How are all of those New Year’s resolutions coming along for everyone?  Before I can get into the full swing of mine, I have to get this move done first.  I haven’t gone grocery shopping in maybe a month.  I am shamefully eating pre-cooked meals from my freezer that I only put in there because I felt guilty about being sick of it and throwing it away.  I have two cartons of milk in my fridge, both expired (which means no lattes, y’all).  I tried to give my dog Cheerios instead of dog treats because I was out for forever.  She was not amused.  I also ran out of cheese because I kept giving it to her for treats instead.  What I am trying to say is that I have had less than two seconds to recover from the holidays, have not had time to do normal people things like grocery shopping or taking out my trash, and my apartment is in full moving mode while we are still completing rennovations on the condo.  I am completely disoriented and disorganized.  My life is in shambles.  *cue tiny violins*

Anyway, what I did want to say is that I am slowly incorporating some sort of exercise back into my life with the help of my new Fitbit.  My boyfriend got one for Christmas.  I was intrigued, so I bought one with my Chanukah money.  I have not gotten into the whole food plan or competition aspects of my Fitbit.  I am also afraid of adding Fitbit friends for fear of them seeing my weight.  Is that a thing?  Can they see that?  My guess is no, but I need to do some research first.

I have learned a few things about my daily habits that are well, embarrassing/shocking/I am so lazy.  First of all, I did not realize the extent of how sedentary I am throughout the day.  I eat, breathe, and live at my desk.  There are not many reasons to get up throughout the day except for a few trips to the copy or fax machine.  I probably get in more steps going to the kitchen to refuel my main life source (coffee) than I do for any other reason.  The first day I wore my Fitbit to work, I walked out at 5 o’clock with only about 2,500 steps under my belt.  This is including all the steps I take running around getting ready in the morning and already having walked my dog twice that day.  You read about the risks of not reminding yourself to get up and move or stretch throughout the day, but this caused the reality of my lack of daily movement to become crystal clear.

I decided to change some things, and thankfully, my boss supports this endeavor 100%.  I had mentioned in my New Year’s Day post that my coworker and I would try to take two walks per day.  It started out with a quick lap around the building twice a day.  Then around both buildings.  Then my boss suggested we go walk around the lake, which is really a nearby quarry that is now a “lake”.  We have taken that idea up as well.  In addition, more people are joining us on our walks.  Getting up, moving around, and getting some Vitamin D does wonders for the rest of my day.  I even need less coffee now.  Ok just kidding, but maybe I will get there.

Secondly, I don’t get enough sleep.  I have had apps that measure my sleep before, but I feel that no technology has been as honest with me as my Fitbit has.  The night before last, I got 5 hours and 43 minutes of sleep.  What is that?  Not the sleep necessary for someone with a full-time job.  This is something I need to work on.

Lastly, this little nugget you wear on your wrist is not just helpful, but ADDICTING.  I get so excited about getting my 10,000 steps in every day.  The other night I got in bed and noticed that I had gone 9,994 steps that day.  Did I get up and walk around my bedroom?  You bet I did.  Then I experienced the light and vibration party on my wrist that happens when you hit your goal.  It celebrates with you.  Who wouldn’t get excited about that?  I was so anxious to get my steps in yesterday that I actually walked around the quarry in the freezing cold.  That is what any Texas girl would call dedication! I hit my 10,000th step as I was getting into my car to leave work.  It definitely ended my work day on a high note.  I reached over 13,000 steps (over 5 miles) after spending the evening moving things to my new place.  It was a good feeling!

I am curious about what else the Fitbit has to offer in terms of reaching my goals.  But until things calm down a bit, I’ll be walking around the quarry and getting in my 10,000 steps!  I know I am late to get on the Fitbit train and that this is not a new concept.  However, if you’re looking to set some fitness goals or just need a cold, hard dose of reality, then you may want to look into getting one for yourself.

Thanks for stopping by!  See y’all next time…

Marissa