Fitbit and Facebook

A few days ago USAToday published an article on Fitbit taking the fun out of exercise.  When I first opened the Fitbit Jim gave me for Christmas, I was not so sure I was going to like it.  Anything that has to be set up electronically is a threat; however we got through that hurdle quite easily.  And I do like it!  A lot.  I have not been compulsive about the 10,000 steps recommended but I have come close many days and have gone over on others.  I have been more compulsvie about recording "exercise" for 40 minutes or more each day.  I'm not sure how this works because walking around the house never counts but 18 minutes of walking through Walmart did record as exercise.

I have set two limits on my Fitbit use.  I take it off at 10 pm whether I have met any goals or not.  And last Sunday I never put it on.   I think I will make Sunday a day of Fitbit rest.

It is a small miracle to me to know how that very tiny object on my belt can record all that data on my iphone.  I need to avoid being obsessive or compulsive about looking at it.  I'm not losing weight even with trying to be more mindful of what goes into my mouth but my blood pressure was so good that the doctor says I could try going without any medication soon. Hooray for Fitbit!

Next, another temptation for compulsive behavior is Facebook.  I am alone a lot these days and I enjoy the interaction with others that I get via Facebook.  Some of my "friends" are not folks I know well at all or they are people I knew well in the past.  Some share far too much and some I have even "hidden" from my page.  I have never unfriended anyone yet!

When I post something or share something, I do so with misgivings.  There have been some that I have had great fun doing--like the mystery of the slot in the Waldorf-Astoria hotel bathroom or Jim's reading Hebrew with little Ruth watching Sponge Bob on TV keeping him company.   There have been some more controversial posts that have caused others to take over with their opinions about gun control, abortion, or politics.  It has made me post anything political with great hesitation.

Yesteday I posted about an incident with a question as to "what would you have done?"  Mostly the responses were fun but one was so unpleasant that I deleted the whole interchange.  This truly bothered me and made me reluctant to be anything but an observer and "liker" on Facebook.

Life is a balance.  So much is good but I need to keep learning how to use these good things.