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Archive for the ‘The Biggest Loser’ Category

You have just watched the season premier of The Biggest Loser and you have noticed the thing on the arm of The Biggest Loser players.  You may have even heard Jillian Michaels or Bob Harper give a commercial plug to the BodyBugg and now you wonder what that BodyBug thing is all about?  We are here to tell you today that  BodyBugg is the most advanced calorie management system in the world today, outside of being in a clinical study.  What you see on the arms of all the players is an elastic band that is holding the BodyBugg in place, on their arm.  In the photograph above you can see a what you caught glimpses of on The Biggest Loser.  As you study the photograph you are seeing what is the correct position of wearing the unit.  There is a strap (internal link that explains the strap / armband)  that is visible and the BodyBugg itself is out of view from the camera.  The “brain” of BodyBugg is actually a set of sensors that monitor the level of physical activity that the wearer is engeged in during any given moment. (Internal link that explains how the sensors work)  BodyBugg is actually an ever vigilant calorie counting device that keeps a running total of how many calories you burn during the moment by moment course of your life.  Whether you are exercising or whether you are sleeping, BodyBugg is there keeping track on how many calories you burned doing anything at any particular time of any day.  It is always there and it never rests and it is extremely accurate.  (Internal link that discusses how accurate BodyBugg is, or can be.)  The important information is that it helps a person make real time diet and/or exercise decisions.  It has the ability to track, record and advise you during the day how well you are doing when it comes to not only calories consumed, but also calories burned.

We could go into very great detail about BodyBugg but we just provided you some links above, so as to not have to explain it all again.  We just wanted to answer the question you asked…”What do The Biggest Losers wear on their arms?”  The answer to that is simple….it is BodyBug by 24Hour Fitness.

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I have had my BodyBugg for about one year now and I think I am about as good a source as anyone to review and spout forth an opinion about how well it works and what I think is good and what I think is bad about the way it works.  I have written this brief article in tandem with a video that I have placed on YouTube.  Please feel free to watch the video and read this as the two go well together for the purpose of reviewing what I think about how well BodyBugg performs overall and what the wireless wristband has to offer when using BodyBugg.

Overall BodyBugg has performed as well as could be expected with only a few very minor issues.  First off lets set a few things straight for owning and using BodyBugg.

• You need a personal computer with the ability to upload and download
• You will need to buy a BodyBugg to make the whole thing “work”
• With your purchase price you receive a 6 month subscription to your own personal BodyBugg website.
• Yes, there is a cost to subscribe to the website after the 6 months, but that cost is very, very minimal. For a review of all subscription costs: Click Here
• BodyBugg provides the user with information only and does not cause weight loss in and of itself merely by using the device
• You do not NEED the wristband wireless digital display to be able to effectively use BodyBugg
• Yes, the digital display is a simple time keeping device also. (Yes, it is also a watch that can tell you what time it is)
• Yes, there is a button on the face so you can read it in the dark.  The face can light up at night

Once you have your BodyBugg awhile you will soon learn that it is a pretty cool thing to have, simply because it works.  The sad part for many BodyBugg users is that it works too well and they soon realize that in order to lose weight there will need to be a lifestyle change.  Once the reality sets in that in order to lose 40 or 50 or 100+ pounds a person is going to have to commit themselves to a lifetime of changes.  Whether or not those changes are made will be reflected into the results that flash across your BodyBugg website and now also will have the ability to flash across your wrist band wireless digital display.

I had my BodyBugg for awhile and I have been impressed with it since day one.  I must admit that during the times that I made the poor choices I shied away from even wanting to see the results BodyBugg holds for my review, at my request.  If I chose to spend the day active I eagerly would plug into the USB port and relish the fact that I sweat-ed and shed some weight.  Then there were the days that I did not eat well or did not exercise and I would wait a day or two to upload the results.  Despite anything I did or did not do….BodyBugg was there recording the results as the ever vigilant spectator that it has become.  It records my footsteps (pedometer) and also how long I have been active and it provides the most important number of the day…how many calories I have burned.

 

The wristband is removable and can be worn on a clip, which is really the way most people use the device.  The actual wristband portion is more than durable and yes the wireless digital device is water resistant.  The plastic wrist strap is so durable it could last the user forever and for that reason I rarely use it.  It is big, bulky and causes my wrist to accumulate sweat, which I hate. (Imagine in the world today the wristband is a product that is TOO durable) I always keep the wristband in the desk drawer and just attach the wireless digital readout unit to the BodyBugg strap.  It is very safe and comfortable there.

What I must tell you is that the digital readout or “wristband” as most call it provides a very essential bit of information that is vital to not only beong able to lose weight, but also being able to gain weight or simply maintain a certain weight.  Everyone associate BodyBugg with weight loss but if you are just trying to maintain a certain weight and not have the pounds creep up on you, BodyBugg is for you also.  If you want to gain weight because you are too skinny it will work great for that purpose also.

