Purchased my bodybugg!

[tinagirl]

Well - Today I bit the bullet and purchased a bodybugg online.

I do use a heart rate monitor for when I run, but I've been thinking for a while now that I don't accurately track the amount of calories I use at all other times of the day.

I'm hoping that this little doo dad can tell me the answer...

Here's hoping!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

I'd love to hear what you think of it after you've had time to play with it a bit.

 

[TB'sWidow]

What is it, I have never heard of it forgive me if I sound stupid

 

[MelanieC]

I've actually heard Jillian Michaels talk about it on her radio show. They use them on the biggest loser because 24 hour fitness sells them (I think they were the ones).

She says she doesn't believe they are super accurate based on her knowledge and what she has seen.

They do intrigue me though, I've often thought they would be fun to try out.

 

[tinagirl]

Supposedly, it's tracking your sweat, body temperature, movement and steps to calculate your calorie burn at all times in the day. It's a small module you wear on your right arm with an armband. You're supposed to wear it all the time, but you can't take it in water. So when you take it off and put it back on the software it comes with says "The bodybugg reported that you had removed the system from X time to X time. Should the software consider you sedentary or were you >>>>" where an infinite number of selections drops down.

The literature on their site says that it is 92% accurate, and may not be for people with thyroid conditions.

I got mine on Tuesday when 24 hour fitness had it on sale for $199. (Direct from the website it is $299, so I don't know if that in-store sale is on at all locations, or if it requires you to be a member.)

One thing I've found to be surprising over the past few days is that it reports me as burning less at sedentary than the BMR math calculation does. I may have a slightly slower metabolism, and that may have been holding me back, but it'll take me about 2 weeks to really feel like I can make a firm judgement call on it.

I even wear it at work, but I work at a young, hip, techie company where everyone seems to just assume it's an mp3 player, so I don't get any questions...

I'll report back on it. It cost a pretty penny, but my curiosity forced me to get it... Here's to wishing!

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Thank you so much for the update. I'm really looking forward to hear what your progress is and how you feel it is monitoring things. I love the gadgets, but don't see me with one--just yet.

 

[tinagirl]

I just wanted to provide an update!

It's been just about 2 weeks and I LOVE my bodybugg.

Before I got it, I was using the Harris Benedict Equation to figure out how many calories to eat per day.

Using that, 2192 was my BMR, and 1.2 was my multiplier so the estimated minimum number of calories my body "needed to get through the day" was 2630.4.

Therefore, if I wanted to lose 1 pound per week, I needed to eat 2130 calories a day...

With my bodybugg, I now have my actual calorie expenditure (TEE) logged, and I find two things interesting.
1.) A day at the office without trying to exercise spends less calories for me than with the HBE. My desk job, if I don't try to exercise only burns 2200 for me. This pretty much explains why I hadn't lost ANY weight over the past month, because I was eating the amount from the formula, but my metabolism seems to be slower than the "equation" averages it out to be.
2.) Getting healthy isn't all about the food. It's just as much about the movement, and for me that's really liberating. I'm a really "by the numbers" brained person, so I was previously being really diligent about logging all the exercise I did, but I pretty much was unwilling to get off the treadmill because I didn't know how much "real" exercise I was getting if I tried freeweights or a class at the gym. The one thing that my bodybugg has afforded me is that I now feel comfortable "breaking free" of the machines that tell you what your time/calories/hr is, and trying new things. I also am much less tied to the gym, and walk pretty much everywhere.

It is a really expensive investment, and I'm actually not trying to evangelize it... but since I've lost about 6 pounds in the two weeks since I've had it...

Well, that is pretty exciting to me, and I wanted to share.

 

[Tiger Lily 03]

Good news!

I'm glad it is working for you. Thank you for the update. I do find this whole thing interesting and thank you for sharing your experience.

Congratulations on those 6 pounds too!

You are doing it!

 

[miranda1979]

Tinagirl, this is very interesting. I have never heard of this until I stubbled on your post! I would like to know how much it cost, if you want to pm me that would be great! I work in a huge kitchen all day and have been tracking 4-5 miles a day with about one day off, so I would like to know if this will work for me, as I am on my feet all the time, walking and powerwalking, training for the half, and triming up for my wedding. thanks for the help in advance!

 

[tinagirl]

You can buy it from a couple of different places. I think most gyms, including 24 hour fitness, Apexfitness, and bodymedia.

I bought mine at 24 hour fitness' website when they had a sale mid-month.

It was $199+tax at the time. I think the "sale" may be on for a while, because the company that creates the hardware (Bodymedia) is already making a new one that is supposed to come out to 24 hour fitness by the end of the year, that includes a heart rate monitor and is supposed to be more accurate, and is also Smaller (this one does make me feel like a bit of a cyborg) and work on a Mac (the current one is only PC compatible for the software). I know I'll want to buy that new one, but I felt that for me it was worth it to start understanding my body as soon as possible.

