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

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  • april_mesk
    april_mesk Posts: 694 Member
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    I have had my bmf for 6 weeks or so and love it! I don't realize I am wearing it most times. For me it helps tremendously and I can't say enough good things about it. I vary wearing it on my arm and calf. It calculates either way. Have only tried on left side. I am sure you could wear on right side if you had to but, I think it probably reads better on left due to body makeup. I feel like I just don't want to be without this thing. I don't care about the money, if it helps to support my goal (which it does). As OP and others mentioned, I am not buying junk food (which previously, yes, I could spend a fortune on it!)...Not buying alcohol or drugs -that is a waste of money -this is not. I am a very techy kind of person, so it works for me. Glad it's available. Would recommend to anyone. It's been featured on Biggest Loser and has helped many people get to where they want to be. Keeps me in check. If you put in work and follow what it tells you -all is good. Millions of people have paid to go to weight watchers or a gym, IMO, why not this?
  • CrazyTrackLady
    CrazyTrackLady Posts: 1,337 Member
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    I have had my bmf for 6 weeks or so and love it! I don't realize I am wearing it most times. For me it helps tremendously and I can't say enough good things about it. I vary wearing it on my arm and calf. It calculates either way. Have only tried on left side. I am sure you could wear on right side if you had to but, I think it probably reads better on left due to body makeup. I feel like I just don't want to be without this thing. I don't care about the money, if it helps to support my goal (which it does). As OP and others mentioned, I am not buying junk food (which previously, yes, I could spend a fortune on it!)...Not buying alcohol or drugs -that is a waste of money -this is not. I am a very techy kind of person, so it works for me. Glad it's available. Would recommend to anyone. It's been featured on Biggest Loser and has helped many people get to where they want to be. Keeps me in check. If you put in work and follow what it tells you -all is good. Millions of people have paid to go to weight watchers or a gym, IMO, why not this?

    I wouldn't pay for ANY weight loss program, to be honest. If I can't do this on my own, then I am not psychologically ready or emotionally invested enough to be successful. That's how I feel about the "pay to play" programs out there. MY OPINION.
  • neacail
    neacail Posts: 228 Member
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    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.

    I think it is pretty safe to assume that the majority of us on this website are here because we don't understand our bodies: we don't understand how much we're eating or moving. Most of us, to some degree, got fat.

    We're logging our foods and activities in an attempt to learn how our bodies work, and we're on the message boards to seek advice and encouragement from other members.

    The BodyMedia devices are extraordinary tools in helping to unravel the mysteries of our own bodies. While it is great that you are intuitive enough to not deem them necessarily for your own success, there are many of us who aren't as intuitive and require further assistance. There is nothing wrong with requiring further assistance. We all have different aptitudes and learn in different ways.
  • potluck965
    potluck965 Posts: 529 Member
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    Quoted from above (for some reason the quote option wasn't working properly):

    "I wouldn't pay for ANY weight loss program, to be honest. If I can't do this on my own, then I am not psychologically ready or emotionally invested enough to be successful. That's how I feel about the "pay to play" programs out there. MY OPINION."

    I actually felt that same way and did not get my BodyMedia device until recently, well after I had lost most of the weight that I hoped to.

    It was more of a frustration of not being able to seriously deal with maintenance and because of advancing age I wanted some more input into achieving a better fitness level in spite of various physical limitations.

    I used it to refine my lifestyle, not as a weight loss program.

    Knowledge is Power!!!
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
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    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?

    If you buy the display with the body media fit, it will show you stuff while you are working out. I do it all the time.
  • foleyshirley
    foleyshirley Posts: 1,043 Member
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    Is there something the Bodymedia LINK does that the fitbit doesn't? I am trying to figure out what would make it worth the money. Also, how close are the numbers from approximating exercise calories earned on MFP to those on the Bodymedia? Thanks.

    Bodymedia is a heart rate monitor. Fitbit is not - it's more like a glorified pedometer.

    Bodymedia is not a heart rate monitor.
  • getrealforme
    getrealforme Posts: 85
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    Is there something the Bodymedia LINK does that the fitbit doesn't? I am trying to figure out what would make it worth the money. Also, how close are the numbers from approximating exercise calories earned on MFP to those on the Bodymedia? Thanks.


    Another poster stated that she had wore both her Bodymedia, and Fitbit at the same time and the calories and distance were the exact same.
  • jaycee76
    jaycee76 Posts: 325 Member
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    Those of using some sort of body media/fit bit/jawbone up etc, have you found your calories in needed to increase or decrease? re they accurate enough to rely on for weight loss?
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
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    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.

