GoWear fit Lifestyle and Calorie Management System
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Customer Reviews of GoWear fit Lifestyle and Calorie Management System
Customer Review: Two great weeks so far!
Summary: 5 Stars
I received my Gowear Fit from Amazon about two weeks ago, and have been wearing it almost all day since then (I take it off and let it charge while I'm showering, that's about it). It's worked better than I expected this entire time, never running out of battery, never giving me any readouts that I thought were suspicious. I've worn it while snowboarding, jogging, doing chores around the house, and sleeping, and it's done a fantastic job of monitoring and measuring my calorie burn during each.
I find the daily chart very motivating, since I know that every little bit of activity I choose to do will be rewarded with a little "spike" on the chart at the end of the day. It gives a whole new meaning to the tired old "take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away" advice, because now I know that I'll actually be able to see the results of all these extra little activities. I'm also keenly aware of exactly how much food I need to eat (or not eat) every day in order to have a calorie deficit, and therefore lose weight. On low activity days, when I know I'm not going to be able to hit my target, I know that I need to choose between either getting in some exercise before dinner, or eating a very small dinner, so I find myself taking a whole lot more evening walks, morning jogs, and really looking forward to taking a walking break during the day at work.
All in all, it's been exactly the tool I really needed to stay motivated and on track with my calorie counting, and I find I'm not having any trouble at all staying focused on what I eat, or looking for more excuses to get up and move during the day. It's really been an eye-opening experience, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone serious about managing their calories in/calories out.
UPDATE 3/26/09
I've been wearing my GWF every day for a few months now, and if anything I love it even more than when I first wrote this review. :) I've lost about 20lbs so far (40 more to go), and while it hasn't been "easy" per se, it's been a heck of a lot easier than any other time I've tried to lose weight, and a lot more consistent. The ladies at Weight Watchers are impressed by how I keep managing to hit about 2lbs lost every week!
The last time I did Weight Watchers, without a Gowear Fit, I'd already quit by this point. Now I don't feel like quitting at all, I'm having a blast! I walk EVERYWHERE now, so I can "earn" food and drink treats... like last weekend, we went to a local beer festival... lots of calories, right? So we all walked there, even though it was EIGHT miles round trip! And we had a blast, and I was able to enjoy my beer and sausages because I knew I'd burned enough calories to be able to "afford" them. I love it!
Honestly, if you're anything like me, and feel like constant feedback and information on how many calories you're burning would help you out, then I can't recommend this armband enough. My only caveats would be for people with super super sensitive skin, since you do have to wear it all day, every day (I find rotating mine around to different places on my arm throughout the day lets my skin breathe)... and if you're not really a "computer person", if you'd have trouble with the idea of "installing the latest Java driver" on your computer, I'd suggest having a computer-savvy person sit down with you the first time you plug in the device... but after that it's a piece of cake for anyone who can check their email.
Really it's just fabulous. :D I'm so thrilled to have finally found the system that WORKS for me. Goal weight, here I come! :)
UPDATE 5/22/09
Another two months later, another 9 or 10 pounds gone! Sometimes it feels slow, but I'm still losing and not gaining, and that's what matters! For the first time in my life, I'm actually enjoying exercise (I started training for my first triathlon last month!), and I really have to give my armband a lot of credit for changing the way I look at working out. I've also noticed in the last few weeks that I'm really starting to change my perception of food, seeing it more as "fuel" than "fun". Though I certainly still enjoy the heck out of what I'm eating, it's not hard anymore to turn down a cupcake or brownie if it doesn't make sense for me to eat it at that point in time. There's a lot more "logic" to my food choices now than there was 6 months ago, and that's in large part because I have such a good handle on my calories in/calories out every day. 28 pounds to go till goal! :)
Customer Review: Six stars!
Summary: 5 Stars
Wow! This device is first rate all the way, I am pleased to find something that lives up to all the hype. I have only had this a few days, and I have not tested the support staff, how unusual is that!
My PC with Vista found the device, located the drivers, installed the software and I connected to the website. No problems.
