I know I’m a little late for the traditional New Year’s resolution to work out and get into shape, but better late than never, right?
Per BMI calculations, I am currently obese (by two pounds). I fully believe that BMI is a terrible way to determine whether someone is at a normal weight, overweight, or obese, since it does not take into account body type, muscle mass, and other determining factors.
According to the BMI calculator, since I am 5’ 8” tall, I need to get down to 164 pounds for me to just sneak into the “normal weight” zone. For me to be right smack-dab in the middle of the range? I have to get myself down to 143 pounds. I’m sorry, but I call bullshit on that number (to say nothing of calling it “normal” weight). Being from good Polish genetic stock, I am very stocky (I wear a 44” suit coat) and have a barrel chest. If I were to get myself down to 143 pounds, I’d look anorexic. They should really fix this thing, rather than play it up as the definitive measure of someone’s weight.
Anywho, I have decided to once to try to eat better, get more active, and lose weight. Like most Americans, this is far from the first time I have said this. I have attempted the same thing multiple times (the best I ever did was get into the high 170s for weight), but always got distracted or bored or injured and put all the weight back on. This time, I am going to try two new tools, one I found through the webcomic XKCD and the other I saw as part of the CES 2012 show.
Fitocracy
I first heard mention of the Fitocracy website from a webcomic I follow called XKCD. It was not open to the public yet, you had to request an invite. This month, I finally got an invitation for the site. On the surface, it’s nothing new: online fitness tracking with a social aspect and challenges, but what makes this different is that it assigns points to various exercises and as you gain points, you go up levels and gain achievements. I like the idea of equating working out to a game. I’m hoping the novelty of it, and seeing that a simple goal is in sight (new level or achievement) will keep me focused and I’ll be less likely to give up after a couple weeks.
Striiv
One of the simplest forms of exercise is walking. Long touted as easiest way to help get into shape, with the recommended daily goal of 10,000 steps per day (which roughly equates to 5 miles). How do you keep track of how many steps you take? Why a pedometer, of course! Again, nothing new or exciting with a pedometer; you clip it on your belt or put it in your pocket, and when the day is over, you see what the number reads. While looking at the coverage for this year’s Consumer Electronic Show (CES), I saw a neat little gadget called Striiv. It is a pedometer that keeps track of steps taken, stairs climbed, and calories burned, which is nothing spectacular. The unique part of this gadget is that it has personal challenges, games to play based off the steps you take, and they will also donate money to one of three charities (your choice between clean water, polio vaccine, or saving the rainforest) based off the number of steps you’ve taken. Again, something more engaging than walking just for the sake of walking.
Now, neither of these tools will guarantee that I will get myself into shape (how bloody awesome would it be if they would?), but I’m cautiously optimistic that this way of looking at fitness will help get me on the right path. Only time will tell, and if I think about it, I’ll also tell here what those results are.
