Ten Eye Opening Things I Learned About Myself By Using a
Fitbit
A friend of
mine raved about her fitbit.
And she is someone who rarely gushes so I was intrigued. I thought $100
for what essentially seemed like a pedometer was a little steep. But I
went ahead and bought it and then started using it. Immediately, I began
to learn surprising things about myself:
First , I don’t
move very much. I considered myself pretty active but when at the end of
the day the fitbit read 3000 (okay to be totally honest sometimes I didn’t
break 2000) steps it was hard to hold on to that image.
Second, I eat a
lot. I graze and generally try to stay with healthy snacks but those 50
and 100 calorie snacks really add up. A little here and there
ends up equaling a hefty amount of calories at the end of the day.
Third, my
metabolism is not the problem. I believed as I was aging and had gone
through “the change” quite early that I had as I would happily tell others,
“the metabolism of an old woman.” Turns out, I don’t. I just eat
more than I move – see above.
Fourth, I was
lying to myself. The numbers didn’t lie; but I had been less than honest
with myself for some time. One pound is roughly 3600 calories. To
make an unwanted one go away, I needed to burn that many excess calories.
At 100-500 extra calories burned a day, I needed to expend
both time and effort to achieve a 10-15 pound (taking in
less 36,000-54,000 calories than I useed) weight loss goal. It
wasn’t that “I just can’t lose those extra pounds.” I wasn’t willing to
do what the math required.
Fifth, I really
enjoy getting credit. When each step was counted, I found myself looking
for opportunities, even small ridiculous ones like walking around the moving
elevator – assuming no one else was in there – to get more steps. I
felt like a success when I hit 10,000 steps in a day and would plan where I
could get steps in as I looked at my daily schedule. Who knew that
walking back and forth during a kid’s soccer game rather than sitting in a
chair could net me 5,000 or more steps.
Sixth, I was
wrong about little changes not being enough. I used to scoff at those
suggestions to park your car far away from the store entrance. In my
head, I would say “Really, how about 45 minutes on the elliptical if you want
something to happen.” Except now, I no longer want to give up 45 minutes
of a day to something that doesn’t give me joy, help someone else, or
involve my family. And those little efforts do really add up as I found
when I looked at my total at the end of the day and the results at the end of a
few months.
Seventh, I do
have 15-30 minutes most days I can devote to walking. It may
not be all at once or the same time each day but it’s there if I look for
it. It may be taking the stairs, walking to the bathroom down the hall,
or getting my coffee from the Starbucks a few blocks away. Just that
awareness made finding it easier for me.
Eighth, I can
gain significant physical health benefits that I sorely need without making
huge changes. I lost 17 pounds over the course of nine months, had more
energy, and my blood pressure improved. Wow, why did I wait so long to
start??
Ninth, I can realize
real mental health benefits that I had not even considered by combining walking
with other things like reflecting, time with my children, or walking with a friend. As I walked with my
kids, by myself, with my dog, or with even a colleague instead of a coffee
meeting, I found new ways to connect to those I care about, more time
to wrestle with deeper questions (just being outside more lifted
my spirits in ways I would not have imagined), and even came up with solutions
to some thorny work challenges. Two of my favorite walking buddies
-- my daughter and my pup -- are pictured.
Tenth, I
really enjoy sharing when I find something powerful -- it feels like a
multiplier of the positive effect. I have told more people about fitbit
than I can count. I am still so surprised that something so small and seemingly
insignificant could have brought such profound changes and learning in my
life. I feel like I was given a gift and it would be selfish of me not to
give others the same. Give it a try, you might be surprised.
