Wow — what a week in the Omron Fitness Challenge!
I’ve been working out. I’ve been running. And, I’ve been trying to increase my step count with the daily use of a pedometer.
That has been a real struggle for me. The goal set for us by Mamavation is 10,000 steps per day. I’ve heard about the 10K step goal many times before, but I’ve never been one to use a pedometer regularly so I had no idea how difficult it would be.
I setup my pedometer, I wore it all day long, and then I proceeded to get frustrated by my less than 5,000 daily steps each day. I set a new, personal goal to increase my steps each day, even if only by a little bit. I gained extra steps each day.
On Tuesday, I decided it was time to make a real effort at 10,000 steps. I spent the entire day on my feet, running errands, doing chores, neglecting my desk work to keep moving. I went for a 2-mile run — and ended the day just shy of 9,000 steps.
So discouraging. As hard as I tried all week, I just couldn’t work a desk job and fit in 10,000 steps every day.
That’s when I set out to learn more about my fancy space pedometer. Turns out, it doesn’t track steps the way you would think. It counts strides — forward motion only, basically. So any baby steps I take doing laundry or on a break at my desk aren’t measured. It also doesn’t start calculating until you’ve walked for 4 seconds — putting away dishes or a quick walk from room to room won’t trigger the pedometer.
And the last problem was that my daily stride isn’t the same as my purposeful stride. So, taking 10 steps to measure my stride length for the pedometer resulted in a much higher number than most people. I took a few different measurements and finally landed on a number that I think is counting more accurately.
And, yet I’m still not hitting 10K every day, but that’s okay! My goals are mine. My progress is for me to measure. Sure, I’m taking part in a fitness challenge with 24 other people and being watched by entire community. But, at the end of the day, it really only matters if I’m happy.
No one can make me lose this weight except me. And, getting frustrated is the first step to giving up. I can’t let that happen. I have to remember that everyone is at a different level. Everyone has a different lifestyle. There’s no one size fits all weight loss plan.
But I can make my own.
That’s why I’ve updated my personal goals in the Omron Fitness Dashboard, focusing on a weekly step count instead of a daily stresser. It’s also why I’m content with just making progress, even if I’m not all the way there yet. And, it’s working!
I’ve lost 2.5 pounds this week and 6 inches so far in the challenge. More importantly, I feel good. My clothes are getting looser already, and I’m more motivated than ever to reach my goals. My goals.
Starting Weigh-In: 195 pounds
This Week’s Weigh-In: 193.2 pounds
BMI: 27.7
This Week’s Weight Loss: 2.6 pounds
Total Omron Fitness Weight Loss: 2 pounds
Updated Measurements:
Bust: 38″ (-3″)
Waist: 31″ (-1.5″)
Hips: 41″ (no change)
Thighs: 27.5″/27″ (-.5″ total)
Arms: 12″ (-1″ total)
Total Inches Lost: 6″
This post is sponsored Omron Fitness as a collaboration withBookieboo Blogging Network and Mamavation — a community dedicated to weight loss for women and obesity prevention for families. I was provided with product and compensation for my time and honest opinions.
Nice Going! (I totally have to up my steps each day)
Glad to see you’re doing great, and you’re right, it’s all about how you feel about you because the ultimate goal isn’t daily steps, it’s forever steps 🙂 Thanks for a great read.
Congrats on your weight and inches lost! That’s awesome!
Wow, congratulations on your losses! It sounds like you’re doing awesome, even with the technical difficulties 🙂 I’m glad you found a way to fix the measurements!
When I did my calibration, I came up with results similar to the numbers in the chart above. The first time I used my pedometer, I could only muster 1,000 steps. I was a little disappointed … until I did my SPM calculation and realized I’d walked a half mile. That sounded pretty good after all!