This post is completely unsolicited and not in any way endorsed by anyone other than me. I'm just passionate about getting moving and getting credit for it (beyond that which I get from my body).
Do you have a Fitbit? Or some other type of fitness tracker such as Nike+, RunKeeper, etc? There's someone out there to give us credit for our activities! My husband found this and passed it on, so I figured I'd share it here, as well.
If you sync your account on Earndit, you'll earn points for all your movin' and groovin' that are redeemable for various gift cards and the like. They support several different trackers beyond what I listed above. If you exercise on a regular basis, the credits add up fast. I've already earned my first reward!
If you've never heard of Fitbit, I absolutely love mine. I was an early adopter the moment they first rolled off the assembly line (minus a little time where I, um, dropped it down a subway grate and needed to replace it... shhhh...), but don't regret it a bit. It's a pedometer, altimeter (in the newer model), sleep tracker and overall fitness tracker in a tiny little device you can either clip on your waistband or just leave in your pocket. It uses similar technology as the Wii motion sensors and is pretty darn accurate. We upgraded to the newer model last Christmas (thanks to my awesome in-laws) and are really happy with them.
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Friday, August 6, 2010
She Likes to Move It, Move It
My eating hasn't been perfect lately, but my amount of exercise has really grown. I haven't gained weight, but haven't lost either, and my sugar has been getting a little better again. My body doesn't like the heat much, and we've had the hottest summer on record, so the health improvements have been slow going, but still in the right direction.
Yesterday, I went to an amusement park with friends to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was easy to shy away from funnel cakes, cotton candy and the like. I did have a corn dog, but in the big picture, it's one of the better "bad" things one could consume (It was worth absolutely every bite). I did stick to a mostly healthy lunch, opting for a fresh BLT on whole wheat, rather than a greasy cheeseburger or the like. I was happy it was an option. I purposely left my fitbit at home (a few words: water rides, loopy coasters and loose pockets), but my feet are estimating we did around 7 miles or more. There was some standing, too, but the lines were surprisingly short. For optimal survival, I also brought some peanuts, beef jerky (super lean, peppery and MSG-free) and a cereal bar, just in case there weren't decent options for snacks, and to ensure level blood sugar. I did hit a super low at one point, because time was going quickly and I wasn't mindful of timing out the snacks, but the rest of the day was fine. I kept a better eye on the time, etc. I also made sure to stay hydrated.
We opted to have late dinner in the city, instead of at the park, which opened up much better options. I had a bowl of chilled tomato soup (smoother than gazpacho, still fresh tasting), salad and quiche lorraine (happily lacking a lot of crust) at a favorite little casual French bistro (I was relieved it was too hot for a croque monsieur, which is usually tough to turn down). It was all followed by a small scoop of pear sorbet for dessert. There were two scoops of sorbet, but it was easy to only eat half.
Overall, my walking has increased. I've been averaging about 6+ miles a day (my goal is 4) and working in some resistance work less than I should, but more than I've been doing the past couple of months. Today, I only got in a couple of miles, but I deserve it after the last few days. It's good to let your body recover from a tough day once and a while.
Yesterday, I went to an amusement park with friends to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was easy to shy away from funnel cakes, cotton candy and the like. I did have a corn dog, but in the big picture, it's one of the better "bad" things one could consume (It was worth absolutely every bite). I did stick to a mostly healthy lunch, opting for a fresh BLT on whole wheat, rather than a greasy cheeseburger or the like. I was happy it was an option. I purposely left my fitbit at home (a few words: water rides, loopy coasters and loose pockets), but my feet are estimating we did around 7 miles or more. There was some standing, too, but the lines were surprisingly short. For optimal survival, I also brought some peanuts, beef jerky (super lean, peppery and MSG-free) and a cereal bar, just in case there weren't decent options for snacks, and to ensure level blood sugar. I did hit a super low at one point, because time was going quickly and I wasn't mindful of timing out the snacks, but the rest of the day was fine. I kept a better eye on the time, etc. I also made sure to stay hydrated.
We opted to have late dinner in the city, instead of at the park, which opened up much better options. I had a bowl of chilled tomato soup (smoother than gazpacho, still fresh tasting), salad and quiche lorraine (happily lacking a lot of crust) at a favorite little casual French bistro (I was relieved it was too hot for a croque monsieur, which is usually tough to turn down). It was all followed by a small scoop of pear sorbet for dessert. There were two scoops of sorbet, but it was easy to only eat half.
