We were on track 4, performing deadlifts, when I felt my BodyMedia armband start to slide down. I wasn't in a position to readjust it so I let it fall to my wrist and subsequently flail around as I performed cleans and push presses. It was awkward to say the least but the class must go on.
I tried to guide the participants through the stretches as I struggled to get it positioned correctly. But I couldn't. I took it off, threw it in my Lug Life gym bag and resolved to take care of it later. I came home and inspected the device as I chatted with Mark, lamenting that my beloved BodyMedia could be broken ... or not. As it turns out, the grippy circular piece of Velcro that keeps the armband secure was no longer attached to the end plastic piece. Seemingly all I would have to do is get some super glue and put it back on.
The weekend passed and days soon did, too, and I not only didn't fix it - I didn't even go to the store to get the glue. I was a bit taken aback by my lack of interest in doing anything as I had become reliant, to say the least, on the armband that measures daily calorie burn and uses software to sync with MyFitnessPal, giving me all kinds of statistics on my eating and exercise habits. I would only sync and charge the band if it coincided with a shower because I didn't want to lose any information. The 15 minutes at night to take care of those tasks seemed like too much time without it. When Mark asked to wear it out of curiosity, I quickly shut him down because a) it was mine; and b) I didn't want to lose a day's information for his experiment. On the days I charged it, syncing the data, I would anxiously review the data to see if I had burned calories I deemed sufficient while managing to eat within a certain range. I considered it a valuable tool for weight loss/maintenance.
The more time I spent without the device, the more I began to wonder just how many numbers one person needs? Do I need to know how many calories I burned while I was sleeping or teaching BODYPUMP? Do I need to to know how many fat grams are in my breakfast? It was 15, if you are interested. Do I need to know how fast I run a mile, how many I log in a week? I can tell you that, too. How much water I drink? Because the truth is that you can have and log a number for just about anything, especially with the advent of smartphones and the near rush of apps being created.
There's apps to journal food (I use MyFitnessPal), track mileage on runs, to calculate BMI, to practice Tai chi. There's even one, not so shockingly, to track water consumption. For at least three months, I used the Waterlogged app to keep tabs on how much I was drinking throughout the day after seeing Lauren at Oatmeal After Spinning write a post about it. Drinking enough water should be a priority for everyone but even more so for those with an active lifestyle, and I was "concerned" that I was not staying hydrated. I set an arbitrary goal to drink 80 ounces of water a day - mostly because that's what Lauren did - and started getting Waterlogged.
What I discovered, though, is I drink enough water. More than enough water. I usually drink two big glasses - 32 ounces - before eating breakfast, bringing me more than a third toward my goal. One glass at lunch and dinner add up to another 32 ounces. Then there's the two water bottles I usually drink at work for about 40 ounces. If you are bad at math, I'll tell you that's 104 ounces - 24 over the goal and 40 over the recommended 8 glasses. The more I realized I drank enough, the more cumbersome it got to track. The more cumbersome it got to track, the less I did it. The less I did it, the more the app reminded me that I wasn't. And then I just got annoyed. The app got deleted, and I've been hydrating just the same.
Of course, it wouldn't be so easy to just let go of some of the other numbers I track. I see success and progress in my splits, average pace and mileage. It's also an important aspect of training for a distance event. I find security and confidence in tracking my food (usually), knowing that I am not eating too much and can review my good selections.
As I contemplated this post, though, I wondered what it would be like if I just stopped logging my food and try to eat intuitively. I have been at this game long enough that I should know what to eat and when, how to eat to fuel my body and when to say enough is enough. I thought it could be an interesting experiment to give it up a week and see whether I gained weight, lost weight or stayed the same. But I couldn't commit. A sense of fear hung over the idea, and I was reluctant to give up the control, unwilling to risk gaining weight.
I considered the flip side, nonetheless. By stopping the numbers game, I can stop the fixation. I can settle into a pattern living life and not living to eat. I could stop trying the manipulation and numbers game that I play every day to get things the way I like. Rather, I could eat foods based on a nutritional profile and not label.
I have had a taste of that intuitiveness by not wearing the BodyMedia. Have I gained weight? Well, I was up two pounds on the scale yesterday but I don't weigh myself frequently enough to know whether it's a trend, water weight or the over-cited muscle growth (because obviously I'm now a meathead). I know whatever the reason, the weight gain is not because I gave up those numbers - though I will say that it made me reluctant to give up the numbers in terms of calorie counting.
What are your thoughts? What numbers do you track?
Love this. I have tracked my calories in the past and it can be good for me or it can make me mental. I find that if I track calories for a few weeks every few months it helps me stay on track more (reign in portion sizes, snacks, etc.) but then not tracking also helps me eat more intuitively and live free of numbers. So I think it's a balance, at least for me.
ReplyDeleteI do track my mileage and my running times, simply because I like to see where my pace is and if I'm staying the same or getting faster (or getting slower, as pregnancy may be dictating right now). And monthly totals of mileage bring me satisfaction and encouragement!
I have done Weight Watchers for the past 6-7 months and have gotten to my goal weight, but am struggling with whether or not I keep tracking. I feel like on one hand, I know how I'm supposed to eat now, but on the other hand, I am scared that if I stop tracking, I'll start slacking and gain the weight back. I think that maintenance is harder than losing weight!