    Others have also commented on this, but I just want to add my experience as well. I have a very active job. I'm moving around hand carts, lifting 40-60lb cases, slinging them around, walking a crapload, standing, reaching, squatting, etc for 8-10 hours at a time 2-4 days a week (depends on the week/shift). My BodyMedia typically only shows 1.5hr of "moderate activity", yet shows anywhere from 12-15,000 steps taken in that time, and over 3,000 calories burned. Sometimes I'm just slowly walking around the store, sometimes I'm walking quickly. It takes that into account.

    I also toss and turn in my sleep. Sometimes it'll show up with 1 minute of "moderate activity" and a couple hundred steps taken during my sleep, but it's not showing anything crazy like you seem to assume.

    As for walking heaps, I don't have a car. I walk everywhere (and take the bus - unlike what I've read about FitBit, it doesn't give me steps for being in a car/riding on a bus, haha). I didn't want just a pedometer, I wanted something that could also take into consideration my job, my going to the gym, my walking, my running, all of that. That's why I chose BodyMedia. Since I've gotten it I've realized I need to eat a lot more, and I've found myself losing weight and feeling a lot better.
  • PosterPens
    PosterPens Posts: 172 Member
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    anyone interested in buying a bodymedia link, theres a 20% off Mothers Day promotion going for a few more days.

    http://www.bodymedia.com/Shop
  • coffee4me57
    coffee4me57 Posts: 195
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    bump
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    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.

    It takes ALL the measurements into consideration when coming up with your calorie burn. I'm a menopausal woman with night sweats, and my calorie burn during sleep is constant--it doesn't go up when I have a hot flash.

    And for those that don't like the idea of a subscription--you can buy a display device that gives you real time numbers, no subscription required. You can also set it to see how many calories you burn in a specific workout. They were on sale a few weeks ago for $25.
  • pinkraynedropjacki
    pinkraynedropjacki Posts: 3,027 Member
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    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.

    It takes ALL the measurements into consideration when coming up with your calorie burn. I'm a menopausal woman with night sweats, and my calorie burn during sleep is constant--it doesn't go up when I have a hot flash.

    And for those that don't like the idea of a subscription--you can buy a display device that gives you real time numbers, no subscription required. You can also set it to see how many calories you burn in a specific workout. They were on sale a few weeks ago for $25.

    So you still have to pay something extra just to have a look at it? Yeah I can see how that's much better :noway: Fitbit you just look at the actual device & the website is free.....all the time. People may think it's nothing more than a pedometer, but damn at least you don't have to pay more over & over.


    But then I don't care what people use, as long as they are doing something more than just sitting there & hoping for the best. I'm all for anything that motivates, as long as it does.

    I love my FB, I'll never part with it. I guess people with BM are the same.
  • babybs
    babybs Posts: 48 Member
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    Okay so I took the plunge and ordered a Body Media. You all talked me into it :) Thanks for the great reviews between the 2 devices, I read all of the posts and decided a BM may be just what I "need" (aka want).
  • johnguitarman
    johnguitarman Posts: 56 Member
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    Hi everyone. I wanted to give a 3 week update using my Bodymedia Fit Link.

    This thing is incredible! It has really been a great tool to aid my weight loss journey and it turns out that before the Bodymedia I was burning more calories and not eating enough at all to fuel my body each day. Before I was getting about 1400-1700 calories a day. The bodymedia set me up with around 2300 calories goal to eat everyday. At first I was a bit concerned that I would gain weight but in actuality I have been losing consistently and have not gained anything. It really is true, you need to eat more to fuel all of your bodies needs.

    The bodymedia shows me how many calories I need to eat a day and it shows my deficit for the day in realtime. Its so cool to monitor these factors throughout the day so you make sure to hit all of your daily goals. It also shows my target calorie burn rate for the day among other things. It really does help you stay on track and maximize your weight loss potential.

    I dont know what happened but I couldn't believe it yesterday I lost 4.8 lbs! I am set up for 2 lbs loss a week. I have heard that quite a few people experienced a big weight loss a couple weeks into using the bodymedia. It could be a result of getting more calories than before using the bodymedia.

    Anyway I couldnt be happier with the bodymedia. Its really helping me to visually see my goals in action, I dont have to try and come up with formulas for my TDEE since it does it for me. All I have to do is eat right, monitor my progress and exercise. Its really that simple!
  • soccermom789
    soccermom789 Posts: 3 Member
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    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.

    I just wanted to add that the BodyMedia Link connects with your smartphone via Bluetooth. You can watch your progress during your workout on the free app you download onto your phone It breaks down your activity into three levels - sedentary, moderate and vigorous. I was shocked to find out that the level of exertion I thought was exercise wasn't nearly "vigorous". It doesn't show your heart rate, but it shows your activity level and calorie burn while you watch. And, it automatically transfers this to MFP, and MFP transfers all your nutritional data to the BodyMedia site, where you can create amazing graphs and reports you can save or print.

