I Said F*ck It to My FitBit…Here’s Why!

Let’s talk trackers. Steps, macros, sleep, cardio minutes, screen time and scales...we can track everything now in the hopes of optimizing our health. What I’ve found is that it does the opposite. For years, I tracked my steps to try to hit the 10k a day goal. I love this goal and I think that getting steps and movement each day is vital to our health. Initially, purchasing my new FitBit led me to be more mindful about getting movement in, such as walking while on calls, breaking for brisk walks throughout the day, parking farther away from the store entrance or getting to the gym in the morning or a hike after work. I had step challenges with coworkers and it was all good. Then something shifted and I found myself disappointed if I only hit 8,500 steps in a day, or my weekly count was lower than the week prior, or my coworker “beat” me by 1,000 steps when we were SO close! It became discouraging and something that started to stress me out more than help me. I find this to be very similar to the scale. I can wake up feeling great, knowing that I’ve been treating my body so well, eating a well balanced variety of foods, getting in movement, making it to my classes, and all it takes to pop my balloon is to step on the scale and see a number I expected to be different. Literally nothing changes about the accomplishment of healthy choices and listening to your body, yet seeing a number that is not EXACTLY the number you think you “should” see, is such a buzzkill. I don’t want to be disappointed that I clocked 8,500 steps in a day, or even that some days, it’s 1,500! I have learned to listen to my body and know intuitively if I’m getting enough physical activity, or need to focus on something else that day. Some days, the stress of not getting certain projects completed is greater than the stress of not going for a walk. I’ve learned to loosen control and let things flow. I feel so much lighter already by not feeling like I “have” to hit certain numbers and instead, I’m proud of myself for the actions I take each day, without having to quantify them. I will say that in the beginning, it can be helpful to use a step tracker to get a better idea of how much you really do move (or do not) and where you may need to get real with yourself. I also learned about how many steps are in most things I do, like my regular hikes or walks to the coffee shop. However, now I look at the events of my day and measure my satisfaction with how those events made me feel and the enjoyment I got out of taking a stroll with Weiland or a hike before work, instead of thinking about how I didn’t meet a goal. Be proud of the steps you DO take, not disappointed by the ones you don’t take and use that as a way of looking at other areas of your life as well. Need some tips on how to get moving? Send me a DM on Instagram!