Fall Refresh: Current Health Goals

I love efficiency and technology and data. Although not all the time because there are days I want to sit outside and read and eat and drink vodka seltzers. But for the most part, measurable data that syncs seamlessly with your life and makes it better? That's basically like a home run, win, win, win in my book. I love it. That being said, even though I like data, I have never, ever been someone who personally logs their food or counts calories. I rarely weigh myself (like maybe twice a year). And that is really strange to some people. As a dietitian nutritionist part of my job is to help people find the balance between using data to improve their health but part of it is also helping them learn how to do it by themselves, for the rest of their lives. And not be obsessed with numbers.

One of my occasional recommendations is using a device that tracks your actual calories expended. The bottom line is sometimes we assume we are moving more than we actually are and eating less than we actually are. Both are reasons why you may be plateauing or gaining weight. Think of devices that track this data as 'check ins' to recalibrate your self awareness. 

Which is what I'll be doing. Over the next month I'm partnering with Jawbone to wear their UP24 band all day, every day. It's time for me to calibrate my sense of health for fall and tune up my health habits! Here are some of my fall refresh goals:

• Move More, Sit Less. When I'm at my home office I've taken to sometimes using my stair stepper while working on my laptop. At our Creative Collective studio in Georgetown, Meg generously installed standing desks and I try to take advantage of that unless I have to plug in my laptop. With this gorgeous fall weather, I also need to be OUTSIDE moving more too.
• The Salad and Smoothie Groove. I have a one salad a day rule. It makes me feel and look my best if one meal a day is a big bowl of leafy greens with the right confetti on top. The same goes for a smoothie. I need to go back to a more frequent smoothie to start the day. It's time to check myself and make less grits for breakfast (painful whine noise). 

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Those are my basics! As I start to collect data from my habits, I'll set measurable goals. If I'm only taking 5k steps, I'll set my goal at 7k and keep moving up. That's how you change a habit and make it stick. I'm really excited for you all to follow along with me on Twitter and Instagram as I check in before my one month is up. 

Disclosure: Thanks so much to Jawbone for sponsoring today's post! All opinions are my own.

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