The setup for my specifics was easy, I can see a lot of time and strength went into the development of this software. Being part of software development in my line of work, I can tell how solid it is right off.
Sure there is room for additions, but don't we expect that to just happen in this day and age? It's nice to see a solid product with room for improvement, rather than a product being beta tested by the public and a crud design. No complaints here.
To the expert reviewer that says a heart monitor is required, you might want to double check those facts. To anyone that thinks food tracking is missing, I have a suggestion. Track your food for three days using the software it is sooooo easy, and then keep going....... Do threeeeee more days.......you can do it!
If you are OK or better with a PC, you will love this. If not, I think it's simple enough that just about anyone can learn. If you love data and information (which is awareness and power here), you will look forward to the next day, so you can see how you did! How great is that, constant personal self awareness at your fingertips.
I am great at doing mindless eating, and that's part of why I am fat, but I would have to be brain dead to be able to tune out this reminder on my arm! And it doesn't nag or scream at me like my wife, "get out of that fridge, you don't' need those!" It just sits there and quietly watches me, a silent reminder like a good friend.
Want to know how many calories you burn doing that nightly walk? Want to know how many more you need to burn to meet your goal to lose weight that day? Want to make up for that cake? This is it!
Last night I asked my wife, come on honey, let's see how many calories we can burn doing that new exercise DVD! My oh my, I was pleasantly surprised! This thing even knows a basic burn rate when I have it off!
So many features here, I am not going to go through them, but let me add that the food tracking feature is easy, powerful and I can configure it, just for me!
Oh, if you are so poor that you can't pay the monitoring fee, then don't buy it, it's needed. But if you are that poor, what are you shopping on Amazon for, you better get a second job or a paper route! The food I am saving by not eating so much will pay for the device and the monitoring within 3 months easy!
I love this thing, I am getting one for my wife so we can burn calories together more often. I actually got mine from the manufacturer, but Amazon has 3 month monitoring thrown in and free shipping for me, so my wifes gift comes from them.
Oh, least I forget. Besides all the weight I am losing, I have a sleep disorder. I know my sleep chart because of past studies, and my GoWear fit does a great job of matching my pattern perfectly.
It's not a sleep assessment by any means, but I see when I lay down, I see when I drop off, I see the long block where I am in stage one and two. I also see my delayed rem sleep when my breathing stops, the cpap I use hits full speed and I hit dream land because I am actually able to stay asleep (mostly).
I also see if the cpap slips and I come out of sleep. I get a sleep efficiency number that is useful for me. What I mean is, I have another tool to help me monitor my sleep and my life.
I suspect some people might just uncover a sleep problem while using this to lose weight. Since there is often a connection between sleep disturbance and weight gain, I think this belongs. Best of luck, I think you will love this!
Update 02/22/2009: Down 24 pounds so far, this really makes it easy to lose weight, because I don't let myself eat more than the target, other than an occasional pig out day!
Customer Review: This is a 'system' and it is fantastic!
Summary: 5 Stars
I just spent several days reading reviews for a heart rate monitor that did more than just read heart rate. I wanted calories burned and also a sleep monitor. I just ordered an activity monitor (not a heart rate monitor) from the GoWear website and so far I LOVE the website resource tool.
I purchased the armband, display and the 12 month online website monitoring for $6.95/month. Yes, it was expensive, a little over $300 but I decided to do this for myself.
Website: Entering your daily food is much easier than a lot of sites. They have a great search engine that pops up what you need just by typing in the food you ate. Much faster! Also gives nice .pdf summary reports. I will followup with more results when I get the monitor.
Well I just got my armband and monitor in today.....very fast shipment, couple of days! Programed it and I will be evaluating the results in the next 24 hours. I will give you a 24 hour, 3 Day and 5 Day review when I am done.
Day 1: (Not on a diet...I want to see what my normal activity is before I do anything else). Monitored daily food intake for calories consumed, calroies burned, calorie balance (did you burn enough calories for the day), physical activity, number of steps and sleep duration. It is split into two columns, target vs actual to give you an idea of where you need to focus. The nutrition assessment gives you a % of protein, carbs, fat and alcohol in what you are consuming.
