Why I chose the Pivotal Living Tracker

Once I realized an activity tracker could be programmed to remind me to get up and move, the search was on.  I was familiar with the idea of a pedometer, but not an activity tracker.  Researching it was fascinating to me.  There were so many options and each had their pros and cons.  These were the factors I considered while making my decision.

• Pedometer:  I think they all had pedometers, but was a pedometer all I needed?  Do I need an actual activity tracker?  If you just need to reach a goal number of steps per day a pedometer is fine, but I decided I needed more.
• Goals:  I am very goal oriented.  Just a tracker would end up boring me.  I definitely need something to push me.  I liked the idea of the trackers that would push you to improve.  The Nike FuelBand and the Garmin Activity Trackers were both very appealing to me for these reasons. 
• Food:  Some activity trackers have their own food tracking systems, some link with well known food tracking systems.  I currently use MyFitnessPal and am used to entering my calories separately.  It would be nice if they linked, but it's not a deal breaker to me.
• Inactivity Tracker:  Now this was a deal breaker to me.  I work from home and sit at the computer all day and my waistline showed it.  I need something that will remind me to get moving.  Now does it matter if it vibrates or lights up or has some sort of indication bar?  I think I prefer the vibration, but it has to have something.  And preferably a way to set it.
• Sleep Tracker:  I do have sleep issues so a sleep tracker intrigues me, but I'm not sold on it.  While I do see how the data would be interesting, what are the action items to help you get better sleep?  I may be missing it but I didn't see that info so I'm not sure how helpful this feature is.
• Heart Beat Monitor:  Yes, I do want a heartbeat monitor.  Tracking steps is good for aerobic activity, but how do you track yoga or weight lifting?  I want a better picture of my fitness routine than just counting steps. 
• Waterproof:  It would be nice not to have to take it on and off to shower every day.  Also, I have a pool.  Guess what?  You can burn calories in a pool!  Although I guess you would need a heart rate monitor for that to count.  You aren't really walking around in a pool, are you?
• Calories:  Yes, please tell me how many calories I've burned!  Steps are great for goals, but I need to know the number of calories burned so they come off my calorie count each day!  Seriously, I will work out so I can eat that cookie!
• Size:  I have a very small wrist.  When we go to a resort and they give us wristbands for the activity center I need to put it on my ankle or my husband wears it because it falls off my wrist.  Most of these activity trackers are quite bulky.  I need as small as possible.
• Look:  I want to wear it all the time, but I don't want to look sporty all the time. I would like something that can be dressed up or hidden but still effective.
• App:  Please have a good app for it to sync with!  I looked up a lot of the apps and the reviews are iffy at best.  I don't know the complications here, but I want a good app!  
• Syncing:  I want it to sync automatically.  Don't make me plug it in to sync my stats!
• Battery:  I kind of link the idea of the ones that you put in a battery and it lasts 6 months to a year without charging.  There are those that would argue that they prefer to recharge it.  Neither is a deal breaker to me.
• Price:  I hate to admit it, but I am one of those people who is excited about something for a few weeks and then I'm on to the next thing.  I also realized that if I do stick with it, what I think I want/need and what I really need may be two different things.  For these reasons I did not want to pay a high end price until I knew that this was something I was going to stick with.

After I did my research I had to prioritize the list.  Nothing had everything I wanted.  I think the Jawbone UP3 is pretty close, but it's not out yet and it's pricey.  So the next step is to figure out what's most important to me.  I decided my top three are 1) it must have an inactivity tracker, 2) have a low price point, and 3) look more sleek than sporty.  When I learned about the Pivotal Living Tracker I made my decision.  It was only $15 with shipping.  It looked nice and was about as small as anything I had seen.  It's brand new, so there were no reviews or app to play with, but I love the idea of the company wanting to make an activity tracker available to the masses and wanted to support it.  I decided that it was the perfect band to get me started.  If it's exactly what I want, great!  If I end up deciding I need other features I won't feel sick about my initial investment.

I'm looking forward to updating you about the Pivotal Living Tracker!

The Six Steps I Took to Finally Lose Some Weight

First you should know that I am not what most would call overweight.  I have adrenal fatigue and an under active thyroid combined with some autoimmune issues.  From what I've read this can contribute to an extra 10-20 pounds, which is where I was at.  Also, you should know that I have not reached my goal weight, I just FINALLY was able to start losing which is a big deal to me, so I wanted to share what I did that got me on this path.

