With Mr C at Sea for up to a month, I’m failing on all fronts at the moment and looking to hire a hubby. As a result I’m arriving rather late to the confessional party this week and sharing my latest birthday gift from hubby. The sort of gift that should have me heading for the D-I-V-O-R-C-E courts and sleeping my way back to the top!!
First up, I must confess that when I married hubby 19 years ago we incorporated a number of conditions into our wedding vows. Mr C vowed to cook, clean and slave after me and I vowed to take more of an interest in rugby league. I realise it might look like I received the raw end of the stick here but in the scheme of things…. shhhh!
I also vowed never to purchase or administer Vicks VapoRub, due to the fact that Mr C was smothered in the stuff as a child and has developed a huge phobia. I on the other hand found myself declaring that any form of bracelet giving was grounds for divorce. Like Mr C I have my reasons.
So imagine my surprise when hubby gifted me a bracelet of sorts right before he jumped on a plane, heading off to meet up with the survey ship he is currently working on for up to a month somewhere in the middle of nowhere.
I must confess, I’m rather attached to my hubby and after 20ish years of training, he has the cook, clean and slave after me down pat. We don’t need to talk about my failure to take more of an interest in rugby league, I tried, I failed, I don’t think hubby has noticed, so let’s leave it at that.
Having trained Mr C so well over the years (remember he thought toilets were self cleaning when I met him) I hardly want to be thinking about divorce and starting over on the singles scene, due to a small oversight on Mr C’s part but the fact remains…. he gifted me a bracelet!
On opening my gift, all manner of thoughts went through my mind. Was it a sign? Was he trying to tell me something? Can I now re-introduce Vicks into the household? Oh how I’ve missed it. Not to mention my poor Vicks deprived daughters, who have to head to their Grandmother in NSW (without their dad) to get a whiff.
The questions continued…. Did hubby not see my ‘bracelets are grounds for divorce’ reminder blog post? Will I be lucky enough to have email contact this trip to ask him?
Thinking about it, I’m pretty sure it’s the no contact component to these constant trips to sea that I hate the most. It wouldn’t matter if it was a week or a month, it’s the no phone calls or emails that I find hardest to take.
There is also the sleep factor. Even when I’m not time poor and giving up sleep so I can meet deadlines and fit everything in, I don’t have a good track record when it comes to sleep. I hardly sleep as it is, I definitely sleep less when hubby is away. Not just because I have the extra work load (three girls at three different schools for starters) but also the missing hubby factor and the empty bed. Hubby knows this and he knows how precarious my health is at the moment and how important getting enough sleep is for my health.
Which brings me back to the bracelet. On closer inspection the weird looking bracelet wasn’t a badly chosen fashion statement or a statement of the state of our marriage (which is rather good considering) it was a device to help me get my sleep sorted, amongst other things. It was an UP fitness band by Jawbone! A bit like the Fitbit on my birthday wish list only different. Possibly better considering one of the main reasons I don’t do bracelets is the irritation issues that come with wearing anything too tight on my wrist for an extended period of time.
The UP bracelet is going to help me make smarter daily decisions when it comes to my diet, sleep and activity.
Hubby, for once, had done his gift giving research on fitness bands and found the Jawbone Up ticked all the boxes, especially when it came to not causing skin irritations. When you are wearing something 24/7 (only taking it off for swimming not showers) you need something that isn’t going to irritate your skin. Having worn this for over a week now, I’m convinced I won’t be having any issues. I’m not sure if it is the material or the design but I’m guessing the clip free element does help.
Now this little device doesn’t just track my sleep (or lack of) it also monitors my steps and diet (when I remember to record my food and drink intake). At this stage we are still very much in dating getting to know each other mode.
As far as tracking my activity, steps and sleep… I’ve found the device (let’s call him UP) to be a little too accurate. I was determined to have an average keeping it real (for me) week and let UP get to know and analyse the real me. Interestingly it didn’t take UP long to realise I have issues when it comes to sleep.
At first UP gently reminded me that I needed to put him in sleep mode when I was heading to bed, assuming my low sleep numbers were down to not knowing how to use to the device. After a few days UP started seeing a pattern and adjusted his motivational suggestions accordingly.