There is a monthly service fee once you get past 3 months for the updated software. I will have a better idea of the value the more I use it. I believe the monthly fee is $15 per month, but can be less the more months in advance you buy (like bulk months of service).

As far as who it will work for, I guess talking to a trainer representative (shouldn't cost anything) at a 24 hour fitness, or calling APEX would be the best way to find out...

Another interesting thing I've found over the past few days. After my last "official" weigh in, my weight stopped dropping, and I was staying static. But I started looking at my "calories burned" between midnight and 6am for each day since I started, and low and behold, I'm starting to burn more calories during those hours as time goes by.

In a normal "diet" or exercise plan, I would be bumming right now... since the scale hasn't moved in a couple of days... but since I can compare my most sedentary hours over the past few weeks and see that I'm now burning more calories at rest, I can deduce that I'm putting on muscle...which helps me keep from getting discouraged, and in fact, get encouraged!

This thing is pretty awesome to me. It's like my missing "link"...

I'd assume that it would work for you, miranda, because on days when I walk a LOT (like I'm at Disneyland in Anaheim), it seems to track just as accurately as days when I'm at my desk at work all day, but a trainer could tell you for sure...

 

[JudyS]

Thanks for the update. Tinagirl, and congrats on your progress!

I've been interested in buying a bodybugg, too. If I recall correctly, it has an accelerometer in it -- a device that tracks changes in motion. That's one of the most accurate ways of tracking exercise. I'm not quite ready to spend the money yet, but I'm thinking about it.

It's a shame that you can't wear it in the water. I love to go to water parks, and find that tracking my activity there is much harder than tracking it "on dry land." Anyone have a heart rate monitor that works reasonably well while swimming?

 

[miranda1979]

Tinagirl, That is so awesome! I will have to read more up on it, That is cool that you are still losing weight, and burning calories when you are sleeping! I have a trainer at work, he works the bar at night, I will ask him a little more about it. It sounds a little complex, but I am sure a little time and I could do it. Thanks for the great update!!!

 

[wsa]

tinagirl,

Where did you hear that a Mac-compatible device would be introduced by the end of the year, and that it would be smaller and include a heart rate monitor? I'm considering buying one, and weighing (no pun intended) whether it would be worth it to wait to use the new one on my home computer (Mac) or get one now and find a PC that I can use (friend or family member nearby) for the software.

Thanks.

 

[momoflizandains]

Just wondering how the use of the bodybugg was going. I would love an update.

 

[Disneyfn420]

I was wondering how hard it is to enter in all the food you've been consuming. I was thinking of getting one myself but to me it seemed like a lot of work, entering your food and then linking to the web all the time.

 

[disneygirlinnj]

tinagirl,
Where did you hear that a Mac-compatible device would be introduced by the end of the year, and that it would be smaller and include a heart rate monitor? I'm considering buying one, and weighing (no pun intended) whether it would be worth it to wait to use the new one on my home computer (Mac) or get one now and find a PC that I can use (friend or family member nearby) for the software.
Thanks.

The new device is now for sale at my 24hr Fitness, it's the black bodybugg, and not the grey one. They are now also mac compatible. Not sure about the heart rate monitor though. I'm looking online adn I don't see it mentioned at all. Everyone I talk to that uses it loves it. All of the trainers all wear them and are obviously trying to push them on the clients but I really do think they work to an extent! One of the trainers showed me his data online and it's pretty interesting. I've been waiting for it to be Mac compatible too so I'm pretty close to buying one!

If you guys want more info, just google "24hr Fitness Bodybugg" and it should be the first link that comes up. Don't think we're allowed to post links on here, right?

 

[Msslaydbug]

I have had my Bodybugg for 4 weeks and I can't imagine how I did weight loss without it. It really opens your eyes about your daily activity. It keeps me motivated so I can make my movement goals by the end of the day !

 

[DawnM]

Just bumping for any updates.

I should get mine in the mail today or tomorrow! I am so excited I can't stand it.

I have thought for a VERY long time that I have a much slower metabolism than the online calculations say I do. After several weeks of WW and walking and ZERO weight loss....I have decided this is the gadget for me! I can't wait to see what it says my daily expenditure for calories is.

Dawn

 

[roselark]

I would love to hear how it works for you! Having done WW off and on for a couple of years now and I just need a change. This is something I am considering.

Any updates from those using it for several months?

 

[Ronda93]

Bodybugg bump.

How is it working? Have you renewed the subscription? Is the device usable without the subscription or does it fill up and stop tracking?

Dawn - how's your metabolism?

Ronda