First, though, is a caveat. Just like the FitBit, this is not a heart rate monitor. The band works on movements. It doesn't know that you're walking uphill because it doesn't know that your heart rate is higher than it would be if you were walking on a flat track.
I have not calibrated my wristband yet; I'll do that when the high school track isn't covered in 15 inches of snow... but I'm very impressed that it does know the difference between upper body movements and walking. I can get excited watching a Bruins game, sitting on the couch, and it doesn't log the clapping as steps. But, a quick sock-slide to the kitchen for a glass of water doesn't always log either. I also wore it while playing Just Dance in "Just Sweat" mode and based on my movement, both the wristband and the game gave me identical readings when I told UP that I spent that time playing a video game.
There are some functions that it is capable of that I haven't tried yet. I have not went on a run with it yet (that's because it's either snowing, raining, or ass cold here in the Granite State here recently... more snow tomorrow). So here we go!
WHAT DOES IT DO?
All of the data that the wristband collects can be viewed on your smartphone app. The UP app will also allow you to cycle through the functions of the wristband. You can also cycle through these functions without the app with the button on the device itself. Some of these are easy (moving between day and sleep move is just holding the button down) but others are more difficult to remember so the app helps me there (press the button once, then hold it down until it vibrates to start and end the stopwatch function). These functions include:
Day Mode: Measuring "steps" and movement at all times. How much "active" and "inactive" time you've spent through the day, how many calories you've burned just being alive in addition to the "active" calories you've burned (from activity you add or activity it senses).
Sleep Mode: Measuring your sleep. It knows when you aren't moving in your sleep. It knows when you are moving in sleep. It knows when you get up and go to the bathroom.
Stopwatch: Allows you to give the wristband the exact time that you're doing an activity. Going for a walk? Starting your aerobic or spin routine? Hit the stopwatch and it will take those movements you make into consideration. End the stopwatch and you can go in and name the activity you did. This can change your calorie burn depending on if you're doing weight lifting or running.
Power Nap: Like sleep mode, except it has a short alarm. It won't let you oversleep. But if you're like me and you required a 3 and a half hour nap after an epic New Year's Eve celebration, you can ignore the alarm, turn it off when the band vibrates, and go back to sleep.
Smart Sleep Alarms: You can set what time you must wake up on certain days of the week and the band will take where you are in your sleep pattern to decide when to wake you. I've really enjoyed this function because it really does wake me at a good time. The vibrating band is a silent way to wake up, so if you wake up at a different time than your bed partner, they would probably appreciate it. Downside is I haven't found a way to "snooze," but it's waking you when you're awake enough that you shouldn't need it.
Idle Alert: You can set times that the band will vibrate after a certain amount of inactivity to get you on your feet. I set mine for 45 minutes from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM so that while at work at my desk job, it will remind me to get up from the desk and move around. So far that hasn't been a problem.
It holds a charge for approximately 1 week and it charges pretty quickly. The app will tell you approximately how many days you have left in the charge and what percentage you have left of battery life. Charging is done by taking the cap off of one end of the device and plugging it into the USB charger that comes with it. It has to be charged with a computer because a DC outlet is too powerful.
Those are the primary uses. The app will also allow you to track your food and drink intake and measure what nutrients you're consuming, etc. The UP app will also pair with other apps that you already use. For example, I already use MyFitnessPal and do not want to stop using it. I enter my food into MFP and the UP app imports that. It also pairs with MapMyFitness, Runtastic, and many others.
Below are some screen shots and explanations of the data the app gives you:
This is a comparison of the last 7 days of sleep. These is also a similar bar graph for steps/activity.
Trends. You can see trends on ANYTHING. How much fiber you've eaten. Sleep. Activity time. It will compare any two things.
Another example of trends.
Your "news feed" for your day.
Your homepage.
They call this the "Lifeline." It's a graph of what you do every day. Swipe from side to side to move between days. This shows the dancing I did on NYE night! That double arrow badge up top was an award I received for meeting a "Today I Will" goal. You get badges for different things which I think is super fun.
One day's activity. Here, you can see where I went for a walk at lunch time and then weight lifted in the evening.
This is what you get from adding the activity to the data the stopwatch collects.
WHAT DO I LIKE ABOUT IT?
