I’ve had a Fitbit Charge HR for about three weeks now.  I’d wanted one for a long time, but was hesitant about spending the money – I want to lose a few pounds and keep track of my diet and exercise, but I was certain I could rely on free diet and fitness apps to get the job done.  I was wrong.

Fitbit Review – Getting Ready for WDW!

After packing on the pounds stress eating this year, I was down to some pretty slim pickings in my closet.  I do NOT want to buy bigger clothes.  I know when I’m at a certain weight I feel great and am comfortable in both my own skin and all the clothes in my closet.  I was ready to be that weight again, but lacked the right motivation to get there.  We’re also getting ready for a Walt Disney World vacation right after Christmas – I want to be prepared for all the walking involved!  Enter the Fitbit Charge HR.

As a birthday gift, it might not sound very exciting, but Raymond knows me well and he knows when I’m not happy with myself, I’m like Alice in Wonderland and I lose my “muchness”.  Ramping up my exercise and dropping the extra pounds is the solution for what’s dragging me down.  The best thing about a Fitbit is that it’s very much a one-stop shop for tracking activity, sleep, heartrate, calories in and out, and even water intake.

So, a few weeks in and I’ve been very diligent about utilizing all the features to the fullest extent.  I let the app know my weigh loss goals and it automatically determines my calorie goal each day – which differs based on my activity.  I pay more attention to the amount and quality of sleep I’m getting – how this device knows exactly how many minutes I’m sleeping along with the number of times I wake up or am restless is mysterious and COOL to me!  I added friends within the app who also use Fitbit to see how my daily steps compare to theirs.  The app even awards badges when certain mileage or flights-of-stairs milestones are reached.  I’m just a bit competitive, so these features are perfect for me!

The result?  My daily running mileage is up – which is great since I’ve got the Glass Slipper Challenge ahead of me in February.  I’ve lost 8 pounds so far, which is about 1/3 of my goal and I feel like my willpower has gotten a much-needed injection of strength.  It’s early days yet,  but the features and benefits of my Fitbit have been worth what Raymond paid for it.

Do I feel like I can keep going? Absolutely!  I’ll let you know when I’ve reached my goal.

Do you have a Fitbit? How’s it been working for you?