GoWear fit Lifestyle and Calorie Management System
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List Price: Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of GoWear fit Lifestyle and Calorie Management System
Customer Review: 10 Lbs Lost in 4 Weeks!
Summary: 4 Stars
This review is a long but covers things not covered in other reviews. You'll notice a long list of CONS so I need to be clear that I am pleased I made the purchase. This device has been a miracle worker for me. I don't mind exercising or counting calories so had the "calories in" part of the "calories in/calories out" equation. What I didn't have is accurate knowledge of how many calories I burn when exercising and was relying on software to estimate for me, as so many of us do.
This device must be accurately measuring calories burned as, using the device, I'm burning 750 calories more than I eat a day and have been loosing steadily for a total of 10 lbs in 4 weeks. This is the best weight loss success I have ever had in my life!
I am no longer guessing how rigorous my workout was because the device measures whether it was moderate or vigorous. I no longer wonder if I'm really going to be able to loose weight, I just focus on eating the number of calories planned for each day and on meeting the goal for number of calories burned. This has simplified weight loss as much as it could possibly be simplified!
PROS:
1) This is a class 2 medical device so it is regulated by the FDA. You can file a complaint with the FDA if you feel the device is not working or that you have been harmed by the device and it will be investigated. (There is one complaint on file, a problem with the arm band when the device was initially released.)
2) The device really does measure total calories burned (with exceptions noted below), sleep quantity and quality, steps, and number of minutes in moderate and vigorous exercise.
3) Summary report is well laid out and easy to print. You can easily choose the range of days.
4) Armband is comfortable and does not show under most suit jackets, making it possible to wear to work without attracting attention.
5) This device has been used in several research studies (search Pubmed.gov). Initial research showed issues with the algorithms, not with the technology itself which says to me the technology is considered correct for measuring what the device is sold to measure.
5) Battery life seems decent. I haven't gone 5 days without recharging but have gone 1.5 days and it hasn't been very low at all.
CONS:
1) Does not accurately measure calorie expenditure while riding a stationary bike or a recumbent bicycle. I wrote the company and received a defensive and unapologetic reply about this. Limitations like this should be noted in the product documentation. (You can enter exercise online but it's inconvenient due to CON #3.)
2) Not waterproof.
3) Web site is cludgey and slow (>45 seconds to sign on and ~30 seconds between each screen). Every time I try and upload from the device I initially get an error message saying I need to load java software. When I try a second time it gives me the same error message then goes through ok.
4) You must purchase a monthly subscription to their web site (~$7 mo. with a 12 mo. commitment and a $150 fee if you end your subscription early). I would gladly pay a bit extra for the device with software included, especially with the web site being so laborious.
5) I looked up the research cited by the advertisement and it related to a study measuring energy expenditure of teens playing video games. No where in the article is there a mention of the 90% and 10% "research findings" touted in the promotion for the device.
Customer Review: Good Device - but Activity Manager can be annoying and should be free.
Summary: 3 Stars
I purchased this device for my wife after reading some very positive reviews here on Amazon. We thought it would be worthwhile to see why she is not losing weight despite taking martial arts classes three days a week. In addition, being able to see her calories burned, steps taken, and sleep quality would be interesting too.
At first she found the armband a bit uncomfortable but got used to it in a day or so. It is just like wearing a new watch when you haven't been wearing one. The biggest issue we have with the device is the Activity Manager website. You get three months free and then you go on a monthly subscription after that. I think that is a big rip off. The Activity Manager has good information in it but hardly warrants a subscription. I would rather have paid more for the device with desktop software than pay a subscription. The device is a $180 piece of electronic garbage without the Activity Manager subscription. The Activity Manager is clumsy when you have to put in your meals especially if you are not very computer-savvy. My wife struggles with putting in meals and often ends up putting in meals on the wrong days. She is not very computer-savvy so it is frustrating to her. Sometimes the site won't take our input and here and there our data won't sync. It usually takes a computer reboot if that happens or if that doesn't work we wait until the next day. I suspect sometimes their website has issues.
