I am obsessed with my FitBit. Full blown, can't live without it. I know, it's not really necessary for life, but for me, it's a wonderful motivator.
I started a challenge for myself: #7DaysHealthy, where I'm adding on one new, small, healthy habits every single week. First was 93 ounces of water, then stretching, and this past week was to walk 10,000 steps a day. I'll get into how I did on the challenge in a bit, but first I wanted to review my new favorite sidekick: Franklin the FitBit.
Yes, I named it.
And this is in no way sponsored. Not even a little bit.
I have the FitBit Charge HR. That means it tracks my heart rate in addition to calories burned, steps taken, hours slept, stairs climbed, and miles walked. Before the Charge, I had the FitBit flex. I wore it on my hip and it manly just tracked my steps, so this is a big step up from what I had before.
The design of the FitBit Charge HR is a bit clunky, I'd like it to be a little slimmer. But it's comfortable to wear and I hardly notice it most of the time. The clasp makes it easy to put on my wrist and I can adjust how tight or loose to wear it.
I really like the FitBit app for my phone. It makes it easy to see just what I've accomplished and what goals I've hit. When I'm working out I like to check my heart rate to see what zone I'm in: fat burning, cardio, or peak. It helps me gauge if I need to push harder or not. I'm not entirely sure how accurate the FitBit is about tracking calories burned but it's nice to check
Here's a look at how many steps I've taken for the past two weeks (so you can see I'm actually telling the truth about hitting 10k steps a day.) I really like how FitBit vibrates when you've hit 10,000.
As far as support goes, I am blow away. I was having a problem with my FitBit and I chatted with online support. Within minutes they let me know that I needed a new FitBit and sent one my way. I charge the battery about every 5 days, and it usually only takes about 15 minutes or so to become fully charged.
Bottom line: I love my FitBit. I think it's a wonderful motivator and I really like being able to see if I'm actually hitting my fitness goals.
No on to this week's challenge: Walk 10,000 steps every day (70,000 steps for the week.)
What I felt:
Awesome. It was a great reminder to get up and move. I exceeded my goal by almost 3,000 steps every day (my average was about 13k steps a day.) Since having the FitBit I've been trying to hit my goal of 10,000 steps but hitting it for 7 days in a row shows me how often I sit.
How hard was it?
I had to set reminders for myself to get up and move. I work from home, so I got up and ran around my yard every few hours. I did jumping jacks waiting for my soup to heat up in the microwave. I parked farther away. All these things really helped. I also walk/job thoughout the week which was the biggest way I earned steps. Hitting 10,000 steps a day is not easy. Especially if you have a desk job. But it's not healthy to sit for 4 hours straight so I need to make an effort to move more.
Any changes?
I don't think this will necessarily help me greatlylose weight, but it's a good practice to move more. I did avoid some exercises (biking) because I knew I wouldn't have my steps counted. I think I need to get over that.
Will I keep it up?
I'm really going to try. I know that 10,000 is my goal and the FitBit makes a sad face if I don't hit that. Which honestly, is a big factor for getting my butt in gear. It's a good way to keep me accountable and remind me to move.
The next challenge: Next week is Easter, which in my family's house means candy. But I'm really going to try to eat healthy and stick to under 1500 calories a day no matter what. I think I'm doing well with staying active, but choosing the right foods is something I've always struggled with.
