I don’t have an excuse any more. Athena is almost two years old and the extra weight that I gained during pregnancy is still holding on. Before I was pregnant, I felt good about myself, regardless of what I was wearing and I maintained an active, healthy lifestyle. I never looked at a scale because it was a non-issue and buying clothes was fun. Wow! How things have changed. I need a motivator, something to make being active fun. I go out for walks with Athena but she’s walking herself now so the distance covered has gone down drastically. Darren mentioned that he was ordering a Fitbit and the more I thought about it, I realized it was exactly what I had in mind so I asked for the Fitbit One for review. The Fitbit One tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed. Come nightfall, it measures sleep quality and wakes you in the morning. The One motivates me to reach my goals by encouraging greater fitness in my life 24 hours a day.
Today was my first day using the Fitbit One. I followed the simple steps to adding the tracking program to my computer and attached the Fitbit to my pants. At 10 am, I checked my progress. It was a rainy, windy day and we were stuck indoors so I figured it would be low.
I had already climbed 9 floors, walked 2,465 steps for a distance of 1.08 miles, burned 905 calories, and was very active for 5 minutes. I was encouraged! I wanted to reach the daily goals and I was already close to walking the 10 floors. So what did I do? I ran out to the hall, ran down the stairs, ran back up, and waited for my stats to sync. Proudly, I clicked on the “Top Badges” section and looked at my accomplishment. I received my first badge for climbing 10 floors. That little motivator was enough to make me push more all day.
By noon, I was half way to reaching all of the other daily goals. Every time I looked at the stats, I was more encouraged and more active.
Today, even though it was miserable and rainy outside, I danced more with Athena, I made extra trips up and down the stairs just to increase my stats, and I felt positive about my active involvement. Today was a successful, active day thanks to my Fitbit.
The Fitbit One has a great design, solid accuracy for steps and floors climbed, and a nice screen. It’s easy to hide and the mechanism is accurate without worrying about position. It’s rain, splash, and sweat-proof, allowing me to brave the elements. The battery life lasts for days and I can see real time progress on the graphs and charts. Being active just got a whole lot easier and more fun.
Since Darren has one as well, although it’s a different design/model, we can challenge each other, increasing our motivation even more. (If you know me at all, there is no question that I’m extremely competitive.) In addition to rooting for each other, we can compare stats and see how our progress stacks up. Today, I kicked his butt.
Game on, Darren.
Bucket List Publications 
I’ve been going back and forth about getting one of the fitbit bands. I wonder what the difference between the one and the bands are.
LikeLike
My husband has the band, which he prefers and is better technology but I didn’t want the band on my wrist all the time. I’m going to do a comparison post this week about them 🙂
If you want more information beforehand, you can go to http://www.fitbit.com/ and there are comparisons there.
Hope this helps.
Happy holidays,
Lesley
LikeLike
Just an update- I read about it and ended up getting the fitbit one- seemed to have the best reviews of the lot. :)Just got it today and excited to start with it! Hope your Christmas was merry and bright!
LikeLike
Great! Maybe we can add each other as friends for encouragement. I think if more and more people can see my daily stats, I’ll have even more reason to try harder 🙂
LikeLike
Sure- ditto for me. Let me know if and how you want to do this 🙂
LikeLike
What a cool device – if only it would wash dishes and stuff too!
LikeLike
Nah, that’s how you get your stats up 😉
LikeLike
NEVER leave home without mine. Live by it. Of course, this past week… the hospital set me back and I have just about 1,000 steps for an entire week!! Given that I had clocked 48,000+ in NYC, just before that, I’m not feeling too badly about that. 😉 It’s so helpful to see when you’re active, and when you’re not… and how that compares to what you thought!!
LikeLike
I was pleasantly surprised with what I do during the day and even more encouraged to fit more in to each hour.
Sounds like you have it down 🙂
LikeLike
Shoot. Just what I wanted and didn’t know it. I could have put it on my wish list. 😉
Never mind, I can buy one myself. Huh. I had a step counter once before but it pooped out.
LikeLike
I hesitated for too long to get one. I’m going to try to stay really optimistic about the entire situation and use it daily. 🙂
LikeLike
You inspire me to take steps (pun intended :-D)…
LikeLike
You are welcome to visit us any time of year. I’d happily host you for as long as you’d like 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you. Most generous invite. I never say never but you can never tell. 😀
LikeLike
Are you getting paid for Fit Bit by any chance?
LikeLike
No 🙂 I received my Fitbit, free, for review but my husband paid for his and we are not getting any pay from them.
I’m just really struggling with losing weight and staying active. I contacted Fitbit because it seemed like a good fit and I was so right. For the first time in years, I was driven today. It was totally because of my Fitbit. I’d recommend it 100%.
