Fitness App Helps Users Visualize Exercise & Weight Loss Goals

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - There are other things Sophia Tambouratzis would rather be doing. The gym is not her favorite spot.

"I don't love coming to the gym, and I love to eat," said Tambouratzis.

That's where Deborah Barker comes in.

"One of the biggest problems in health and wellness is engagement and retention," Barker said.

Keeping that retention is why Barker founded "Better Body Image."

"We developed the technology, patent pending, where you can simply take a picture of yourself, it goes to our database and then predicts based on our 17 years of historical data how your body will change," said Barker.

It's all in the form of an app that you can download for free. Barker said so far more than 10,000 people have downloaded it. However, she says it works best if you use it in conjunction with a fitness program like Sophia does at St. Clair Fitness in Upper St. Clair.

After a $50 evaluation, you're on your way to a healthier looking you.

"Dee actually created an exercise program for me based on my body type, so I have a very specific program I do when I come here and it changes every six weeks when we take a photo and see where I am," said Tambouratzis.

Sophia has been working with a personal trainer offered through the program three days a week and she's already lost 20 pounds. She hopes to lose 10 more. She said visualizing how she'll look after she loses those 10 pounds is all the motivation she needs to keep going.

After you download the app, you set up a profile, then you pick one of four body types that best describe yours: apple, pear, linear or potato. Then, you take a picture of yourself.

"We measured her waist and we're showing her waist to height ratio is in the normal range," said Barker.

Based on where in your body you gain weight, the app will tell you if you're at risk for things like diabetes or heart disease.

"It will show you what exercise would be best for you to do," said Barker.

St. Clair Fitness is the only gym in the Pittsburgh area that uses the app. Currently, 102 people at the gym, both men and women, are on the BBI program.

Barker's goal is to become global. She just signed with a corporate wellness company in New York, she's doing a pilot with Covestro next month and is in talks with Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem.

"We've piloted with insurance companies, weight management companies so we are actually licensing the technology out for other companies to embed their platform so that they can see the same benefits that I saw in terms of engagement and retention," said Barker.

KDKA-TV's Amy Wadas: "Has this program changed your life or in the process of changing your life?"

Sophia Tambouratzis: "I feel like it has because I'm back to being healthy. I go to work. I have a very active son. My husband has a busy job so I feel like at least when I'm going, I'm going at 100 percent and I'm not exhausted all the time. I feel like the quality of my life has gotten a lot better because I'm healthier."

If you're interested in learning more about the BBI program, you can contact Deborah Barker at St. Clair Fitness at (412)-257-8788.