With UP suggesting that I should aim for better sleeping habits and try to get to bed by 12:35am, it brings home just how bad my sleep habits are and how spot on UP is at analysing this.
My steps and activity are no better, I’m seeing a pattern there too. The days I have the best sleep, I have the worst steps and vice versa. Better time management on my part could help here but so could prioritising both my sleep and daily walking, placing them at the top of my to-do list.
Apparently, I should be aiming for 8 hours sleep a night and 10,000 steps?? I’m a long way off my 80 km per week walking and exercising 5 days a week that was my routine this time last year. I’ve never been good at the whole 8 hours sleep a night thing. This week, I’m going to make more of an effort to meet these goals.
I’m yet to be convinced that UP will motivate me because I truly believe that needs to come from within and a change in mindset, but given I have the cold hard facts fed to me on a daily basis in black and white or blue and orange as is the case with UP, it has to help. Doesn’t it?
Having a support group would also be a huge help and I will look into the UP online team side of things this week together with finding a local buddy.
I should emphasis, my journey with UP isn’t about weight loss. Due to thyroid and health issues, weight loss should be on the agenda and is definitely needed but it’s also very much mission impossible for me for the time being while we try to get my meds and other health issues sorted. This exercise is more about changing my mindset and putting one step in front of the other, with me aiming to be the healthiest I can under the current circumstances. No more excuses.
Speaking of excuses, I’m now wondering if I shouldn’t bite the no bracelets bullet and ask one of my designer friends to design me a few bracelets to go with the UP so it doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb when I’m wearing it to evening events. What do you think? Stranger things have happened.
Do you sleep for 8 hours each night? Is it quality sleep? Have you tried the UP or a similar fitness band? How did you find it? Did it motivate you?
Wow, a fitness band that tracks your vital stats. It looks like something you’d slap on a recently paroled felon. Am I the only one that finds these things creepy? Yes. OK then, carry on.
LOL when I first looked at the fitbit I thought the same thing. This actually looks less paroled felon than the rest on the market.
Happy Birthday! (I’d hate a bracelet nagging me to exercise and eat well – I might have to wear it in the shower and pool to make it shut up for good!)
It’s actually waterproof, so you can wear in the shower. I’m not sure about the pool.
Rats! So it would just be hounding me….;)
LOL only if you read the ‘motivational’ updates.
OMG I want one. I wonder how much they are. I’m off to google it now. I average about six hours of sleep a night but got much less last night because of the heat, mozzies and bad dreams. I’m glad hubby didn’t mess up and buy you a standard bangle 🙂
I believe hubby picked out the basic model and it was on SALE at officeworks for $88. Let me know if you do end up getting one and we can start a team!
Oh yes, a full arm party is now required. Gather up a whole bunch of beauties to add to your latest accessory!
Not sure a full arm party is my style. Hubby will arrive home thinking I’ve gone from one extreme to the other.
Oh wow! I want one of those! Also … um … you hubby sounds pretty damn spesh! I hope he is back home with you again soon! x
I think hubby is pretty spesh too!
What a clever little device – I may just have to look this up. For a moment there I was wondering, what is so wrong with a bracelet? I love bracelets!
Don’t get me wrong, I love them too, just not on my arms. 🙂
I need one of those – for my son. I am desperate to know how much sleep that child actually gets! Thanks for the intro! x
I was thinking the same for my 16 year old daughter. Caught her up on her laptop at 1 in the morning the other night. Laptops are now banned from the bedroom after 10.
I’m not sure I want someone (thing) telling me that I’m not sleeping enough, or eating properly or that I should walk more. I would probably end up taking it off just to tell it to shut up. But yes, maybe get a few pretty bracelets to help ‘hide’ it
I’m hoping Tamara Harrison might read this post and help me out in the bracelet department.
I’m not getting as much sleep at the moment with Phoebe. It would be interesting to monitor how much sleep I’m surviving on at the moment.
I feel for you. I think monitoring when you have no control over your sleep would be frustrating and almost depressing.
Wow. That’s all such valuable information. My sleep is sporadic at the moment (thanks to young children) but I love how the UP gives you all the other information. I had my doubts on fitness bracelets but this one has made me change my mind.
I had my doubts too, I will do an UPdate post in a month and let you know how I’m doing.