What you need to know about BodyBugg is that it works, if you are willing to use the information it receives in a positive way.  If you are accurate in the information you key in about the foods you eat and you pay attention to the information that is on your computer monitor, you will be able to achieve your weight goals.  What you can see on the chart, which  is a sample from a page I had stored away, (from last year) is the progress being made.  The BodyBugg is like an ever present and vigilant sentry that is always paying attention to what you are doing and how much of it you are doing.  It counts your steps and it counts the amount of time you have been active and it also counts how many calories you have burned today, yesterday or any period of time you wish to single out.  The BodyBugg wireless digital display merely takes the technology out into the world where you need it most.

Now when I am out living my life and I get the urge to venture off the path of trying to make a lifestyle change I just glance down and my calorie burn for the day is visible.  Now that I know I burn about 4,000 calories on a good day, I find it hard (literally) to swallow my once typical Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese (740 calories) witha soda (310 calories, but quickly becomes 620 calories with the free refill) and the fries (500 calories) continued with the ketchup to add another 60 calories.  Now that I have BodyBugg wireless digital readout staring me right in the face I choose to avoid the  unbelievable 1,920 calorie meal.  (Click here for McDonald’s USA Nutrition Facts for Popular Menu Items)

I have really learned to appreciate the calorie content of food at Subway where I can now eat a large Ham sub sandwich with water and only eat 580 calories. (Click here for Subway’s Nutrition Chart) Sure I had water but now I am aware of what I place in my mouth because of BodyBugg.  What has occurred in my life is that eating is about more than just filling up the old belly.  Eating has become an experience that is wrapped up into my fitness because I now UNDERSTAND the benefits of healthy food choices and exercise.  If you are thinking…”no duh, of course losing weight is about that”, I want you to appreciate that it is the BodyBugg experience that kept me on the right path?  I have struggled for years and those struggles never made me the accountable one to lose weight.  It used to always be about this diet pill or that diet plan and those days are over.  BodyBugg has taught my wife and I that we can live in the real world and eat at real places and make real choices.  In all fairness, the other day I DID eat at McDonald’s.  I ordered two burgers and a bottle of water.  It was delicious and it was only 500 calories.  BodyBugg has opened my eyes to what it takes to not only lose weight, but learn what it will take once all the weight has been lost.

What I have learned from BodyBugg is that weight loss is all about calories in and calories out.  Sure that sounds simple enough to understand but if it really was that simple there would be no overweight people in the world.  Since there are overweight people and the sad fact that there is an obesity epidemic happening right now, wearing BodyBugg with the digital readout gives me a tool that allows me to see right then and there what impact I can expect from the food choices I make throughout my day.

BodyBugg has become an integral part of my weight loss experience.  I have lost the first 48 pounds and the digital display has once again renewed my desire to lose the rest of my weight.  With the addition of the BodyBugg Digital Wristband Wireless Display I have no doubt that I can drop the next 50 pounds to end up below 200 pounds for the first time in over half my life.

BodyBugg has always been what I called “in your face weight loss” because you could upload all the information to your computer and see the results of your weight loss efforts.  Now with the BodyBugg wireless digital wristband display the “in your face weight loss” is now always in my face.  I just need to look down and see where I am with regards to calories burned, steps taken and how many hours I have been active.

The wireless digital display gets a double thumbs up and it is more than worth the cost.  If you are serious about weight loss and money is tight, BodyBugg will work without the wireless display.  Do not wait to get BodyBugg is you can’t afford the digital display because you really just need to get started.  If you have to order it later, like I did, but do not delay ion at least getting started.  If you can afford the digital display when you order the main unit, then go for it, you will not be sorry.  It is also suggested that you order at least ne extra strap also as they get kind of funky when you start to sweat alot.

BodyBugg works well for my wife and I and it can work well for you also.  Good Luck in all that you choose to do!

When we first ordered our BodyBugg units about a year ago we did not have the option for c0lored replacement straps.  Today there is quite a selection of colored BodyBugg straps that a person can order from 24 Hour Fitness.  No longer does a person need to just settle for the original black and black color because today the selection has improved greatly because of popular outcry from BodyBugg users world-wide.

What a person must realize when ordering a replacement strap for their BodyBugg and are looking to get a different color, the color they get will only be on the plastic ring that holds the BodyBugg in place on your arm.  When speaking about colored replacement straps most  people make the assumption that the entire strap will be chrome or blue or hot pink or camouflageor even the zebra black and white color.  That is not the case!  When you order a colored replacement strap you will still be able to make a selection from a list of colors, but those colors will only be contained in the plastic that holds the BodyBugg unit in place on your arm.

