It's been a week since I started the EmpowHER BodyMedia FITness challenge. To recap, here were my goals for the challenge:
Here's how I fared.
My Walking Progress
Unfortunately, this Minnesota weather has not been kind to me--but I did manage to go for a daily walk twice last week. I bundled up the best I could and walked two miles. The rest of the week I played it safe and stayed inside. The weather stayed near 0 for most of the week.
When I did walk, I definitely felt better--the extra activity helped de-stress me and motivated me to work harder later throughout the day. It acted as a sort of mini energy boost for me. Do you notice you also feel more energetic after a walk?
My plan of attack this week is the same--try to aim for a daily walk, if weather permits. Luckily this cold wave is dying out, and my local news station reports it will stay in the upper 30s for the rest of the week. No snow in sight either. You can bet I'll be hitting that pavement.
I'm also going to be quite busy today, so I expect my energy expenditure to go up. I have tickets to Gigantour, so I'll wait in line and rock out for a couple of hours while I see Megadeth and Motorhead live. Yes, that's right--I get to see Dave Mustaine play on Valentine's Day!
Yeeeeahhhhh! (© Thomas Good / NLN) |
Progress: Have More Active Weekends
Unfortunately, I also ran into problems here--but I definitely want to change that. It was bitterly cold during the weekend and I was unsure of how I could be more active. A friend also invited me to hang out at a bar--not exactly a high-paced activity--and insisted on hanging out at home listening to music instead of doing something active. So, little activity there. But I did socialize and have a good time.
My plan of attack this week is to figure out ways I can be more active even when the weather isn't ideal. So far, I have two ideas in mind: Buying a new dance mat so I can play Dance Dance Revolution (I used to kill at this game) or go to the Mall of America, where I can walk around and stay active. Of course, I'll try to make sure my route doesn't lead to Cinnabon like it did last time--too much sugar gives me a headache!
Gun show in progress. |
My Current Measurements
I wanted to lose at least 0.25 inches per week from my waist, since the scale weight can fluctuate for so many reasons. Body measurements are concrete and don't fluctuate as much as the scale.
I'm happy to report that I lost 0.5 inches from my waist this week. Even with less activity, I'm still getting leaner, which is a great thing. Imagine how much leaner I'll get once I amp up the exercise. I want to emphasize that I'm not starving myself--I'm eating a balanced, healthy diet and rarely feel hungry. I'm not going out of my way to restrict, but I am making sure to eat a lot of veggies, grains, and meat. Yum yum.
Other Goals
Now that I've been wearing my BodyMedia Fit for a week, I can see that I'm really not that active during the day. At the most, I walk around 7000 steps per day--that's with a daily walk--and I want to aim for around 10,000 steps instead. I can increase this by walking longer.
The BodyMedia Fit is also really kicking my butt into gear, since seeing how little I actually move is putting me into reality check mode. It's really hard to be active when you work a sedentary job, but I will do my hardest to change that.
For now, you can check my progress on my Facebook page or Twitter--I encourage you to join me there. I also encourage you to try the BodyMedia FIT for yourself and join me on my journey to becoming more active!
About the BodyMedia FIT
BodyMedia FIT automatically tracks the calories burned during your daily activities — from pumping iron to using an iron — and monitors the quality of your sleep, an important factor in weight loss. Add in the easy-to-use food log and you have the information you need to improve your weight loss.
The 3 part system includes:
1. An Armband that automatically captures data
2. An optional Display device or free downloadable mobile apps that give you up-to-the-minute readings throughout the day
3. An online Activity Manager* that analyzes raw data, allows you to log food and presents info in an easy-to-understand way (*subscription required)
Disclosure: Device and accompanying online Activity Manager subscription was provided by BodyMedia via EmpowHER. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of BodyMedia or EmpowHER.