breaking free from the fitness tracker...

I am a BIG fan of fitness so naturally I was a big fan of the fitness tracking craze. As soon as I saw the UP band by Jawbone I walked right accross the street to Apple and bought one for myself. Soon, half of my co-workers had one and we were all trying to outstep one another! Nine months pregnant, I was waddling around work [like a boss] with a step count above 20,000 a day like I had something to prove. I was so obsessed.

and then it happened... a few weeks ago...

I was so dissapointed. It was my 2nd UP band. My first one stopped working exactly 6 months after I purchased it and like clockwork, my replacement died exaclty 6 months from the date they sent it. This time they wouldn't replace it because my one year warranty had expired a couple of weeks before I submitted my "technical issue." At this point, I decided I wouldn't spend another $100+ only to have my band break in 6 months. It's wasn't worth it to me.

Most of my orignal Jawbone teammates had fallen off the wagon a while back. They had been inactive on the app for months. I naively assumed they just kept forgetting to wear it but now I realize the more likely scenario was that it had stopped working.

But now, I had a whole new group of teammates. Several I recruited to buy the UP band because I had loved it and was having a great experience. I wasn't going to be able to keep up with them anymore! Would they think I was slacking? Fell off the wagon? Would they be mad at me when theirs broke? Ah... I've been kicked out of the fitness tracking community! What am I going to do?! If I am not clocking 10,000 steps what will happen to me?!

Well, I'm 1 month fitness band sober and I feel great, I feel free. The first few days we're rough... I found myself eating more, standing less, and feeling the urge to check the app and see how active my UP teammates had been. I have to laugh at myself now... this all sounds more like I just quit smoking than gave up my fitness tracker.

I hadn't realized how much my band was running the show. To make sure my band was always catching every step I would carry bags or luggage with the hand that wasn't wearing the band. I would only push the stroller with one arm and make sure I was swinging the other. I would even wear it with my Garmin to make sure it was accurate...Obssessive behavor.

Moral of the story...

If you are a fit person, and you already enjoy working out and moving your body, you don't need a band to valadate it. Don't drive yourself crazy "living by the band." If you are looking for a little motivation and fun way to interact with an online community, knock yourself out! Just beware of the withdrawl possibilities...

Posted with Blogsy