The Istoriaphile's Corner: Falling in Love with Fitbit

I've never been an athlete. I was raised in a family that sat whenever they could. Sitting was our clan's favorite pastime, and our endurance in couch-potatery would have qualified us on the Olympic s if they could have turned it into a competitive sport. The fact that many of us were overweight was no surprise. The surprise was my sister, who ran for fun, and competed in track as a girl. Although she could sit, my sis could also move, and she was unafraid of competition. I was proud of her drive and talents, and she knew that. But neither believed I'd follow her example.

The Infamous Fitbit

All of which made my sister's offer to buy me a Fitbit last May a bit of an awkward phone call. To her credit, Sis knew I was trying to lose weight, and she's never pressed me to get active. Her suggested gift would help me lose weight. But that doesn't mean I wanted to take it.

The few times I had tried exercise before, I'd ended up with sore joints and a lousy attitude. But it's hard to turn my sister down, especially when her thought is well-meant. So, I said yes, thinking once I accepted the gift, that would be the end of the story. "Great, then we'll both have one!" she said. "When you get your Fitbit account set up online, we can keep up with each other!"

Days later, I strapped on Sis's gift, feeling like I'd stepped into a bear trap. The program had suggested goals, like 10K steps a day and 250 for each daylight hour. I doubted if I'd reach any of them, but I had to keep trying, at least until I saw my sis at an upcoming family visit. So, I started walking. I walked to the mailbox a dozen times a day, I stepped on the porch when it rained. I learned to read books and watch TV with my eyes on a computer screen and my legs pumping, up and down, in place. Yes, my sister frequently out-walked me but there were times when I triumphed as well, and the weight-loss plateau I was expecting didn't appear. And each new day, the Fitbit zeroed itself out, and I began again which made activity a rule of life instead of the exception. And I found I could compete.

Every group of Fitbit friends can create challenges to outwalk each other during specified period. Once I joined a challenge or two, I found I didn't like to lose. If someone posted a total of 12K steps before work, I didn't give up, nor did I believe them. I just started stepping, determined to go further by the end of the day. According to Fitbit, I won 13 trophies last summer because I didn't want to be out-stepped. And I continued to lose weight.

Fitbit even came to my rescue this month when my weight loss finally stalled. Fitbit's records showed while my walking was adequate, my heart rate wasn't rising enough to prompt weight-loss any longer. This led to new exercise choices that raised my heart rate and broke the plateau. And because each new day began at zero, I didn't realize how far I'd walked.

Then came the email with this graphic of how far I walked with my unwanted present. With Fitbit, I walked off 60 pounds in half a year and covered the distance from my Alabama residence to my hometown in Kansas! I've changed from a "Sedentarian" to short-distance Forrest Gump because of my sister and Fitbit!

So, yes, I love my Fitbit. It only comes off for recharging or when I'm going to get wet. It keeps me coming back and reminds me what I need to do. And Sis, as far as I'm concerned, this is one of your best presents EVER.