CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR IRONMAN

Product: BC 554
"I would call this scale "the motivator" (South Florida, USA)

OK... This scale is expensive. In this case, you get what you pay for. Why did I buy a scale that is so expensive? Because I did the research and this scale gives the most details and is super easy to use. You simply pick what button you want to be. (1-4) and you enter your weight, height, and age. Also you can select if you are an athlete...this makes the measurements accurate for people who work out 10+ hours a week. This scale is a must for athletic people because the other scales out there will say that you are fat and out of shape...even though you are looking in the mirror at your finely sculpted six pack abs and rock hard biceps.

So how do you use it? You push the number you set up for yourself and stand on it. It gives you your weight and then does the other test. It is absolutely painless, in case you are wondering. Also, it takes between 5-10 seconds to do the measurements. I haven't timed it with a stop watch but it is quick.

Then it gives you all this info. Weight, Body Fat%, Body Water%, Muscle Mass (nice), Physical Rating, BMR (This is the calories you need to survive through a day.), Metabolic Age (sweet), Bone Mass, and Visceral Fat (This is the fat you have around your stomach and organs.)

Also when you don't need all this info and you just want your weight. There is a quick weigh option that just measures your weight. Very simple, quick and easy.

Can you hit these buttons with your big toe to work them? Yes you can.

So what do you do with the info? Well I made an excel spreadsheet with charts so that I can keep track of the data and also keep notes on what I did. For example one week I did cardio for an hour every night, in addition to my regular weight training and my body fat% went down, and my muscle weight increased. (awesome) Then another week we had a hurricane, so I didn't do any work out for 5 days straight. I measured myself after this and I was the same weight. Woo hoo, I lucked out right? Wrong...Even though I weighed the same...my fat% was up and my muscle mass was down. (bummer) So this of course motivated me to work out like crazy the next week to get my numbers back in line and even drop some weight. Can your scale do that? Or would you just look at the weight, see that it's the same and say, great I'll take another week off. This scale tells you the truth while other scales don't give you the complete picture of what is going on with your body.

I am the type of person that likes to buy the very best and I am very happy with this scale.

Bottom line is that this is the best scale...period.

"Best scale out there" Keith0256 (Laguna Hills, CA United States)
This scale has so many functions. It is really cool. As for consistent readings, I get almost the same readings day after day. But if I change how much I eat or exercise more I can see the change.

This scale is almost the same as the Tanita top of the line. Except this one lets you view the readings you want, rather then wait for the scale to cycle through the readings. This scale will also cycle through the readings, but you can stop them and go to any reading or let it cycle then go back to any reading you want. Also this has nice big preset number buttons. Which is important since you may be hitting them first thing in the morning when you are not awake yet. This scale also remember more reading from the last time. It has BMR instead of the daily calories reading.

I find this scale is very close to another much cheaper Tanita scale in weight and body fat. Of course the cheaper scale doesn't have all the extra readings. My wife finds the metabolic age reading to motivate her. She likes thinking she is younger then she is. (What ever helps...) I like the muscle mass weight reading along with weight and body fat%.

The scale looks really good being half glass. The glass is strong and won't break unless you tried hammering it, etc. It is easy to use and does a reading in about 10-15 seconds. It takes more time if you are moving around as it waits for a reasonably steady weight reading.

I wish it had the daily calorie reading and it was more accurate. It would be nice if the body fat could show accurately that I had burned off half an ounce of fat... But no scale today can do that or any other method while you are alive. So I will live with the best that is out today, October 2005.

"Wow, what a gadget!"M. Welker (Somerset, PA USA)
We got our Monitor yesterday and of course, got right into setting it up. Is it ever NEAT! I have been exercising religiously for about two years but other than weight and heart rate, really didn't have any way to gauge just how I was doing. Talk about pleased after getting the results from the body scan. At 53, I have a metabolic age of 39 - it definitely gave me a boost of confidence AND showed that dragging myself out of bed at 5:00 AM to do an exercise routine has proved to be worth it; and gives me incentive to keep it up. My husband, who has not been quite so religious about his exercises, found that some of his results indicate that he needs to get much more active!! It will be fun to see how much he improves over time. We are really pleased with this purchase (can you tell?)! I think anyone who is just starting an exercise routine and looking at getting into a healthier lifestyle should definitely buy one of these to get an early baseline so they can get full benefit of it right from the start.

J. Bertone (New Jersey)
This scale is a great tool for those people looking to make a change in their lifestyle. Knowing if you drink enough water, have enough muscle or what your body fat % is are valuable assets. My whole family loves this scale. I would recommend it to anyone serious about weight loss and their health.

Thomas (San Jose, California)
I've had and used this scale a bit over a month.