1. My doctor theorized that my problem started with my adrenals.  He thinks that the adrenals caused the autoimmune problem which caused the thyroid problem.  So step one was to find some support for my Adrenals.  I tried a few things, but it was the Raw Adrenal Glandular that seemed to help.  It wasn't a sudden difference, but I gradually was able to function more "normally."  
2. A found a friend that I could talk to.  I have had a year of many changes.  I quit my job, started my own business, felt betrayed by a close friend, contemplated a move, my parents moved close by, and more.  Nothing was too overwhelming on it's own, but it had piled up too fast for me to process.  I could intellectually work through any problem or emotion as it arose, but it got to the point that I just wasn't getting anywhere and the littlest thing would overwhelm me and I was becoming bitter.  It was hard to admit, but I needed help to get over the emotional hump before me.  One day a trusted friend who is a pastor's wife and has experience in counseling offered to meet with me.  I accepted.  It was a hard first step, but a weight was lifted and I was able to move forward.
3. Because of my autoimmune, whenever I would start working out I would get sick.  It was like some toxin was in my body and exercise activated it.  I went to my local GNC and told them I needed something to get me over the hump.  I oringinally got the Performix SST, but if you have adrenal issues you should really go caffeine free, so I ended up exchanging it for the Perfomix Stimfree.  They are thermogenics that help you burn calories faster, and of course the one with caffeine gives you a real energy boost.  More importantly for me, I know that if I am going to invest in this pill then I am going to get the most out of it.  Therefore I will work out now matter how I feel.  Plus, I think it helped me burn out the toxins faster so I didn't get as sick.  That's just my theory though.  :)
4. I had two consistent meals per day.  For breakfast every day I had Detoxifiber mixed with Almond Milk, cinnamon, honey and an apple.  For lunch or dinner I would have a salad.  For the third meal I still tried to be healthy, but it allowed for variety and meals out.  
5. I downloaded the MyFitnessPal app on my phone and was faithful to track everything.  I added each meal, the sugar in my tea, the half a cookie I stole from my husband...everything.  This helped me say no to the late night snacks, helped with portion control, and to decide if I was reaching for food out of habit or because I was really hungry.  After you enter your information it sets a calorie goal and lets you know how many calories you have left for the day.  You are even able to enter calories burned during your workout.  So, if you are going to cheat you are encouraged to work it off!  All of this helped me get my eating in check.
6. I got a pedometer.  Now that I work from home I pretty much sit all day.  I don't know where I saw it, but I found out that some pedometers have activity reminders.  So if you sit still for an hour it will buzz to remind you to move and won't stop until you have logged five minutes of activity.  I have one on order and I will post on that later, but until it comes in I have been using a pedometer on my phone and have a goal of 10,000 steps per day.  It's freezing outside, so usually that means doing laps around my kitchen and living room while I'm waiting for food to cook or taking a break to play a short game on the Xbox Kinect or the Wii Fit.  

After a week of using all six of these together I lost 2.4 pounds.  I was ecstatic because prior to this I was lucky to lose a single pound in a week.  I started at 139.  As of Satuday I was 135.  My goal is 126 and I'm hoping to reach that sometime in January.  

I hope this helps you.  Good luck on your journey!

Teavana deal!

Teavana is where I was first introduced to tea...yummy tea that is.  :)  My husband and I were killing time in a mall and he noticed the free tea samples and coaxed me in to the store to try it.  I had to admit they were pretty good, but couldn't imagine paying those prices.  Plus, all that tea stuff they had made this kind of tea (loose leaf) seem pretty confusing and overwhelming.  A funny thing happened though.  Six days later I was still craving the sweet and spicy Maharaja Chai/Samurai Chai Tea blend that I had sampled.  

I understand that the body craves what it needs, so I looked up what was in it.  I think it's the health benefits of the ginger that my body was craving.  That's when my husband started regretting coaxing me into the store to try their tea.  I was hooked.  

Their tea is pretty pricey for my budget though, so I wait for their sales.  Today is the last day of their Cyber Monday sale.  It was extended due to an issue they had with their website on Monday.  With coupon code CYBER14 you can get $25 off a purchase of $60 or more.  In the past the sales were limited to certain teas, with this sale you can choose any tea which means I can get my precious favorites which never seem to be on sale with this deal.   

Yorktown Patty

One of my favorite tea stores is Discover Teas in Williamsburg, VA.  It's in an adorable shopping center.  When you walk in you will likely be greeted by Ken who will tell you he is the hardest working hippy that you'll ever meet.  The shelves are lined with tea pots, infusers, etc for you to look at, but I always head straight to the table in the middle of the store.  It has samples of each of their tea varieties.  You smell them and decide what you would like to try or buy.  Ken will usually join you to answer any questions.  He is also an herbalist, so let him know what ails you and he may offer to whip up a custom blend for you.  They already have several wellness blends to aid in things like digestion, anxiety, menopause and so much more.  

They also have monthly specials.  This month's specials were just announced and I'm excited that Yorktown Patty is on sale!  This is one of my favorite blends.  It tastes like a peppermint patty.  It's great plain, but try adding some sweetened condensed milk.