New Rule: 250 Steps An Hour

May 5, 2016 — benefit, data, exercise, fitbit, Sleep, weight loss

calories in

During my month as a poet I lost count of calories. They (the calories) did not forget about me. The extras have lodged themselves around my waist, as my jeans alerted me this week. I need to get back on track, and Fitbit has improved my ability to do so.  This morning Fitbit informed me that since our relationship began I have walked 1,997 miles, which means now I am over 2000 miles charted, graphed and tracked for my information.

While I have been wearing the device my needs have changed over time, and my involvement with recording data has varied from close attention to nothing.  I used to record my water drinking and all my food, as well as my water exercise when the Fitbit was not on my wrist.  My enthusiasm for this lagged and my need to get sounder sleep became the most urgent need I had.  During our time of doggie hospice last year I had to get up many times during the night, and I was very upset about the end of our dog’s life.  My sleep, usually my finest talent, had gone to hell.  The sleep recording feature of my device became a real help as I tried different methods of improving my sleep.  I figured out that honey before bed and during the night when I let the dog out seriously helped the ability to rest soundly.

Now I am back to being a star sleeper, but need to get back on track with a healthy weight loss program.  New aspects of the feedback are helping me do that very effectively.  In order to decrease the evils inflicted upon us by the sedentary life the new rule is to move at least 250 steps each hour.  My daily goal is 10,000 steps, so obviously I need to move more than 250 steps some hours.  The reminder to log those 250 steps gets me up from my desk or the evening news and gets me to move.  It only takes about 2 minutes to take 250 steps.  I find that once I have started to move I end up moving for at least 1000 steps before returning to my seat.  At the end of the day there is a very helpful chart with active versus sedentary time spent.  At 11:30 am I show 37% active and 63% stationary.  I also can see a comparison between todays active total and my 30 day average.  In the past when I finished my daily goal I felt free to let sloth take over the agenda for the rest of my day. Now I feel the need to get my 250 steps every hour and move that ratio of active/stationary in favor the more movement.

There is news on the calorie front as well.  The dashboard now calculates not only the calories burned but also calories left to be burned.  If food is logged there is also a comparison of calories consumed vs those burned.   This is why I need to begin to record my diet again.  I find it very helpful to see how many calories I still need to use to come out even for the day. Right now, although I have finished 10,605 steps, my calories are not yet half used…1,098 burned, 1380 still remain to be spent. New research shows that short intense blasts of exercise achieve much more than had previously been believed. I have  new thoughts on this matter.  I am going to concentrate on making sure I get in 250 steps during my waking hours, with an emphasis on sprinting.  I think what is best for my body is a hard aerobic sprint every hour, and I now have the tools to remind me and reward me for this behavior. I am highly motivated by charts. Lucky me.  I plan to sync my data as well as my attention to Fitbit for the greatest benefit.  Do you use a tracking device, gentle reader?  What do you like best about it?

Dashboard 2016-05-05 at 11.55.55 AM