Bodyfit vs. Fitbit vs. HRM vs. Other

Hi,
I've just finished reading most of the posts on this subject already and the only thing I can conclude is that I need to stop researching and go out for a walk. I've been sitting here for 2 hours and 50 mins. :yawn:

Sooo, with that, I'm hoping someone can tell me which is better If I want to track:

Heart rate
Calories burned for a full-day
Distance walked/hiked
Connect with Earndit or similar rewards program for motivation
Food diary
Would be great to use swimming but I'd be willing to add a separate device for that

Thanks everyone. I'm going for that walk now and would appreciate any final thoughts from you. :happy:

Replies

  • fothers365
    fothers365 Posts: 59 Member
    I would like to know too- bump!
  • Seanb_us
    Seanb_us Posts: 322 Member
    bump
  • CasiGal
    CasiGal Posts: 20 Member
    bump...anyone?
  • SocWkrBee
    SocWkrBee Posts: 374
    doing the bump! i want to know too.
  • marissa4354
    marissa4354 Posts: 140
    Hi,
    I've just finished reading most of the posts on this subject already and the only thing I can conclude is that I need to stop researching and go out for a walk. I've been sitting here for 2 hours and 50 mins. :yawn:

    Sooo, with that, I'm hoping someone can tell me which is better If I want to track:

    Heart rate
    Calories burned for a full-day
    Distance walked/hiked
    Connect with Earndit or similar rewards program for motivation
    Food diary
    Would be great to use swimming but I'd be willing to add a separate device for that

    Thanks everyone. I'm going for that walk now and would appreciate any final thoughts from you. :happy:

    I have the BodyMedia. Doesn't tell you your heart rate but it tells you your METS burned and calories burned. Tells you your total calorie burn for the whole day. Including while sleeping. Tells you your sleep efficiency, total time slept, how many times you got up (this was a surprise to me). Tells you your steps taken for the day. Not sure what Earndit is? They have a food diary, but I'll be honest. It sucks. I like MFP cause I can log exactly what I eat. I just upload an amount for the food estimate for the day. Cannot be used for swimming. Or showering. I love it. I started last month, and with the combination of it and MFP I've lost 15 pounds so far. I took a week off too while my Italian mother in law was in town (felt the need to say Italian so you can relate to what I ate. You have to leave a clean plate or it's an insult.) LOL.
    Let me know if you have anymore questions about it.
  • SteveHunt113
    SteveHunt113 Posts: 648 Member
    Hi,
    I've just finished reading most of the posts on this subject already and the only thing I can conclude is that I need to stop researching and go out for a walk. I've been sitting here for 2 hours and 50 mins. :yawn:

    Sooo, with that, I'm hoping someone can tell me which is better If I want to track:

    Heart rate
    Calories burned for a full-day
    Distance walked/hiked
    Connect with Earndit or similar rewards program for motivation
    Food diary
    Would be great to use swimming but I'd be willing to add a separate device for that

    Thanks everyone. I'm going for that walk now and would appreciate any final thoughts from you. :happy:

    Sounds like you want the BodyMedia Fit/Body Bugg and a HRM. The BodyMedia Fit/Body Bugg will give you:
    - Calories burned fora full day (estimate)
    - Steps taken
    - Offers an online food diary

    Since the BodyMedai Fit/Body Bugg can not be worn in water, you'd want a HRM that can be used while swimming and to provide your heart rate (BodyMedia Fit/Body Bugg do not use heart rate)
  • AmyLRed
    AmyLRed Posts: 856 Member
    body fit and fitbit will track cals burned all day, HRM will track only for a workout.

    Hoping others can chime in. I have a HRM but not body fit or fitbit to compare to, though i have considered it!
  • cinsuccess
    cinsuccess Posts: 333 Member
    I can only speak from my personal experience. I had a body composition analysis completed so I know my exact BMR (Calories burned in a day if I lay in bed and do nothing) so I don't feel the need to try to figure out the calories burned all day. I have, however seen some imporvement in my results since I started using a HRM to track the calories burned during my workouts. I am also much more diligent about tracking my calories consumed in my diary by logging EVERYTHING as much as humanly possible. I have some friend who have multiple devices and that works for them. For me, I wanted the simplest and best way for me to understand calories in versus calories out so I use the food diary for calories in and the HRM for calories out with my minimum calorie intake set to BMR.

