Shiny Thangs

Yep, you guessed it; I like shiny, new thangs. Who doesn't really? Shiny, new thangs (for goodness sakes blogger, I know it's THINGS but for the love of pearl, let me write how I please!) are awesome. I admit some of these shiny, new thangs aren't always given proper thought before I shell out the cash for them. For example, some apps on my phone. I have a bunch of failures that weren't worth the time it took to download, let alone the 99 cent it cost me. But for each failure, I think I have some of the best that money can buy (and the best free stuff too).

First off, the shiny, new thangs I'm speaking of are physical. Some of the most important things in life are those that cannot be bought. Some may have to be earned. Others may have to be learned, etc. One of my favorite shiny, new thangs that cannot be bought is my body. I'm still trying to get used to the fact that people are calling me "skinny", but this is not the post for that; however, I can say that my weightloss journey has led me to have some wonderful shiny, new clothes! Perhaps good motivation for people like me, you know, the peep's that like shiny, new thangs.

Calling me out on Feb 4th, eh Fitbit? 

Since I'm NOT talking about those intangible things that have to be learned, earned, etc. let's focus on some of my favorite tangible items. For Christmas, I received a little device called a fitbit one. It's a sophisticated pedometer. While Mark is kicking my ass daily with number of steps, it's good to know where I stand. On days that I work, I'm averaging about 3000 steps per day while Mark averages about 8500 per day. While we were in New York City, one day we walked about 20,000 steps and climbed 80 flights of stairs. I had the blisters to prove it! The fitbit one also tracks my sleep, which is very interesting knowledge. I've learned that it takes me an average of between 5 and 8 minutes to fall asleep once I turn the fitbit one into sleep mode. I've also learned that I wake up an average of 8 or so times a night. What good is that information? I don't know, but I enjoy tracking it.

To go along with my fitbit one, for my birthday, Mark gave me the fitbit Aria scale. Now this thing is the shiznit! It connects to the wifi in the house and automatically connects to the fitbit website to upload my weight and body fat percentage. I can immediately see my results in graphical form on the fitbit app on my iPhone. I've learned that my body fat percentage hovers in the 19.0% range. While my BMI is still over 25, which is overweight! These devices MUST be wrong, don't you think?

While on the topic, my favorite shiny, new thang ever has to be my iPhone. There isn't a single doubt in my mind that the Apples in my life have helped me lose this weight and become healthier. Whether talking about the deliciously tasty fruit or the deliciously addictive iPhone, the two combined have helped me stay sane throughout this process. The latter has most likely actually been more effective in weightloss, but has also created somewhat of an obsessed monster. I'm constantly tracking numbers, foods, and reading articles, and gathering information with my iPhone. I must say that I am a content addict.  One of my favorite things while driving is to listen to audio books from Audible and various health, nutrition, and fitness podcasts. My obsession with content definitely extends to the car.

Annddd...believe it or not, my favorite shiny, new thang of all time is Mark Patrick. He is my rock. My foundation. I loved that man before I even met him. He has provided me with the inspiration to do all the things I have done over the past 6 and 1/2 years. Even if his idea of motivation was "back away from the trough tubo", at least it was said with love. Happy Valentine's Day my dear husband. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. Between Mark, Lauren, and Christian, I found the inspiration to want to change my life for the better.