I can’t count the amount of times people ask me, “What’s that on your arm? A heart rate monitor? A pedometer?” Kinda, sorta, but not really. It’s MUCH, much more. It’s basically a metabolism monitor. It’s called the BodyMediaFIT. It’s similar to a BodyBugg, but better… unlike the BodyBugg, the BMF also monitors your sleep.
I am a self admitting BMF ADDICT! I have a panic attack if I miss a day without this thing strapped to my arm. It’s one thing to calculate or guesstimate how many calories you are burning a day or how much sleep you are getting each night, but it is a whole new ballgame, as well as a wake up call, to see the actual numbers via a device such as this.
Quoting from the BodyMediaFIT website, “BodyMedia FIT is a holistic weight management system consisting of an Armband monitor, online Activity Manager*, and optional Display. It automatically tracks (with lab-like accuracy) the calories burned from all your activities — from pumping iron to using an iron — and monitors the quality of your sleep, a critical factor in weight loss. Add in the easy-to-use food log and you have the information you need to improve your weight loss.”
Although most people tend to overestimate the amount of calories they burn each day, I had the opposite problem.. I was UNDERestimating my daily burn, and therefore not eating enough to properly fuel my ridiculously high activity levels. Once I discovered this, thanks to this nifty little device, I could start fueling my body properly for its activity level, thus keeping important hormone levels (cortisol, leptin, etc.) in check.
In addition, I was grossly underestimating the amount of sleep I was getting each night, and I think we all know by now that insufficient sleep can wreak havoc on our fat loss attempts.
What many people don’t realize is that although we do need to keep our caloric intake in a deficit to lose fat (in other words, burn more than we take in), too extreme a deficit while participating in excessive cardio can bring that to a screeching halt. Cortisol levels, leptin levels… everything goes haywire when in too extreme a deficit, especially for women. The BMF software allows you to plug in every calorie you consume each day, thus calculating your actual deficit by comparing your calories in vs. calories out. This allows anyone who participates in a lot of exercise to keep their calorie deficit within a reasonable range that won’t counteract their efforts.
As a fitness instructor, I find this device truly invaluable. My caloric burn varies so much day to day. One day I’ll teach 5 hours of exercise classes, another day I might teach one. I have had my daily caloric burn vary by 2,000 calories, depending on my activity that day! I suggest this device to anyone who is having trouble losing weight. Chances are, you are overestimating what you burn, and underestimating what you eat. This helps clear up any misconception, at least as far as the amount you burn is concerned. How much you eat… that’s another story. Unless you are weighing everything you put in your mouth, I guarantee the numbers are quite off from what you think.
Check out the BodyMediaFIT at www.bodymedia.com
About me
This blog contains fitness, nutrition, and health tips as well as random tidbits from Missa Capozzo, proud owner of HardCore Fitness in Worcester, MA. Missa has been a certified personal trainer since 1998, holds various fitness certifications with both ACE and AFAA, including personal training, group fitness, indoor cycling, nutritional counseling, and is also a certified in the Powder Blue Productions formats TurboKick® and PiYo™ as an instructor. In addition, she continues to motivate and guide others as an Independent Beachbody Coach with Platinum Presenters.
Her personal training practice for clients focuses on weight loss, intense weightlifting, body building/figure training, and sports-specific training. A weightlifter at heart, Missa discovered STOTT PILATES® in 2002. After several years of continuous Pilates training, she developed a great passion for the method and decided to make it an official part of her career in the fitness industry.
She brings a unique style of training and instruction to her clients by combining aspects of traditional weight training and aspects of the Pilates method. She feels the combination of both exercise methods is truly the best of both worlds, as it allows for maximum strength and muscular development with minimal risk of injury.
Combining the above with a passion for proper nutritional guidance, proper cardiovascular training, and the psychology involved in motivating others to change their lives for the better, she offers an extremely unique and effective approach to transforming the lives of her clients into the healthiest they can be, physically and mentally.
In addition to her fitness qualifications, Missa holds a BA in Communications and Art from Worcester State University. She spends her free time creating fine art (painting and drawing), graphic design, and photography.
Please feel free to email Missa at missa@hardcorepf.com
