Advice on activity monitoring device

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JRKWebb
JRKWebb Posts: 27
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

Long time MFP user but first time posting. MFP helped me get the body I wanted by making me aware of the importance of monitoring my food. I want to take this accuracy further however and I'm now seeking an activity monitoring device to do so. Currently, I have my activity set to lightly active and log any substantive exercise. This seems to work relatively well as lightly active adds +250 calories a day or so to sedentary. This can be achieved by about 40 minutes brisk walking and other daily activity like cooking in the kitchen for 20 minutes. How some people aren't doing this daily is beyond me!

Anyway, I would like more accuracy, particularly regarding my weight training sessions. I add the default MFP exercise into my diary but some days I lift, doing heavy olympic lifts like snatches, front squats and power cleans, I know I'm burning more than this but have no way to truly log it. Therefore, I want an activity tracker. With the holiday season approaching, I have narrowed it down to the following and could use some MFP user input:

Fitbit Force: Seems to be well recommended and the auto sync with MFP seems nifty. Put off however by lack of waterproof (I swim once a week) and I'm not sure if it can track my weightlifting. Other than that, it's the forerunner.

Jawbone Up: Heard ok things but cheapest of the bunch and waterproof. Also MFP syncable.

Polar Loop: Seems really good for the price. Waterproof, accurate and can work in tandem with a Polar HRM, offering the complete package. it's a real shame about the lack of MFP integration however. I'm wondering if any Loop users here can offer suggestions on how to use it with MFP? Would it work just as well as a Fitbit or Jawbone if I reset my activity to sedentary and simply periodically, at least once a day, input my total calories burned according to Loop. I assume Loop has the display to allow easy visibility of calories burned like the Force?

Bodymedia core 2: heard a lot of hype about this but not sure why? Also no sign of any immediate release means unless it can do something radically different, I don't really want to wait.

Any user advice would be great to help me choose the perfect holiday gift!
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Replies

  • happysherri
    happysherri Posts: 1,360 Member
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    Bump, I will be purchasing one soon
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
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    there is no activty tracker that will work for weight training sessions. They dont work that way.

    I have the Fitbit One and its best for step based activities. I use a Polar FT60 HRM for fitness because most of my sessions are circuit like (fast paced where my heart rate is high).

    I dont think the Fitbit Force is water proof, I think its water resistant though (may get damaged when swimming). The Flex is water proof.

    I dont know about the others you mention as I have not used them.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    there is no activty tracker that will work for weight training sessions. They dont work that way.

    I have the Fitbit One and its best for step based activities. I use a Polar FT60 HRM for fitness because most of my sessions are circuit like (fast paced where my heart rate is high).

    I dont think the Fitbit Force is water proof, I think its water resistant though (may get damaged when swimming). The Flex is water proof.

    I dont know about the others you mention as I have not used them.

    I second this. The BodyMedia and the Jawbone are the same tech as the Fitbit. Very fun but nothing a decent pedometer doesn't do, in essence. I hear the Polar Loop has some problems but I don't know much about it.

    If you've been logging a long time and have seen results, you probably know more about your burn than these devices ever will. But if you like the added motivation you get from wearing something that you know is counting your NEAT up, they're great. And it sounds like you might based on your comments about moving from sedentary to lightly active to see more calorie burn. But I don't know of anything that accurately tracks calories burned in resistance exercises.
  • JRKWebb
    JRKWebb Posts: 27
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    Would a HRM not be able to assess my exertion during weight training however that an activity band alone could not. Are there also any Fitbit compatible HRMs?
  • luckydays27
    luckydays27 Posts: 552 Member
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    Would a HRM not be able to assess my exertion during weight training however that an activity band alone could not. Are there also any Fitbit compatible HRMs?

    Fitbit and other such devices do not measure your heartrate (maybe the body media does...) so its not comparable to a heart rate monitor.

    A heart rate monitor will measure your heart rate while you are wearing it but it is not accurate (or as accurate as it can be) while weight lifting unless you are in a steady state of elevated heart beats. Most weight lifters that I know (myself included) that lift heavy, have a short set in which the heart is pumping but not for a really long time and take recovery breaks between sets which can be twice as long as the time that you were lifting. This causes your heart rate to go back down again. A HRM will give you a calorie burn but it wont be accurate. As you know, the calorie burn when lifting is not just while you are lifting weights, its also in the long recovery period after a weight training session. A HRM wont and cant measure that.

