The Fitbit

I really am not that much of a consumer. If places of businesses had to rely on me to make money they would soon starve because I do not shop. But there is one recent product that I have bought that is making a difference in my life.

The Fitbit.

I selected the Fitbit Charge (without the heart monitor). Initially, I wanted to see how many steps I take in a day, and although I tried pedometers, etc., they never seemed to really work for me. What I am finding is amazing.

I have the fitbit synchronized to my smart phone and I can now say I am obsessive at checking the stats, and I am constantly putting in my food and water intake.

My fitbit counts every step I take and even though I know I should walk 10,000 steps a day, so far I can not get in that many steps. I average anywhere between 6,000 and 8,000 steps a day, even when I have the recommended 30 minutes of active minutes.With this data it also tells me how many miles I walk in a day and how many calories I have burned by the activity level. It also tracks floors that I walk, and I have only had that shown a couple of days since I have had the fitbit.

I got the fitbit February 24, so I have approximately 1 month of wear.


Once I input my food, it also tells me if I am in zone or if am over or under for my caloric count for the day. Everything resets at midnight. I also register how much water I drink. Here, I thought I was drinking tons of water a day, and I am really not getting in the 8 required glasses. I am averaging 6-7 glasses a day, so I am consciously trying to increase that level.

Since I am trying to lose a few pounds (I lost 5 pounds this week by simply tracking everything), I needed to find out my percentage of body fat. I searched the internet and did find a site that helped me calculate my body fat. Go to www.active.com. Follow their directions for calculating the body fat, and it will give a good estimation. I believe you can also calculate your BMI on this site, too.

Finally, and this is what I find really amazing. I wear the fitbit to bed and it tracks my sleep. It tells me how long I sleep and when I am restless and when I am awake during the night. What I have found is that I thought I was getting about 8-9 hours of sleep a night, and in reality, I am averaging about 7 1/2 hours a night. And the really restless nights for me are averaging between 6 and 7 hours.

What it has really shown me is what I think and what is reality are two different things. I do believe that with this device and some effort on my part, I can change my body and my health. Which is very good, by the way.

This is not a paid advertisement. I am simply excited about this product. You will find with me that I rarely am excited about a product, and I am on this one. I wanted to share this with you and everyone I talk to.

That is what this blog is all about. Change. And this one device is helping me change another part of my life.

Until next week...have a great weekend.