question for Body Media users.

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minnow54151
minnow54151 Posts: 38 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
QUESTION: I very recently updated from my bodybugg sp to the body media for the convenience of being able to sync the two & be able to finally see my food & exercise at the same place (it was too much work to enter my food on the old bodybugg site). MFP syncs the food perfectly to my Bodymedia, but the exercise calories don't get transferred correctly from bodymedia to mfp. Example yesterday my workout was about 450 calories on my body media, but only 217 calories transferred to mfp. I was thinking they might only give you 1/2 back like a weight watchers thing, but when I enter a workout at mfp they give me 100% of my workout calories. Anyone know why this is or how to change it? I normally don't eat my exercise calories anyway, but would like to be able to look at my diary & have it be accurate!

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  • ElaineRN100
    ElaineRN100 Posts: 201 Member
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    @Minnow - I'm interested in the responses you get. I've ordered a Body Media and it should arrive anytime now. Hope some one can help you out.
  • pedritos1
    pedritos1 Posts: 12 Member
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    I too have the Bodymedia and mfp synced together. The past 2 days the transferrring of exercise calories has been messed up, but before there was not any issues. I think the updating to mfp might be the temporary cause, because this morning things were back to normal. I love my Bodymedia and would recommend it to anyone! I wear my proudly :) Good job to Everyone for their success on their weight loss journeys!!!
  • anasantos61
    anasantos61 Posts: 86 Member
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    The same thing happened to me yesterday but by this morning it had adjusted.

    I love my Bodymedia, during the day I wear it under my bra strap and as soon as i get home I wear it around my arm.
  • vickieblair
    vickieblair Posts: 21 Member
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    I'm not 100% positive, but I beleive the total calories burned on body media include at rest, the normal amount you burn just living. It also includes calories burned working out. I think that MFP takes into consideration the normal calories burned when figuring your calorie goal.

    I'm not sure that is 100% correct, but I only worry about the calorie deficit on the body media more than the calories. Less calories in than out .....

    If you go to the Exercise Calorei adjustment, it may make more sense. Click on BodyMedia calorie adjustment informaiton circle, the little blue circle with the "i" in it. Thanks
  • Kitty7814
    Kitty7814 Posts: 52
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    I know that on mine it only transfers the net and Body Media thinks my normal is less than MFP so in the morning it's negative but after my work out it's positive (though not by the exact amount that I burned working out). Clicking the i after the adjustment will show what the body media estimated for the day is as well as what time it updated.
  • minnow54151
    minnow54151 Posts: 38 Member
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    Mine still isn't correct.
  • imjusme
    imjusme Posts: 24 Member
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    I am almost positive it uses the day before numbers! When I go in mid-day, or after a workout and open up the "BodyMedia calorie adjustment" it will often show the day before numbers, even showing a time that hasn't happened yet, like 6pm? If I then sync later in the day after dinner, it will be more accurate. It does stink though because i try to eat more on the days I burn more.
  • NCMeg
    NCMeg Posts: 57 Member
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    Mine will have an adjustment at like 7 am..Sometimes my exercise will carry to MFP at the end of the day, typically it doesn't. I don't use MFP to suggest my calories for the day. I try to stay at a deficit of 1,000 calories based on what my bodymedia says, but I never eat below 1400 calories (I Hope that makes sense...).


    Anastantos61 Does it still work pretty effectively under your bra strap? I need to try something like that for work so I don't get so many strange glaces!
  • imjusme
    imjusme Posts: 24 Member
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    NCMeg, I too use BodyMedia with a goal of 1,000 deficit, but often it leaves me scrambling to get in more calories at the end of the day because i am not sure how much I will burn. So having MFP give me a set number of just exercise calories kind of helps, BUT like I said as you go through the day it seems to give you more and more.

    I too am interested about the under the bra business! I am so self conscious at this point because I wear mine kind of tight so it doesn't slide and it just makes my larger arms look like they may lose circulation! haha
  • NCMeg
    NCMeg Posts: 57 Member
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    NCMeg, I too use BodyMedia with a goal of 1,000 deficit, but often it leaves me scrambling to get in more calories at the end of the day because i am not sure how much I will burn. So having MFP give me a set number of just exercise calories kind of helps, BUT like I said as you go through the day it seems to give you more and more.

    I too am interested about the under the bra business! I am so self conscious at this point because I wear mine kind of tight so it doesn't slide and it just makes my larger arms look like they may lose circulation! haha

    I think "try" to keep that deficit is the key word for me, lol. I'm still on a learning curve with mine even after using it a month. Sometimes it's a larger deficit, sometimes it's smaller. Hopefully I will get the hang of it!
  • anasantos61
    anasantos61 Posts: 86 Member
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    I haven't had any problems wearing it under my bra. I wore it over the weekend on the arm and the calorie burn is the same.