    The BodyMedia Link is a really amazing device. I know its expensive to buy, and the subscription is annoying, but I honestly think it was the best money I've spent on myself in years.
  • Wetcoaster
    Wetcoaster Posts: 1,788 Member
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    I have lost 100 pounds...never had to buy anything...or had to order a magic shake.

    I dont understand the philosophy about giving your money away when you can do it for free.
  • mjl54
    mjl54 Posts: 127 Member
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    And for those that don't like the idea of a subscription--you can buy a display device that gives you real time numbers, no subscription required. You can also set it to see how many calories you burn in a specific workout. They were on sale a few weeks ago for $25.
    Don't think that would actually work. without the subscription there is no way to setup your height weight and goals. so even if you see numbers how accurate would they be?
  • bregalad5
    bregalad5 Posts: 3,965 Member
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    I have lost 100 pounds...never had to buy anything...or had to order a magic shake.

    I dont understand the philosophy about giving your money away when you can do it for free.

    I love seeing numbers and data. What I do (even at work) varies a lot each day. Some days I see my calorie burn is a bit low, so I'll walk part of the way home from work (and maybe add a little something in when I get home) instead of riding the bus. Today I saw my calorie burn was crazy high, so I decided to walk home simply to see how high I could get it. It's just another tool, and one that has helped a lot of people because of how they prefer to do things.

    Some people lose 100 pounds without MFP, so why utilize MFP if you can do it without it? Some people prefer a basic flip phone over a smart phone, so why give your money away to get a fancy phone when you can have a basic phone for a lot less? Same idea.

    I'm holding myself back from talking about differentiated instruction and learning profiles (the course I'm currently taking, and the assignment I'm currently working on, hahahaha)
  • johnguitarman
    johnguitarman Posts: 56 Member
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    I have lost 100 pounds...never had to buy anything...or had to order a magic shake.

    I dont understand the philosophy about giving your money away when you can do it for free.

    I love seeing numbers and data. What I do (even at work) varies a lot each day. Some days I see my calorie burn is a bit low, so I'll walk part of the way home from work (and maybe add a little something in when I get home) instead of riding the bus. Today I saw my calorie burn was crazy high, so I decided to walk home simply to see how high I could get it. It's just another tool, and one that has helped a lot of people because of how they prefer to do things.

    Some people lose 100 pounds without MFP, so why utilize MFP if you can do it without it? Some people prefer a basic flip phone over a smart phone, so why give your money away to get a fancy phone when you can have a basic phone for a lot less? Same idea.

    I'm holding myself back from talking about differentiated instruction and learning profiles (the course I'm currently taking, and the assignment I'm currently working on, hahahaha)

    What she said. :) I congratulate you on your 100 Lb weight loss. SOme people like you can find the motivation to do it on your own. Everyone is different and what works for some may not for others. I think Its great that technology can now become a huge motivator and helpful aid for those that need it and want it to help them with their weight loss goals.

    The Bodymedia is an incredible tool for those who want to go that extra mile and have a virtual motivator on your arm everyday encouraging you every step of the way on your weight loss journey. I dont see the fuss about the subscription to the website. For the price of some fast food meals which destroy your health you can instead use that money to invest in your health for the rest of your life if you choose to adopt a lifestyle change. Its a no brainer to me and it's been totally worth it.

    I lost my first 15 lbs on my own before using MFP. I went 5 weeks with MFP and then discovered the Bodymedia Link. I love seeing the data and thats one of the biggest factors that I love about it. It's such a motivator and its great to be able to track your progress day to day and see what you are doing and how you are progressing with your goals. I link my MFP food diary into my BL and it calculates my food intake for the day in realtime and it helps me keep to my goals and continuously losing weight and bettering my health.

    On a different note I hit a milestone with my Blood pressure today! I started my weight loss Journey at 285 lbs. I am 250lbs today with a goal of 200Lbs. My BP before starting was in the 160-180 ish range. Very bad I know but today my BP clocked in at 127/81! Its been coming down ever since I started my journey. I ditched my 5 can a day daily diet pepsi habit (Something I used to swear I'd never give up), daily fast food eating and over indulgence in candy and mostly processed food. I eat clean now, drink only water, lift weights and run. I would get out of breath just bending over and now I run 5 miles 5 days a week, I'm alot stronger than I used to be and at 40 years old I'm in the best shape of my life. Getting healthy is what its all about and man it feels great!

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