If you're gonna diet, workout or just live life, this is the scale which gives you the 411 as to what's happening with your insides. Three items one needs in order to monitor their vitals; an automatic blood pressure cuff, a heart rate monitor and an Ironman Tanita body composition scale. Without these three items, you're shooting in the dark.

Don't forget to get a fasting lipid (cholesterol) panel test done so you know what your numbers are cause all the exercise and dieting in the world won't save you from the affects of high lipid panel numbers.

I highly recommend this scale for one person or a family of four or more as you can program in four people's vital information. It has a guest feature so more can easily use the scale for weighing purposes. Once you figure the programming directions out, it's easy to reprogram a setting, as needed. By-the-by, the scale looks a whole lot better on the floor of the bathroom then one of those "huge" chunky Health-O-Meter scales; which I had. :)

I recommend taking time to check out the heart healthy benefits of "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" (<1% acid) coupled with a Mediterranean style of eating. (Diet.)

If you're working out with free weights, running or bicycling, check out Pure Whey Protein Isolate, Free Form Amino Acids, L-Glutamine, CoQ10 and Fish Oil; costs a bunch and worth every penny. Spend it now or spend it later on heart meds cause you can't turn back the hands of time; your choice.

If you're gonna diet, you "must" workout or you'll lose muscle mass; not good. Remember, weight loss comprises of both fat and muscle mass loss and without working out, you'll lose your muscle mass which is the engine calories feed. Calories in, calories out, anything left over is stored as fat. The bigger your engine, the more you can eat. Seems like an easy enough concept. :)

Do spend a lot of time online researching and learning about your heart rate, Zones 1-5; aerobic Vs anaerobic and take time to use your search engine to learn about what I suggested in my above so as to be able to understand what it all means. Everything you need, the basics, are in the nutshells above.

Some think the scale is pricey but what price knowledge? Some write the scale's not accurate. One just can't jump on the scale anytime they want and expect an accurate read on their percentages. Read and diligently follow the manual's instructions as to its use. The manual clearly explains the whys.

Proper hydration is key to "accurate" and "consistent" body fat percentages. Without proper water hydration, (49.5%-50.0% for me) in the muscle tissue, the scale will give you discouragingly incorrect low muscle and high body fat readings; not good. And yes, a 1-2% change in water hydration will squirrel up your numbers big time. It's either buying this scale or submitting to an expensive, one time, inconvenient, hydrostatic (water test) body fat test. Your choice:)

Using the scale at the stated optimum time is key. Also using the scale at the same time of day, according to the directions, is also important. Be sure to stand on the scale Yoda butt naked as having your clothes on "will" squirrel up your numbers. Jumping on the scale anytime, in any manner a person feels inclined to, won't give accurate and consistent numbers. Very important, read and follow the manual.

If ya gives up some party for the extra money and follow the manual's directions, it all evens out:)

Listen to your Uncle Thomas. Hit the hip and buy the stupid scale cause you know you want one:) You'll be glad you did cause it's da bomb and worth the money for the info it provides. :)

If you missed it, I love this scale:)

Wishing you all well with your health related efforts:)

"Awesome Scale", L. Wootton
This is an awesome scale. A neighbor who is a runner recommended it and I too would highly recommend it. It is very accurate and is a great measure of your true body composition and fitness level. I especially like keeping track of my Muscle weight and % Fat, and % Hydration.
Well worth the money!

CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR INNERSCAN SCALES

Product: BC 533
"Tanita BC533 measures weight, body fat and so much more!"
Lee Mellott (Frederick, Maryland)

For many years I used a digital scale that gave me a different readout each time I used it. I like to weigh daily but found that stepping up and down on the scale several times to get an average weight was frustrating. I thought that was the norm with scales until I started reading scale reviews and discovered that many people found the Tanita line to be accurate. If they weighed several times in a row they got a consistent readout. They did not have to take an average as I did with my Health-O-Meter. As a treat to myself, for losing 10 pounds, I decided to purchase a Tanita and after doing some research opted for the Tanita BC533.

The Tanita BC533 is a state of the art scale that measures your weight (to two-tenths of a pound), body fat, visceral fat, bone mass, metabolic age and muscle mass. It is very simple to operate. You input your height, weight, average physical activity level and age. The Tanita will remember this information for up to four people so you only have to do it once, unless your information changes. (There is also a guest mode if a visitor wants to try it.) Once you have programmed the scale you toe tap your number, step on the platform and you will see your weight and body fat measurement. (Note - If you wear socks the body fat measurement will not work.) Then you can toe tap other buttons of your choice. A little figure gives you a visual cue as to what the buttons are. For example for muscle mass the figure is holding weights. For bone mass there is a tiny skeleton inside the figure. You decide which body composition features you wish to check. You may for example want to check your bone mass once a month, or then again you may want to check it weekly. It's up to you. It's as simple as pressing the corresponding button, and takes only seconds.