If you take a glance at the photographs we have included from our own personal BodyBugg collection you will see the traditional BodyBugg strap that comes with the unit when it is purchased.  The photograph to the far left shows the entire BodyBugg with the sensor in place in the strap.  There are no colors other than black in the original unit that you receive and as you can see it is just black and…..well, black.  There really is nothing wrong with that because for the most part the unit is not visible when it is worn.  The photograph to the far right is my lovely wife wearing her BodyBugg with a tee shirt being worn.  Yes, there is a BodyBugg beneath that sleeve and you can’t see it can you? 

The photograph second from the left shows a BodyBugg armband without the main sensor and it is obviously hot pink colored.  The photograph second from the right is the more masculine camouflaged colored replacement band.  There are other colors that you can order from 24 Hour Fitness that are available, but the ones pictured are the only colors we have purchased so far.  The next time we need to get a replacement armband we will choose a different color just for the heck of why not?

We have realized that there is not much need to have a different color strap because they all do the same function and they are all the same price when ordering.  The funny thing about it is that despite the fact that the unit is seldom visible my wife says she still loves her hot pink BodyBugg Replacement armband and will never go back to just having the basic black color.  We hope that one day soon the entire strap will have a color choice also.  We will keep you posted if it ever happens.

To see what color BodyBugg replacement straps are available today just click on any 24 Hour Fitness or BodyBugg link.

When you land on the BodyBugg site after clicking the banner below:

• Type “Bodybugg strap” in the search field at top right of page.
• then on the left hand side of the page, about 25% down, click on “Products” to see ALL the straps available.

This blog has grown in popularity quite a bit. We have no official connection with The Biggest Loser at all, other than the fact that we think it is an awesome show. We love to watch Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels do their thing and watch the weight fall off the contestants. We have been getting a lot of questions about what are the things that are on the arms of the people on The Biggest Loser. We get asked the question at least 50 times a day. The question may be different, but the theme of the questions are the same.

People ask what is the thing on their arms? What do they wear under the sleeves? Where do we get the device they wear? We are overwhelmed with the question so we have decided to get make an entry for all to see and read. We have tried the product and we actually use it every day. That product is called BodyBugg and it is a state of the art weight loss product that will help your weight loss attempt enter the 21st century. BodyBugg records how many calories your body burns in the course of a day. The system is simple and so easy to use with your home computer.

We are not here to tell you how much we love to use it and how it helps us keep track of our calories or how it interfaces with our home computer. We are not here to pitch it to you, we are only here to tell you that what they are wearing on their arms in The Biggest Loser is a device called BodyBugg, which Bob and Jillian use to help their teams lose weight. If you want all the techno info. and all that just click on the box below to take you to the official 24Hour Fitness and learn about BodyBugg.

(An update/addition to this BodyBugg article can be found at this link.)

I consider myself to be a non-employee BodyBugg expert because I have been using it for well over one year now and know quite abit about how it works because of the fact that I live and function with it on my arm everywhere I go.  So, when I write about how accurate BodyBugg is I just want you to know that I have tangible results that I can back up with the reality of my waistline being reduced.  The amazing results I write about on this page is a collection of the thoughts that have been focused by a use of BodyBugg that has been going on for months.  The question I hope to answer for you is “How accurate is BodyBugg?”

 

The problem I see with BodyBugg is that it is just too darned accurate for most casualweight loss minded people to fully understand.  Although the ease of use is universally accepted, I will be the first to acknowledge that there is one major issue with the accuracy of using BodyBugg.  The issue that I speak of is that it is just too darn accurate and that is the downfall that causes many individuals to not really fathom what it is doing for you.  The accuracy I speak of dwarfs most people because of the inability for many people to enter the amount of food that is eaten accurately.

In the past year I have watched the numbers of my BodyBugg fluctuate wildly in accuracy and all of those fluctuations were because of MYinability to correctly record the information on the BodyBugg website.  My in ability to get the calories I ate on a daily basis correct was really causing a crisis in my personal life.  Struggling with weight loss has been an issue I have had to deal with for many years and since I had to lose 97 pounds, I really started to get frustrated after I struggled with the first 40 or so pounds that were lost.

What I have realized is that BodyBugg is so accurate in what it does that the average person cannot fully appreciate what is happening inside their own body.  Watching the variation of what I ate and what I entered each and every week was really starting to annoy me and I decided that I had to decide once and for all how accurate BodyBugg was, to settle my weight loss problem once and for all.  I had this great idea one night while I was watching The Biggest Loser.  I heard Bob Harper tell one of the contestants that they had to record every ounce of food they were eating.  When I heard that I knew I had to make it happen in my life and I had to take control of losing weight once and for all.  I was tired of always trying to lose weight and I just wanted to be done with this phase of my life.  I wanted to be done with all the dieting and just get it over with once and for all.  I wanted to become that skinner person that I knew wanted to come out.

