Current weight: 277.2 lbs
Total weight loss: 28.6 lbs
Last week, I decided to get myself an early Christmas present: a Fitbit Alta.
This cool watch has a heart rate monitor and an associated scale that will measure my body fat percentage and wirelessly upload my data. My sister had recently gotten the same watch and loved it and she encouraged me to get one. (She also also already collected a bunch of cute, inexpensive bands for the watch…)
Got myself a Fitbit!
I was familiar with Fitbit watches since a couple of years ago I had an earlier version. At that time I got the Fitbit to start another effort to lose weight and get healthy. I would say it lasted for a few months. I lost some weight. And then gained it back. Like so many times before…
And then my Fitbit found its permanent resting place somewhere in a drawer, never to be seen again.
But anyway – this past weekend my new Fitbit arrived (yay!). The fancy scale is apparently backordered indefinitely (boo…).
Incorporating the Fitbit
The technology that is available for all these personalized health trackers really is incredible. There are so many great watches to choose from. And so much health data to collect and analyze. You have probably realized by now that I like data and numbers. I think it appeals to my nerdy side, but also gives me something to measure and follow.
Even though I didn’t have much success in the past with a fitness watch, I think my current situation is different. I have started a new wellness endeavor to change my health for good, and so far it has been going really well.
Despite the many challenges, I remain steadfastly committed to my health and wellbeing. And this time, I will use my Fitbit as one tool of many to continue in this process.
In the past, I think I was more excited just to use a watch than I was to make a lasting effort to change my health.
Here are some of the features I’m excited to use as part of this process:
1. Food tracking
I have been following a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet. While this doesn’t require me to stay under a certain number of calories, I do have to keep track of the macronutrients I eat (carbohydrates, fat, and protein).
My goal has been to stay under 50 grams of carbohydrates a day and to have at least 60% of my calories come from fat – and to track my food intake to make sure this happens.
And I’m not gonna lie – tracking food is a huge pain. But — I have been doing it! (With the exception of a few days). Using my phone and computer – I keep lists and add up the totals and then compile them on a spreadsheet. Since I eat a lot of the same foods from day to day, this isn’t as annoying as it sounds.
But the Fitbit app can do this for me! Their database of food and nutritional information is incredible, and I can add anything that’s not on there. They will track the total number of calories but most important provide the macronutrient breakdown. This should greatly streamline my process and improve my tracking.
Here is an example of my day:
2. Heart Rate
I wanted a watch with a heart rate monitor since this is one of the non-scale measurements I am monitoring as I improve my health.
Although I haven’t been focusing on exercise that much during these first 100 days, I know it’s very important for overall health and I have started to work-out more. (And yes, I use the term ‘work-out’ very loosely…)
As I start to exercise more, it will be nice to track my heart rate – both at rest (which I’ve been doing), but also with exercise.
3. Tracking Calories
I know that weight loss isn’t as simple as Calories In verses Calories Out, which seems to be what I’ve always been told. But calories must be important. Even with a low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet, I don’t think I would lose weight if the calories I consumed far exceeded the calories my body used.
Using my age, height, and weight, the Fitbit calculates my Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), or the amount of energy (calories) my body needs just to exist for the day. It looks like my current BMR is around 2,300 kcal a day.
In addition to my BMR, the Fitbit will use my heart rate to add the additional calories I need for all my activities — moving, walking, exercising, etc.
I don’t know how accurate this calorie tracking is, but it will be another consistent health measure that I can use. By tracking my food intake and calories used, I’ll have an idea of the ratio of how many calories I consume versus use.
4. Sleep tracking
The sleep tracker also seems interesting. I haven’t been focused that much on sleep, but keep reading more how important it is for weight loss and overall health.
In general, I am not a good sleeper, and part of that is my own fault. (And actually, I also partially blame Netflix — it seems that my binging behavior also extends to shows!!) But I do think I have been sleeping slightly better in the last month or so.
Having a sleep tracker will help me have an objective way to focus on my sleeping patterns and discover ways to improve them.
Keeping On Track
I’m excited to use this tool to keep on track during my wellness endeavor. As I’ve mentioned, I like data and numbers, and I’ll be sharing the information I collect along the way.
And for now, I’ll keep on tracking!:)
Day #92:
Current weight: 277.2 lbs
Total weight loss: 28.6 lbs
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