Tanita has also introduced the Ironman Innerscan line. I was not sure of the difference so I called customer service. Amber went out of her way to explain the benefits of the Innerscan line, and the basic difference between the regular Innerscan and the Ironman. The Ironman gives you your BMI or basal metabolic caloric rate. This is the basic number of calories your body needs. The regular Innerscan (like the BC533) gives you your DCI instead. The DCI is a calculation where the BMI is multiplied by your activity level to tell you the number of calories you are taking in to maintain the weight you are. When you see this information you can then adjust up or down to help you gain or lose weight or stay the same. Nifty!

Tanita includes a guide with the scale that explains exactly how the scale works. The scale is a bioimpedence device. A low level current (which you don't feel) passes through your body and the impedance or resistance level is used to calculate body composition. The booklet explains healthy ranges of body fat and also explains what body water percentage, visceral fat, etc. mean.

The scale is also very attractive. Sleek styling and easy to use. Those with poor vision may find the buttons a little hard to see. But the visual clues will help. Despite the glass surface the scale stays very clean.

The BC533 is an outstanding tool to help you accomplish your health goals!

"Very useful precision health monitor with stylish design"
D. Chou (Los Angeles, CA USA)

Being an avid swimmer, cyclist, runner, and outdoors fanatic, I decided to buy the Tanita BC533 to monitor my fitness beyond just body weight. I researched around the web and found mostly positive reviews on Tanita scales. I've also considered the Tanita Iron Man BC554 with similar user modes and more recall capabilities but the BC533 just looks more stylish: shaped like a chromosome. Amazon offered a good price with free shipping and a $30 gift certificate for Tanita Body Composition Monitors. Subtract another $30 from that if one applies for the Amazon visa: an Win-Win transaction!

To get accurate measurements, one would need to obtain readings under consistent conditions, i.e., approx. same time of the day, no meals within 3 hrs, similar hydration conditions, etc. I found most of the functions to be helpful: Weight, %Body fat, %Total body water (makes sure one is not dehydrated), Visceral fat % (getting rid of fat around the waist), Muscle mass & Physique rating (making sure one is not losing muscle mass while reducing fat), Bone mass (making sure one is not calcium/mineral deficient and losing bone mass), DCI (Daily Caloric Intake=amount of calories one need to intake the next 24hrs. to maintain current weight)& Metabolic age (calculates one's Basal Metabolic Rate and age associated with that age). The BC533 comes with batteries, an easy to understand manual, and a body composition measurements guide. Holy moley, my metabolic age is 16!

Carrie Nicholas, AZ
Due to an unforeseeable illness, I was bedridden for 6months and gained 30 pounds. Tanita BC 533 is a lifesaver for me!

"Great Scale"Anthony Lucia (Santa Ana, CA)
This is a great scale. Had a few problems understanding some of the many features, however, spoke to their customer support and they were great. This is the best scale I have ever used.

"Accurate, full featured" Sherri Aiken (Manhattan, Kansas United States)
The Tanita BC533 scale is easy to use. Actually it is a very attractive scale for a bathroom scale. The info it gives also makes it easy to monitor your changes as you improve your health by weight loss or building muscle. I am very happy with it. Would I make the purchase again? Yes, I would.

I am very happy with the purchase of this scale - it is my first high tech scale purchase, and I researched them all online before purchasing and this was the only model that seemed to be accurate according to reviews - I agree - it seems very accurate - I can actually see muscle mass and body fat changes according to my workout and dieting - it is very cool. Do make sure you weigh yourself at the same time every day.

"Keeping me honest" M. Ball
Really helps keep you on track/be honest in a health/fitness program. This is the 2nd Tanita I've owned; the older version just did body fat. I feel that all the additional information included in the Innerscan really helps me better understand my day to day and ongoing progress and changes. Plus this is stylish, and won't look out of place.

"On a Scale of...,"C. Randall Coate
As an overweight person it has been hard to find a scale that is accurate to well over 300 pounds. The Tanita BC533 not only weighs to 330 pounds, but it's many other features make it a really useful aide for healthy dieting. The manuals were easy to understand and provided a lot of useful information. I would recommend the Tanita line of products to anyone.

"Tanita Innerscan is great" Sean O'brien (Ventura, CA)
Have been using it for a couple of months now and it is a great help in monitoring weight loss. Not only does it give your weight but several other factors as well that help see where you are and where you are going. I'll never go back to an ordinary scale again. Thanks Tanita

"Wonderful tool for athletes and fitness conscious people", Joel Gordon
Tanita is the brand for body composition monitors. The Tanita BC533's ease of use and its capabilities in measuring body fat, weight, muscle mass, water percent, visceral fat %, bone density and metabolic age comparisons were extremely helpful in keeping track of my fitness. The modern look also made it look attractive and was a great addition to my bathroom. Don't forget to only use it on hard surfaces because it will give you very inaccurate readings if you don't.