We are obsessed with numbers. Results reflected in the perfect, orderly, surprisingly telling world of numbers—they are what keep us up at night. Any company will tell you their data analytics people are some of their most valuable assets. Numbers are also your best friend when it comes to forming habits and keeping them, and the tech industry has turned this wisdom into their latest weapon: wearable technology for access into your quantified self.
The reason why numbers are so crucial is that they tell a story: an objective, accurate, indisputable story. So when the Fitbits, Jawbone Ups, Garmins, Misfits, and Withings of the tech world came out with their fitness bands, well, you thought all of your weight loss and fitness goal hopes should be as easy to achieve as 1-2-3, right? After all, fitness bands do so much—from tracking the number of steps you take to how many hours of ‘sound’ sleep you had last night. It’s affordable, it’s trendy, and unlike the Apple watch, it’s affordable.
But before you run down to St. Catherine (or CTRL+T to Amazon.ca) to snag one off the shelves for yourself, be warned. As it turns out, the numbers only work in your favor if you and your tech work together. And that’s not all: the tech is not one hundred percent foolproof–which means the numbers are not even close to 0.0009 percent accurate. And that’s when things get a little more complicated, a little less objective, a little more disputable.
The idea behind every activity tracker is simple: to encourage the wearer to live a healthy, active lifestyle through a conscious, goal-setting process.
The question every (potential) user has is more nuanced: does it work?
- Who uses activity trackers?
We do! According to CMO.com, “Most wearables owners are young, with 48 percent between 18 and 34 years old. Men and women are equally likely to sport wearable tech.”
This makes sense so far. But look at this:
This 2014 survey showed that 88% of wearers still use their activity tracker within three months of purchasing it, while that percentage drops to 65% after three months. What?
- Why the dropout rate?
Here’s the first thing you need to know about activity trackers: they are not smartwatches, meaning there is only a handful of things in its functional repertoire. No, it does not pick up your calls, and no, there is no Siri-like character living in it, and many of them don’t contain a GPS (although some do, like the Garmin Forerunner 225. But let’s be honest, it’s an ugly chunk of metal that looks more fitting in a Pokemon episode). Maybe in the future when the tech guys have had more time to poke around with it a little more, we’ll have more functions to play with. But for now the full extent of even the best fitness bands out there feature step counting, heart rate monitor, sleep tracking, food logging, and message notifications, which are about all you’re going to get. Add “sleek and lightweight” to the criteria, and the features fall away the sleeker and lighter it is.
Higher-than-warranted expectations for the activity tracker is only one possible reason for the dropouts. Other reasons include: “the results aren’t being seen fast enough”, “the weight loss has been achieved and it’s no longer useful”, “I’m not seeing results at all”, “it’s too much effort to log things”.
- Here’s what you need to know about weight loss and maintenance using an activity tracker:
1. The key is to remember that your activity tracker requires that you, well, engage in activity. Like every other fitness aid or diet plan or weight-loss program, an activity tracker will not help you lose weight overnight. It also does not do everything for you. But, it can get you there in a realistic time period. Here’s how to use your tracker to actually get fit.
2. Using a tracker for weight loss means you need to be disciplined—both in exercising and in keeping track of what you eat. The most concise and effective way to make sure you reach your target weight by a target date, is to calorie count—and we all know calorie counting can be toxic. It can quickly go from a health-focused habit to an addiction and obsession, be very careful.
3. If you do decide to count calories as part of your weight loss journey, make sure you use an app that works for you. If your fitness band’s app has a food logging function that doesn’t tickle your fancy, use another one. Some simple apps to consider are MyNetDiary, and MyFitnessPal (both are IOS and Andoid compatible).
4. Make sure you are setting SMART goals. You’ve probably heard of SMART goals—and only because they work. SMART goals are goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound. You can turn your activity tracker into the SMARTest weight loss program ever (if you commit to logging your activity and food intake).
5. Choose a tracker that measures your heart rate (HR). The Garmin Vivo HR tracker is currently the best in the market for this purpose. A pedometer does not measure intensity, and engaging in intense cardiovascular activity is paramount to burning calories. Measuring your HR keeps you up to date with how much exercise you should be getting.
6. Be kind to yourself. No matter how SMART the goal is, sometimes life gets in the way. Maybe you have a barrage of midterms coming up and you simply can’t fit in your forty-minute workout every day. Or maybe you just got through a difficult breakup and the only thing that will help you feel like a functioning human again is ice cream. Its okay. That’s life.
7. You live for YOU—you do not live for your activity tracker or the numbers it generates. Its purpose is to help you—not stress you out.
- Find the right band for you
There are so many brands on the market, and so many designs and functions. Where do you even begin? Gone is the FitBit’s one-trick-pony original activity tracker that functioned only as a glorified pedometer; brands like Jawbone and Garmin are performing at the same (if not superior) level. For the more fashion-concious, the Jawbone Up2 features a sleek, fashionable and non-chunky design that tracks your sleep patterns and steps taken, vibrates to wake you up, or notifies you when you’ve been inactive too long, and can be worn in the shower (but not swimming).
For those more serious fitness buffs, the Garmin Vivo HR is a top-performing tracker clock, full of features: it measures your heart rate, tracks your sleep and step count, and even notifies you on incoming messages and calls.
Everything in between these two is just as phenomenal. If used right, the fitness band can help you achieve your goals, but you have to help it help you.
For a comprehensive look at what else is out there, read up on reviews like this one by a tech review website Wareable.
Images obtained from:
https://jawbone.com/store/buy/up2?color=oat&design=spectrum&design_mod=thin
http://endeavourpartners.net/assets/Endeavour-Partners-Inside-Wearables-…
http://www.wareable.com/fitness-trackers/how-to-buy-a-fitness-tracker