Fitbit Data

Today was day 1 with the fitbit and I thought I'd share my data with you! This thing is so cool! It only takes 60-90 minutes to charge so I was ready to go last night! It comes with a wristband to wear at night and the data is amazingly accurate. I couldn't get comfortable last night so I wasn't surprised to see that I woke up 23 times! I did get up around 1 to take a trip to the bathroom and I forgot to shut off my alarm this morning and it went off around 5:30. All of this can be seen in my data! After showering this morning I stuck the little clip in the pocket of my jeans and every time I walk within 15 feet of my computer it automatically sends all of this data to my website! Gabi and I did some shopping at the mall today and then tried to go for a walk this evening before the rain hit. I'm pretty impressed with the 5.01 miles I walked today and I can see that I will be checking the clip regularly at school too to make sure I hit my 10,000 steps a day mark. So cool!

My New Toy

I have been working towards a healthier me the last 2 months! It is not a diet but rather a lifestyle change in my thinking, eating, and daily activities. I have said this before but I LOVE food and I do not plan on eliminating any food from my diet. They key is moderation and though I have been making healthier choices when it comes to eating I seriously slack in the exercise department! Well, as a reward for the changes I've made and in hopes to motivate me to exercise more I decided to invest in a heart rate monitor. I was doing some research online when I stumbled across this fun gadget called the fitbit! No, it is not a heart rate monitor but it definitely fits the bill as far as motivation goes so I ordered it! It arrived today and I can't wait to try it out! What does it do? The Fitbit accurately tracks your calories burned, steps taken, distance traveled and sleep quality. The Fitbit contains a 3D motion sensor like the one found in the Nintendo Wii. The Fitbit tracks your motion in three dimensions and converts this into useful information about your daily activities. The cool thing is that it has a base that plugs into your computer. Whenever you walk past your computer all of your data is automatically synced to a website. You can set goals and track them all online! The clip also has a display that shows your steps as well a flower that you can watch grow or shrink depending upon your activity level. I tend to take the elevator at work so I think this will encourage me to walk more so I can reach my goal daily. I am also fascinated with the prospect of tracking my quality of sleep. You can slide the fitbit on your wrist at night and it measures how many times you wake or move throughout the night. I can't wait to have some data to see online! Be on the lookout for some charts and graphs in upcoming blogs. I'm heading to the mall tomorrow so I better read up on my toy and charge it up!

Weight Loss Update

Well, I obviously haven't posted my weigh in for the last few weeks so you are probably wondering if I've given up! I am still here! I'll admit it has been a struggle lately. School is back in session and as department chair I have more responsibilities this year than in the past. It has been difficult to find time or the energy to work out when I get home and due to some health issues I've been pretty sedentary lately. So it seemed I hit a plateau. This morning though I was excited to step on that scale and see that I have finally broken through that plateau! I am now down a total of 13 pounds! This gave me just the motivation I needed to kick it back in gear! I had a meeting after school tonight so I packed a healthy snack and even managed a 45 minute walk when I got home. Evening meals have been my downfall so tonight I grilled chicken and had a salad and corn on the cob. I have a busy week planned but I'm going to tackle it head on! I need to start seeing a more consistent loss on the scale!

Labor Day Weekend

We had a very busy but enjoyable weekend. My sister and her family came into town and together we worked on helping Dad clean out his house. He has decided that he will sell his home since he will be moving into the Veteran's Home soon. We were finally able to move the piano to my house! I played all the way through college and growing up I couldn't pass the living room without sitting down to play a while. Sadly, I haven't played since then and was surprised to discover that I can no longer read sheet music as quickly and easily as I used to. I guess I will have to practice! After a long day of cleaning we came home, grilled and enjoyed a nice family dinner out on our new deck! It has added so much living space to our home! I will have to post pics soon! While I was in the kitchen prepping food my sister took some awesome pics of the kids outside! The pumpkins are the ones Gabi grew this summer. Rick took the largest one to work to weigh it on their big scales. The official weight of our largest pumpkin was 123.5 pounds!