Bodymedia overestimating?

Jazzyjules71 · February 2012

Wondering if any Bodymedial users feel like their numbers are high? I just got mine about a week ago, and I feel like my calorie expenditure is way too high.......and sometimes my step count seems high too. My average burn per hour is about 1.3/minute when I'm sedentary/sleeping and it goes up from there (my weight is 225) . I don't know how I could've reached 8000 steps yesterday, but it says I did.

I know these devices are supposed to be pretty accurate ( I think the worst chance of being off was 10% on calories, but otherwise they claim it's much lower percentage of error)...... but I'm just having a hard time believing it right now.
Or is there a chance they're high because I'm new to it and it hasn't "learned me" yet?

Would love any comments, input, advice etc........

Oh and if I do burn a lot of calories, dang, I'm still overweight! !!

Thanks! Julie

polo571 · February 2012

I strictly use it for calories. Mine is always within 5%. If you are true to your logging its pretty amazing. I always thought the steps underestimated.

smeyerdirk · February 2012

I also use mine for calories and to see how well I sleep (It tells me I don't sleep well which explains why I am so tired all the time). I feel that it's pretty accurate and it helps me make sure I am consuming enough food. The 1200 diet doesn't work for me because I burn more than 2200 calories a day. The best part is once you have done it for a while you can see a pattern and when you start to lose weight that burn per hour goes down. I currently average around 1-.9 and I started at 1.3 per minute. Good luck, it's a great tool!!

DoubleE615312 · February 2012

How long have you had it now? I think it took a couple of weeks for mine to adjust. I think it underestimates calories burned (when exercising), but that is just me. I wear it about 23 hours a day and input my food calories from MFP into the activity manager at the end of the day. Yesterday I didn't go to the gym and just did basic household chores and burned over 2500 calories for the day. So depending on what you are doing it is very easy to burn more then you think you are.

valerietoxii · February 2012

No I don't think it over-estimates at all. I love it!

honeydoozy · February 2012

The only overestimation that I've heard of, is when you're driving, so folks take theirs off while they're in the car. Hmmm.

I have had two different BodyBuggs over the years, which are essentially the very same thing. I just picked up the BodyMedia Core (because of the sleep tracking, and because it's smaller), so I'll have to see how it compares. The BodyBugg was VERY accurate, to the point where I could identify breaks in my workouts or even a trip up the stairs at home.

Maybe, you're just really being more active than you think (yay, you!!!)

Jazzyjules71 · February 2012

Thanks for the input everyone....

I've had my BMF for only a week, and I was sick part of that week with the stomach flu, so it wasn't my completely normal days. I haven't even tried to workout with it yet, and plan to compare it to my heart rate monitor also to see how it compares (although I'm on a beta blocker so my heart rate monitor isn't that reliable....but would still be interesting to compare)

I had heard too that it's not accurate with driving, but heard it was more with bumpy rides where you are physically going up and down in the car more.......I checked it, and it didn't log any "steps" during my 35 minute commute, but I should check the calories. Thanks for the reminder.

So, if the calorie burn IS fairly accurate, it explains why I'm a crabby, starving irritable person when I aim for my 1200 calories MFP recommends. . That is too low if my burn is as high as the BMF tells me. Anyone have stories about learning they were eating too little calories, then losing weight when they went up on them based on the BMF results?

Thanks everyone for contributing......

DoubleE615312 · February 2012

My BMF gives me 1350 calories to eat and 2350 to burn to lose 2 lbs a week (if I do this everyday). MFP says I have to eat 1200 to lose 2 lbs a week. There is no way I can live on 1200 calories a day. I can do it one or two days, but after that I have to up my calories or I start feeling sick.

DoubleE615312 · February 2012

My BMF gives me 1350 calories to eat and 2350 to burn to lose 2 lbs a week (if I do this everyday). MFP says I have to eat 1200 to lose 2 lbs a week. There is no way I can live on 1200 calories a day. I can do it one or two days, but after that I have to up my calories or I start feeling sick.

Jazzyjules71 · February 2012

I am going to bump this, see if there are any other comments.

I compared my HRM to my BMF tonight during a workout, the body media read higher by 60 calories....... I'll take it!

NGMama · February 2012

Check out the group Women Eating 2000+ Calories Per Day. Lots of knowledgeable women there, many who have the BMF.

gregavila · February 2012

I've been wearing my FIT since January 9th and have dropped 16 pounds since I got it. I believe that the information they are logging is pretty accurate in terms of calories and burn. The only problem I've had with it is when I am spinning or cycling that it wasn't counting steps or activity well as my arms really don't move.

So after reading up on the internet, I now wear it on my left calf when I am spinning/cycling and the steps and calories burned are right in line with my heart rate monitor.

Honestly, I love my FIT.

DoubleE615312 · February 2012

I am going to bump this, see if there are any other comments.

I compared my HRM to my BMF tonight during a workout, the body media read higher by 60 calories....... I'll take it!

That's good to know. I have always wonder what I would burn according to a HRM.

DoubleE615312 · February 2012

I've been wearing my FIT since January 9th and have dropped 16 pounds since I got it. I believe that the information they are logging is pretty accurate in terms of calories and burn. The only problem I've had with it is when I am spinning or cycling that it wasn't counting steps or activity well as my arms really don't move.

So after reading up on the internet, I now wear it on my left calf when I am spinning/cycling and the steps and calories burned are right in line with my heart rate monitor.

Honestly, I love my FIT.

I'll have to try this next time I am on the elliptical to see if it gives me a different #.

obmckenzie · February 2012

I always feel like its under-estimating me on exercise, but my last trips to the scale have me thinking otherwise now.

I didn't think to wear it on my calf though. I don't bike but I generally exercise to an xbox game that has more leg movement then arm.. hrm maybe that will help me

DoubleE615312 · February 2012

Last night I wore my armband on my left calf for the elliptical and treadmill. For the elliptical I feel it gave me a better read and closer to what I have been burning. Only about 50 calories off from the machine. I then decided to keep it on my leg for the treadmill and it was right on with my other workouts using the treadmill.

I will probably look like a dork with it on my leg, but I am going to continue to put it there during my workouts and return it to my arm afterwards.

So thanks for the tip for those using it on their legs while biking!

echamin · December 2012

I tried it with my HRM and it was way off. My HRM said I burned 460 calories and my BMF said 190. That's a huge difference...anyone else have this problem?

Bodymedia overestimating?

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