    Might not be the best or perfect solution but it is working well for me.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    I personally think having a GPS sports watch or device that shows how fast I walk plus all the average stuff. Why? Simply put, recent studies show that people who walk fast live longer. So, knowing how fast you walk would be a big advantage and good to log.

    I don't track the calories I eat. But I do track the calories I burn in exercise. So a record of that is good. I don't know if there's a device that monitors all activities, such as weight lifting or even cycling.

    It really depends on your personal needs. The heart rate isn't important for the most part. You do not need to be "in the zone" as they used to tell us. Moreover, the calorie count is not accurate. Fitbit is good but it's just a pedometer.
  • bfitnbfab
    bfitnbfab Posts: 79
    Do they really have an HRM or anything like that for swimming?
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    I'm using a FitBit in conjunction with a Polar FT4 HRM. I use the FB for most of my day, but log my HRM reading for calories burned for activities that get my HR above 120 (very easy to do though MFP). The HRM is good for biking or swimming.

    I like the FitBit because it is discreet. I keep my clipped to the side of my bra and it is invisible. The Body Media is far too obvious for my liking. I don't want to walk around with anything strapped to my arm. Another plus is that the FitBit membership is free, while Body Fit requires a subscription.
  • kangababy
    kangababy Posts: 187 Member
    Go with a HRM of some kind.. most are water proof so you can wear them while swimming
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
    Do they really have an HRM or anything like that for swimming?

    Many Polar HRMs can be worn for swimming.
  • Masq
    Masq Posts: 191 Member
    I wore a Fitbit and Bodybugg(Bodyfit) simultaneously for two weeks - here is my review : http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Masq

    I returned the Bodybugg mainly because I didn't like wearing it on my arm (is very obvious if you are wearing short sleeves) and that it didn't sync with MFP

    Neither the Bodybugg or the Fitbit will give you heart rate and can not be used for swimming.

    Both Bodybugg and Fitbit will give you calories burned, and a food diary. Bodybugg did not give total distance for the day.

    I really enjoy the Fitbit, I think it is pretty accurate for calories burned and it's fun to see how much you move or don't move during the day. It also shows your sleep patterns and gives you a weekly report of everything.

    Two things that I had to 'work around' with the Fitbit. For me, during the day, the Fitbit calorie adjustment that will pull into MFP was too high, so I would go over my calories for the day if I ate everything it gave me. I solved this problem by setting my MFP fitness profile to 'active' instead of 'sedentary'. For me setting it to active is closer to my total calories burned average than it was at sedentary.
    Second, it does record some things that you may need to adjust manually. Like a bike ride. I wore mine for a bike ride and it counted them as steps..... even when I put in an activity of 'bike ride' the steps didn't change. I don't wear the fitbit on bike rides anymore. Also, if you take a long trip in the car... it will count as floors and steps. I found this out when I was in a car for 10 hours with only one stop to gas up and change drivers. I got more steps, floors and calories burned that day than I did for the following day when I was on my feet for hours setting up and decorating for a graduation party. BUT, Fitbit has 'riding in' and 'driving' a car as an activity. Once you enter that you were doing that and the times, the fitbit website will adjust your numbers to reflect what you were actually doing. I only do this for long trips.....
    :flowerforyou:
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    No device yet exists for doing all that decently accurate, or several of them at all.

    If that list is in order of importance, then HRM is only option for HR.

    To include the second on list for all day burn, a Garmin or Suunto HRM that uses Firstbeat technology.
    That algorithm from studies is as accurate as you'll get from HRM for non-aerobic type activity - wearing all day.
    Other HRM's aren't going to be anywhere near correct outside steady-state aerobic level activity (90-160 bpm).

    Being a GPS unit takes care of the distance aspect too, though only while wearing. They both come with footpods to get distances without GPS being available inside.

    Swimming is possible, but HR is not available then from Garmin as it can't get signal through water. Not sure on Suunto.

    Now really, you only need to do the whole day routine a few times to see what you burn on say a non-exercise day, and sleeping.
    Then you know your figures and it won't change much. Perhaps once a month to adjust your daily goals.
    Now you wear it for normal exercise and know the increase.