    Unless you are doing a circuit type of weight training session, nothing out there right now will give you an accurate cal burn.

    If you want to have more accuracy for the rest of your day though, the Fitbit would be a great option. I love mine and hope that the only time I ever have to be without it is the day that I have mastered my fitness and weight.
  • JRKWebb
    JRKWebb Posts: 27
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    Thanks luckydays. Based on the advice, i think I will order the Fitbit Force and ship to the UK (not available here yet). Waterproof would be nice but isn't essential and it seems that waiting for the Bodymedia Core 2 is a bit pointless with no release date even announced.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    there is no activty tracker that will work for weight training sessions. They dont work that way.

    I have the Fitbit One and its best for step based activities. I use a Polar FT60 HRM for fitness because most of my sessions are circuit like (fast paced where my heart rate is high).

    I dont think the Fitbit Force is water proof, I think its water resistant though (may get damaged when swimming). The Flex is water proof.

    I dont know about the others you mention as I have not used them.

    I second this. The BodyMedia and the Jawbone are the same tech as the Fitbit. Very fun but nothing a decent pedometer doesn't do, in essence. I hear the Polar Loop has some problems but I don't know much about it.

    If you've been logging a long time and have seen results, you probably know more about your burn than these devices ever will. But if you like the added motivation you get from wearing something that you know is counting your NEAT up, they're great. And it sounds like you might based on your comments about moving from sedentary to lightly active to see more calorie burn. But I don't know of anything that accurately tracks calories burned in resistance exercises.
    The Bodymedia is NOT the same tech as the Fitbit. It has a lot more sensors and is medically tested. Have a look at their website.
    Incidentally in the UK, unless you have a bank account with a US address , you can't register with Bodymedi. You have to use kifit. Ask me if you need more info on this

    If you do a search, you'll find lots of other posts. Here is a recent one:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/967979-fitbit-vs-bodymedia-fit?page=4#posts-17829818
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    Thanks luckydays. Based on the advice, i think I will order the Fitbit Force and ship to the UK (not available here yet). Waterproof would be nice but isn't essential and it seems that waiting for the Bodymedia Core 2 is a bit pointless with no release date even announced.
    Remember you may have to pay import taxes.
  • JRKWebb
    JRKWebb Posts: 27
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    It seems then the Fitbit Force is the most sensible solution!
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    It seems then the Fitbit Force is the most sensible solution!
    Not as accurate as Bodymedia/ kifit. Ok for stepping activity but not all activity. I meant you'll pay Import tax on the Fit it Force.
  • JRKWebb
    JRKWebb Posts: 27
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    It seems then the Fitbit Force is the most sensible solution!
    Not as accurate as Bodymedia/ kifit. Ok for stepping activity but not all activity. I meant you'll pay Import tax on the Fit it Force.

    It seems though that no device can achieve an accurate burn for my weightlifting sadly. Apparently the Force is less accurate in the sense it underestimates activity but this isn't a huge issue for me. I would prefer underestimation to over estimation. Also the Force is a little more subtle than the Bodymedia, I think I may go mad wearing an actual band after a while!

    Also it seems like an imported Fitbit is easier to set up with my existing tools like MFP which is of course key.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    It seems then the Fitbit Force is the most sensible solution!
    Not as accurate as Bodymedia/ kifit. Ok for stepping activity but not all activity. I meant you'll pay Import tax on the Fit it Force.

    It seems though that no device can achieve an accurate burn for my weightlifting sadly. Apparently the Force is less accurate in the sense it underestimates activity but this isn't a huge issue for me. I would prefer underestimation to over estimation. Also the Force is a little more subtle than the Bodymedia, I think I may go mad wearing an actual band after a while!

