HRM/Body Media Fit/Body Bugg/FitBit

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mamaparks87
mamaparks87 Posts: 54 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am interested in tracking what I burn through workouts and also throughout the day. I am sure this has been posted before but I can't seem to find it so I will ask again. Which of these would be the best to get- HRM/Body Media Fit/Body Bugg/FitBit? Which is the most accurate? Can a HRM be worn all day or is that just for exercise? What are the pros and cons of these?

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  • mamaparks87
    mamaparks87 Posts: 54 Member
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    Anyone?
  • mabear74
    mabear74 Posts: 248
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    BodyMediaFit/BodyBugg are pretty much the same thing.....I have a BodyMediaFit and I love it. I have had it for 3 years now. It really opened my eyes to how many calories I was actually burning in a day, and I had to up my calories alot. It keeps me honest. I have the display for mine because I like the instant gratification of seeing my numbers throught the day. You can also get the link model and access the numbers through your smartphone. I also have a FitBit ultra, but did not like it, especially after noticing that it was counting steps while I was driving, but I know a lot of people like them.
  • cardbucfan
    cardbucfan Posts: 10,396 Member
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    Well, I'll give you my two cents for what it's worth. I have both a Polar F4 HRM and a Body Media Fit. The HRM is essential to my workouts. I have had one for years now (on my third-all Polar) and can't imagine working out without it. Besides my desperate need to know my calorie burn, I find it a wonderful tool to maximize my workout. I spin a lot and there will be days that I think I'm working so hard and I look at my HRM and find that , uh, no, I'm kinda slacking so I kick it into a higher gear. And the opposite is true as well. I will be cranking away to a great song and look at my HRM and think "I'd better back off or my heart is gonna explode!". I have used it for non-cardio things (cleaning-and yes, you can burn a ton!; golf; lifting) but it's not supposed to be that accurate for those activities. That is partly why I try and leave a cushion with my calories for errors in counting calorie burns and measurement errors for consumption.

    I got the Body Fit a month or so ago with a Groupon (thanks Christine!) and love the additional data it gives me. I have found it to be very, very close to my HRM for calories burned for most things except spinning. Since spinning involves mostly leg work the BMF doesn't pick up on my activity as much so the calorie burn is several hundred calories lower! I bought it because I'm in maintenance and trying to find the happy balance of calories to eat to offset my workouts. I'm not there yet though and am still learning all the data I get with the BMF. I also found that the BMF has higher daily calorie burns than MFP so I have upped my activity level on MFP to get closer.

    The one negative I will say about the body fit is you have to wear it all the time (except showering-you can't get it wet so if you are a swimmer this is not for you) and it annoys my husband to no end! I'm used to it but I have to alternate arms to avoid getting a rash.

    Hope this helps! IMHO, if you are only getting one device, get the HRM making certain to get one with a chest strap.
  • mabear74
    mabear74 Posts: 248
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    I should also say that when I do my workouts I do wear HRM. If you have BodyMedia Fit Link or one with a display, you can go trip button, hit reset and you can see exactly how many calories are burning per minute and total for each workout. My BodyMedia Fit usually reads lower than my HRM for calorie burn, but since I base what I eat off my total calories burned for the day, I go by my BodyMedia Fit. What ever you go with consistency is the key.
  • klgemini29
    klgemini29 Posts: 1 Member
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    I've been looking at different ones, haven't made a choice yet. But i came across the below link that maybe can help you do some quick comparisons :
    http://www.bodymedia.com/Products/Learn-More/Compare

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