Monday, April 8, 2013

Call me... Redundant (Maybe?)

If you're reading this blog, you know that a few months back, I'd purchased the activity monitor that Weight Watchers promotes, ActiveLink (AL).  I made it through nearly five weeks of having and using it when I sadly lost it in the snow.

Since there is a cost involved in owning the thing, I made a decision at that time to cancel my account and wait to buy another (if I was ever going to buy another).  I thought, I can do the same thing with a free activity monitor.  I particularly thought this when, with the purchase of two mugs from The Breast Cancer Site, I was afforded a free pedometer.  What could go wrong?  Well, lots.

I'm beginning to believe that when something has the label FREE attached to it, it automatically makes you not accountable for how much you move.  I did move, mind you, and I moved a lot.  It did motivate me to make sure I'm walking a lot, but not as much as my friend AL.  It was great to see that I'm averaging nearly 9,000 steps in a day, which depending on the day, is about 3 miles walked and 500 calories burnt.  All great.  

What's even better about AL is that you have to link it to your computer to find out what your daily results are.  It won't tell you things through osmosis.  You have to be proactive and I have found that I need tools that put me in that mode.  It was nice having the pedometer to look at and see if I reached any goals, but the point here is that I didn't really set any goals with it.  With AL, you're forced to have goals, which it sets for you after an assessment phase, which lasts about 8 days.  

To end the suspense, after today's WW meeting, where our leader dressed in her skimpiest workout clothes (I'm not judging) to bring home the point that now that we are comfortable with changing our spaces, creating routines and doing them daily, we can do this with exercise, as well.   When I had listened to her and analyzed what she was saying, I decided that I needed to bring a motivational tool back into my plan.  I had choices; they sell a pedometer that also calculates activity points, but that itself is $24 and while AL is a little cost prohibitive ($40 upfront and $5/month), which is why I didn't get one after I lost the first, I realized that my budget could actually handle it.    I also knew that I had done much better in the weeks I was wearing AL the 1st.  I immediately went to the clerk in the front and grabbed AL the 2nd.  I know how I lost it.  I hooked it to my pants pocket and checked it a million times a day.  I know that all this extra activity that would not even be recorded was fruitless.   I've learned my lesson; I know now that I can wear it on a necklace chain around my neck.  It could get annoying bouncing around, but I can get used to it.

So, what tools do you use to motivate you?  What helps you get through each week in your plan.  Head to the comments and let me know.  Next week, I'll know what my challenge is and be able to set real goals.  For now, it's off to the planet of the exercisers. 

3 comments:

  1. I used to use a pedometer when I did the Eat ell Live Well challenge at work and the goal was to get 10,000 steps a day. Exercise counted and there was a conversion chart for you to put the number of hours(or minutes) you worked out into steps. I just remember how chained I felt to the pedometer and couldn't wait to be done with it.

    I'm glad you're feeling motivated and you're up to 9,000 steps. That's great!

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  2. It makes sense that people like us who do better when paying for a program would also do better when ponying up for a device to track movement. Good luck with AL the Second, heir to the throne.

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  3. Thank you both; KQ, I'm glad to see your comments are posting now!

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