More Love for the Armband

I have to gush one more time about how much I am digging my BodyMedia Fit armband.  I swear I am not getting paid --yet-- to say all of these wonderful things about BobyMedia Fit.  I am just impressed that it can do everything it does.

Yesterday I had ever good intention of going out and getting a lot of walking in.  Instead I went to see a matinee showing of Friends With Benefits.  It was actually a fun movie.  Kind of a chick flick, but enjoyable none the less.  Having Mila Kunis as the leading lady in a movie never hurts either.

Next came dinner at a Peruvian Restaurant called Inka Mama's.  If you have never tried Peruvian food you are missing out.  They have this amazing green sauce called aji that you would swear has a bunch of calories from fat but it is mostly iceberg lettuce, Serrano chilies and garlic.  It's a dieter's dream sauce.

Anyway, before I knew it, it was almost 9:00 p.m. and I was about 2,500 step away from reaching my modest daily goal of 5,000 steps.  The BodyMedia Fit app for the iPhone has a workout feature where you can select a workout by the number of calories you want to burn, or for a certain length of time, or by the number of steps you want to take.  I set a 3,000 step workout goal and headed out the door.  It was a nice clear evening with temperatures in the mid 60's.  As I walked, the armband would update my iPhone every 10 seconds or so.  The display showed the number of steps I had taken in giant hot pink numbers.  (Sorry, I didn't take a screenshot of the display.)  After one loop around the neighborhood I was over 3,000 steps and went over my goal for the day.

BodyMedia Stats for July 23, 2011 (* denotes personal best)
Calories Burned-3,214* | Calories Consumed-1,921 | Calorie Deficit-1,293 | Physical Activity-0:36 minutes* | Steps Taken 5,498 | Sleep Duration-7:56 hours* | Sleep Efficiency 81%

Progress, Progress, Progress

I don't know if this can all be attributed to the BodyMedia Fit armband but I have been kicking some serious booty this week.  I'm down 3.6 pounds on the week and am feeling great.  Logging my food, being able to see how many calories I have burned, and tracking how many steps I have taken is really making a difference in my day.

A few weeks ago I had to abandon a brown 46-inch belt because I ran out of holes.  Yesterday I think I fastened a 44-inch black belt for the last time.  I had been using the fifth and final hole on that belt for a few weeks and now it's too loose in the waist.  Luckily I have several black and brown belts in shorter lengths that I had to abandon as I have steadily gotten bigger over the years. 

But I think the biggest progress of all for me is taking my dress slacks for work to the tailor today to be brought in.  I have been planning to do this for a couple of weeks but didn't think any of my other dress pants would fit yet.  Yesterday I tired on my size 42 pants and they were loose!  Holy Cow!  It wasn't too long ago that I had to struggle to button those pants.  It's almost like I have a new wardrobe.

Besides going to the tailor, one of my goals for the day is to log some serious steps to see how far I actually walk when I am not tied to a desk all day.  I would really like to go to Disneyland because I know that would be the ultimate serious walking challenge.  But I don't think Disneyland is in the cards today because I have stuff to do around the house. Boo!  Maybe I can visit the mouse tomorrow.  I really need to walk through the new entrance at Disney's California Adventure Park. You know you are a serious Disney Parks geek when you get excited about the possibility of walking through a new set of turnstiles. [I can see you rolling your eyes]

BodyMedia Stats for July 22, 2011
Calories Burned-3,126 | Calories Consumed-1,275 | Calorie Deficit-1,851 | Physical Activity-0:11 minutes | Steps Taken-4,081 | Sleep Duration-7:07 hours | Sleep Efficiency-79%

The Beginning of the Armband Era

When I arrived home from work Tuesday night I had a box delivered by UPS waiting for me.  It was my the BodyMedia Fit armband that I ordered Saturday.

WOW! What a difference this thing is going to make in my life.  Being a numbers geek to begin with certainly helps.  But I love the fact that I can track everything I need in order to monitor my progress.  I am already down 1.2 pounds!

I do find that the medium armband that comes standard is a little tight so I ordered the large one this morning.  Other than that it has been a dream.  Plus, logging my food after every meal makes me think twice about what I am going to eat because I don't want to write down that I ate garbage.

Here are my stats for July 20, 2011:

Calories Burned-3,341 | Calories Consumed-1,155 | Calories Deficit-2,186 | Physical Activity-28 minutes | Steps Taken 6,868 | Sleep Duration 6:50 hrs | Sleep efficiency 93%