Week One with the Modius Headset
Just for clarification sake: since I am starting on a Thursday, my weeks will end on Thursdays, not Sundays.
•••••
January 25th: I received the Modius headset today. I took pictures of it, checked it out, and wore it for the first time. I have a BMI of 21, so I am well within the normal weight range for my height. While it might be nice to lose another 5 to 10 pounds, I don’t necessarily need to, but I would like to lose fat and further firm up my muscles.
My fat mass (according to my Nokia scale, since I don’t have access to another method) is about 5 points higher than I’d like. I’ll want to see that number go down — or see inches lost to consider this a success; if that happens — I’m buying one of these!
Note my weight and my fat mass — we’re going to see if (or how) they change over the next 8 weeks …
For exercise. I ride my bicycle sporadically (it depends upon the weather). For this review, I’m not going to do anything to change my eating or exercise habits; I’ll continue to eat like I usually do, and I’ll ride my bike when I feel like it — like I usually do.
So tonight, I put the Modius headset on for the first time, following the directions. I adjusted the power up to four (where I really felt the “rocking motion”). With the headset on, I was able to work, walk around, and do whatever I needed to do.
I tried it on intensity 7, just to see what it felt like, and it was a bit disorienting — I felt better sitting down with it on this high — so I backed it down to 5. I felt something like a slight prickling on my skin under the pads, and on 7 I felt like I was, perhaps, rocking in a boat. Not enough to make me nauseous, but there was a definitely odd sensation. I’m not a fan of nausea, so it was good that there was an option to change the intensity.
The band seems to be a bit large on my head — it wants to fall forward, but I’ll likely get better placement figured out over time.
One thing that I find obnoxious is that I have to manually enter my weight and fat percentage into the Weight section of the app. It would make so much more sense for Modius to tie in with Apple Health and allow you to automatically pull those measurements in from other sources — like a WiFi-enabled scale that is taking them and reporting to Apple Health.
•••••
January 28th: I have used the Modius headset twice so far; yesterday, on what would have been my third day, I didn’t make the time to use it. This broke my two-day streak, and I’m annoyed at myself for that.
I thought I would get back on track today, but I was greeted with this error.
You’ll note that I’ve lost 2 pounds; I have no idea if that was water weight or if it’s “real” weight loss. Time will tell.
Modius has an extremely helpful private Facebook community. Neev Nolan, one of the moderators who had reached out to me through FB messenger when I joined the group, had alerted me to this known bug and said a fix was coming, but in the meantime to refer to this video.
I followed the instructions, and sure enough — my headset was fine and I didn’t lose any info in the app — I was able to complete my day’s session without further ado.
I had forgotten to measure my waist and hips before I got started with this review, so for posterity’s sake, I did them today. My waist is 29 and my hips are 40; that’s a US size 8.
Since using the Modius headset isn’t just about losing weight but is also about losing body fat, I figured those measurements (especially from my hips — where my fat usually stores) would be most helpful for noticing changes in the upcoming weeks.
And here’s a check-in on my weight and fat percentage.
While I’m writing today, I should take a moment to say that I wish it was possible to edit previous entries in the “Log Weight” section. Right now, you can enter the date, your weight, your body fat %, and your waist measurement. If you don’t happen to add your fat percentage or your waist measurement when you enter your weight, you can’t go back and add them.
Again, it would be really helpful if this app could tie into Apple Health to pull in the info other apps are providing such as weight and fat percentage from a WiFi scale.
I’d also like to see the option to add other body measurements such as hips or calves. Not everyone carries their extra fat in their waist; I’m a classic pear, so my waist usually stays about the same while fat settles in my hips and thighs — I’d like to be able to keep track of their measurements to see my progress.
Week Two with the Modius Headset
February 7th: I’ve only missed one day since I started using the Modius headset.
I generally use it on 10, the highest setting, now, and I enjoy the tingling and slight “woo” feeling I get when using the Modius headset. I’ve noticed that I’m sleeping better — I’m not sure if that is an intended side effect or not, but it’s been happening regularly. I hit the pillow, and I am out. This has never been the case for me — I generally deal with regular insomnia — so if the Modius headset is responsible for that side benefit, I’ll take it.
I seem to have hit a bit of a setback, however. Weight and my fat mass have crept up. BAH!
In the Modius Life FB page, there are a lot of others going through ups and plenty of downs. I’m impressed by the support that the community and the moderators provide. It doesn’t look like this upward trend is anything weird in the early days, so I’ll just keep plugging along and doing my daily hourly session.
