So, who knew that fitness had gotten so...fancy?!? I have learned that there are all kinds of technology-based gadgets out there that can measure just about anything up to and including evaluating your sleep quality. Wow. It can be a little overwhelming. There are HRMs (heart rate monitors) and Body Buggs and BodyFit and, the one I have purchased, the
fitbit:
The fitbit is like a pedometer on steroids. It is no bigger than your thumb and easily clips on your clothing. Many women apparently wear it on the middle of their bra. I have been wearing mine on my waistband or clipped to my front pocket near the waistband. No reason to get all fancy. The fitbit also is not cheap....it retails for $99. I, however, decided it was worth the investment for me and would give me a reason to be serious about my new healthier lifestyle. Because I would use it if I invested in it.
The fitbit tracks all kinds of data....steps taken, miles traveled, calories burned, and it also is one of the gadgets that will track your sleep. I have not used it to track my sleep....yet. But I will in the future. When you receive your fitbit, you log onto their Website (membership is free if you own the device) and sign up with your stats and such so it can most accurately track your daily movements.
The best part? The fitbit syncs with My Fitness Pal (
see last Monday's post) so that all the data captured is turned over to MFP (you don't have to use MFP though; you can track your calories and such on the fitbit site, but I already used and loved MFP so I stuck with it). Your data on MFP also is shared to the fitbit site. Here is what the fitbit dashboard looks like (this is NOT mine):
Colorful, no?!? I am still learning all this gadget can and will do, and I will admit that I am still not 100% sure I LOVE it. But it is pretty neato. And motivating. Today, I walked 7,806 steps or 3.56 miles. That equaled 495 EXTRA calories on MFP to indulge in should I so choose. Not bad. Not bad at all.
I chose the fitbit over the BodyFit because
it didn't make my butt look bigger you don't have to wear it on your arm (the BodyFit fits on your upper arm like an armband....I thought it would fit weird under clothes and invite too many questions); however, the BodyFit tracks your metabolism which is probably a better indicator of your daily calorie burn. Further down the fitness road, I may consider one of those, as well. I don't have a gym membership so I figure this is another way to invest in my fitness future. Hope you all are doing well! Be back Wednesday with some cooking! Love, B.
4 comments:
When I first started walking I bought a pedometer. I figured out 3 routes that equaled 1,2 and 3 miles. I don't use the pedometer anymore unless I'm walking somewhere I've never been.
I'm using the exercise database on MFP to figure out the calories burned.
I once wore it to work and clocked 5 miles during my 8 hour shift.
The fitbit is definitely inspiring...I am sure I could be doing more with it and will learn as I go.
I got a fitbit last month and LOVE it!!! My coworker has one now and I am always trying to beat her. Unfortunately, she usually "wins" even when I try really hard...and even more unfortunate, she's 30 years older than me, so it's a wee bit humbling!
I LOVE my fitbit though - it's so easy and very discrete. I love that I never accidently reset the numbers (I did this way too much on my regular old pedometer. And I don't have to keep track of anything myself.
AND I love graphs/charts!
Thanks for commenting, Kaylen! I am still learning all the fitbit can do...I need to spend a little more time with it to fully appreciate it.
Post a Comment