I've received this question many many times.
"What is it? What does that armband do?"
This armband I wear is called a Body Media Band.
They come in two different models.
The CORE, and the LINK.
(I have the LINK)
The CORE allows you to log in online to the Activity Manager to track all of your status.
{I'll get to that below.}
The LINK allows both online Activity Manager tracking, as well as an app on your phone to see a mini version on the go of your Activity Manager.
{I like the LINK because if I'm out and about, or say at the gym, I can upload on the spot and see if I need to crank up the intensity, or get some more steps in before I can say I'm finished.}
For those of you who really need accountability on tracking food and really seeing what your body is doing on a 24/7 basis.. this thing is perfect. I lost 70+ lbs using this to my full advantage.
Not only could I access it, but my personal trainer who lives all the way in Vegas (I'm in Houston) was able to keep track of my activity and bust me if I wasn't eating properly or moving enough. ;)
First off, most of y'all have probably heard of the My Fitness Pal App. If not, and you're wanting to track food... Down load this. It's free and has a huge range of foods listed, a scanner for anything store bought in the barcode of the packaging, and pretty much any chain restaurant and their menus.
(Mom and pop places, or non-chain places usually aren't on there but it doesn't hurt to look them up
sometimes they have similar things on there.)
Also things like... eating too many carbs, or not enough fiber? The interface online will tell you this at the end of each day, too.
I say this about My Fitness Pal (MFP) because that app actually links up to the armband.
They also link up to several other 3rd party apps which I'll provide the link here incase some of you use these already.
Now I'm not 100% sure about the CORE band since I have the LINK.. but I will share with you what some of this stuff looks like. I love that I can see this at any point of the day, too.
This is your Activity Manager face which will break down even further than what you see here.
You can see the little blue boxes along the sides of the categories listed and that will point out everything you need to be aware of if something needs improving, or if you broke a personal record it'll tell you as well.
Oh, did I mention this thing will record your every move 24/7.
Calories burned for example: this is what you burn ALL DAY. Not just when you work out.
You burn calories when you sleep, cook, drive, go to the bathroom, read a book, eat lunch, ect...
That'll tell you around how fast or slow your metabolism is, too.
I was able to over the span of several months, get my body to burn more for me with a better diet and lots of regular, consistent, and challenging exercise.
You've got your calories consumed, so you can see what you're taking in verses what you're burning.
Calorie balance let's you know what you've got left, or if you've gone over.
(that's a new feature I haven't uploaded yet but it's pretty self explanatory)
The next couple of bars begin to cover your activity levels.
Moderate and Vigorous Activity.
You'll set your goals and it'll gauge what amount of each you'll need a day.
Sometimes when I'm cleaning around the house I'll hit my moderate goal pretty quickly.
Going to the gym and lifting heavy, or running will hit my vigorous but there are other ways to do this too. (Zumba is my big one!)
(This is the back of the sensor and how it tracks everything on your arm)
Next is the Steps Taken Bar.
Basically a pedometer.
I posted a few days ago about the 10k step challenge.
When I first started wearing this arm band in July 2013.. I learned quickly I only got in about 2500-3000 steps a day. I thought I was moving way more than that but this band proved me wrong.
After a few weeks of figuring out a few ways to get in the 10k steps needed, I had lost 20 lbs in about a months time. From there on I was hooked on this armband because I could see what I needed to do every day. Everyone can get in 10k steps a day, you just gotta get up and walk and march it in. Some days I couldn't get to the gym so I'd march in place while we watched a show on our DVR. I might have looked silly, but it totally worked.
The last bar is your sleep.
This is soooo important.
The three big key's to weight loss is:
calories consumed,
calories burned,
and quality and quantity of sleep.
If you're up and not getting enough sleep, your body doesn't have the rest it needs to rebuild and heal from the day, or from a stressful workout. This raises cortisol levels, which then slows your metabolism and you store fat.
BOO.
Plus, lack of sleep, or staying up super late makes it easy for us to want to go and snack on things late at night after we have long finished out day and it will just sit and collect over time.
If you're not sleeping well either, this will also cut into how much rest our body is getting and will effect our system too.
With this band, it'll record when you are at rest, and asleep.
I remember at first when I started wearing it, I noticed my sleeping patterns would be off around 3am. I was in a lighter sleep tossing and turning, or had to get up to use the restroom and go back to sleep. You might even be laying there and still, but if you're awake, it can sense this and will show it on the interface when you upload and check. Pretty cool if I do say so.
This is a quick screen shot of the iPhone app for Body Media.
The dashboard can also be turned to the side and you can access more in-depth info on each category where it picks apart what you've been doing all day and night
Few pointers. You do wear this 24/7. On the 14th day you usually take it off to charge it over night, and then put it back on. I remember the first few days it was weird wearing it, but after time I forgot it was even there until it beeped to let me know I needed to charge it.
Also: it is NOT water proof. So you can't wear it in the water which kinda stinks if you're swimming but you can record that in there as well on the side.
Weight loss and good health is a commitment you have to make and if you're needing a little extra help monitoring it, I'd recommend this 150%.
{This is a few weeks before my surgery, but you can see where you wear it on your arm.}
Hope this answers any questions about the arm band I use.
Also, if you wanna keep up with my next workout phases and get some freebie tips and mini workouts follow me on my IG: mommac_x3
Have a safe Pre-Thanksgiving Weekend!
XOXO
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