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Sometimes you when you receive a tech product doing a review isn’t as straight forward as spending hours with it and then weighing up the pro’s and con’s. When it comes to something like the Fitbit Charge HR, the only real way to test it out is to use it constantly, assessing it over time to see whether it not only gets results but keeps you motivated.
When I first received the Fitbit Charge HR I did a Day 1 post, I had set up a Food plan, started using the stairs at work and even went for a lunchtime stroll. Here we are in Week 2 of life with a Fitbit Charge HR and it continues to surprise me…
Never before have I been so aware of how I am tracking from a fitness perspective. Even when I was going to the gym 5 times a week and running I knew I was improving but didn’t really have a gauge of it, nor did I have a complete picture of where my calories are at. Throughout the day I am picking up my phone to see how I’m tracking for the day. When I eat or drink something I log it, at any given moment I can see how many calories I have burned and how many I have eaten.
To drop the extra 9 KG’s I was lugging around I went for the hardest plan that Fitbit let me do. The plan is a 1,000 calorie a day deficit, it’s not for the faint hearted and should only be used over the very short term. Fitbit has made me so mindful of what I’m eating and where I’m at on the calorie count. So far there have only been three days where I have gone over the target but I’m proud to say that even on those days I was able to maintain a calorie deficit. If I get to the afternoon or early evening and I’m getting a bit too close for comfort I go out for an extra walk just to make a few extra calories available for dinner.
Restricting calories is one thing but to really get the benefit of Fitbit it requires hitting the pavement and getting that step count going. The change to day to day like has been profound. I have started getting off the bus a few stops earlier and walking further to get to work. I try and get out at lunchtime (when time allows) to go for a walk around the block. I’ve even laced up the runners and gone for a run on days where I have worked form home and thus have barely moved. The goal is 10,000 steps a day but I must that whilst I have come close on numerous occasions, I continue to fall short of the magic mark. It’s amazing how much walking it takes to get to 10,000 steps! Last night the weather was poor and I was sitting on the couch. I glanced at Fitbit and saw that my step counter was at 7,692 and then and there I decided tonight was the night I broke the 10,000 step barrier. Not wanting to go outside there was only one way to get there… I literally walked around the house, back and forth until I got to 10,000 steps! Not the most exciting way to get there but I got there and Fitbit rewarded me by buzzing wildly and even emailing me the congratulations.
That takes me to my next point, I love the notification emails. It’s not overly spammy, instead sending an email when you reach a milestone (like getting to 10,000 steps the first time or having walked the equivalent of a marathon since you first put the Fitbit on). It also sends out weekly progress reports which is a great snapshot of how the past week has gone. I get a real sense of achievement when I get a new email, it’s a nice touch to get that recognition when a milestone is reached, it makes the whole process more personable and feels like Fitbit really cares about the progress.
Now the moment of truth…How has the weight loss gone? Much better than I expected at this point in time. Watching my calories and getting active has lead to me going from 104 KG’s to 100KG’s in the space of 10 days! I really couldn’t believe how much progress I had made in such a short space of time. I’m ahead of where I though I would be and I’m stoked! Fitbit continues to motivate and push me to get active and be healthy. I have been there before though and the motivation fades, this time with the help of Fitbit Charge HR I really feel like the change will be permanent. The next step is to add some weight training in there to ensure some muscle development as well as cardio improvement. Tune in next week to see if I’m still progressing.{:}