So far I give this monior a 10 out of 10. It set my baseline up to establish the targets. As I mentioned, I am not on any diet but I am trying to be careful about how many times I eat (I used to only eat once a day) and my choices of healthy foods. Even still, I am finding I consume too many calories, burn too few and eat too many carbs. Bottom line is it gives you motivation to keep altering your diet and exercise because you are learning so much more about how your body is working. I am also learning a lot about where carbs are hiding out in other foods as it gives a detailed breakdown of food values which tells you what to stay away from....better than trying to do this by reading a book or charting it manually.
Day 3: I have picked up on the exercise part (walking 1-3 miles/day) and was amazed how it affected my readings and I am now on a weight loss trend. I keeps me from putting garbage in my mouth and makes me more aware of eating those afternoon and evening snacks...Eat 6 times a day, in smaller portions. We all know this and we all know that you have to consume less and exercise more but with this monitor you can see what is going on right in front of you on amazing charts and it appears to be quite accurate. As for the sleep duration it is also pretty accurate and even though I get 8 hours my effeciency is only 87%. The armband will itch if you make it too tight, so I have found but if you find the right fit, you can hardly tell you have it on. The armband keeps you focused!
Summary: This armband requires uploading of information to internet and from there you can evaluate your results or print out a .pdf report or download to an excel spreadsheet (I use the .pdf more than the excel...better visual reports). There is no stand alone software that will allow you to capture your results. I would suggest that you purchase the armband, display and the website access for $6.95/month (lowest per month deal) but the overall price will be around $300. In my case I look at it as what I would have to pay for a Doctor visit anyway (I don't have insurance). I need to lower my weight, chloresterol, and blood pressure and by lifiting weights, consumming less yet eating 6 times/day I will lose not only the 30 pounds but improve my other readings along with getting my bone densisty back (which came in low). This one armband is showing me what I already knew but it does one big thing....motivates you with knowledge and keeps you motivated to improve every day! Good Luck to all! I am 52 so it is never too late to build your muscle back and be the best you can be and this armband, for me, does the trick.
Customer Review: This is a Body Bugg just different name on the label.
Summary: 5 Stars
As of this writing I am nearing 30 pounds lost since I got my Body Bugg.
This is more than just a gadget, without the bodybugg I would exercise and see the say "250 calories burned" after a moderate walk. I would then think what could I eat less that day to be sure I didnt eat the 250 calories back on. While that is an OK approach it does not come close to the whole picture. I would starve myself hoping I didnt eat that 250 calories back. Which, in turn would make me miserable until I would give up and just gorge within a couple of days.
What the bodybugg does amazingly well is it gives you the whole picture. While walking up the stairs to put on my sneakers before my walk I burn calories. While sleeping I burn calories, while washing clothes I burn calories. Bodybugg adds them all up and gives you a 90% accurate count of your daily burn, so, you can actually eat pretty normally as long as you are willing to burn some calories on the treadmill later. It is the monitoring that we as humans can never achieve on our own. It takes some practice, some initiative to enter in every bit of food you eat. What you get in the end is an amazing system that will have you lose weight. As long as you are meticulous and honest you cant lose! Well actually you can you can lose as much as you want.
Pros:
+ 90% accuracy means that you have a very good knowledge of food in and cals burned. Keep it on the negative and you will lose weight.
+ light and low profile so you can wear it under most clothing without being noticed
+ Interactive website that can guide you in your loss
+ Pedometer and accelerometer measure every movement and combine this with skin temp and other data to accurately measure calories burned.
+ save a bunch of money buying this vs. the Bodybugg and get all of the same tools and benefits.
Cons:
- Nickel covered sensors means that you need to clean it often to not develop a rash. It can be managed just be fastidious in your cleaning methods.
- Addictive - may not be a con completely but I am watching my website a ton to see how I am doing.
