Geo-Science Writer
I am an ardent fan of the TV show "The Biggest Loser". As Japan does not have its own version of this show, the only time I see this TV program is when I visit the US. So I watch only the US version - only a few episodes a year.
Last January I purchased a Slimcoach (aka Mytrak M2) which was used in the TV show The Biggest Loser by the contestants, and it is now available from NBC online shop, Amazon USA, etc. (Note: to date, only NBC online shop ships Slimcoach to Japan).
Slimcoach is a small device to calculate the calories burnt by the user every hour. This device has 3-axes acceleration gauges developed by NASA. Once placed on the waist belt of the user, it can analyze the body movement in 3-D and its pace. This way Slimcoach can determine what kind of physical activities the user is engaged with. Such activities include not only walking/running/stair climbing, but also various indoor/outdoor sports and recreational activities such as moutain biking and horse riding. Slimcoach can also measure calorie burnt while you are doing daily chore - washing dishes, mopping the floor, gardening, etc. At the end of the day, all you need is to plug the Slimcoach to your computer (PC or Mac) by a USB cable. Then your calorie consumpution patterns are displayed in various colorful charts on the screen. That's a wow moment - great presentations, great graphics, and great myself for achieving such a lot of physical activities on the day which I would not have noticed otherwise.
Mytrack, the manufacturer of Slimcoach, has a great and secure website, and this site automatically opens every time I connect my Slimcoach to my PC. You enter your health info on the webpage and see your progress here. One of my favorite things about this website is that Mytrack has numerous "Slimcoach users groups", and I joined three of them. I have received several encouraging messages from some members of these user's groups in North America, as if you make friends and receiving nice messages from social media like Facebook. To date, I lost nearly 12 pounds (5 kilos) since I started to use Slimcoach and joined the user's community. Thanks to Mytrak for my weight loss (unless my weight loss is stress-related).
Am I all satisfied? No, maybe I am difficult to satisfy by nature. Though I have been using Slimcoach for more than three months, I have not noticed any other users in Japan on the net, and wondered if I am the only Slimcoach user in Japan. Well, it is understandable. It became widely available only three months ago even in the US. So I am wondering if there are any other Slimcoach users over here in Japan. If you are one of them, please contact me.
Luckily one of my close friends, who happens to be one of my colleagues (professors in earth sciences) at our university, have got his Slimcoach today, and so he will join Mytrak online community and start using Slimcoach very soon. So this evening, only one hour ago, I created a new group for Slimcoach users in Japan. If you are reading this article, happen to have (or planning to have) Slimcoach, and would like to stay fit in Japan, please join our Japan user's group by searching within the company's website.
If we generate enough number of users within the group, we could start some fitness events such as hiking or walking in Tokyo, introducing nice gym or other workout spot (yoga, etc.), or meeting up for a healthy dinner, or visit other parts of Japan for fun. You don't have to be a science nerd like us: anyone is welcome, though our official language is still English!!!
I am sure that some of our students, who are reading this blog, are discouraged to hear that our official language is English. Well, you cannot avoid using English even in Japan. That's life. But ALL levels of English users (speaking OR writing) are welcome.
Shuji
Posted on Tuesday 17 April, 2012