ReplyDeleteAre you still trying to lose weight though? IMO The numbers help then. I do WW and I cross track my food in Myfitnesspal for my protein, carbs and sodium levels. I recently started to wear my bodybugg religiously as it was bodybuggs website but now they moved over to bodymedia (holy interface so much better) and the numbers are eye opening. Esp tracking my sleep. I can go to bed and think I'm getting a solid 6 hours and I'm more likely getting only 5 if that.
ReplyDeleteIf I don't track it gets out of control and bad habits start to creep back in.
I'm not actively trying to lose weight - unless those two pounds are permanent. My fear (and assumption) is that if I stop measuring all together, I will lose control and re-start bad habits.
DeleteI ignored/didn't track as well as I could and though training for a marathon etc I could eat what I could and regained 50lbs I lost on WW and now it's sooooo much harder this time around.
DeleteDamn those numbers. Ignoring numbers meant I ballooned one summer in France (and have tiger stripes to prove it), obsessing over numbers got me too skinny and a 3-night stay in a hospital.
ReplyDeleteI love tracking mileage and pace. Since I've learned to listen to my body, there's not much temptation to let those numbers get out of control. But when it comes to food, I read labels, mentally keep track on days when I'm eating a lot, but for the most part, I try not to let them control me. Prior to this break from running, I had stopped weighing myself at home. It's the only way I could have a healthy relationship with the scale. I thought about food journaling while I'm off of running, but I knew if I started logging everything I ate, the unhealthy obsession would creep back in. As it is, it's hard knowing I've lost 13 pounds- half of me mourns the muscle loss, then there's the evil half telling me I needed it.
We all have our number battles. Damn those numbers.
Such a good point, and I'm so glad you shared. I am 70% certain you haven't lost 13 pounds of muscle. Because that would be crazy.
DeleteI love my Fitbit because honestly I was delusional as to how active I am. On most non-running days I don't get the recommended 10k steps. And I thought I was burning more calories so could eat more than I can. It was eye opening. That said, now I know what I need to do. So do I need the Fitbit? Maybe not. But its a very cool tool and I'd definitely want it in case I slip back.
ReplyDeleteI still havne't stuck with logging food for any length of time. Such a PIA.
I realized the same thing with the BodyMedia. I thought I was burning an eff ton of calories during BODYPUMP, especially because they say you can burn up to 600 in a class. Not so much. Try 250.
DeleteI definitely don't want to throw it away and, hopefully, I'll just splurge on a new armband (not the device) and fix it all. They have some cute, sassy designs.
I am a non-numbers girl now. I let go of the myfitness pal and my scale. I stopped logging every thing basically. It really is freeing. We know what to eat and how to eat. And really, why DO we need to know what we are burning during a fitness activity if the weight is coming off. I think you should try it. Let the fear aside and try it. You'll love it.
ReplyDeleteI think it can probably be good to have a break from the numbers. But numbers can teach you a lot about what you are doing or eating, rather than just guessing. So, I think there is a time for it, but like you have said, it is easy to become fixated on them. Now that you know a lot about what is good and how much you are working out, ect... it might be nice to have a little time away from the numbers.
ReplyDeleteI think we may have a psychic connection. I was just working on a post about numbers. I got a Jawbone UP band for my birthday. It's only been two days, but I'm addicted already. I needed a little motivation to keep me from using meaningless excuses as to why I needed to relax in the evenings more than exercise, even a walk. It's gotten pretty bad the past few weeks.
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually a calorie calculator, but every once in a while I log into MyFitnessPal just to double check myself. I definitely think there is a point at which you just have too much information and it makes you crazy.
Most definitely a psychic connection! Because we are awesome. I think I cold try your strategy with MFP - check in - and see how it goes.
DeleteI've found the more I get away from numbers (both counting calories and Garmin-watching my pace as I run) the better off I am: as in I eat less and run faster. Which is the whole point of watching the numbers in the first place to try to get to that place where we eat just what we need and perform better than we ever have. Intuitive eating and running by feel are so hard, but I think really beneficial.
ReplyDeleteI do tend to track calories, but find that I get obsessive with it. Instead, I try to keep an idea on how much I eat each day, how much I exercise, etc. Your post really made me think and you made some very valid points!
ReplyDeleteas much as i like numbers, i don't really track anything except my mileage (and now pilates/yoga classes). i think it's because once i have the data, i don't DO anything with it.i do like looking back on my mileage (particularly around injuries/marathon training/pregnancy), but other than that, it just sits around.
ReplyDeleteas far as food and water goes, i don't track any of that. i just try to balance my day around food groups and drink water liberally. i think it would be interesting to know how many calories i take in/burn off, but i'm not motivated enough to track it.
i hope you find a good balance with all the tracking!
as a triathlete, I keep track of mileage/time (and therefore pace) with all of my workouts ... but part of that is due to following actual plans.
ReplyDeleteseveral years ago, I worked at 24 hour fitness and bought a bodybugg (bodymedia armband's predecessor) and it made me the most crazy I've been in a loooong while. I became miserable while I obsessed on how much I was working out, how much I could keep within my carbs/protein/fat ratios, everything. I became horribly depressed, particularly when the scale/body fat didn't seem to be showing the progress I thought it should have.
if you're curious, I blogged about it way back in the day - the blog's no longer active, but the post is still around: http://isdreams.blogspot.com/2008/09/overdue-bodybugg-discussion.html