One. Fifty. Two. That was my weight a couple of weeks ago.

 

I am usually around the 130-pound range, but the tragedies that happened in my family earlier this year caused me to slip into a state of overeating. I’d noticed that I had gained weight, but I had no idea just how much.

In that moment I decided to turn things around for the better.

I launched a personal mission to get back to being fit, and I sought out an easy-to-use single device that could help me stay on track—not just in one area of health, but in every area.

 .FitBit One Activity Plus Sleep Tracker

Enter the FitBit One.

 .FitBit One Activity Plus Sleep Tracker

In terms of wearable technology, the FitBit One Activity Plus Sleep Tracker device far exceeded what I was looking for! The features and tools make me feel like I have an in-home fitness companion! In the weeks that I’ve been using it, I have developed a new found passion for pushing myself to reach my desired goals and to be disciplined in my health behaviors.

In other words, it is totally the REAL deal! Just take a look below as I break down each feature of the system, and how they work for me.

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*Feature: Tracks steps, distance, calories burned, and stairs climbed

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How it does: I have always been a visual and numbers-driven person. I love that FitBit One gives me a total picture of my activity during the day. I use the information for guidance in my choices throughout the day. For example, the stairs counter motivates me to bypass the elevators to take the stairs instead. Having the number of calories burned on hand and an activity indicator right at my fingertips makes me get up and move around more during my work periods of sitting at my desk. And since I know that the recommended steps per day for good health is 10,000, I now strive get that number on the screen each day.

 FitBit One Activity Plus Sleep Tracker

*Feature: Small and discreet – wear in pocket, on belt or bra

How it does: I love how small and sleek this device is! Even when housed in one of its three included holders, I wear it just about anywhere without any bulging. I’ve worn it with everything from casual to formal attire without it being noticed.

 .FitBit One Activity Plus Sleep Tracker

*Feature: Set goals, view progress with charts and graphs, and earn badges. Log food, weight and more on Fitbit’s website or free apps

This is a screenshot of my personal dashboard

How it does: What I love most about the FitBit One system is that it allows me to customize a health and fitness plan based on my individual goals and evolving needs. I not only track my physical activity, I also log my daily water and food intake as well using the FitBit website and the free app. With an extensive database of foods and the storing of previous entries, logging a meal is fast and easy. After all meals are entered, at the end of the day I check my dashboard to see if I was under, over, or balanced with the amount of calories I took in vs. the amount of calories I burned. When I fall within my guidelines, I am rewarded on the screen with congratulations and positive words to keep going.

The badges are nice too! I earned my first badge by walking 5,000 steps, and my second badge by walking 10 flights of stairs in one day. The level-based awards give me the incentive to continually increase my daily movement.

A summary of all of my progress is delivered to me via email each week.

 

 Upon account setup, I am prompted to enter my current and desired weight

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 From there, I have the control in choosing which intensity level plan I want to do. I can change this as often as I like to suit my needs. It lets me know when I can expect to reach my goal based on the level chosen

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I log my food intake as well as my water intake throughout the day. The app lets me add my entry by ounces or by container size. It even gives an indicator to let me know how I’m doing and how many calories I can still eat during the day.

FitBit One Activity Plus Sleep Tracker

*Feature:  Monitor how long and how well you sleep

How it does: I am known on Twitter for being a ‘platinum-club member’ of #TeamNoSleep. Nevertheless, I know that most healthy adults need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep each night, so one of my quests is to do a better job with getting a healthy level of sleep each day. FitBit is helping me to achieve that by monitoring the average time it takes for me to fall asleep and the number of times I was awakened each night, and using that information to determine my sleep efficiency. And because proper rest and sleep are so very important, I use the numbers to see if I need to make time to get a nap in somewhere during the day.

The device comes with a wristband that is worn while tracking sleep. I personally like to also use it when I’m exercising outdoors or at the gym. The Velcro fastening on the wristband holds securely around my wrist whether I’m asleep or I’m on the go.

The coolest part about FitBit One is how the device syncs automatically to my computer and my Verizon mobile phones and devices. The only task I have to do is put it on, and it does the rest! Plus, it sends me personalized motivation directly on the device screen! Reminders like, “Walk me Makeba” and encouragement such as: “Goal Makeba!” appear as text across the screen in moments of activity or inactivity.

Here are some other sweet features:

 A silent alarm that gently vibrates to wake me up
Should I choose, I can share and compete with friends who have the device
Sweat-, rain-, and splash proof
Rechargeable battery with a life of 5-7 days

Now that I’ve told you all of that, here is the best news:  since using the FitBit One, I have lost 4 pounds in 2 weeks.

Yay!!! 🙂

Taking care of my body is important to me. For me, it is really all about being active and healthy while having a hectic lifestyle that involves being a Mother to 4 busy children, being a wife and the manager of my household, all while running a business. Because of the overeating, my usual amount of activity was no longer sufficient enough to keep me at a consistent healthy weight. With FitBit One, I am staying conscious of my activity and eating behaviors, and I am in the right direction to not only get back to fit, but to stay that way. I absolutely love it!

 

*To see more of my personal health and wellness journey, connect with me on Instagram under the name MELISASource or using the hashtag, #GetBackToFit

FitBit One Activity Plus Sleep Tracker

Have you ever tried wearable technology to help you with your health and fitness goals? Share with me below or tell me about it at: melsiasource@yahoo.com.

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*Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to try the latest offerings from Verizon in exchange for sharing my personal experiences with their products across the web. All views and opinions are entirely my own.

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