    Also it seems like an imported Fitbit is easier to set up with my existing tools like MFP which is of course key.
    Sorry to keep contradicting you but kifit/ Bodymedia fit will link to MFP too. Agree about the subtlety issue though.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    The Bodymedia is NOT the same tech as the Fitbit. It has a lot more sensors and is medically tested. Have a look at their website.
    Of course they market their skin sensors as adding important data. Yet time and again people who wear both find what I did-- very similar readings.

    It's telling to me that all the activity monitors that came to follow skip the skin sensors, even the Polar Loop, from a company that already is doing on-skin sensing in most of their products. You'd think if the skin sensor was so important you'd see it in Fitbits, Jawbone Ups, MIsfit Shines, Amiigos, Fitbugs, Withings Pulse and Nike Fuelband.
  • JRKWebb
    JRKWebb Posts: 27
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    One last question regarding the Force. Apparently its only mobile compatible with iPhone 4s and up. I have an iPhone 4. Is it still possible to integrate with MFP? If so how does it function?
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
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    It also has an on-device display that shows your stats and it synchs to your PC wirelessly, when it's within 15' or so. So the mobile app/synch is icing but not really necessary. There is a web browser app that has more than the mobile app.

    It does synch to MFP regardless. MFP sends your meal totals to the Fitbit displays (calories, macros, etc.) and Fitbit also sends your activity/burn totals to MFP, so if you follow the MFP eating plan, you get a 'Fitbit adjustment' of more calories to eat the days you're more active than you entered you are in your settings. The meal synching seems to happen within seconds of logging here. You get graphs on the Fitbit site of how your burn compares to your intake and that sort of thing. You will have to log your lifting manually somewhere.
  • JRKWebb
    JRKWebb Posts: 27
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    Great, so full MFP integration with an iPhone 4 and the only thing I lose out on is Fitbit's own mobile app? I think I'm definitely sold on the Force, it seems to compliment most if not all of the features I was looking for. MFP integration probably being the most important as I'm a self-confessed MFP addict.
  • MikeInAZ
    MikeInAZ Posts: 483 Member
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    I use a Polar FT7 Heart Rate monitor to keep track of Calories Burned when I work out. I am anxiously awaiting the release of the Amiigo fitness band. This device not only keeps track of movements, but learns what you do. So after the training period, it will know if you did a push up, an arm curl, a bike ride, a run etc. It also has a heart rate monitor, social media integration, is water proof and all important, has an Android App.

    Check out the Amiigo before you buy anything
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    Great, so full MFP integration with an iPhone 4 and the only thing I lose out on is Fitbit's own mobile app? I think I'm definitely sold on the Force, it seems to compliment most if not all of the features I was looking for. MFP integration probably being the most important as I'm a self-confessed MFP addict.
    The fitbit web site syncs with the app so you can still view the app on your phone and input food data- you just can't sync the fitbit with your phone- yo'll need to use a PC.
  • jaz050465
    jaz050465 Posts: 3,508 Member
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    The Bodymedia is NOT the same tech as the Fitbit. It has a lot more sensors and is medically tested. Have a look at their website.
    Of course they market their skin sensors as adding important data. Yet time and again people who wear both find what I did-- very similar readings.

    It's telling to me that all the activity monitors that came to follow skip the skin sensors, even the Polar Loop, from a company that already is doing on-skin sensing in most of their products. You'd think if the skin sensor was so important you'd see it in Fitbits, Jawbone Ups, MIsfit Shines, Amiigos, Fitbugs, Withings Pulse and Nike Fuelband.
    Maybe the reason other gadgets don't have this is because it means it has to be worn tight against the skin. Many people don't want to do this. I got very different readings from my fitbit and BMF- they weren't similar at all.
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
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    It seems though that no device can achieve an accurate burn for my weightlifting sadly.

    I know it isn't 100% accurate, but my Bodymedia estimates an hour of weightlifting at about 240 calories. Online calculators end up being similar (about 270 calories/hour). So it may not be 100%, but the fitbit estimates nothing. Bodymedia can tell when I'm dancing (belly dance so not a lot of footwork), fitbit cannot.

    I bought a fitbit to compare and promptly sold it (or am selling it. It's on ebay right now). I think it's good for people who do a lot of step based exercise, otherwise I'd go with the Bodymedia.

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