I read about two interesting (and somewhat opposing) ideas this week for accountability for managing weight or meeting fitness goals: social dieting/exercise with a financial incentive or “self-tracking and the Quantified Self Movement.”
1. Apps like DietBet and Gym-Pact enable you to enter weight loss contests with your friends (or strangers) or create financial incentives for meeting fitness goals (and getting payouts from people who do not meet theirs). The former works by taking before and after photos and “validating” results and the latter by checking in at your gym on a smart phone (not sure how it knows if you are actually working out – but getting there can be half the battle – right?)
2. Members of the Quantified Self Movement use phones, journals, gadgets, and apps to record things like sleep, air quality, stress levels, heart rate, and mood. The idea: gather data and learn from it. It’s not just about aggregating all sorts of numbers, but about using that info to achieve better health. Want to learn more, check out the Quantified Self Movement site for tools and resources. Of course, tracking health doesn’t guarantee better health, but it may bring a new awareness to our daily routine. The Quantified Self Movement is all about motivating people to taking their health and wellness into their own hands.
Strange as it seems to me to say this (as some of you know I am a betting woman)… I can relate more to the trackers. I have been known to track miles, pace, food logs, heart rate and steps (I have even killed a few FitBit pedometers.) I am (more than a wee bit) competitive, but the idea of entering a weight loss bet online or creating a gym-pact is not for me. How about you? What motivates you? Friendly rivalry or taking matters into your own hands?
Links I Like: Pictures Worth 1,000 Words…
– Did you see this amazing set of photos on buzzfeed or the Today Show? 22 photos. chronicling the romance of a young couple where the man was severely injured in the Afghanistan war. Warning if you watch the Today Show story, get your tissues ready!
– Also, check out this NPR story of an artist who took photos of her dramatic weight loss “one pound at a time”
Deals and Events (in no particular order):
– $29 for battery charging case for iphone 4/4S from Active Schwaggle (includes shipping, too!) normally $79. Designed for the iPhone 4 and 4S, this ultra-thin battery case fends off a fading power supply, while protecting your phone. Equipped with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the case lengthens your phone’s lifeline dramatically.
– OK – so here’s one for my Chicago cooking and food blogging friends. (READ: This is a great find… for YOU – not me!) Artizone and My Daily Find are having a cooking contest in October where you have to incorporate a “secret theme ingredient” and then upload a photo of your dish to a Facebook contest page. The 3 photos with the most votes moves on for a chance at the Grand Prize – $500 to Artizone.com, a farm-to-table dinner for six at City Provisions and a chance to demo the winning dish live on WCIU’s You & Me This Morning.
– OK NY Friends — if someone will agree to do this, I WILL PAY! Daily Candy deals has $25 for Mario Godiva Fitness: Two Kangoo Konditioning, High Line or Central Park Runs, or Kangoo Dance Classes (50% off!) YES – the guy above is wearing “Kangoos”! Includes two classes of your choice: low-impact plyometric Kangoo Konditioning training, three-mile scenic runs or 60-minute dance classes.
– Hey Chicago friends, want to see how the other half lives (or at least works out)? Check out these awesome one month ($90) or three month deals ($250) at the 14,000 sq ft Elysian Spa and Health Club on Gilt City
– Did you “miss” this a few weeks ago?? Guilty Pleasure Alert! Living Social has a great deal on a subscription to US Weekly ($34 for 52 issues!). (Don’t you roll your eyes at me… I see you reading over my shoulder on the airplane. I admit that I hide mine in the stack of mail that I carry, but I also admit that I have a subscription purchased on a similar deal. Until the reality stars took over 90% of the pages, I enjoyed every guilty page of it! I am not going to lie…. I still like it!)
– Not a Snooki Fan? How about Martha Stewart? Living Social also has $19 for one year subscriptions to Everyday Food and Martha Stewart Living
– Stealing this from my friend Veronica’s FB page! Freebie Alert: Entrance Fees Waived at All Federal Public Lands This Saturday, September 29th. If you visit a federally managed park, monument forest and get in for free. All entrance fees and trailhead parking fees on federal public lands are being waived for the day. Check out this REI blog for more information
– Hey modern architecture fans in NYC – check out City Modern sponsored by NY Magazine and Dwell. From October 1 – 7, check out modern architecture studios, talks and homes in Brooklyn and Manhattan. And don’t forget Open House NY is the the weekend of 10/6-7, too!
And don’t forget to enter to win some marathon t-shirts from Running Divas or a Nike Gift card by commenting on my weekend blog post!