The saving grace of the device and the website is that the information the Activity manager provides is very good. We learned that my wife does not burn as many calories as we thought each day and without regulating her caloric intake she would run calorie surpluses even on exercise days. In addition, her karate classes only provide mostly moderate intensity and not very much vigorous intensity for sustained calorie burn. So the verdict - more vigorous exercise and watching those calories. Since using this device and web site and religiously tracking her calories, she has run calorie deficits almost every day and has lost 7 pounds in just over two weeks.
I highly recommend this for people who really need to know why they are not losing weight so you can visualize what is going on. It can be an eye-opener and a wake-up call. If you enter your calories religiously and wear the device as often as you can you will get a really good indication of what you REALLY do during the day and night.
UPDATE 2/11/2010
My wife has lost 13.8 pounds since wearing her GoWear Fit device starting at the beginning of the year. She religiously enters her calories and runs nice calorie deficits consistently. Entering meals into the Activity Manager have gotten easier to enter as the website stores all of her common foods so that after a month of eating there is only a few new foods here and there to add to the list. She did not change her exercising that drastically either. For her, understanding what she takes in and what she burns has been the key. She is now down to the weight where she usually plateaus but she still needs to lose another 20 pounds and if she breaks through this area doing what she has been doing I may change the rating for this device to 4 stars from 3 as it really keeps her disciplined.
Customer Review: You get exactly what you want from this product! It just works!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this device after watching biggest loser and looking for something similar. Here are some things I questioned before buying:
Will it be uncomfortable to wear this thing? No- it feels like a part of my arm, sometimes I forget I have it on. The only time I notice it is when I'm going to bed and I lay on my left side. After a few nights I got used to this too.
Is the website really going to tell me what I need to know to lose weight? YES! The body media software is great! You just plug in your little armband and it syncs up and gives you a summary of what your goals are (you set these up during registration) and how you did that day based on those goals in an easy to read chart. The new software also gives you the option to log your meals or just enter the amount of calories you ate or just estimate based on a three day menu fill in. You can change your goals at any time and the armband syncs to your new goals. You can even add reminders for your armband to beep when it is time to get up or take your multivitamin, etc...
Will it stick out of my clothes? No most people don't even notice it. I have pointed it out to everyone though because I love it so much and everyone has been complimenting me on my weight loss.
Do I need to buy the watch? YES! It provides extra motivation throughout the day to have the watch that goes with it because I get minute to minute updates on how many calories I have burned, how many steps I have taken, and how many minutes of moderate and vigorous activity I have done. It even gives me a message when I reach my goal. When you are out exercising this is incredibly motivational (for example, if I run for just 4 more minutes I can reach my vigorous goal for today!)
Will I need to wear it forever? No, after I lose my weight I will sell it on ebay and probably make what I bought it for or close to it. The thing about it is, after wearing it for 6 months you will know how your body works. You will know what it takes to lose the weight, you will eat healthier. Just wearing it for the few weeks I've had it has made me learn so much about my body and how many calories I actually burn just doing everyday things and exercising. It also has forced me to write down my calories in everyday (I choose to do this, but you don't have to) so I have learned more about the foods I eat and the calories in them.
How often will I need to charge it? Almost never. It fully charges in less than three hours and you can either plug it into your computer and charge it or use a wall plug in USB charger. It will last longer than one week on a full charge. You will also know what your battery level is everytime you sync it because the software tells you.
So the bottom line is... it takes 3500 calories to burn 1 pound of fat. Therefore, if you burn 1000 more calories than you consume everyday, you will lose 2-3 pounds a week. So far I have lost 2-3 pounds a week. There it is.. You can't fool this thing. If you track your calories consumed and track how much you burn you will lose the weight.
Finally someone invented something that actually works and is totally cool!!
Customer Review: Update - Missing drivers = frustrating experience
Summary: 3 Stars
I just got this two days ago and tried to access the softwear that manages the online calorie counts, nutrition, etc. I have had to contact customer support several times and still do not have the drivers that allow me to upload my data properly. This is my email to customer support: "I have a computer at work and one at home. They both are XP one is SP 2 and the other SP3. I am using IE 6 on both. I have admin rights to both. I have cookies, javascript and popups enabled. I have downloaded the software. On both computers, when I connect the fully charged armband to the miniplug through the usb port, I get "new hardware found" and it asks for a cd or for me to find the drivers. Of course, I don't have a cd since it didn't come with one, however, I have no idea what driver to choose and/where to find it. Without this step, I cannot use the Activity manager and this makes the product unusable. Can you please assist me in what to do to fix this please? Looking forward to using the product."
