Automatic feedback, tracking - exercise, sleep, weight...

(Click on the title of the post to read the entire post.)

If one wants true power in life, one must convert as much as possible to "automatic" and effortless, plus also be able to monitor and see that one is on track. Having to think and/or decide things on an ongoing basis is a waste of time and willpower energy, plus it is likely not to happen, despite your fantasies about how you will somehow follow through on your "resolutions".  (Hint:  Don't count on your mind to do the job!)


AUTOMATICALLY MEASURING HEALTH

I recommend that you consider the new Fitbit (or equivalent) devices.   They provides the good ol' accountability feedback, for quicker correction and improvement, with reminders! And you can compare over time and activities, to gain perspective, all on the Dashboard, wirelessly updated and available on my iPhone, iPad, and/or PC.

I DUMPED THE APPLE WATCH

I bought the Apple Watch a year ago hoping that these features would be available and easily usable, but I find that that is not the case.  The features of the Apple Watch that are extra, above Fitbit, are useless to me - and Fitbit does the other functions I want better than the Apple Watch!  So I dumped the watch for now (until new apps make up for the difference) and bought the Fitbit Blaze (as it fit the combination of features I wanted).

I also used a good app for monitoring sleep, using my iPhone, but I need to hook up my iPhone with a charger and tell it when to start and when to stop.  A good app though:  Sleep Cycle.


RECOMMENDED LEVEL

I recommend that you consider doing at least The Charge ($110)  but prefer the slightly more expensive better looking one The Alta ($130) (which does not measure floors climbed, but does have text notifications from your smartphone - and a much bigger screen and more stylish look) .  (To see how they all compare, click on compare on the products page and put in three to compare features.  Surge has GPS and the others don't.  Surge and Blaze get music control and are multi-sport.)


THEY ALL DO THESE

Otherwise they all do the following:

Tracks steps, distance, reminds you of where you are on your daily steps goal. It automatically detects what you are doing!!
Sleep tracking, without you having to tell it anything, it will detect it.  (And you can visually see on a graph/chart how the hours and bedtimes compare.)
Monitors heart rate.
Updates computer automatically (wirelessly syncs)
A dashboard to see all current and all historic comparative data (very important for perspective).
Calories burnt by activity.
Time and day and date
Let you know who is calling on your smart phone.
Longer battery life than a smartwatch.
Water resistant.

Blaze, get the gunmetal color for style ($230)  and On-Screen Workouts (Get FitStar workouts right on your wrist, with step-by-step instructions that coach you through each move).

Surge ($250) - Has GPS tracking, but not onscreen workouts. And, in my opinion, has the best look.


THE CHOICE I MADE

Since I'll never use the GPS tracking (since I use a treadmill), but could use the onscreen workouts, and since the look of the gunmetal gray watch looks ok (about the same as an Apple Watch), I chose The Blaze.

My friend (M) chose the Alta.


A FAT % MEASURING, WEIGHT WIFI SCALE

Appearing to be, at about $110, pretty frivolous, the Fitbit scale automatically (via WiFi) updates your dashboard with your weight, body fat percentage, and body mass index.  (I had a scale for about $50 that did all of those functions except the recordkeeping, but something later went wrong with the fat %...).

Though it seems frivolous, for most people it should not be dismissed, as the feedback will help prevent the "weight drift" that most people experience over time. If you combine this with the great regulating and/or fat losing strategy of The Intermittent, Reduced Calorie Days, you should be able to reliably keep your weight down.  Better yet, use the low carb, never gain in any one day, approach and you'll be doing even better - see Why We Get Fat - And How To Get Unfat.  


CONSIDER THIS...

One is operating off of a higher level perspective and consciousness, when one considers the benefits of better health as priceless, even the singular benefit of the scale.  Those are worth far more than a few dollars, if one has the money.  (But I recommend you do no less than the Alta or The Charge.)

A highly effective powerful person looks at decisions from a higher level perspective with a better handle on the benefits to be derived from repeated items of seemingly little value per day and weighs them well for the long term, compared to the dollar costs.  Time and attention are so precious that it is best to rid oneself of all activities that repeatedly drain those two vital resources!!!!