Overall, my walking has increased. I've been averaging about 6+ miles a day (my goal is 4) and working in some resistance work less than I should, but more than I've been doing the past couple of months. Today, I only got in a couple of miles, but I deserve it after the last few days. It's good to let your body recover from a tough day once and a while.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
With a Little Bit, With a Little Bit
I've had enough time with my Fitbit now to really properly review this handy little gadget.
Since I lost my last one to poor clipping on my waistband, I've been carrying it in my pocket throughout the day (when I have pockets). Surprisingly, it seems to pick up my steps just as accurately. I've done step counts in my head then verified against my Fitbit and they were spot on. Even in my pocket, since it's such a small, light device, I reach down several times a day to make sure it's still there.
Another positive is the silent encouragement and on-the-fly stats. There are several readouts on the small LED display, where you can view steps taken, miles accumulated and calories burned thus far (including just by breathing). One of the screens is a simple daisy. It grows and shrinks with movement and movement intensity. I love seeing how many leaves I can accumulate. Such a small thing, but I'll take any incentive I can get! I also have to wonder if the 11-leaf maximum is a Spinal Tap reference (another in the "plus" column).
I like their related support site, for the most part. This is where you manually log anything the Fitbit doesn't capture, as well as review the charts and graphs of what it does gather. It's easy to use and their food library grows as their user base does. Adding new food is also simple, and you have the option of just logging straight calories or add more in-depth nutritional info. You can save favorites for both food and activities, speeding up the process.
Keeping a sleep log has been very interesting. I like seeing my sleep patterns over time, as well as keeping an eye on nights where I seem to be particularly still or active. Having a long history of insomnia (which I tend to have more under control these days), it's nice to know. Also, in dealing with chronic pain, I get to see how that affects my slumber, as well.
My only real complaint about the site is in logging activities (other than walking/running, which are automatic). They do need to be entered manually, since it would be difficult for any one gadget to record multiple types of activity. That doesn't bother me in the least, but there isn't a Search function for activities (like there is for food). Their existing exercise list is limited, though slowly growing, and it can take some doing to guess under what category something like yoga would be listed (by the way, if you're looking on the site, it's with "stretching").
There are a few items on my "nice to have" list, though not deal breakers in the least. I love that I can keep everything in one place (foods, movement, weight), but would love to be able to export the data for other uses (such as perhaps sharing on my blog to avoid double duty).
So, for just the device itself, I give it an A+. Overall, though, when weighing the complete package, support site included, I give it an A-.
Since I lost my last one to poor clipping on my waistband, I've been carrying it in my pocket throughout the day (when I have pockets). Surprisingly, it seems to pick up my steps just as accurately. I've done step counts in my head then verified against my Fitbit and they were spot on. Even in my pocket, since it's such a small, light device, I reach down several times a day to make sure it's still there.
Another positive is the silent encouragement and on-the-fly stats. There are several readouts on the small LED display, where you can view steps taken, miles accumulated and calories burned thus far (including just by breathing). One of the screens is a simple daisy. It grows and shrinks with movement and movement intensity. I love seeing how many leaves I can accumulate. Such a small thing, but I'll take any incentive I can get! I also have to wonder if the 11-leaf maximum is a Spinal Tap reference (another in the "plus" column).
I like their related support site, for the most part. This is where you manually log anything the Fitbit doesn't capture, as well as review the charts and graphs of what it does gather. It's easy to use and their food library grows as their user base does. Adding new food is also simple, and you have the option of just logging straight calories or add more in-depth nutritional info. You can save favorites for both food and activities, speeding up the process.
Keeping a sleep log has been very interesting. I like seeing my sleep patterns over time, as well as keeping an eye on nights where I seem to be particularly still or active. Having a long history of insomnia (which I tend to have more under control these days), it's nice to know. Also, in dealing with chronic pain, I get to see how that affects my slumber, as well.