    I forget that it is there. Once I get home I transfer to the arm because I like it there better for exercising.
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
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    I've heard others say that the BM gives low cal burn results for exercise. I did 2 zumba classes Monday. First it said I burned around 550. Second class was way more intense, and my HR monitor usually says I burn around 940. When I linked my BM, it said I burned 950 for total exercise for the day on MFP. Then I looked up the earlier class's burn, and it said 430 during that class time. I know I probably burned 550 and 950, but I'm thinking maybe BM underestimates cal's burned for exercise. I was kind of bummed, but it didn't really matter, since it said I burned around 3,000 for the whole day. I couldn't eat 2,500 calories if I wanted to. Well, I could, but not the way I should eat. Lol. I would just go with the BM estimate, even though it is low.
  • imjusme
    imjusme Posts: 24 Member
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    NRSPAM,
    I have found that the BM registers some forms of exercise better than others. I tend to agree about the low end of burned calories but I am ok with that for now. It is frustrating at times, for instance the elliptical....always gives me a low burn even when I know I gave it my best. I thought it had something to do with the arm movement not being large? Also, weight lifting or toning classes, I seem to huff and puff sometimes and sweat like a beast yet it is always a low number. I am just trusting that this BM is indeed the most accurate thing out there...and and also crossing my fingers too! haha
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
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    NRSPAM,
    I have found that the BM registers some forms of exercise better than others. I tend to agree about the low end of burned calories but I am ok with that for now. It is frustrating at times, for instance the elliptical....always gives me a low burn even when I know I gave it my best. I thought it had something to do with the arm movement not being large? Also, weight lifting or toning classes, I seem to huff and puff sometimes and sweat like a beast yet it is always a low number. I am just trusting that this BM is indeed the most accurate thing out there...and and also crossing my fingers too! haha

    Imjusme, I hear 'ya! I would hope that it would be the most accurate too, but I know I burn more than what they're giving me credit for. I think I'm going to look on the website to find a reason why it's so low for exercise. Like I said, though. I really wasn't too concerned about it. Also, it kept sliding down while I was shakin' my groove thang, lol, so it's possible it wasn't getting a good reading. I think next time I'll try n tighten the strap before zumba. :smile:
  • NRSPAM
    NRSPAM Posts: 961 Member
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    Found this on the BM website under troubleshooting. Guess the HR monitor was overestimating. I may try a different position or maybe just tightening the strap though still next class. :wink:

    My Armband is not recording my exercise activity correctly.

    When using certain gym equipment or performing some workouts you may think the Armband gives you less calorie burn then you deserve. This might be because your exercise equipment is giving you a different reading or because you feel as you have been working harder than the Armband's readings indicate. The system is on average 90% correct over the entire day, and there are some specific activities and exercise equipment that give over 90% and some under 90% accuracy. BodyMedia Armbands give you the most accurate calorie burn in the market.*

    *data on file

    My Armband is not recording all of my Activity while riding a bike or stationary bike.

    On a road bike - ensure that you are wearing the Armband correctly.

    On a exercise bike, also called a stationary bike, some people may feel they deserve more calories than they get credit for. This can be attributed to the exercise bike's geometry and handle bar style. In this case, just for riding the exercise bike, try wearing the Armband lower on the arm, closer to the elbow than the shoulder, and rotate the Armband a little to the outside of your arm. With your arm hanging at your side (not sitting on the bike or holding the handle bars), the Armband's face would be in line with your wrist watch. When you have finished riding the bike, pull the Armband back to its normal position.
  • imjusme
    imjusme Posts: 24 Member
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    Just wanted to share what I found. Day one of spin (50 minutes): Wore the armband as BM says to, on lower part of arm near elbow and plate even with watch. I logged a total of 4 minutes of vigorous, 2,000 steps, and something like 150 calories. Day two of spin: wore on lower leg, on calf.......logged 30 vigorous and 20 moderate, 4,000 steps, and about 400 calories (I couldn't get it to sync to check it right after). So, bottom line.....it gives you more credit on your calf!
  • watfordjc
    watfordjc Posts: 304 Member
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    I have the Ki Fit but assume the syncing is identical.

    After a while it starts to know you. If I sync after midnight (without having done any post-midnight exercise) I currently get ~650 exercise calories for the new day. As most of my exercise is started at 8pm or later I ignore the exercise calories throughout the day unless I know for sure I will be doing at least 90 minutes of exercise before midnight. Anyway, it doesn't sound like it will be something like this.

    As you don't usually eat back exercise calories, I am going to assume the issue is math related. Exercise calories from Body Media are, I believe, the difference between what you have burned or are expected to burn and what MFP believes you burn in a day.

    Go to Goals on MFP, and under "Your Diet Profile" is Calories Burned "From Normal Daily Activity". For example, mine is 2,380 calories/day. Divide that number by 1,440 (i.e. minutes in a day). In my case that is 1.653 calories/minute (I'm rounding up). Multiply that by how long your exercise session was (e.g. 60 minutes for me = 99.18) and then subtract that from what body media says your total calorie burn for that exercise session was. If I exercised first thing in the morning and got a lot of delta-wave sleep (the only sleep phase I can see on the Ki Fit calorie graph, when my calories/minute drops to 0.8) the exercise calories could be off depending on how active Ki Fit thinks I'm going to be for the rest of the day.

    If the numbers still don't tally, the most likely cause is that your MFP activity level is not set to sedentary and you have burned less calories so far (or throughout) that day than MFP expects. The easiest way to work that out is to (after midnight/next day) add the exercise calories to the calories/day "From Normal Daily Activity" and it should be (or close to) what body media reports you burned that day. For example, my exercise calories for yesterday was 1,539 (+2,380 = 3,739) and Ki Fit says I burned 3,735 calories. If I didn't eat back my exercise calories I would probably set my MFP activity level to active and base my deficit on TDEE rather than daily burn, and I'd expect on sedentary days to have a negative exercise calories balance (if I don't change the allow negative exercise calories setting).

    The only other thing I can think of (other than technical problems between MFP and BM) is not updating MFP/BM goals and/or weight after losing a chunk of weight.

    ETA, WRT fitting in exercise/food: On days when I'm out I take my Ki Display with me and try to keep my calories consumed to about 1,000 below what the display says I've burned so far for the day.

    ETA: MFP currently recalculates all past days based on your current goal. I haven't tried it, but would assume if you were to change your activity level at any point in the future the exercise calories in the past would be recalculated (e.g. temporarily changing to sedentary to see if that is why they are off).

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