Dan and I have embarked on a life style change and this new focus on health and fitness includes some very cool gadgets. Dan bought us each a Fitbit ultra and a new Aria Scale.

Prior to using the fitbit, I found the Nike-Ipod Plus to be a very motivating tool for fitness. It's simple and cheap. You just tie it to your shoe laces or if you have Nike running shoes, insert the pod in your sneaker and synch it to your Ipod. This great during workouts. It would show miles, pace and calories burned. I often found myself running or walking a little further to beat my previous day's mileage. It was a huge motivator and for about a year, I used it nearly every night going on long walks/runs with my now ex husband. We both had office jobs and this routine kept us fit.

The Fitbit is the next level up from a Nike Ipod Plus. The biggest difference, is the Fitbit is for more than just workouts. It acts as a pedometer, so is worn all of the time. It's small and hardly noticable, so I clip it on my jeans or skirt. It can also be tucked in a pocket or worn as a necklace. It's versatile. During daytime use, it calculates steps taken and flights of stairs climbed. Unlike the Ipod Plus, it doesn't calculate pace, which is a shortcoming if you are really into running. If I get back into running, I think that I would wear both during the workouts.

At night, I wear my Fitbit to calculate my sleep. It gives me a not only how many hours I slept, but how long it took me to fall asleep and a graph ( viewable on the Fitbit site that the device synchs to) showing each time that I woke up during the night. It calculates a percentage of sleep efficiency. At first, I wasn't sure how accurate this could be, but when I have remembered waking up, I've noticed it on the charts. I wear the device on a wrist band and it's so light and comfy, that I don't notice wearing it.

I like lists, statistics and facts. The fitbit calculates all types of food and activity information and puts it into graphs. I love it. I list my food and nutritional information on my mobile app or the website and it tracks everything for me. I definitely know that when I take the time to list my eating habits, I tend to eat healthier. There is also a section to track water intake, another thing that I know that I get more of when I pay attention to tracking it. The site has a spot to list physical activity outside of the steps already being tracked, which is another reason to get over to the gym.

So how did I do this week?

I lost 1.8 pounds. When I did Weight Watchers prior to my wedding, I would lose 1.8 pounds nearly every week. I am consistent.

I'm not sure how accurate the scale is at measuring Body Fat, but I am 36.8%. Yikes!!! My weight is actually pretty decent and I have a healthy BMI, but that body fat percentage is way out of control. I think that I need to combat it by adding weight training to my regime. This will come soon, as I made a promise to Dan that if I didn't go to the gym a minimum of eight times a month, that I would cancel my membership. It's currently unused and a money drain, but if I use it, then it's worth it. That's a dose of motivation!

My sleep was really good, mostly. My diet and sleep was wrecked late Friday-Saturday, when Dan and I drove to Vegas and back. However, on normal days, all was really good.

With the exception of the Vegas trip (fried food, burgers, candy bars and enough coffee to kill a horse) I ate really well. Most days, I was under my caloric intake and filled up with veggies, fruit and whole grains. This part is easy for me, as I actually love healthy food.

I walked 30.38 miles in the week! This includes two days that were below expectations. I am happy with this week, but next week will be better!

I am learning new things about this gadget everyday, but so far, I am loving it and seeing results.