Two months with Fitbit

I got an entry level fitness band at Costco a couple of years ago because I wanted to track how much I walked each day. The fitness band worked OK, and did what I needed it to do, but it was bulky and had minimal features. I decided I wanted something a little more robust, something that had more capabilities than just tracking steps. After doing research and price comparison, I decided to go with a Fitbit Charge. Fitness bands are not for everyone; even if you are in the market for a fitness band, the Fitbit may not be for you. There are many types of fitness bands that do different things.

I have had my Fitbit Charge for almost two months; here is my review

PROS
Cost: The Fitbit Charge retails at $129.99. I found mine on a black Friday deal for $99.99. I also used my Target Red Card and got an additional 5% off; making it $95.00.

Lightweight: As I mentioned before, I had another fitness band that was bulky. The Fitbit is lightweight and much thinner than my previous fitness band.

Wireless Syncing: This is one feature that I love! You would think this is a given with fitness bands, but it's not. All the data syncs wirelessly to my phone. I don't have to think about plugging it in to the computer or keeping a log myself, it does it all for me.

Tracking: The Fitbit Charge tracks steps, distance, calories, flights of stairs, active minutes, and sleep (without putting it in sleep mode). It also tracks food & water intake and weight, but it does those manually (therefore I don't track those, I hate tracking my food). I can also record my exercizes. If I go for a walk, jog, or hike, the Fitbit will track where I have gone and input the data into my phone.

The app: The app is great. It keeps track of my activity on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. This is helpful because it helps I can see my progress (or lack of).

Badges and social: Sometimes Fitbit will reward you with a badge for completing so many steps or being active for so long. You can also challenge friends to a challenge and get a badge that way. The badges are a way to keep you motivated against yourself, and the social aspect adds a little friendly competition into the mix.

Caller ID: The Fitbit Charge (and other models) have show you on the little screen who is calling you. I don't use this feature a ton, but it is nice.

CONS
The wristband: I fit both the large and the small. I have the large band, and it is almost the tightest it will go. On the small band, I can have it the largest it will go. I wish there was a size in-between.

Lauren has a Fitbit Flex, and with hers you can take out the "brains" of it and change out the band, or put it in your pocket. The Fitbit Charge doesn't have that option. The band is not interchangeable, nor do the "brains" come out.

I think I like the traditional style wristband that is on the Fitbit Charge HR, as opposed to the clasp style wristband on the Fitbit Charge.

It could track other things: I don't view this as a negative myself, but other people might. It doesn't track some activities in real time like swimming or cycling; you can manually add them in later. This isn't a negative for me, because I don't do a lot of those activitiies, but like I said, it might be a negative for others.

A Challenge to Introverts...Follow-up

Here is my follow-up from my original post "A Challenge for Introverts." (Please see below for the complete post.)

The first thing I did during my week of no small talk and more meaningful conversations was I did away with senseless conversations and tried to either steer the conversations deeper, or avoided them all together.

I talked to one of my co-workers at lunch. We didn't talk about the weather or work related topics, I got to know her a little better as a person. I learned that she grew up on a cattle ranch in Driggs, Idaho. She told me she loves to play in the snow and she is sad that she didn't really get to play in it this year, because it was a lousy year for snow. Growing up, she would make mazes in her backyard with all the snow, and she remembers the walls of the maze were as tall as she was. That isn't too hard to do when your a child and less than four feet tall. She loves chocolate milk, and her life is her Grandkids. She has seven Grandkids all under the age of nine, and they all live close to her, so she gets to see them often.

Overall the week went well. I had less awkward conversations about nothing, and more meaningful conversations.


ORIGINAL POST...

I am an introvert in every meaning of the word. I prefer intimate settings over large (and loud) groups, I have only a few close friends at a time, and I prefer staying in and having a relaxing evening. I do occasionally go outside my introvert bubble. I've been to NBA games, company parties, dances, amusement parks, and so on... I even worked retail.

I do not feel that being an introvert is debilitating, but I know that I occasionally miss out on opportunities. I'm not afraid to go somewhere that involves being with a large group or somewhere that has a million things going on, but I know that in those moments I need something that will lessen my anxieties. As with all introverts, I feel more comfortable if I have a friend with me, or I know where the exits are, and sometimes I will show up late so I don't have to stick around for too long. I am not trying to be rude in these kind of moments, I just need to get back to something a little more quiet so I can recharge my introvert battery.

Although I am an introvert, I still crave interaction with others. I just crave it differently. I crave meaningful relationships and meaningful conversations. This is why I dislike small talk. Small talk is a superficial means of communication. The following is a passage about small talk explained by a blog dedicated to introverts.

"Unfortunately, our culture has deemed small talk a social necessity. Wikepedia even went so far as to describe it as a “social lubricant”, which makes it sound a whole lot more fun than it actually is.

Small talk is meant to be light and fun. It flees from depth and meaning. Personal questions are considered inappropriate. Likewise, any emotion besides happy or neutral is discouraged. Consequently, authenticity dies on the vine.

The truth is that small talk allows two people to have an entire conversation without really getting to know each other.

Instead of being light and fun, the conversation is flat and boring. It is like a game of chess where both players always know each other’s next move. It is a predictable exchange with predictable results.

For introverts, it is one of those annoying hurdles we must cross to get to the good stuff. We indulge in it hoping that we will meet someone who hates this formality as much as we do.

We wait for that brave soul who asks inappropriate questions and laughs at all the wrong times. We cling to the hope that our path will collide with someone who is unapologetically authentic. We are ever in search of people who crave depth over breadth."

Click here for complete article


I do not dislike people. I dislike small talk because it is the social equivalent of spinning your tires. as stated "Small talk allows two people to have an entire conversation without really getting to know each other." The meaningful conversation, the getting to know someone; does not happen with small talk.

This idea leads me to a personal challenge. Over the coarse of the week I am going to attempt to engage in more meaningful conversations. This could be when I am running errands, it could be at work, at church, with family and/or friends. The reason for doing this is so I get out of my comfort zone and get to know the people I come in contact with. I want to have authentic conversations that aren't predictable. I will do a follow-up post giving an account of what happened; until then wish me luck.

Oh and to the introverts out there reading this, please join me in this challenge. I would love to hear about your experiences.

Also, this is a phenomenal TED Talk on introverts. check it out.