App Time

Cloud smiley face?

Remember when "apps" referred to things like squid rings, crab cakes, shrimp cocktails and bruscetta?

Jen just showed me a cool app that’s built right into my phone. It records how far I’ve walked, how many individual steps I’ve taken and how many flights I’ve walked up. VERY cool BUT also kinda Big Brother-ish creepy. My phone KNOWS ALL/SEES ALL. //shudder//

Now then, I need and want to reignite the weight loss action – I’ve hit a wicked plateau. Also, I need to go into this upcoming back surgery as fit as I can be. This app, ominous as it seems, may well be just the thing to help me keep track of what I’m already actually doing and give me a daily nudge to do more.

The fitbit site tells me that:

Completing an extra 10,000 steps each day typically burns about 2000 to 3500 extra calories each week. One pound of body fat equals 3500 calories, so depending on your weight and workout intensity, you could lose about one pound per week simply by completing an extra 10,000 steps each day.

OK, awesomeness but an extra 10,000 steps? On top of what? Is this in addition to my usual, general slothness? Cool. Or do they mean, in addition to my usual workout and activities? Not cool.

Right now, I'm doing close to 6Gs worth of steps. I can amp that up certainly but I'll never be in gym rat/Olympian territory. Will adding an extra little walk each day boost me up over the 10G target? I guess I’ll find out, eh?

Sadly, the app only works if the phone’s physically on my person (not Big Brother enough?) . It also doesn’t record my elliptical time as steps – technically, of course, they’re not. AND, I do see a readout of my workout on the elliptical’s logic engine screen. BUT HEY, as long as my phone’s spying on me anyway, why can't it keep track of the whole shebang? Sure, I could keep a little workout diary but I like the idea of all my expended energy being collected and kept FOR me in one handy, very easy to check place.

Yeah sure, I could just buy a fitbit but that would mean spending money on something other than books or art supplies. Hmmph!

Hi, my name is Donna and I’m lazy as all fucking hell. Cheap too.