It wasn’t long ago that many of us thought that the wrist watch would soon be a thing of the past. Wrist watches were first worn by high society women about 500 years ago, and, following their emergence at the start of the 20th century as a ‘must have’ accessory, at one time over 90% of North Americans owned one.
Enter the iPhone in 2007. Suddenly, with the ability to tell time, take photographs, record video, track your appointments, call your Mom, or do anything that thousands of apps made possible, who needed to strap on a device that only told the time (and maybe had a calculator.)
But today, looking at the arms of men and women alike, it seems like more people are wearing a device on their wrists than ever before. However, while wrist watches have managed to retain some popularity, activity trackers, or fitness trackers, account for an increasing share of the ‘wearable technology’ on our wrists.
Fitness by Fitbit
Seemingly overnight, wearers of devices made by companies like Fitbit, Apple, Jawbone, tracked how many steps they took, their sleeping patterns, when it was time to get up and walk about, their heart rate, and a few other statistics related to their daily activity.
Needless to say, just names like ‘fitness tracker’ and ‘Fitbit’ immediately aligned the use of the new devices to increased levels of fitness and, yes, weight loss.
And for good reason.
Wearable fitness trackers can help promote positive lifestyle changes and it’s reasonable to assume that losing weight is one of them.
But, as reported in the Huffington Post, users of fitness trackers lose less weight then those who track their weight loss manually though a website – a method that has been around for decades.
The article cites a study, conducted by the University of Pittsburgh, of almost 500 overweight people over a two-year period. The study found that those who relied on fitness trackers alone lost an average of five pounds less than those who tracked their progress on a website.
(It’s important to note that all the study’s participants were also participating in a low-calorie diet plan, a program of physical activity goals and they received weight-loss counselling, among other resources.)
What the Study Results Mean
First, while the study results from each group differ, people in both groups lost weight and improved their physical fitness.
But the results underline two far more principles of weight loss.
1. Tracking Your Progress is Key
From the beginning, Herbal One’s weight loss programs have encouraged the regular tracking of your program and progress, including offering the diary booklets to do so. When you track your progress, you clearly see your goals and learn what works and what doesn’t in your efforts to achieve them.
2. Weight Loss is Not Solved by Any Single Solution
No one diet, or exercise machine, or fitness tracker will give you healthy, sustained weight loss. Successful weight loss can only come from a personalized program of nutrition and a balanced diet. Physical activity can help you shed the pounds faster and improve your overall health too.
Both of these key principles are part of what Herbal One is all about: putting together the unique combination of factors that will help you healthily reduce your weight and keep it off. And you can start today with a visit to your local Herbal One Centre.