp so I can get a true daily burn trend.
  • fresh_start59
    fresh_start59 Posts: 590 Member
    I have been itching for a reason to buy a Fitbit or Bodymedia so I can pass my pedometer on to my son. But honestly, I can't find a reason to shell out $100-$125+.

    Currently, I wear an Omron pedometer to track my daily steps. It also tracks aerobic steps (60 steps per minute for at least 10 minutes without stopping); estimated calories burned; and distance (but I walk in place a lot so it's not accurate). I only track the steps and aerobic steps. I wear to keep track of my activity and encourage me to improve.

    I also have a Polar FT4 heart rate monitor. While I log my exercise minutes, my time in zone and my estimated calorie burn, I don't use the numbers to determine how much I should eat. I log so I can watch for a pattern ... if I'm able to stay "in zone" longer, exercise longer, etc. The main reason I wear it is to keep an eye on my heart rate. I am very out of shape and have poor cardio endurance. I'm trying to improve it. I've noticed that if I back off on my exercise before reaching the high end of "in zone" then I'm able to go longer.

    I've read that both the Fitbit and Bodymedia (as well as my Polar HRM) over estimate calories burned on many activities, such as weight lifting. If they can't accurately track calories, what can they do that I'm not able to do with my HRM and pedometer (other than track my sleep)?

    I might end up spending the $25 on a new Omron pedometer so I can give this one to my son. But if someone can convince me of a really good reason why I should spend an extra $75-$100+ on a really cool gizmo (so I can be one of the "in kids") I'd love to know.
  • natini
    natini Posts: 347 Member
    I found that mine was inflated. I liked seeing it but because it was inflated I accidentally gained weight. I am sticking to the online calculators. I actually really like heybales spreadsheet.
  • twinmomtwice4
    twinmomtwice4 Posts: 1,069 Member
    I automatically take off that 10% margin for error due to the fact that it's possible that it may inflate my cals burned. However, when compared to my HRM, I found it to be more on target with my cals burned for activities than my HRM.

    So I guess it's a toss up.

    Bottom line, when I take off that 10%, it adds up to exactly what the Scooby site figured for me so I think he's right on target if you're gonna go with the Scooby estimates.
  • fresh_start59
    fresh_start59 Posts: 590 Member
    I found that mine was inflated. I liked seeing it but because it was inflated I accidentally gained weight. I am sticking to the online calculators. I actually really like heybales spreadsheet.

    I LOVE heybales' spreadsheet!
    It is fun to use, educational to see what makes the numbers change, and provides an easily accessible place to BMR & TDEE changes over time. But ....

    It does not use batteries and it does not cost $100 and I can't carry it everywhere I go and it does not tell me if I'm asleep or awake. (Still looking for an excuse to get a gadget ... I may end up with a Fitbit so I can still count my steps and be one of the cool kids.)
  • LoggingForLife
    LoggingForLife Posts: 504 Member
    I have the bodymedia core and i love it. I wear it 23 hour per day and it tells me how many calories i burn total, regardless of what I'm doing - which should be my TDEE give or take a little. I stay 500 calories under the total for the day and I have consistently lost .2 lbs. per DAY. I love it. On my more active days, I eat more and when I sit at my desk all day like a lump, I eat less. You have to wear it consistently and just download the data. Enter your food into MFP and boom, you know exactly where you are at. Don't second guess it or try to add exercise into MFP, I think that is where people go wrong. I highly recommend it.
  • Ploogy
    Ploogy Posts: 115 Member
    bump
  • norcal_yogi
    norcal_yogi Posts: 675 Member
    ...not really... i gained with what was obvious inflated TDEE numbers for me. i've lost without it.

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