Tag: #Fitbit

The first of each month brings a bit of angst as it is the day that I weigh myself.  The morning of, I get up, drink nothing, use the restroom and then step on my digital scale.  Its display celebrates waking up – pixels dancing and blinking as it reads my mass and body fat before it delivers the news.   It then instructs me to “step off” as if it can’t bear the weight of the beast that prods it out of its slumber.  Once relieved of its burden, the numbers flash and deliver what I hope to be a reward for all the hard work that I’ve put in at the gym.   On March 1, the news was….wait, let me explain.

Before I share the results, and you have probably deduced that I am not blown away by them, let me share how much work I am putting in.  I have a personal trainer twice a week, I hit the gym for cardio at least three more times a week and have largely cut all sugar and carbs out of my diet.  I have practically become a teetotaler and only have a few glasses of wine once a week, at best.  But those damn numbers barely freaking moved.

ONE.  Uno. Eins. Ichi.   I lost one additional pound and one percentage of body fat in the month of February.  That’s it.  As of March 1, 2017 I clocked in at 232 and 29%.

This is where everyone tells me that muscle weighs more than fat and I shouldn’t be focused on the numbers.  As my British friends say, BOLLOCKS.  I have 10 months to get rid of 32 more.  Numbers don’t lie, but they don’t always tell the entire truth.

Despite the minimal weight loss,  I CAN see changes in my body, my new jeans are already loose and people that haven’t seen me often have mentioned that I look thinner.  I also FEEL better and I actually enjoy the gym.

But I really, really, really want my digital scorekeeper to deliver better news on April 1 so I have upped my cardio to an hour each time and this past week, I took part in an obsessive FitBit-driven “Workweek Challenge” with my colleagues.  I didn’t win but I’ll be damned if it didn’t push me to move a LOT more.

Next week is vacation.  The goal is to maintain the pace and keep moving towards being #Fitat50.

January 19, 2017

So, I am wrapping up week three of my #Fitat50 quest and I decided to share an epiphany I had this morning: it is sooooo much easier to be overweight than it is to be in shape! Easier in that there are no early morning workouts, no worry about the carb count in your meals and wine is justified as heart healthy and therefore good for me no matter the amount.

Despite me stating the obvious above, I have been quite successful on the quest thus far. I’m eating clean, staying away from booze, achieving my 10,000 step goal every day on my Fitbit and I am hitting the gym more consistently than ever. I’ve even hired a trainer!

The results thus far are encouraging. Despite warnings not to weigh myself too often I bought the scale that syncs with my Fitbit account. I’m going to weigh myself every Friday morning and report out on a monthly basis. Let’s just say I am “on track” for my goal and I am looking forward to sharing the numbers after a month.

What I Have Learned Thus Far

The biggest surprise to date is that people are actually reading my blog – or at least my posts on twitter and facebook.  I’ve had numerous messages of encouragement and a few even thanking me for “putting this out there” in a way that inspired them.  For me, that alone makes it worthwhile.  Oh yeah, and the fact that I’d like to feel better and die looking good 😉

I’ve also really tuned into what drives me – accountability and competition.  This blog is proof that I want to be held accountable and that keeps me on track.  Competition in form of challenges on Fitbit is an even more potent catalyst. I forgot how much I like to win and checking in on how I stack up to my friends on Fitbit and taking part in weekly challenges is fun and effective as hell for me. Whatever it takes, right?

My Biggest Challenges – Travel and Portions

2017 begin with three weeks of no business travel.  For me, this is unheard of.  The honeymoon is over starting next week as I start a 2.5 week slog on the road.  I am worried that being away will make it difficult to get my workouts in.  I’ve booked hotels near gyms and when that is not available I’ve recruited colleagues to commit to help me feed the Fitbit on a daily basis.   It won’t be easy but I will do my best.  I’m open to any suggestions from you all on how to stay on track.

The other issue I have noticed is portion control.  Baked chicken breast on a bed of salad with a drizzle of dressing is a good meal but TWO baked chicken breasts per meal is probably breaking my calorie count for the day.  All this exercise is making me HUNGRY.  What I do NOT want to do is start weighing my food and counting calories for every damn thing I eat.  That is just too much for me.  So for now, I am relying on willpower.  If the month-end numbers aren’t good, I may have to revisit.  In the meantime, I supplement with a meal replacement shake for breakfast, small high-protein snacks during the day and lots and LOTS of water.

Wish me luck!

Before starting on my quest to be #Fitat50, I shared my goal with my partner Steve.  I knew he would be supportive but I forgot how great of a gift giver he is.  So when I opened my presents at Christmas, I found a Fitbit Charge 2 under the tree. I am officially obsessed!  Continue reading “Fitbit 2 – My Guardian Devil”