Boddybug Calorie Counter: a New Health Promoting, Weight Loss Gadget

That's right. Adios, Atkin's. Sayonora, South Beach.

More and more people are looking to just eat healthier and exercise more. That said, people who are looking to use this sensible weight loss method may want to look into the Boddybug, a relatively new product from Apex Fitness. This nifty gadget counts calories burned vs. calories eaten, which keeps people's eating habits level with their movement.

The skinny is that the armband monitors the amount of calories burned throughout the day by measuring temperature, sweat rate and more. The boddybug connects to the computer via a USB cable. Once logged on the gadget's corresponding website, the food diary will tell users how many calories have been consumed. The goal of course is to burn more calories than were consumed. So, if someone has overeaten, they know they must work out more. If they have burned more than they have eaten, they can either know it is safe to have that after-dinner snack, or just know that they had a successful day.

One fintess center in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. has jumped on the Boddybug Bandwagon. Odyssey Fitness Center unleashed a 12-week Rapid Pounds Meltdown program, which utilizes the boddybug. Chrissy Buckley, a personal trainer at Odyssey, explains that the boddybug has already been showing some success for her clients.

"One of my clients is already down ten pounds. He is ahead of schedule," she said.

Buckley says that she recommends this device to someone wanting to lose weight because it is an "in your face" method.

"You can see how much you burn and consume. It's right in front of you. If you are honest with it, you can pretty much guarantee you'll lose weight," she said.

She adds that there is no diet plan that goes along with the gadget.

"You can cheat. You just put in the food you eat and it counts your calories and shows you where you are," she said. What she means by cheating is that you don't have to follow a strict diet regimen-- you just watch your calories. You eat what you want, as long as you are burning more.

She cautions however, that if someone eats more than they burn, they are the only one to blame. So, using the boddybug means taking responsibility. Hmmm. A weight loss method where it doesn't matter what you eat, as long as you keep track? Sounds good to us.

High praise for the boddybug comes from the techie community. Popular Science's Best of What's New issue in 2005 rated it #1 in the personal health category. Popagedget.com rates the boddybug as having a 92% accuracy.

The Boddybug can be found at many online retailers like Amazon and DrugStore.com. However, perhaps the best place to purchase it from is the Apex Fitness homepage, where along with the device you can also purchase a support plan.

So, strap on the bug-- and be prepared to tighten it up later as the pounds melt off!