So why bother doing this? The main reason why I wanted one was to give myself an idea of what I do during the day. I do have a desk job and I've always wondered if that keeps me inactive. I've learned from the two days of work I had this week while wearing the band that this is not the case. I am SO MUCH MORE INACTIVE on a day off. I barely walk any steps on days off... because I'm not running right now. The only time I even came close to the 10,000 step goal was NYE where I worked a nearly full day, then danced the night away.
Your activity and sleep goals can be set. I went with the default of 8 hours of sleep at 10,000 steps. I usually get 8 hours of sleep anyway, and 10,000 steps is a known recommendation. That's approximately 5 miles of movement a day. I can see why running helps me maintain my weight. It's an easy way to knock off those needed miles.
I do like the alarm. I also really appreciate that it loads my MFP data in rather than forcing me to learn to use an new app (my day-streak on MFP is 383 days).
It's comfortable. It does NOT fall off. This was actually what made me decide between the Jawbone and the FitBit Force. So many reviews for the Force talked about the clasp not being sturdy enough. This band allows you to slip in and out of the opening, but when you're working out (I've done burpees with it on) it doesn't come off at all. Doesn't even try.
It does recommend that you remove it while bathing and while swimming, but I've read reviews where people swim with it. I honestly like the fact that I can't take it into the shower. I hate wearing things in the shower. When I had my finger splint on that drove me crazy. And I don't like wearing jewelry in the shower (I hate that I can't take some of my ear piercings out).
WHAT WOULD I CHANGE?
There's nothing annoying about the device, but there are a few things I would change if I could.
I bought a medium, but I probably should have gotten a small. I do like that it isn't tight on my wrist, but it moves too much and it's difficult in long sleeves because it isn't tight on my arm.
You can see the buttons in this picture. The small silver bit on the top is where you cycle through functions. The silver cap on the bottom covers the adapter to plug into the charger.
Another thing I would change is how it pulls from MFP. I like putting in all of my food that I will eat at work while I pack my lunch. This makes sure I have it done and if I need to weigh anything, it's more accurate than my memory. If you do that, though, UP imports it all at once. It doesn't import food, it imports the meal. But then it looks like, on my timeline, that I ate 4 meals at 7 AM.
I'd love to see an easier way to track water intake.
If anyone has any specific questions, leave it in the comments here and I'll address them! It's very easy to use and easy to catch on to. You don't get a lot of directions, but honestly, I find that I use some things more than others. You'll decide what you want it for and you'll be a pro in those functions in no time. If you're in the market for a tracking wristband I'd definitely recommend it. It doesn't fall off. I'm finding it to be very accurate, even uncalibrated, and it's really putting my days off into perspective. It makes me want to run.
I'm hoping that having my UP24 will help me get back in those size 4 pants (I rocked my size 6 dress on NYE despite the extra poundage and I did it with very hard triceps). I did complete the Burn Phase of Chalean Extreme, so I'm starting 2014 on the Push Phase. Time to lift wicked heavy! Can't wait! I also can't wait to run my first mile of 2014, but like I said, crazy snow coming. I'll get there eventually.
2013 had so many firsts. I ran my first half marathon. Did my first obstacle race. But 2013 also brought a lot of frustrations. I'm hoping for this positive start to 2014 to ride on through the year. I want to get back on track, get back in my best shape, and be happy.
2 weeks from today I'll be 29. Gotta rock the last year of my twenties :D
Lastly, just because this is supposed to be a blog about cooking too, I finally cooked the spaghetti squash that has been chilling in my fridge for a month. I made Spaghetti Squash Latkes! Super simple, very tasty, and you can eat the whole batch yourself with zero guilt. I ate them tonight with some mixed veggies and fish, so I couldn't physically eat the whole batch. I have one left over.
1.5 cups of roasted spaghetti squash, patted dry
1 egg, beaten
1/8 cup flour
1/4 cup shredded onion
Mix everything together and fry up in a pan on medium high heat with some olive oil. I used a fork to pull the mix onto the pan and then spread it out a little as it started cooking. Flip and cook the other side.
Definitely has the texture of shredded potatoes. I found many recipes for this before deciding on how to make my own. Many had different spices. It would probably be good with some shredded carrots as well.
This made approximately 6 patties for 180 calories. Try it with egg whites only and I bet that would work.
Happy New Year everyone! Let's make this one the best yet.
The day after Christmas I picked up my gift to myself--A Jawbone UP24 wristband. It's in the same family as the FitBit where it tracks your ... jawbonearmband.blogspot.de
ReplyDelete