I did get a case number back and then about 4 hours later an email which stated that the drivers were attached - however they were not attached. I immediately replied that there were NO attachments and have yet to receive a reply. I called yesterday and this morning and their phone queue is so backed up that you are forced into leaving a message after about a 10 min hold time. I sent them another email this morning which created a new case number. You can only email them on their website which creats a case number. That was about 3 hours ago and I only got an autoreply. The armband itself seems fine although it was really not that clear how to get the manager out of the armstrap. I also bought the external reader device GoWear fit Display Device and did figure out how to get the armband and the wrist reader to synch. It wasn't that easy - not that intuitive. All in all I am hoping to get this straightened out. All the snafus so far have certainly taken the shine off the product. I'll update this when I hear from their customer support.
Update: I finally got the drivers and that was not easy. They said that my gmail account wouldn't receive them. Finally they sent them as a .text message and I changed the drivers to .exe. I recently got a new computer with Vista basic on it and then had to get updated drivers for that too which took a few days. It still says "browser not supported" but seems to work anyway. I have Vista basic home with IE 8 and Foxfire 5.
I really do like the product. I finally figured out that I couldn't sync the device until the armband powers on and sometimes it takes a bit of time to power on after I have taken it off and returned it to my arm. The reports are interesting. I thought I was sleeping more than I was. It even tells me when I am lying down and when I am sleeping. Overall it's a great product and I've kept the three stars mainly because of the difficulty in getting the softwear to work. Customer service says that they are planning to post the drivers in downloads which would make it a breeze to have delt with, however, I think they haven't done that yet.
Customer Review: Cyclists WARNING! Device doesn't work for Cycling!
Summary: 3 Stars
I bought the GoWear Fit and the display device a few weeks ago.
Setup was easy. Interface was done well. Connection and data upload was efficient.
I went on my first ride with this thing last week (Mountain Bike). Average speed was 15.6 MPH for a duration of 53 minutes (really aggressive fast riding on pavement).
I uploaded my first workout to the website and was checking out my workout information and noticed that my calories burned were 404. I was extremely disappointed. I assumed my total burn was around 800 for this ride (I do this particular ride a LOT). I continued to use the GoWear Fit for the last week, riding every day my same ride and got the same sad results *around 400 calories burned. I called the company yesterday, and spoke to some guy about my issues. He told me that different people blah blah... different results blah blah... THEN I mentioned cycling and he said "You're a CYCLIST? Well that changes everything, let me email you information on how to use the GoWear FIT for cycling." GREAT.. I wasnt crazy and I WAS actually burning more calories than I thought. I received his email a few minutes later and was EXTREMELY disappointed - here it is:
FROM GARMIN: It is important to note that the program is not intended to measure a specific activity. Rather, the success and intent of the program is to measure the user's total energy expenditure throughout the course of their daily activities.
With that being said, we do not claim any specific validity when it comes to biking. We recognize that this activity, whether road biking or stationary biking, is an area that we continue to improve. Our strengths are with what the average consumer spends their time doing as well as where they accumulate the majority of their physical activity. With that, we tend to concentrate on resting, walking and running.
With biking, we do have a few suggestions that may help improve accuracy:
On a road bike - check that the armband is worn in its normal position, on the upper arm, with the armband closer to the shoulder than the elbow, at the back of the arm. On an exercise bike, also called a stationary bike, some people may feel they deserve more calories than the bug gives them credit for. This might be because of the exercise bike's geometry and handle bar style. In this case, just for riding the exercise bike, try wearing the bug lower on the arm, closer to the elbow than the shoulder, *and* rotate the armband a little to the outside of your arm. With your arm hanging at your side (not sitting on the bike or holding the handle bars), the armband would be in line with your wrist watch. When you have finished riding the bike, pull the armband back to its normal position.
I ordered a Garmin 405CX right after I read his response.
Todays ride with the Garmin says my average HR during the ride is 163. According the my Garmin 405CX I burned 905 calories on my ride today. Now that's more like it. (RHR is 45. Max is 191.)
Overall I'm pretty irritated that this INFO (device doesn't work for cyclists) wasn't given upfront (BEFORE) I spent $280 on the whole package.