Intimate Portrait: Bonnie

I had a few of you ask me about "Bonnie" - so I figured I'd do you a solid, and type up some information - as I see it - about her.

A Body Bugg works great for me, for what I was looking for. It tracks calories burned (after you enter information about you), steps taken and activity minutes (it is the amount of time your heart rate is 3x your resting rate). It doesn't tell you your heart rate - so if that is something you're looking for, Bonnie isn't for you. When I was deciding what to order, I looked at the "Polar" straps (they sell them at my gym, and appear to be somewhat required for the group T.E.A.M. classes because it monitors your heart rate), but you had to keep the strap damp in order to track your daily calorie burn. Great for during a workout, but not so great for all day. Plus, the strap goes around your body right under your boobs. It just wasn't ideal for me. I thought the BB arm band seemed much more manageable for me.

Now....Bonnie was a bit spendy...there is just no other way to put it. But - she does come with a computer program (some months free with purchase, then it is $80 for the annual fee) manages everything for you (if you use it - which has been the hardest for me). There is a cord that you connect to your BB and computer, and it loads all of your burn/walk/activity info into the program. Then you manually load your food intake in (you can build recipes, and add additional food items). It charts everything for you.

my BIG arm

When you first start using it, it walks you through entering your weight, resting heart rate, and some other info that will help your BB track your personalized burn info. Obviously I burn more calories than most because I am beefy. You can also track your body measurements in their program (which I haven't done yet - but will be doing Tuesday). You can update your info (weight, etc) weekly, so Bonnie will continue to track your output accurately. It comes with a large strap (for extra beefy arms like mine) and a medium strap. You can also order replacements as frequently as you want/need to. After wearing it for so long, I honestly don't even notice I have it on.

You can also buy a display unit. It can be worn as a watch or clipped on your clothes. It tracks your daily burn/steps/activity. It also stores your info for the day before, and your goals - so you have them available at any time. There is a "trip" feature on it - so you can zero it out before your workout, and then see how many cals you burned during your workout. The only issue is that the display can sometimes get "out of sync" in wi-fi areas (at least that's what they told me caused it) - so then your "trip" numbers won't be accurate. That is the only annoyance I have found so far.

The program also helps you set goals. You enter how much you'd like to lose, and it what time-frame, and it tells you what you should burn and how many calories to eat. There are probably additional sweet things about this program - but I haven't found them, yet. I haven't really been using Bonnie to her full potential - but I am working on turning that around.

So here is the breakdown of the 2 place I found to buy them. I got mine from QVC with a 12-month subscription to the program, but they no longer sell them. Click on the links, and it should take you right to the pages on these sites.

• Amazon.com - it lists the BB and a 12-month subscription at $275.99 - but makes no mention of the display. I don't even see where it is available on this site? But I left Amazon on here because they also have some different options for this type of tracker. I can't vouch for them - but they are cheaper. Maybe worth checking it out?
• 24hourfitness.com - I think this might actually be the brain-child of 24 hour fitness, so they've probably sold the most! They have a couple of different options. 
• If you want to use it with your iPhone (or a limited type of Android) - please go here: Body Bugg SP . With this one, you wouldn't need/want the display, because your phone will be the display. The BB is $189, and I don't see where that comes with any of the online program subscription - so you're looking at $189 + $49.95 = $238.95 +s/h for your first year. (**NOTE: this BB will not work with the regular display, so if you decide to switch phones it won't work with a display)
• For the regular BB with the display, you'd want to look at the body bugg v3 . They have the band available for $159.00. It also comes in different colors and designs (right up my alley!!). You have to buy the display separately (the display is not required), and that is $69.00. This band comes with a 6-month subscription to the website, so you're looking at $159 + $69 + $49.95 = $277.95 + s/h for your first year.
• They also have a bundle that has the band, display and 12-month subscription as one package. I wouldn't go for this, however, because they are charging $348.00 for it. As you can see above - you can get the same, purchased separately, for much less. Silly 24-hour fitness.

I hope this helps...at least a little bit? If you have any other questions, please comment here or send me a note on FB or email. I am pretty sure BodyBugg should make me a spokesperson! =)

Happy burning, everyone! Have a great weekend!