LikeLike
I got myself one of those babies about a month ago and I have no regrets! It helps when it comes to mindfulness! Great step!
LikeLike
Everyone that has one says the same thing. I’m really happy with it. 🙂
LikeLike
Tell me later how it worked out for you… I tried the Jawbone Up and the Nike one and so far the Fit Bit beats them all.
LikeLike
I absolutely adore my fitbit… it is very eye opening. You can add other fitbit users to as ‘friends’ and ‘compete’ against each other weekly for a total amount of steps. That’ll get your competitive game going.
Enjoy!!
LikeLike
My daughter is almost 2 also and I haven’t lost all my pregnancy weight either. It definitely takes some effort! I’m trying to run consistently now. It makes me mad when people brag about losing all their weight right away — either they are lying or they didn’t gain as much as you’re supposed to.
LikeLike
I think Santa may have one ready for my stocking! I need it!
LikeLike
Yeah, Darren’s is part of his “gift” as well, although he’s already using it lol
Happy holidays,
🙂
LikeLike
Sounds like a great positive feedback loop Lesley. although it has been a long time since my kids were little I remember how hard it was to fit in exercise. It sounds like this great tool will help you fit it in all day long! Good luck with it!
LikeLike
Keep up the great work 🙂
LikeLike
I want one! (Please Santa, okay??) P.S. I think you look great without losing weight, though I realize that such things are subjective. Cheers and happy holiday.
LikeLike
I love my Fitbit. It really helped last summer when I was focused on dropping a fair bit of weight, quickly. He wears one all the time, even when he’s in the OR, or playing squash. The only time he has issues with it is skiing; it seems to lose track of him on the gondolas. Other than that, they are fantastic, and accurate!
LikeLike
Honestly I already thought you looked fabulous. But the fitbit sounds like the perfect fit for you! Have a fit Christmas. So cheesy, but I couldn’t resist! 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve been debating on getting one of these but haven’t yet. I really want to know how much sleep I am actually getting. With a 1 yr old and 3.5 yr old sometimes I wonder how I function with so little sleep. Plus I love that you can see all those results! Maybe I should have asked Santa for this!
Good luck!
LikeLike
Merry Christmas, my friend! All the best to you and your loved ones in year 2014.
Cheers!! 😀
LikeLike
I’ve got one of these and they are great! They are also great at letting me know how much I – ahem – move throughout the day 😉
LikeLike
I have a Fitbit one and enjoy the data it supplies. All you need to do is remember to wear it and then keep moving!
LikeLike
I don’t think it is for me, but it sounds like it has you motivated and that is a good thing 🙂 Have you tried jumping rope for some extra exercise? I decided to add it to my day when the weather turned colder because I can do it inside. I have found it surprisingly fun. It gets my heart rate up in a hurry and I have to concentrate because if I don’t the rope hits my feet or ankles. It is also a symmetrical exercise since your arms and feet need to be symmetrically placed for it to work.
LikeLike
It sounds good. I might have a look to find out a bit more about it. I think they reviewed them on the Gadget Show here in the UK.
LikeLike
Some people have the kind of metabolism that lets them lose weight from things like breastfeeding. Not me. My hormones make me gain tons of weight when I’m pregnant and I hold that weight until I stop nursing. After that, hormone weight falls off, but the rest is difficult to drop. To get that weight off I had to get a nanny or daycare a couple of hours each day to squeeze in an intense workout. My experience is that it is impossible to exercise with little ones around. They don’t like not being in the middle of everything.
LikeLike
Leslie, I’ll be interested in hearing more review on this and how it records quality of sleep etc. Happy Holidays.
LikeLike
My daughter wants a FitBit really bad! She lost over 100lbs this past year and she’s still going!
I read your blog occasionally and was wondering if you could help me with something. You have been running this blog longer than I have and probably have more experience with WordPress than I do. How are you able to create a ‘Continue reading’ button on your home page posts. Any help would be appreciated.
-Pete
LikeLike
Hi Pete,
Congratulations to your daughter! That is an amazing accomplishment!
To create the continue reading button, you just need to hit the button that looks like a road with a broken line through it. When you are creating a new post, it will appear on that screen in the upper right hand side. If you still can’t find it, you can type Alt + Shift + T (Alt plus Shift plus T). If you still can’t do it, let me know and I’ll try to explain it another way. 🙂
LikeLike
My daughter wants a FitBit! She lost over 100lbs this past year and she’s still going!
I read your blog occasionally and was wondering if you could help me with something. You have been running this blog longer than I have and probably have more experience with WordPress than I do. How are you able to create a ‘Continue reading’ button on your home page posts. Any help would be appreciated.
