Bodymedia & MFP question

codetrance
codetrance Posts: 7 Member
edited November 2023 in Getting Started
Hi All,

I just purchased a BodyMedia Link armband, and have it synced with MFP, and as I understand it, it automatically tracks all exercise performed so you don't have to log your workouts.

I notice in the BodyMedia activity manager however, there is a 'workouts' tab, which allows you to start and end a workout. So say I select the tab, use 'Quick Start' to start an open ended workout, then do 30 minutes of JMBR or P90x, then 'end' the workout... does this get logged as a discrete workout on MFP, independent of the calories I burned the rest of the day?

I'd like to still log workouts and have these show in MFP, but of course don't want to double dip... Hope this makes sense-

Thanks!

Roger

Replies

  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    I don't use the workout function for my armband (it kills the battery of my armband and the phone), but I do log "workouts" separately in mfp (and let the calories carry over from the armband). I log workouts and adjust the calorie count to 1. I do like to track workouts separately from all the other "activity" the armband records, and this is a simple way to do so.

    You can scroll through my exercise diary if you want to see how that "looks".
  • codetrance
    codetrance Posts: 7 Member
    Thanks that helps clear things up (I think... :)

    So if one 'were' to log a workout via Bodymedia- how does that work relative to MFP?
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    I honestly don't know. I don't think it makes a difference in anything on the mfp side. I think the workout function is designed simply to help you focus on achieving certain metrics within a workout (time/calories/steps/etc.). You can always try it and see what happens. If it works the way you want, great. If not, well, at least you gave it a shot.

    My experience is that bodymedia sends over the total # of calories it expects you to burn for the whole day, mfp subtracts out what it thinks you would burn during the day and deposits the difference as an entry in the cardio portion of your diary. My experience with bodymedia and other TPV is that it does not transmit time data (anywhere). So the data it sends to mfp (or other TPV) is not segmented out as such and such activity occurred during this particular period of time. It sends one "lump" total for the day and that's it.

    But again, give it a shot and see how it works. The workout tab might be just what you want. But I have not seen it log anything as a discreet entry in mfp. After all, how would bodymedia know what you did exactly? It only knows how many calories you burned-it doesn't know if you burned them running/biking/boxing/skiing/whatever.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,571 Member
    I don't use my body media anymore but when I did this is how it worked for me. I would log on MFP the actual exercise I did using the numbers from my HRM. Then at the end of the day I would plug my body media in to the computer (I have an older Fit model) and it would sync with MFP my total calories burned (including those projected for the rest of the day). MFP would then take that total, subtract my deficit (250, 500, whatever you loss is set for) then subtract my exercise numbers. The balance would be entered in the cardio section as "body media adjustment" (or something like that).

    The negatives I found were that if the projected numbers for the day ended up being wrong (either I burned fewer or more) it never adjusted MFP the next day. I also found that my body media didn't count calories the same as my HRM for SOME exercises-particularly spinning. So I'd log a big spin burn but then have body media reduce my calories because it can't track cycling well.

    Hope this helps.
  • Morgaath
    Morgaath Posts: 679 Member
    It all gets counted as part of the total.
    So, if you tell it to track you for 20 minutes of Total Activity, it gives you a summary of what you did in that time.

    If you tell it to track you for 200 cals, because you had an ice cream and want to work it off, it just tells you when you have burnt 200 cals. I use this one often in the form of realizing I've been sitting at my computer for too long, so I jump up, pick a workout on Sworkit, and kill myself till I hit my goal. I can burn 100 cals in about 8.5 minutes. And then I go get a drink and sit back down to surf the net, while laughing about the people who claim it takes to long to workout.

    One my wife loves is Steps, because when we go for a walk at night she set her goal to be right near what ever it takes to get her up to 10,000.
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