    Then you get a cheaper or whatever level pedometer, that does display for encouragement or what-not. Perhaps one that does uploads to a site.

    Now, as to syncing all this great info to other apps, sites, ect. The Garmin's can be synced with all sorts of things.
    But again, you only need your avg daily burn figured out a couple times to know your avg. It won't change enough to matter. The exercise is possible to many things.

    http://www.firstbeat.fi/consumers/heart-rate-monitors
  • LowcarbNY
    LowcarbNY Posts: 546 Member
    The Motorolla MOTOACTV seems to have all the hardware features.
    http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/8GB-or-16GB-MOTOACTV/79070,en_US,pd.html
    https://motoactv.com/ is the web app site.

    Don't know too much about the apps and rewards though.

    The Nike Fuel has great reward apps.

    I don't know why FitBit and Fuel were not designed to be able to access a HRM chest strap. Seems like an easy function to imbed. That is what I would want to do if I was designing it (but some marketing guy would veto me ) .
  • 2knoxs
    2knoxs Posts: 81
    http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/03/fitbit-ultra-review/


    I have been wondering the same thng and when I google devices Im interested in this site comes up often. Maybe they have other reviews of devices yu are interested in.
  • Ambition00
    Ambition00 Posts: 37 Member
    Check out Polar or Garmin HRM with strap: http://www.polarusa.com/us-en
    http://www.garmin.com/us/

    Heart rate YES
    Calories burned for a full-day -SOME OF THE DEVICES THE SELL HAS THIS OPTION IM NOT SURE HOW WELL IT WORKS
    Distance walked/hiked -YES
    Connect with Earndit or similar rewards program for motivation- IDK
    Food diary -NO
    Would be great to use swimming but I'd be willing to add a separate device for that -YES

    Bodyfit aka Body bugg

    Heart rate NO

    Calories burned for a full-day YES as long it is for one of the following activities --"free living" activities, including brisk walking, running, bicycling, sedentary activities, home activities, home repair, occupational activities, strength training, and ball games.
    Distance walked/hiked--- however i had one of these and it's very inaccurate for cycling and other exercise machines.

    Connect with Earndit or similar rewards program for motivation: IDK

    Food diary-YES

    Would be great to use swimming but I'd be willing to add a separate device for that -NO

    FITBIT this is a tri or multi-axis pedometer, so it sense every move and step you take in every direction. why not get a tri-axis pedometer like omron makes and save yourself 50+ dollars?

    Heart Rate-NO

    Calories burned per day: yes; accurate? I don't know. I think that some people have a high burn rate at rest than the fitbit will calculate and this is where I see the pedometers' inaccurate calculations. if you're a person with muscle mass and burns quite a bit at rest this may throw off your numbers for fitbit.


    i hope this helps...
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    The Motorolla MOTOACTV seems to have all the hardware features.
    http://www.motorola.com/us/consumers/8GB-or-16GB-MOTOACTV/79070,en_US,pd.html
    https://motoactv.com/ is the web app site.

    Don't know too much about the apps and rewards though.

    The Nike Fuel has great reward apps.

    I don't know why FitBit and Fuel were not designed to be able to access a HRM chest strap. Seems like an easy function to imbed. That is what I would want to do if I was designing it (but some marketing guy would veto me ) .

    Oh, cause then you'd have to build in a receiver, chipset to receive the heart beats and make sense of it, select 1 or many protocols to support for that transfer, bigger battery to run the radio receiver, ect. Lot of complexity to add to very small units, and would increase the expense.
    Because with HR, you'd probably want a display now to actually see something.
  • CasiGal
    CasiGal Posts: 20 Member
    Thank you for the info! Sry, for the delay in responding...water leak in house has demanded all my attention the past few weeks!

    I have a birthday coming up - think I'll ask for the Fitbit. I love that it coordinates with MFP.
  • CasiGal
    CasiGal Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks!
  • CasiGal
    CasiGal Posts: 20 Member
    Thanks for this info. I've been away from MFP (except via ipad) so I haven't had the chance to follow up on this post. Thanks! I like your idea of using both.
  • CasiGal
    CasiGal Posts: 20 Member
    Thank you!!
  • Kimsied
    Kimsied Posts: 223 Member
    Hi,
    I've just finished reading most of the posts on this subject already and the only thing I can conclude is that I need to stop researching and go out for a walk. I've been sitting here for 2 hours and 50 mins. :yawn:

    Sooo, with that, I'm hoping someone can tell me which is better If I want to track:

    I have a fitbit and heart rate monitor that I use.

