I Broke Up with My Fitbit

A few Sundays ago, I took myself to the gym. I sat in the parking lot for about 5 minutes delaying the inevitable, but eventually walked through the doors. My goal was to walk two miles – – a feat I hadn’t tackled in some time. I didn’t think it would be overly strenuous, but two miles was what I had my sights set on. And, two miles I walked.

When I got home, I posted this on my NTTC Facebook page and ever since I’ve been thinking about it ever since:

If I walked two miles without my Fitbit, does it still count?

I’ve worn a fitness tracker since 2010. I worked for a company who ran a steps contest – – and issued the Fitbit Ultra to anyone who signed up.

Truthfully, I wasn’t planning on signing up until I heard that we got a gadget. At that time, I had no clue what a Fitbit was, but my friend Crystal (co-worker at the time) told me she got hers and that I had to try it!

The Ultra was the original Fitbit release. You wore it on your hip or on your bra. And, I wore that dang thing everywhere and religiously checked in to see what that little screen said. The days above 10K were my favorite, and one busy day in Salt Lake City when I did 25K still might be my highest number of steps ever recorded! It’s crazy that I still remember, but it was a total badass day…

I’ve since graduated to the Fitbit Flex. Thanks to a former blogger relationship with Fitbit, they sent me one for free to try – – Yay!!

I quickly purchased enough of those accessory bands to make up for that free tracker. I’ve got the rainbow now… and even one of the cute Tory Burch models.

Me and Fitbit, we’ve been counting together for five years now… and I think it’s time we broke up. Wow, I heard you gasp all the way in Colorado. It’s okay, really.

It’s me, it’s not the Fitbit.

I still think they have the premier product on the market, the best customer service EVER, and their IPO is going to be epic. But, for now, I’m going to cheer them on from the sidelines.

Why? A few things actually…

1.  I’m not passionate about it right now – Since my car accident in September, I’m proud of myself if I do ANY activity. It’s not about steps or movement for me right now; it’s about strength and it’s about stress-relief.

To me, that means working my way back to my mat without causing myself pain or harm, and preparing for the 5K that I walk every year in June. When I achieve each of these, I will consider that success regardless of step-count.

2.  I’m going to lose all the competitions that are going on – And, it’s no fun to compete with me right now. One of my co-workers and I had a real good laugh one week when Fitbit reported my total steps for the week as being 8. Not 80,000, just 8. That’s how much it matters to me right now. The battery died, and I never charged it… laughable for sure.

3.  My workouts are more fulfilling now – I remember nights where I was completely disappointed in getting 8K steps in on a day where I worked all day, and then came home and spent an hour plus at the gym. That’s a great day!

But, because my little device didn’t say 10K, I thought I had failed. It made me doubt myself, doubting my commitment, when the reality was that I just didn’t have time for much more. Now, when I go to the gym, I do what makes sense and what I have the capacity for… and I celebrate it.

4.  My arm party has space for new accessories – After wearing a Fitbit for years, I admit my arm feels like something has fallen off, and something is missing. I’m sure there are other accessories vying for that prime real estate and I’m ok with that.

Ultimately on this journey, I’m trying to find that sweet spot where it doesn’t feel like work, where it isn’t all-consuming, and where there is plenty of space for all the happy a girl can imagine. So, I’m putting the Fitbit in the cupboard for now.

It may make a reappearance one day, as my weight loss game is constantly evolving, but for now…

RIP Fitbit.  We’re simplifying here at NTTC… and I have to admit, I kind of like it.