Why I Quit Wearing a Fitness Tracker

Lately it seems that almost everyone that I run into, is wearing a fitness tracker of some sort.  This in itself is a great idea, to help keep you active.  I myself wore one for over two years. 

I cannot say for sure why my husband bought me one.  Maybe because I showed interest in his?  Maybe because he thought he was helping me get more active, because at that time I was overweight and out of shape.  However, I wasn’t like that because I was lazy, I was battling a health condition that at the time was winning.  So after he realized just how active I truly was through the course of my day.  I may not have been exercising as often and vigorously as I am now, but I was technically a homemaker and we have stairs in our home.  The house didn’t clean itself, nor did dinner make itself, or errands get run on their own.  In spite of my poor health, I was still carrying out my responsibilities and I even took on a part-time job.  Add to that, our son moved home after completing his service in the military.  With him he brought two very active toddlers.  Guess who helped him with them for the seven months they lived with us? Mom, course! So yes, I was active. 

For over two years, 843 days straight I met my goal.  I was racking up the badges for most points in a day, most active day and etcetera; I became a badge whore.  The most coveted badge was the Every Damn Day badge, which is awarded when you meet your goal every day for 365 days - I earned TWO.  I didn’t initially start off with the intent to go a year straight of meeting my goals.  Truthfully, I wanted to show my husband that I was in fact more active than he figured.  Many days I made my goal and he didn’t.  In his defense, his tracker pooped out on him and he had to have it replaced twice.  Mine however, if it pooped out I would contact tech support and poof, it was fixed and my earned points restored.  However, as I racked up the badges, it became a game for me.  I was out to beat my best days, earn the holiday and birthday badges.  I was on a mission to earn as many as I could.  When my tracker started to wear out, I decided that I would keep tracking until it gave up for good.  On 12 August 2015, it quit completely and would no longer track or hold a charge.  I was able to do one final sync before I retired it.

The story doesn’t stop there.  You see, my husband had switched to a different brand tracker, because it was given to him for a fitness challenge at work and when he upgraded, he gave me his freebie tracker, so I was simultaneously wearing both trackers to compare the features so that I could decide if I wanted to upgrade the one I had been using, or switch over.  This past spring my husband was given another upgraded tracker for the challenge, which he passed on to me and I passed along the older one to our daughter.  I was still wearing both simultaneously until my original one died. Up until about three weeks ago, I was still wearing the newer tracker. 

Why did I stop?  After all, I was able to challenge my friends to daily, weekend and weekly goals.  It kept me going even when I was low on motivation.  I wanted to be top dog in each challenge.  Yes, I am competitive.  But you see, I don’t need those challenges to really motivate me.  I just need to remember how I felt before I reclaimed my health and became fit again.  I just need to look at pictures of me when I was unhealthy and out of shape.  In addition:

• I was growing weary of having to meet a goal to deem my day successful.  I wanted to shut off and have a lazy, guilt free day.  I could never just relax, because I was goal oriented and needed to make goal for the day.  There were times when it was near bedtime that I would walk around, up and down the stairs, did what I took to make my goal.  Even on days that I was under the weather, I would make sure I earned those points.
• Unless I was doing a workout that had running, jumping and punching in it, they didn’t “count” on my tracker.  So when I am weight lifting, or doing PiYo, it isn’t tracked completely.
• Washing dishes didn’t count, because I had to remove the tracker, so as to not damage it.
• The tracker kept popping off.
• It didn’t go well with my outfits when I would dress up of an occasion, so I had to decide whether or not to wear it.
• Because my husband I both wore a tracker, holding hands while walking became an issue because it interfered with the arm swing.  One of us had to switch our band to the other hand so that we could hold hands.  Oh, and I have a purse too, so that hand was holding on to the purse.  It got to the point to we just went without holding hands.  That was just way too much for me. 

I was being held hostage by the little band around my wrist and I was done with that.

Yes, there are still times I wonder how many points I am earning when I have another awesome daily workout, or getting stuff done around the house, or out running errands.  But, then I remember how much anxiety I started to feel because I had to meet my daily goal.  Maybe one day again I will fish out the tracker, charge it and put it back on.  But for now, I am enjoying my freedom without it.  I will get satisfaction that I did do enough today.  That the workout I did today was excellent.  I know I am not lazy and I know that.  Best of all, I will be happy to hold my husband’s hand, no matter which one it is.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Step Parenting Insight

As I'm putting away laundry and get to this dress that my granddaughter's step mom made for her, it gave me food for thought.

Step parenting is not easy. When you enter into a relationship with and maybe eventually marry someone who already has children, you are consciously choosing to own some responsibility for and love their children. You often face resistance from not only the children, but also their other natural parent. Add your own children and maybe a step parent on the other side and it can get quite complicated.

Ideally everyone would get along for the sake of the children. Decisions and actions would be made in their best interest. Egos, anger, jealousy and all of the many emotions would be controlled, again for their sake. Alas, that is not the case in many blended family situations.

Back to the dress and my original thought. My first ex husband was not involved with our two children, so there really wasn't an issue there because they were my sole responsibility. However, my second ex husband was involved with our son. Early in our ex status he entered a relationship with a lady who although we didn't really get along, we also weren't catty, we just were part of each other's lives and made the best of it.

As the years went by, I learned to appreciate her, because I realized that it was she who took care of our son when he went for his weekend and summer visits. She cooked him some amazing meals, which he told me all about when he'd return home. I was a bit jealous, because I was at the time, not a good cook. However, the important thing was that he was fed. She would take him to bible camp in the summer and do all kinds of neat things with him throughout the year on his visits. Step-mom was good to my son, which was THE most important thing to me.

Although I didn't realize it back then, my heart was at ease, because probably deep down I knew that should something happen to me, my little boy would be well cared for, because she would ensure it. Just as I know that if need be, my grandchildren's step-mom would take care of of them as she does her own. She did it for year while their mama addressed some health issues, so the proof is there. I was blessed to have two mama's myself.

My experienced advice to you is, if your children do have, or will have a step parent, learn to get along with them. Get to know them as the other parent that will have influence on them. Learn to co-parent for the sake of your children. Your children will appreciate it and not be anxious about the constant quibbling. Trust me, this way is better. We have dealt with both the positive and the negative.

Also, when you make the choice to be a step parent, truly love the children as your own. They will know if you genuinely care for them, or are merely tolerating them. I wasn't perfect, but I did my best and love all of my "steps" and I refuse to refer to them as my step children.

One more thing, make it lovingly clear that you, as the natural parent are not the other parent, you are the parent. To your children, you are not the other mother, or the other father, you ARE the mother, you ARE the father.

Oh, and Little Miss really likes this dress and when she gets complimented on it, she proudly says her step mom made it for her.

Be well.

Hot Latin Granny - Why the Name

Some may wonder why I use the name Hot Latin Granny, so here is the why.

I am of Latin descent, I became a grandmother at a fairly young age, so my friend Kim dubbed me Hot Latin Granny and the new nickname stuck.  That is all.

I have several other nicknames, but I have the most fun with Hot Latin Granny.

Do you have a nickname that you were given either because you earned it, or someone simply decided you needed one?  If so, please share.