BodyMedia

I see machines come and go, and because of the technology used, we pay a lot more. I paid well over $1000 for a treadmill! It’s convenient. I don’t have to go outside, I have temperature control, and because I have it at home, I don’t have to go to the gym anymore. It’s much easier to go to a treadmill that’s 4 steps away from my room than it is to drive 3 miles to the gym.

And I assume that BodyMedia is kinda like that. It doesn’t make you do anything, it doesn’t burn more calories if you don’t do the work. But when you see the numbers on your arm, it’s much easier to say hey maybe I shouldn’t eat that extra burger today or maybe I should stick to just one piece of pizza today. Or for that matter, maybe I should take the dog for a walk today.

Why This is Good

It’s good, because it measures everything for you. I know it sounds…..lazy. But I’ve had the little apps that tell you what you’ve eaten if you plug it in. I never plug the information in! And sometimes I avoid plugging it in, because I know I didn’t do well that day. I don’t fool myself. I know very well that I messed up. But it’s easier to lie to myself when I don’t actually have to look at the numbers.

Why This is Bad

It takes more effort to change my habits than it does to avoid plugging in the numbers. So yes, BodyMedia says that you will lose 3 times the weight. But if I want to avoid the truth, all I have to do is avoid looking at today’s reading. I can be just as lazy! BodyMedia doesn’t tell me you should eat this or that instead of what you are eating. It doesn’t tell me try this exercise instead of that. It doesn’t increase my metabolism or tell my body that it’s not hungry any more. Why would I pay for that?

How Much Do You Pay?

I have a friend who motivates me for free. Actually, I take that back. We have a pretty embarrassing bet that motivates me to lose weight. Every time I eat a hamburger instead of a salad, every time I don’t run my 2 miles a day, I think how much is this going to cost me. I think how embarrassed I am going to be when I have to…..I do everything to avoid it.

And frankly, BodyMedia isn’t the same. It doesn’t motivate you, embarrass you, because it’s just you looking at it if you do. But unlike a friend, BodyMedia costs $250! To me, that just seems a little ridiculous.