The BodyBugg is a fitness gadget made popular by the reality TV show The Biggest Loser.  I only mention The Biggest Loser in the title because I feel that is probably where most people have seen the BodyBugg in use.  This fitness gadget is put out by Apex, a fitness company which is affiliated with 24 Hour Fitness.  The BodyBugg is worn on the upper arm and is about the size of an outdated mp3 player.  Calorie burn is calculated from a combination of movement and body heat.  The BodyBugg is claimed to be 92% accurate in calculating an individual’s energy expenditure.

My Experience Using the BodyBugg

When the BodyBugg first appeared on the market a few years ago, it was around $500 but has gone down in price significantly since then.  I managed to pick one up on ebay, brand new, digital display included for about $275 earlier this year.  I used the gadget for about 5 months total.  I remember getting the package in the mail, opening the box, and syncing it to my computer for the first time.  The actual program as a whole is pretty interesting when you look at all aspects.  You have a device that tracks your expenditure, a program that records your activity and a nutritional log to record your caloric intake.  I would say there are 2 major downsides to using the BodyBugg.  I wasn’t too thrilled about paying a subscription fee every 3 months, and after a few months of use I really disliked wearing the device all the time.

During the 5 months of use, I attempted to test the accuracy of the BodyBugg.  I spent time dieting and compared the deficit to the actual weight lost.  I also spent a few weeks eating a maintenance caloric intake according to what the BodyBugg suggested I was expending daily.  During the maintenance phase, I  uploaded my device before I went to bed, then proceeded to eat until I consumed the estimated number for maintenance calories.  However, I spent the majority of my time testing the accuracy on a hyper caloric diet.  I compared the weight gained to the caloric surplus I was creating over a period of about 16 weeks.  Overall I found the BodyBugg to be extremely accurate in terms of energy balance.  At the end of the week, I would compare my calorie log to the data from the device, and to my surprise, the numbers lined up accurately almost weekly (water balance skewed my numbers depending upon my food choices).

The BodyBugg is Not Accurate for Everyone

I understand that others have had a similar experience as mine, but I also know of some whose BodyBugg overestimated their expenditure and they ended up gaining weight over time when consuming the estimated maintenance calories.  This in itself proves that no device can be 100% accurate for every individual.

Is the BodyBugg a Must-Have for Fitness Enthusiasts?

A necessity? No.  A luxury? Yes.  Is it useful? Definitely.

Finding out your maintenance caloric intake is fairly easy.  Spend a few weeks recording every single calorie you consume, record your activity and make note of your body weight changes over time.  If you gain weight, adjust calories downward a bit.  If you lose weight, it is time to eat more.  Eventually you will find a caloric range that will maintain your weight.  The BodyBugg was beneficial for me because as I get busy, I tend to under eat.  Knowing that I have to hit a certain caloric amount daily just to maintain is very beneficial in more ways than one, especially when trying to gain weight and build muscle.

If you are curious about the gadget or just want to get an idea of how many calories you are burning on any given day, I suggest buying one used, or borrowing one if you have the chance.  You will likely only need to wear it for a few weeks at the most to figure out your maintenance numbers.  I cannot see someone wearing it long term, unless they had a random daily schedule where their expenditure varied greatly and it was imperative that they maintained anal levels of body composition for a certain length of time.

Have any of your used the BodyBugg?  What was your experience?