I’m a 43 year old software developer. In my 20's I was skinny, quite active, and could eat anything. In my 40's there are more demands on my time, and I work in a job where I sit for most of the day. I recently found out that my father has type 2 diabetes. It was a wake up call for me because as I get older I am looking more and more like my father. He is a view into my own possible future.

My wife gave me a Fitbit Charge HR for my birthday last month. Five years ago I owned a couple of first generation Fitbit devices that you wore on your hip. They were well designed step counters that could sync with your computer. They both found their way into the laundry and didn’t survive the ordeal. They were interesting but I didn’t really miss them. I was curious to see how the device has improved in 5 years. What I found was that smart phone connectivity has taken the device from a cool step counter to an effective weight management tool that really works.

In software development we have a saying:

If it hurts, do it more often

The meaning of this is if you have one really difficult or uncomfortable task, doing it often will make it more comfortable, you’ll get better at it, and the likelihood of success will increase. Another way of saying this is:

Frequency reduces difficulty

I doubt it is necessary to go into detail here to explain that people find weight loss through dieting and exercise quite difficult. Many people try and try but are ultimately unsuccessful.

What is different about the Fitbit? Through connecting with my phone, the Fitbit gives me constant feedback throughout the day so that I can manage my “calorie budget” by making many small decisions. I enter the foods I eat throughout the day, and watch my calories in vs. calories out. The most useful information I watch is this in the Fitbit Dashboard:

I took this screenshot of the gauge while writing this. Right now for me, it is a Saturday just after noon. I have had two slices of delicious zucchini bread that my wife baked this morning for breakfast and a couple cups of coffee. I did some tidying up around the house this morning, but I didn’t walk to the train station like I usually do during my morning commute to work on weekdays. So, how am I doing right now? It looks like I am on track.

What if the needle had been pointing to the red? Well, I could make better decisions throughout the rest of the day and get back on track. Also, this would encourage me to make better choices tomorrow morning.

I stepped on the scale this morning and I was happy to see that I am down another pound! I am slowly and consistently dropping weight. I am exercising moderately and making smart eating choices. I continue to enjoy my morning coffee with milk and sugar and I continue eating some of my favourite foods. I can see the impact that has on my day and I adjust my decisions accordingly. It is effective, consistent, sustainable, and easy.