TIPS FOR OWNERSHIP for those with nickel allergies:
After reading so many people with legitimate complaints about the nickel on this, I decided to edit my review to offer some help. When I first got this I left it on 24 hours a day and never cleaned it. I eventually got some little rash on the back of my arm. Since doing some real research I have found out that cleaning it will lessen your issues with it. Now I clean it several times a day and have 0 bumps on my arm and I still wear it 24 hours a day.
How can I make this work?
You have to clean this thing every day and maybe more if you have nickel allergies. What causes most bumps on the skin from nickel is from nickel salts that form when your sweat and acid break down the nickel. If left between the bugg and your skin + moisture you will get a rash. To prevent this do not wear it for like 30 minutes after you have a shower. After each exercise that you sweat, take it off, clean the plates thoroughly with ALCOHOL. Let it dry. Then put it back on once your skin is fairly dry. If this does not work you should use cortisone cream very thinly under the bugg. Last resort would be taking an antihistamine such as Alavert. If you want this bad enough you will find a way to make it work. Please check with your allergy doctor with regard to other measures you can take at home to allow you to wear this fantastic tool.
Overall if you are fat and need to drop your weight then you MUST get this tool. It is more important than any other piece of exercise gear you own. You could spend nearly this much on a pair of sneaker, so why not get a monitoring tool that can and will help you lose weight.
Good luck!
Customer Review: Decent, but far from perfect.
Summary: 3 Stars
I have worn this product 90%+ of the time for the past 3 months. I would say that it does some things very well, but other areas are noticeably lacking, and for the price I feel the overall performance should be better.
What works:
-The sleep tracking feature was one of the major selling points for me since I have sleep issues. The output seems fairly accurate as long as you aren't prone to lying still in bed while awake much. It tracks your movement to determine whether you are asleep or not, so if you tend to lie still while awake it may overestimate your time asleep.
-Food logging - the daily food logging is actually alright. I was skeptical since I usually log my food in [...] and love that site, but the bodymedia system is straightforward and the database is well populated. I have switched to entering just my daily calorie estimate however because I have so many custom foods entered in sparkpeople, so I enter my food in sparkpeople and copy over the calorie total to body media. Kind of annoying, yes, but not really body media's fault, and at least I do have deficit information tracked that way.
-Exercise tracking for running or walking without a significant incline seems very accurate, both in terms of steps and effort measured.
-I like the reporting tools very much. They are intuitive to use, pleasing to the eye, and the export functionality is great for sharing your data with a physician or trainer.
-The device is unobtrusive on your arm and comfortable to wear. There is a small lump, but it isn't really noticeable under a shirt.
What doesn't work:
-Exercise tracking for running or walking at an incline (especially hiking). For example, I recently did a hike which averaged about a 17% incline, with sections up to 31%. The go wear fit recorded that as burning approximately 300 calories/hr, which is less than walking at a brisk pace on flat ground. Clearly very, very inaccurate.
-Exercise tracking for low-impact activities, especially those without arm swinging, such as bike riding or elliptical trainers.
-Not waterproof, so can't use for water activities.
-I am not sure how accurate it is for weight-lifting. When I compare it to my heart rate monitor's estimation they are usually fairly close, but not always, and there isn't a good metric for really figuring out calorie burn during this type of activity outside of the lab.
-Syncing the device is annoying. You have to log into the site, clicking through a couple of pages, then click through several more pages to actually upload the data. It should be a 1 or 2 click process. I should not have to tell it every time that I want to use the usb cord and not a wireless device to connect (that there even is a wireless device option is news to me). I should not have to confirm that it is connected, or that the right software is installed every time, these are things they can figure out behind the scenes without my interaction.
-I'm not a fan of the subscription requirement for ongoing use. It is just a $$ ploy, and since it also requires me to have internet access to look at my data it's doubly annoying.
Summary:
If the device was accurate for a wider range of activities, and if the syncing process was easier, I would raise the rating to a 4.5. The feedback is motivating, and it has helped me lose weight, but it shouldn't be treated as gospel. The readings may not be very precise for you depending on how much of your activity falls into its weaker areas.