-Pete
LikeLike
The Fitbit One sounds great. I’ll have to check into that. I love to exercise and try to at least 3 times a week for 45 minutes each time, but something like this would encourage me to keep moving even on the days I’m not “exercising”. Thanks for the tip.
LikeLike
I have the Zip, and I love it. While it doesn’t track sleep or stairs, it’s been a great motivator. My husband and I are always “racing” to see who can get more steps in a week. Glad you’re enjoying yours! 🙂
LikeLike
Hey Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! Hope you are having a fabulous time with friends and family! Much love and light to you and have a blessed day! Queen Of Hearts
LikeLike
Merry Christmas to you as well! May it be filled with happiness and laughter. 🙂
LikeLike
Any how much this costs?
LikeLike
Thank you Lesley for posting this. I had a step counter but I’m going to get this. I need to drop a few pounds and this will motivate me. I like the wrist one because I won’t forget to put it on! Great New Year resolution is to use this. Merry Christmas and may you and your family have a happy and healthy New Year!
LikeLike
I received the Jawbone band for Christmas and it basically is the same thing. Love it is far and can’t wait to see my numbers after the first week! 🙂 And challenges are always an excellent motivator. Kick his butt! 😉
LikeLike
Good luck with your new toy!
LikeLike
My hubby bought me one for a Christmas gift and I was very excited! Keep us posted, I am going to get mine up and running in the AM 12/27/2013. Best of luck to you!
LikeLike
I’ve had my Fitbit One for a few months now and I really love it! What amazed me was how many steps I was taking by just doing normal day to day activities! I was so proud when I received my first award on day 1!! I like to wear mine attached to my bra – it’s not noticeable and is very secure. On the Fitbit site, you can also keep track of your daily food intake. I haven’t done that yet but can see how it would be helpful if you wanted to monitor your daily intake! Here’s to a successful 2014!
LikeLike
That sounds like a great little tool! Wouldn’t mind getting one myself!
LikeLike
I received the Sync watch (sold in Herrington magazine) for Christmas and it is similar to yours, but on a watch band. So far I’m in love with it. It doesnt sync to a computer, but I like it for tracking mileage on my hikes so syncing doesnt really matter to me. Its a bonus that it also tracks my steps, heart rate, and calories burned. Herrington sells it for only $60 I think, which seems very reasonable for this kind of device.
LikeLike
I really need to get one of these. I could use the motivation to get in a bit better shape with my two little kids.
LikeLike
You’ve convinced me to get one :). I think this will be perfect for me. And I too can get a bit competitive 🙂
LikeLike
I LOOOOVVVEE my Fitbit One. LOVE IT! I love the sleep tracker too. I knew I tossed and turned a lot but not as much as it said I do. Sometimes 18 times a night! Yesterday I had two classes at the gym, took my dog for a walk and did my hostessing job at night. I logged 18,100(ish) steps yesterday. I could barely move this morning! Have fun with your FitBit! ~Gina
LikeLike
Great product it seems~ Looking forward to your comparison post. Stay healthy.
LikeLike
My mom got my husband and I the fitbit zip’s for Christmas. We are excited to start using them…and I am even more excited now after reading this review of the fitbit one! Sounds like a great gadget! 😀
LikeLike
I got a Nike + Sportwatch GPS for Christmas. Not as detailed information, but it has the information I need, and I like the look of it better as well.
LikeLike
I’m interested in the Fitbit too! I work out a lot but you never know how many calories you are actually burning or how much additional movement you do during the day. Are you going to do the comparison with the band? I would be interested in reading it.
LikeLike
I’m definitely liking my fitbit, although the band broke after only three months. Thankfully I can use the smaller one that came with my husband’s (he already lost his at a hotel). I’ve only made the 20,000 step once. I happened to check my progress around 11:30 one night and I was so close. I got on the treadmill and got my badge!
LikeLike
I have a FitBit (the band one). I got it this past summer…it’s been so awesome to have and keep track of my activity since then! I was lucky and won a challenge and got Amazon store credits so that is how I managed to purchase my FitBit.
I love mine! I use to always think I was pretty active, then I realized within 2 days of having my FitBit that maybe that wasn’t quite true. Having it on my wrist has helped me remember to stay active and keep on moving.
The other tool I like is the “sleep” calculator…I use to think I was getting 8-10hours a night but in reality was getting 5-7hours! So that’s helped me adjust my daily habits to become healthier.
I love mine! I use to always think I was pretty active, then I realized within 2 days of having my FitBit that maybe that wasn’t quite true. Having it on my wrist has helped me remember to stay active and keep on moving.
The other tool I like is the “sleep” calculator…I use to think I was getting 8-10hours a night but in reality was getting 5-7hours! So that’s helped me adjust my daily habits to become healthier.
LikeLike