Nowadays, life is all about balance. Balance is something I struggle to achieve! Trying to stay fit, trying to eat right, trying to balance work and family life and, yes, trying to get out of bed every morning!
I currently weigh 206 pounds, I’m 5′ 5″ and I’m 27 years old. I have a boyfriend and a seven year old ‘stepdaughter’. I’m a team leader in a big supermarket and I work upwards of 40 hours a week. Two of those things I can’t change, and two of those things I don’t want to. That leaves two that I’d love to change.
I have struggled with my weight since I was old enough to understand that it is a struggle. I was a skinny seven year old and then, suddenly, I was a chubby ten year old. I was a healthy sixteen year old then, over the course of college and my failed attempt at university, I ballooned. I mean, BALLOONED. At my heaviest, I was around 250 pounds. No matter how much I tried to convince myself I was happy then, I can look back now and realise that I wasn’t even one bit.
Since then, I’ve never been that heavy but I’ve yoyo-ed between my lightest (196) and about 230. Every time I reach that ‘lightest’ weight, I seem to bounce right back up again. I go on a great holiday, I suddenly have six big social engagements in three weeks or I have a tough time at work. It’s not that I comfort eat any more, I just lose focus on that goal of losing weight.
Keeping a hold on my focus is my number one challenge. That’s where the FitBit came in. A colleague has worn one for around 18 months and could not stop raving about it. So I thought I’d try one out. At £70 (from Amazon, it’s £79.99 on the FitBit website), the FitBit One is pricey. However, I can assure you that I’ve never bought anything more worth the money. It tracks sleep, steps, exercise and food and it has the best platform that I’ve used. The app and the software work seamlessly and I’ve never had a single issue with the Bluetooth connection that allows you to sync your steps with the app on the go.
FitBit links with MyFitnessPal, which I use to track my calories (the FitBit tracker is great but I’ve been using MFP for a number of years). Every time I sync my steps, it updates MFP with the number of calories I’ve burned. Seeing those figures gives me such a boost! When I’m at work, having a busy and stressful day, the knowledge that I’m burning all those calories keeps me going. A day at work burns as many as an aerobics class. Imagine, if I worked all day and did an aerobics class as well? There’s my focus, right there.
The biggest contributor to my recent lack of focus was breaking my FitBit whilst on holiday at the start of May. I’ve gained 8 pounds this month, and I’m putting it down to losing that constant awareness of the progress I’m making. I was so demotivated that it took me three weeks just to organise a replacement…BUT…on Thursday, I shall have a brand spanking new FitBit and I intend to get back on track!
This blog has sat here since 2008 and I’ve done nothing to it. WELL. No more. Follow my journey. Yell, encourage, slap me if I do no exercise and eat all day. Comment, share your experiences and PLEASE tell me about your FitBit! Share your tips; I especially love hearing about yummy food that I can try, as long as it’s healthy.
Let’s GO!
F is for... 