The week of November 11, I had an appointment with the nephrologist and was told my kidney function and electrolytes were normal, which was an improvement. The low sodium encouragement was still in place and I was encouraged to exercise at least 30 minutes three days a week and advance to at least 30 minutes five days a week.
At the visit my weight was 185 pounds, my pulse was 106, and my blood pressure was 110/70.
I began to look at getting a Fitness Tracker. I had three Fitbits in the past. They worked well enough, but they were expensive and they broke. I started researching and the range of Fitness Trackers available was ridiculous.
I knew I needed a step count. Heart rate and Oxygen were pretty standard. There was some concern about Blood Pressure and I didn’t know how accurate the watches were, but if it wasn’t too much of a price increase, I’d go for it. I also liked the idea of having my sleep recorded.
Most of these tracked activities to provide calories burned. The trackers connect to phone applications. And the number of options seemed to be endless.
Apple, Fitbit, and Garmin often appeared in “top fitness tracker” results, but they are not reasonably priced, at least for me.
I ultimately (spent two days figuring it out) went with a K52 Smart Watch. It appeared (and has been) durable. Came with a metal band and has a traditional sport chronograph design. It uses FitCloudPro software.
I also started using Samsung Health and it is compatible with FitCloudPro. Recently I got a scale from Omada as I began a program of theirs. Their software also connects to Samsung Health.
Since the data I want to keep and rely on all goes back to my spreadsheet, I try not to spend more time than I need to on the apps.
I’m not overly concerned about accuracy when it comes to vitals, but I am concerned about out of the ordinary readings. Typically when I get reports from doctor office visits I compare blood pressure, oxygen and heart rate to see how close the two are.
Blood pressure registers about 8 points higher on my watch compared to the office results.
I used the balance of November to test the watch and get used to wearing it. Then in December I began tracking in earnest. By mid December I started to track everything vitals, exercise, and nutrients.
My first set of data for December (half a month instead of a full month) showed I was getting 6.5 hours of sleep a night with 1.5 hours of deep sleep. I weighed 165, had a resting heart rate of 81 and my blood pressure averaged 121/73.
I was consuming on average 1571 calories per day and averaging 7700 steps per day. I also had 5 days on the bike and 3 lifting.
As time went on these numbers shifted. In May, with a better understanding of what to eat, my calories increased to 3500, but I kept my sodium in check under 2000 per day. At the same time, I was averaging 18,000 steps a day, lifted 12 times and got on the bike 27. I had nine other workouts which were primarily a combination of yard work and racquetball.
Having the data, watching it, and using it to improve how I was eating, exercising and recovering has had a tremendous impact on how I feel mentally, physically, and emotionally in my day to day life.
Having the numbers also gives you confidence in knowing that what you are doing has direct results. This translates to other areas of your life where you don’t have numbers, but you can have confidence that it will work just as it did with diet and exercise.
Question for You
Last week, I asked about setting a goal that required you to wait for months, this week I addressed the same themes, but will rephrase, did you have an experience where you took on a challenge that you could use data, like dieting, or changing routines to improve sleep? How did it work for you? What helped you stay on track? What easily distracted you?
Lessons Learned
The most important thing I learned was that being consistent and diligent yields results. There is no secret diet, exercise routine, or what have you. It is very straightforward. Eat the right foods, do the right things, and do them day in and day out. It may not be easy, but it is simple and straight-forward.
Resilient Seeker Coaching | Ross Raymond Nunamaker 