What a great gift! I don’t actually have any problems sleeping, I’m a bit like a toddler in that I’ll drop off anytime, anywhere. I quite fancy one of those though, I love a good gadget!
With the band on, I stopped at the local park on my way to grocery shopping and I actually ran last night, mind you possibly slower than my normal walking pace and only for 200m and walked the rest of the 1ish km but it’s a start.
Oh that’s a pretty monitoring bracelet! I am getting better sleep at the moment but I still feel so ridiculously tired. I’m off to the doctor next week to get my vitamin levels tested again.
It looks a bit different and less like a parole band than the rest. Hope you get to the bottom of your tiredness. I’ve been on double dose vit D for over a year and my levels are worse. Not sure what to do from here.
What a fascinating thing. You could stick some diamonds on it to jazz it up but it looks quite neat as it is. I sleep for 8 hours a night but probably wake up every hour after the first three. I’m definitely going to investigate this. Thanks for the enlightening info 🙂
What I’m finding interesting is how it breaks my sleep up. It’s giving me a nightly run down and includes how long it took me to get to sleep, how many times I woke during the night and the amount of quality sleep I’m getting.
I’m not sure I’d want reminding when I don’t get enough sleep! Normally I’m so tired on those days I don’t need reminding anyway! But it would be useful knowing how much exercise I do in a day and this bracelet would probably motivate me to compete against myself to up my exercise.
After just an hour of sleep last night I’m that overtired I just can’t sleep. I’m wondering what my motivational message for tomorrow will end up being.
Wow I really want one! Not a hubby who is away for so long, I’m not sure how you do it, must be so tough lovely 🙁 What a great bracelet… he’s a keeper and so is your hubby! Em – also visiting as part of #teamIBOT
I’m not sure how I do it either. I’m not sure how you fit in #teamIBOT into your schedule? Hubby is definitely a keeper, if only he was here more. I’m a tad exhausted at the best of times this week, it’s gone up a notch.
UP sounds amazing, I really think I need one. Not that I don’t sleep well (because I actually think I might sleep too much) but because I need to get myself moving and motivated! It will be great to see how you feel a month down the track after using it for a while.
I’m looking forward to seeing an improvement over the month, it will also help with my next specialist appointment where we discuss the side effects of my new meds because I’m guessing among other things these aren’t helping me sleep.
Oh wow getting all techno a great little pressie even if it is a bracelet. I hope your sleep improves. I always struggle to sleep soundly when my man is away. I wore a pedometer for 3 months as we were doing a challenge at work i found it really motivating. Getting the 10,000 steps a day takes a bit of effort !!
When I was doing the 80 km walks a week, I was wearing a pedometer. Hoping this does motivate me in the right direction. Looking forward to catching up with you tomorrow night.
That is such a great gift! Look at all the support you have now!! 😉
I have a sleep app on my iPhone called Sleep Cycle ($0.99 USD) You lay it on the bed beside your pillow. It’s helping me pay more attention to my sleep patterns. My hubby has an app on his new phone that tracks his movements during the day.
I think the bracelet looks so cool though. I set my phone down throughout the day and it might be in my purse, so the bracelet seems like a good idea!
Rest well!
I’m not sure having the iPhone in bed with me would help but that does sound interesting.
UP looks great! But I am actually dying to know why you don’t like bracelets. As for Vicks VapoRub, i think I’d have had to find someone else to marry. -Aroha
The main reason they irritate me but also I have the wrist version of cankles/ankles. So bracelets tend to cut my arms off and make them look even shorter and stubbier if that makes sense. shhh don’t tell anyone 😉
I have a fitbit and due to having three active kids and now two mischievous dogs, I usually have no trouble getting my 10000 steps each day! I do keep forgetting to put it into sleep mode and I’m having a bit of trouble syncing at the moment but it really does help you monitor your general state of health.
I really need to get back to being more active. A lot of it is confidence. I’m still rather nervous after the last fall and I could do without breaking another rib or popping my shoulder out again.
I haven’t jumped onto the fitbit bandwagon, but I like the idea of something that provides encouragement as well as tracking. The Jawbone UP sounds like it could be a good option.
My stats this week are slowly improving. I’m trying to take it slow rather than my usual all or nothing approach. Will see how I go.