Tag: sleep

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BREAKING UP WITH MY FITBIT

Were you ever in a good relationship that finally ran its course? That’s what happened between my Fitbit and me. Getting my first Fitbit was quite a thrill.   It made me feel young and hip.  I was proud to wear it out in public, and unashamed that it wasn’t exactly ornamental.   I noticed a lot of other people wearing them, too–not just when exercising, but at theaters and restaurants.  Who would want to be without a Fitbit?

 
It was supposed to help me lose weight.  The idea being that if I would just take more steps,  the extra pounds would simply melt away.  Didn’t happen, because I wasn’t exercising any more than I did when I set my goal for, say, 15 minutes of this or that exercise,  or maybe half hour of walking.  Another problem was that if Fitbit told me I’d walked an extra mile or so, I thought I could have an extra doughnut.  But I learned that 75% of weight loss comes from reduced calories, with exercise only accounting for 25%.  A little extra exercise didn’t justify eating more.
Breaking up with my fitbit was the best decision I've made for a long time.
Breaking up with my Fitbit. At first, I thought it would help me lose weight. But mostly, it made me lose sleep.

 

One good thing:  Fitbit told me how many miles I had walked from point A to point B,  but once I had that information, I didn’t really need the wristband to tell me what I already knew.  And then, a friend pointed out that if all I wanted to know was mileage, I could slip my smart phone in my back pocket and it would tell me the same thing.
 

After about a year, things started going south when I realized Fitbit was ruining my sleep.  It would tell me how many times I was up during the night, and how many times I tossed and turned . The first time I saw those numbers, I was rattled.  Up 5 times? Restless 16 times?    I could only remember getting up once. My goodness, what’s wrong.  No wonder I feel so tired.  I would go to bed at night, fearing the worst.  The more I worried about getting up at night,  the more the numbers increased.  If my Fitbit reported I only got five hours of sleep, I felt more exhausted just seeing that number.

 And then, one day, my Fitbit wore out.  And I decided not to buy a new one. Breaking up with my Fitbit was such a relief.– not having to worry about those numbers anymore.  There are still times, when I wake up and can’t go back to sleep.  Sometimes that takes its toll, and other times I feel just fine.  Mostly, the way I can tell if I got a good night’s rest is the way I feel in the morning.   I don’t want Fitbit telling me I should be tired.
 
So  goodbye, Fitbit. We had a good run, but I don’t need you anymore.

 

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THANK YOU, DANCING WITH THE STARS

Each morning upon awakening,  I pick up my i phone  The first thing I see. before unlocking the phone, are messages  about all the unpleasant things going on in the world. My stomach is churning with anxiety even before getting out of bed.  It continues all day and up until bedtime. Is it any wonder I have occasional nightmares? But last night’s television program  offered a respite from all the bad news.  Thank you, Dancing With The Stars, for a good night’s  sleep, and sweet dreams.

Dancing With the Stars is America at it's best
MANY CONTESTANTS ON DANCING WITH THE STARS ARE WAY OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE.

What I love about Danicng With The Stars  is its lack of perfection.  Some of the contestants are awkward and out of shape.  Many are way out of their comfort zone.  But they’re gamely trying their best not to make a fool of themselves.  Isn’t that where most of us have been at one time or another in our lives?

Dancing With The Stars has come a long way since it’s first season.  Then, it was mostly about the dancing. The sets and costumes weren’t so spectacular. Later, they went through a time when  the women were half naked in their revealing costumes.  My husband liked that, but I thought it not so good for younger kids who might be watching. Now, they’ve gone all out with gorgeous,  glittering costumes and glamorous sets.  It’s like watching a Broadway show.

Best of all, for two hours, you don’t have to see television shows and news reports  about murder, sex, gender issues, racism, politics.  Better yet, you don’t have to hear about:  impeachment, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Trump, Schiff, Pelosi, Isis, Turkey, or any of the other cringe worthy words or topics that make you grit your teeth and wish it would go away.

This show represents  America at its best. It takes our mind off our worries and gives us two hours of dazzling  entertainment.  Thank you, Dancing With The Stars.