My only real complaint about the site is in logging activities (other than walking/running, which are automatic). They do need to be entered manually, since it would be difficult for any one gadget to record multiple types of activity. That doesn't bother me in the least, but there isn't a Search function for activities (like there is for food). Their existing exercise list is limited, though slowly growing, and it can take some doing to guess under what category something like yoga would be listed (by the way, if you're looking on the site, it's with "stretching").
There are a few items on my "nice to have" list, though not deal breakers in the least. I love that I can keep everything in one place (foods, movement, weight), but would love to be able to export the data for other uses (such as perhaps sharing on my blog to avoid double duty).
So, for just the device itself, I give it an A+. Overall, though, when weighing the complete package, support site included, I give it an A-.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Moving Right Along
I got full use of the Fitbit today. I consumed approximately 1812 calories and burned 3094 so far (I still have about an hour of breathing left in the day). In that, I walked 5.6 miles and 12480 steps. I was "very active" for 1 hour, 13 min and "fairly active" for 1 hr 42 minutes. The beauty of living in a walking city is that it was pretty much a normal Saturday. The weather was warm, so walking was easy as I ran errands and such.
Dinner was at Sandro's. Yum! Fresh cherry tomatoes with creamy buffalo mozzarella and a snapper fillet with shrimp, clams and mussels.
Here's hoping I sleep better than last night. That wasn't as good as my exercise. I'm really tired, though, and have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.
Dinner was at Sandro's. Yum! Fresh cherry tomatoes with creamy buffalo mozzarella and a snapper fillet with shrimp, clams and mussels.
Here's hoping I sleep better than last night. That wasn't as good as my exercise. I'm really tired, though, and have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Fitbit!
I finally got my Fitbit in the mail today! This is my second one, having lost my first one down a subway grate less than a week after receiving it, so I've been anxiously awaiting the new one. Apparently, there were some production issues along the way, so it's taken 4 months. Anyway, I've got it now and will do my best to hang on to this one.
Ironically, today wasn't especially active. I did some cleaning and laundry, but didn't get in very much of a walk (which was while my Fitbit was charging, so I didn't even have it with me).
My cold is still hanging on, which wasn't especially convenient for an evening at the theatre. Thankfully, there were enough applause breaks during which I could cough.
Ironically, today wasn't especially active. I did some cleaning and laundry, but didn't get in very much of a walk (which was while my Fitbit was charging, so I didn't even have it with me).
My cold is still hanging on, which wasn't especially convenient for an evening at the theatre. Thankfully, there were enough applause breaks during which I could cough.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Move It, Move It
Another couple pounds down. I had plateaued for a little bit, so it's nice to finally be on the move in the right direction again. I'm so close to 50 lbs. down I can taste it!
My cold is still in the background, but not too terrible. I feel it headed toward my lungs, though. Meh. A big shout out to Breathe Right strips able to do things that Sudafed hasn't. A hot bath with eucalyptus oil helped a bit, too.
My cold is still in the background, but not too terrible. I feel it headed toward my lungs, though. Meh. A big shout out to Breathe Right strips able to do things that Sudafed hasn't. A hot bath with eucalyptus oil helped a bit, too.
Breakfast:
Pomegranate berry yogurt (SO good- it's moving to regular rotation, though it's not sold everywhere) and a protein cookie
Lunch:
Tuna salad (light mayo, scallion, granny smith apple, water-packed tuna) on whole wheat and an orange
Afternoon snack:
Fresh, ripe pear
Many sugar-free lemon cough drops
Dinner:
I planned on veggie tacos, but just didn't have it in me to cook or eat. So, I nuked a hot dog and called it a day.
Yesterday:
Breakfast:
Egg sandwich with cheese on wheat
Lunch:
Asian salad from Applebee's under-550 calorie menu (we were in a chain-land part of Brooklyn), without almonds
Snack:
Vanilla yogurt
Dinner:
Turkey burger, red wedge potatoes
Afternoon snack:
Fresh, ripe pear
Many sugar-free lemon cough drops
Dinner:
I planned on veggie tacos, but just didn't have it in me to cook or eat. So, I nuked a hot dog and called it a day.
Yesterday:
Breakfast:
Egg sandwich with cheese on wheat
Lunch:
Asian salad from Applebee's under-550 calorie menu (we were in a chain-land part of Brooklyn), without almonds
Snack:
Vanilla yogurt
Dinner:
Turkey burger, red wedge potatoes
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