    Heart rate = heart rate monitor, fitbit and bodymedia do not track heart rate, which is okay for what they are intended for.

    Calories burned for a full-day= fitbit or bodymedia. Heart rate monitors are not designed to semi-accurately track calorie burn for non-exercise activities. I know fitbit will let you overwrite your exercsie calorie burn with a heart rare monitor if you want, not sure of bodymedia.

    Distance walked/hiked= Throughout the day=fitbit or bodymedia, my fitbit distances are very accurate though I did take the time to test and calibrate it on a running track. For just one walk or hike then either of those or maybe a Garmin or similar GPS heart rate monitor with a foot pod, or even a gps app on a smart phone might do it for you.

    Connect with Earndit or similar rewards program for motivation= fitbit or bodymedia. As far as I know, no heart rate monitors currently link to earndit. A garmin gps monitor will through "Garmin Connect" but it only uses the GPS data not the heart rate data. Also, since you say "other", a smart phone with one of several gps apps or a Nike+ also can link with earndit.

    Food diary - here! Fitbit and bodymedia have food tracking so that is a possibility. MFP and fitbit can sync so there would be no need to change food tracking if you already track here.

    Would be great to use swimming but I'd be willing to add a separate device for that -- swimming would be a heart rate monitor that is waterproof not either bodymedia or fitbit. Also there is something called a "poolmate" that has an acelometer in the waterproof watch that can track swimming strokes and laps. I don't have one, but it sounds good. I just use my heart rate monitor for water exercise.

    I am not sure one device can actually do everything you want. I supose for what you want to hit all the points, your cheapest option would be:
    *A pedometer + waterproof heart rate monitor and basically just trust your activity level burn on mfp + logged exercise. You would have your distance all day if properly set up and calibrated,heart rate data, calorie burn during exercise, etc.
    *For all you ask for: A fitbit + basic waterproof heart rate monitor or Bodymedia + basic waterproof heart rate monitor. These would give you a place to track food, etc, ability to link with earndit, general activity data, distance for one session and all day, estimated total calorie burn, workout heart rate tracking, and swimming tracking. If you went with fitbit, it would be a little less expensive and you could continue to track food on mfp. I've used fitbit for a couple years and am happy with it especially since it is small, comfortable and discrete. I imagine Bodymedia may be a little more accurate as it has more sensors than just movement, but the numbers fitbit gives me actually seem pretty accurate to me so the extra expense and wearing an arm band just are not worth it to me personally.

    ETA: I didn't read all the posts before I posted. Someone mentioned why not just a pedometer rather than a fitibt? I had a pedometer first and it is not the same in my experience. My pedometer was not as sleek, I wear the fitbit on my bra and no one sees. My fitbit is more accurate for me with steps and distance and can also track flights of stairs and hills. It ranks each minute by activity level which roughly corresponds with METS and for a lot of activity it is pretty accurate when all is set up. I do think there is a little bit of a learning curve to make the best use of the features and information it offers. I am sure there may be some pedometers that are accurate and offer some similar benefits, but they are not exactly the same in my opinion.
  • Kimsied
    Kimsied Posts: 223 Member
    One more thing, if swimming wasn't a factor and you already have a smart phone...

    You could get a fitbit and a ant or bluetooth heart rate monitor that can link with the digifit phone app. Digifit and fitbit can link (not sure about Bodymedia) and your fitbit activity would show on your digifit account along with all your detailed heart rate per workout data. Your digifit workouts could be logged to your fitbit account automatically. Digifit also uses GPS data in addition to heart rate data for outdoor workouts.

    The only way this would work for swimming is if you already have a hrm watch that is compatible with the bluetooth or ant hrm strap so that might be too much expense at first.

    But just thought I would throw that out there for people who might be interested in such a thing. I am using digifit, mfp and fitbit at the moment. But I already had a Polar F11 for a while and the blue tooth hrm strap works with it so I use my F11 for water exercise. And my bluetooth strap + phone for land exercise.