Bodybuggs

jamiec0221 · December 2009

Hello out there,

Just getting started on my weight loss journey and have been looking into these. Has anyone used them or had success with them. I'm curious as to how accurate they actually are and if it would be worth the investment.

DrBorkBork · December 2009

Get a heart rate monitor. Essentially the same thing and $200 cheaper!

Mindful_Trent · December 2009

actually it's not the same as a HRM at all. I use a GoWearFit, which is exactly the same as a BodyBugg... these don't measure heart rate at all - they calculate calories burned based on the following (from www.gowearfit.com):

Motion: The Armband contains an accelerometer, a device that measures motion. (Your car air bag has an accelerometer in it that lets it know when you've been in an accident.) We use it to measure HOW you move from multiple axis and perspectives, allowing us to better understand your activity.

Steps: We count your steps, using the accelerometer to measure the distinct patterns created by walking and/or running.

Galvanic Skin Response: When you sweat, your skin becomes more electrically conductive. This measurement help us see how active you are.

Skin Temperature: There's an electronic thermometer inside your armband that helps us know how hot you are.

Heat Flux: When you move, your muscles produce heat. We measure the heat that's flowing from your body into the environment.

So...this is not the same as an HRM. You are supposed to wear it 24/7, while HRMs are only for periods of exercise/activity. Here's what the GoWearFit website says about the difference between HRMs and these other products:

"A heart rate monitor measures calories during strenuous activity – like running, rowing and cycling – in a complicated manner that’s basically: Heart rate during physical activity X some personal information = calories. While heart rate monitors can be good devices for understanding how your body functions under vigorous circumstances, they don’t measure calorie burn otherwise, which means you get an incomplete view of your daily expenditure. People generally spend about 25% of their day being physically active. "

I bought the GoWearFit because I wanted to measure my calorie output all day, and that's what this does. I enjoy using it and I'm glad I bought it - it's not "Perfect" - all of these type of devices have ranges of error, but on the whole I believe it is more accurate for daily calorie calculations than a HRM (though I want to get a HRM for tracking my heart rate while exercising).

Hope this helped... if you're looking for an accurate calorie counter for the whole day, you'll want to look into bodybuggs/ Gowearfits... but if you just want something to use while exercising, go for a HRM.

Delphi · December 2009

I am also a Gowearfit user and I HIGHLY recommend one, if you want a "bigger picture" grasp on your calorie expenditure. As the poster above me stated, it isn't 100% accurate, but this product has been pretty darn close for me. I've been wearing mine for seven months now and my calculations for deficits using the data from the GoWearFit have been spot on. In essence I have lost the exact amount of weight I should have compared to the data. I'm a tech geek by nature, so seeing my weightloss journey in numbers really helped inspire, motivate and encourage me.

XFitMojoMom · December 2009

I've heard only good things about both brands, however if you live outside of the US, the Body Bugg is unsupported - they will sell you the device, but will not support you.
Go fit wear is supported in Canada with the exception of the Province of Quebec (where I live).

SHBoss1673 · December 2009

I'm not really sure I see the need of bodybuggs actually. Since you can go to a lab and get a metabolic test done, and they usually cost about 75 to 100 bucks, you can go and get one done with about 99.5% accuracy, the bodybugg, and other devices like it (including heart rate monitors) don't directly measure the rate of calorie burn, they indirectly measure it, so there will be some margin for error (larger than a metabolic test).

consider this, the human metabolism doesn't change quickly or easily, and with the accuracy of these tests you can be confident that unless you drastically change your body, you'll be certain how many calories your body burns at rest. Combine this with a decent $90 heart rate monitor and you have a very very good picture of your metabolic rate, even during exercise.

Redo the test about once every 6 months to a year to confirm you're still at the rate you thought (even when you lose lots of weight your metabolism shouldn't change a lot, usually by not more than a few hundred calories, because as we become lighter, our bodies usually become stronger and burn more muscle calories).

so you have a one time cost of about 90 bucks, and a yearly cost of between (it's 75 bucks where I live) $75 to $150 depending on how much your body has changed, you're still looking at about the same price and you don't have to wear that thing all day every day, and you have a higher accuracy.

Bodybuggs

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