I know we're less than 90 days into 2014, so all results should be taken with a grain of salt, but it may be time to go shopping for some smaller pants. A lot of the credit goes to a new exercise gadget I got for Christmas... and the effect it's had on my diet!
I've never considered myself to be particularly fat, but these days I'm accepting the reality that I'm not in the shape I'd like to be and I'm definitely carrying a little extra mass around my midsection. At the end of 2013 I realized that my BMI had escalated to the "overweight" category. Just barely, and it's easy to make excuses (I can't honestly imagine it would be "healthy" to weigh 140 pounds at my height), but the fact of the matter is I'd like to do better. The spark for change happened when I strapped on my Fitbit Flex.
At its core a Fitbit lets you know how much you move. They have a wide variety of products that all help you keep track of your movement. The general consensus is that we should all get at least 10,000 steps a day in our pursuit of optimum health. A Fitbit helps you keep track. The model I have, the Fitbit Flex, slips into a band that attaches to my wrist. In addition to steps, it can track active minutes (time spent in motion), calories burned and time spent asleep.
Where things really started getting interesting for me was when I took a closer look at the Fitbit app that corresponded with my device. In addition to seeing all my stats in real-time the app allows me to manually record other exercise activities, the food I've eaten, how much water I drink and my weight. You can set a weight loss goal and get a real-time scale of recommended calories based on what you've eaten and how active you've been that day.
Ouch.
Apparently there's been this nutrition information on all the food I eat, but I never had any context for what the numbers meant. Obviously a 300 calorie latte is better for me than a 500 calorie latte... and a candy bar is just a snack, so 250 calories must not be very much, right? Wrong! Turns out that candy bar ends up being nearly 1/2 a meal's worth of calories. Let alone the major hits to my eating budget that gourmet espresso beverage can pack. But there's good news as well. Getting the extra 2,000-3,000 steps I need to reach 10,000 for the day helps me earn enough calories to offset one of these indulgences during the day. And opting for more salads, whole grains and steering away from bread and (as much as it pains me to say it) cheese can really lead to some results.
Since Christmas time I'm down almost 15 pounds, which was my original goal, but now I'd like to drop about five more. By having the acceptability of recording my food choices I find myself eating better and smarter. There are still days where I blow it, and sometimes you need that caloric bomb... or so it seems. But keeping track encourages me to make those days the exception, as opposed to the rule.
Over the past 5-7 years I've been better about my exercise regimen. The Nike+ sensor for my shoes/ipod helped me get excited about running and see how getting in shape could make me feel better. I've always figured I'd rather exercise twice as much as opposed to eating half as much. But more and more I'm seeing how diet and exercise really do go hand in hand. It's something the experts will tell you, but some things you just have to figure out for yourself. Making good food choices and being proactive with exercise may lead me to the quality of life I've been looking for.
So maybe I'll hold off on buying all those new pairs of pants. Or maybe just one for now. We'll see if this change can stick... and if I can build on it to move further toward a healthier and fitter me. For now, I can double-tap my Fitbit and see that I'll be taking the dog for a long walk tonight, and look forward to trying out some new lentil curry recipes.
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