What I soon realized was that I had to get a grip on my caloric intake once and for all to see if BodyBugg was worth all of the money that I had paid for it.  I needed to see if BodyBugg was accurate enough for me to continue using it as a weight loss tool. Looking into the best way to be able to track the calories I was eating I turned to the Medifast Program. This program was all about eating a very specific caloric count each and everyday.  This program was perfect because I did not have to worry about how much low-fat onion sauce was added at Subway.  Using this program I no longer had to worry about not getting the calorie intake correct because it was no longer an option to not knowwhat the EXACT amount of calories I was ingesting on a daily basis.  What I soon realized was that BodyBugg and Medifast was, and is, a match made in heaven for my weight loss desires.

When I started to see the results of my strict caloric intake, combined with the results I was seeing from BodyBugg, I could have cried.  After struggling for years with weight loss I now know that I am not only losing weight, I have proven that BodyBugg is really accurate and using Medifast helped me prove that is a true statement. I want to not only show you the results that I I have discovered, I want to shout it out to the world!!

The chart you see below is from a program I have on my computer that is from FitDay.  It is a good program and I have used it long before BodyBugg.  The results on this program are on my computer and do not ever become inaccessable to me, if I forget or neglect to pay a monthly fee, like with the BodyBugg website.  I like FitDay because it is always there. I enter my daily and weekly results not only in my FitDay, but also in the BodyBugg Website.  (I have been trying really hard to lose weight.)

As you can see I was doing really well until about Dec. 20th 2009 with the weight loss.  It was here that the BodyBugg started to not be all that accurate and I blamed BodyBugg more than I should have blamed myself.  I struggled with all of my efforts as my new and smaller clothing started to once again get tight on my body.  When I heard Bob Harper utter the words about recording my calories I decided that I had to get real with my efforts.  I knew that I had to give BodyBugg a renewed try because there were many early months with weight loss being a reality.

My subscription to BodyBugg had expired and I had to start it up again to fulfill my weight loss dreams and turn them into a reality.  As you can see I started Medifast on 7/26/2010, but I did not have an active BodyBugg subscription, so I had to wait a few days to get it all in sync and to set my life up for both of the programs to be aligned in my life. (LWTD = Lowest Weight To Date)

By the charts listed below, lifted right off my BodyBugg website, I can show you how accurate BodyBugg has been for my weight loss attempts. On the first chart listed below you can see the results from August 2nd to the results through August 7th.  What you can see on the first chart is that if my calorie deficit is based off of my FOOD LOG, the results would yield a deficit of 2,615 calories a day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you can follow along with me I want you to look at the chart and notice that the DEFICIT is based upon my food log.  What that means is that according to what I entered in the computer, of food eating and calories burned, I HAD a daily average deficit of 2,615 calories.  In the past the difference between the food log and the results on the scale were not always very close.  Although the variance was never all that bad or that far off, it was enough to drive me crazy when trying to decide just how accurate BodyBugg really is for me.’

The next chart you will notice is the screenshot right from the BodyBugg website that shows the changes based on what is happening in reality based on not only the results from the food entered, but from reality when compared to what is happening on the scale.  What is amazing to me is that in over 14 months or so I have never had such an accurate result.  To see that the difference in reality to what it should have been was not only refreshing, it was reassuring that I am on the right and the best weight loss path I have ever been experiencing.  BodyBugg is not only accurate, it is a marvel for me to be able to lose weight.  I can now see the “flaw” of BodyBugg was not that it was not accurate, it was, and is just too darn accurate for the casual weight loss attempts of many people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will stick to all of my earlier statements that BodyBugg is a wonderful device that will not help you lose one ounce of fat unless you are ready to make the change happen in your life.  Those changes you seek will happen one moment at a time.  Those choices will range from going for that walk and not eating that cheesecake.  Those choices are there to make and for BodyBugg to really be effective you will need to look at the results you are presented on your computer and make some new and bold choices.

The flaw I was dealing with in my weight loss attempts was that I was not admitting to myself what I was eating throughout the day and when I entered the food eaten to the BodyBugg website I was all too often underestimating how much I was really putting into my mouth.  By implementing Medifast I no longer had to “guess” about how many calories I was eating.  I no longer had to guesstimate because with Medifast each and every meal was accurate and there was no room for under or over estimating.

Is BodyBugg accurate?  It may be too accurate, but when you really know what you are eating….I MEAN REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU ARE EATING….BodyBugg is more accurate than I had ever hoped it to be.

How accurate is BodyBugg?  Well, It took me over one year of using BodyBugg and just one week of Medifast to really be impressed by just how accurate BodyBugg really can be!

BodyBugg and Medifast may be a match made in heaven that the two companies themselves do not comprehend.

Medifast Official Site