The Biggest Motivator

 

Hi it' Laura 

I am working remotely a today and I am thinking I am super cool sitting in a "restaurant" with my iPad connected to Wi-Fi telling you about my day. Except for, I can’t really log into my blog. So I need to type an email to the editor and publish late. I also can't connect to the Wi-Fi in the restaurant because owner does not give out the code even though the Wi-Fi network thingy says it is for "customer-guest" and it's unlocked. Maybe I am not so cool after all. 

There is all of the Wi-Fi lounging at Starbucks (and long ago Barnes & Noble). There is all the social media invading our lives (both what we intentionally put out there and sometimes by accident or design what we don’t put out there). I personally find most of it annoying. I don't not mind sharing some aspects of my life on social media. I Facebook, (obviously) I tweet and I blog. I am on Linked In. Most of what I put out into the world is what I want the world to know. And yes of course I am putting my best face forward. Why on earth would I want you to see me cry or know that The Husband and I had an argument [Editor’s note: She started it] or even what I discuss with my mother (wait, a minute ...). There is a lot of content out there for the sake of being content (maybe it all of it is) but once a while some good comes of all the technology, something very useful.

As a birthday present The Husband gave me a Fitbit. I mentioned my Fitbit in a previous blog and kind of dismissed it as a modern day pedometer (mostly because I was waiting to write this entry). The Fitbit is a modern day pedometer and so much more. First, what does it look like?

It kind of looks like a flash drive but with a smooth surface. It has one small button on the bottom not dissimilar to the "home" button on the iPhone and iPad.  The difference between Fitbit and flash drive (besides a lot) is when you press the home button it lights up and greets you. "get moving", High five", "smooches", " hugs", " hello" and a few other greeting pop up. Plus it displays a specialized message that you can program yourself. If you press the home button once it displays how many steps you have walked. Pressing it a second time displays how many flight you have climbed. A third press displays how many miles, then calories, then the flower. The flower is an icon that grows based on how active you are (it’s cute but I have no use for the flower). If I am looking at my steps and floors, I have a pretty good idea of my activity. Did I mention that the husband got one for himself as well?

Fitbit has its own website where it logs your details in the beginning like height, weight, age and other vital statistics. Here you can track your overall health & fitness. Fit bit also connects with MyFitnessPal and allows you to track your food [Editor’s note: Fitbit has its own calorie tracking system but it is not as comprehensive as MyFitnessPal]. By measuring your burn, the site will add/or deduct from your overall intake as the day progresses.

So what started out as a really cool gift has turned in a stiff competition in our household.

Let me start with, when most people purchase exercise equipment, you always hear it will become an “expensive clothing rack" and other equally obnoxious comments. Rest assured no piece of exercise equipment has ever become a coat rack in my presence. My mom helped me buy a hydraulic stair stepper way “back when” from I think BJ's (long before Costco was in Jersey). I used that stupid thing twice a day, once before work and once after. When I was not using it I was outside running. I even brought it with me to my first apartment on the UES. I eventually had to trash it because the downstairs neighbor was complaining.

I know I mentioned the Fitbit is only the size of a flash drive so it will never become a coat rack. And even though it may not be large, it qualifies as a piece of exercise equipment. It is the most effective thing I have seen entering my household.

There’s not a day that goes by that The Husband and I are not competing for steps (I mostly win [Editor’s note: I work in an office and still get close]). Each few hundred steps will equal calories. I am sure you have never seen two adults argue about who gets to walk the dog but it happens now for us. I am sure The Dog gets walked just because it’s humans need the steps or the flights [Editor’s note: The Dog does get extra park time when steps are in short supply] {Editor’s Dog’s note: Woof!}.  

At this point you need to know that I needed to move location due a bothersome father who had no idea how to control his child in public. I am back to being supercool sitting in Starbucks connected to free Wi-Fi! 

The Fitbit story continues ... The Fitbit is also a game. It comes with a “belt clip" for daytime wear which you can attach to your belt, hip pocket or bra (my personal fav). It also comes with a wristband for nighttime wear. When you are “recording" an activity, you hold the home button to start the timer. Sleep is considered an activity. The wristband has a little pocket so it doesn’t fall out or off in the middle for the night.

You can also start the timer when you start your run or are exercising at the gym. At the end of the activity, you turn it off and it records into the log. Again I use MyFitnessPal, so it syncs with the Fitbit and I just need to enter the time of day I started the activity (pretty sweet right?).

But none of that is the game. The game is: find The Husband’s Fitbit, which he seems to be constantly misplacing (no wonder he can't keep up on steps [Editor’s note: I reach my goal 95% of the time]). He is probably getting them just he is just not wearing the device. We have on occasion searched for the device for just about 24 hours and on the brink of ordering a new one, it was found, exactly where he left it, in in his pants pocket [Editor’s note: I thought this was the stuff that wasn’t needed on the Internet].

The Fitbit is not water proof so you cannot wear it to swim or in the shower. So every morning the husband has to remember where he left it before he went off to groom himself. Additionally when he change from the office attire to comfies, it is always necessary to find the Fitbit before he settles in for the evening. The game is not really as much fun as it sounds although we do play it every day.

The Fitbit is not perfect. It does not really record the strength training and it does not replace your heart rate monitor but if you want to keep track of daily activity and track your steps it’s perfect.

In this household, it is definitely keeping everyone going. Every day, we are counting steps. Small changes happen naturally, like I walk up the 4th floor at the JCC to strength train instead of taking the elevator. I walk the stairs in our building to our apt instead of taking the elevator. The Husband walks to work some days just to get in the steps. These are all good sustainable changes and the best gift I have ever received.

Play hard!
Laura