I mentioned in my last post that I’ve joined Twitter. I have two logins: @esherman that is more personal & I tweet about health stuff that interests me, and @bodybugg where I support the bodybugg twitter community. I’ve gotten to "meet" some great people, and have some interesting conversations. [click here to learn about the bodybugg & what it does]
Here’s one that I’m currently having (keep in mind that twitter only allows 140 characters per post)
@Targettraining The Bodybugg sucks, it is for those with no discipline and people that focus on the wrong part of fitness.
@bodybugg that is absolutely false
@Targettraining The BBugg is for trainers that are lazy or don’t know much about nutrition!!! That is how I feel..
@bodybugg As a trainer it’s a HUGELY valuable tool; it allows you to see into your client’s lives outside of the 3 hrs they’re with u
@Targettraining how do you know that they are correctly workingout and eating what they say…that is what I thought most people wont log correct
Okay – so this is where 140 characters just won’t do.
I remember seeing the bodybugg in a magazine a few years ago; at the time it was $500. Although I was definitely drooling at the thought of knowing how many calories I actually burned in a day, "Oh, H*ll No!" was my opinion of the price. Well, just like all technology, the price came down to a point where I was able to buy one. It was fascinating to see what activities burned how many calories.
I immediately inquired to Apex to find out if I could resell them to my clients. I knew that it would be incredibly beneficial to them! The initial fees to become a licensed reseller were pretty high & after a LOT of spreadsheets, I became a licensed reseller of the bodybugg.
Now on to answering @Targettraining‘s question: Trainers have been requiring their clients to keep food journals for years. Some prefer pen & paper, others use online so that they can login while they’re away from their clients. So this doesn’t really change as far as the bodybugg is concerned. People will report what they report & omit those things that they don’t want their trainers to see. In this previous blog post, I discuss how the bodybugg uses that information and gives corresponding feedback.
It’s almost impossible to be 100% correct, but people will most often under-estimate the number of calories that they consume, and over-estimate the number of calories that they burn. So as a trainer, when a client isn’t reaching their goals (mostly weight loss for me), it’s confusing when I look at their journals & it seems as though they’re eating the right stuff… "Why aren’t they reaching their goals?" Well, the answer is: They’re eating too many calories than their body needs in order to lose weight. Simple. [Exception: once people get down to a certain level of body fat do other factors come into play, but for most folks, the formula is calories in versus calories out]
So then, are they underestimating their portions? or are we over estimating the number of calories they burn in a day? Enter the bodybugg. The bodybugg is to activity what food journaling is to eating. It makes you aware of how much you are/aren’t moving in the day – and it’s quantifiable. I know within 10% how many calories I burn in a day; I also know that for each of my clients.
Now when someone isn’t reaching their goals, we can take that one unknown out of the equation. We know that they aren’t reporting their food accurately – and I can see how much they’re moving! Some of my clients say that they’ve gone for a walk – was that a power walk or a leisure walk with the dog? Now I know their intensity. I can look into their profile & check.
So @Targettraining, that is why I think the bodybugg is such a great tool. It allows folks to self-monitor. It allows me to monitor my clients more closely.
Copyright Elizabeth Sherman. Purchase a Bodybugg through Elizabeth Sherman.