About Dominique

@ZenaLouise : longer time spent asleep doesn’t automatically/always translate into a higher total sleep score, as you can see illustrated in this other post. ... View more

  @adebaser wrote: I managed to get a new record low sleep score - by sleeping for 10 hours. The score is not directly proportional to time asleep. Here is an illustration of this. Here, I slept for 7h45m and got a score of 83:     Here, I slept for 6h39m (i.e. more than one hour less), yet I got a slightly higher score of 84:     Why is that? Well, the explanation is found in the breakdown. This is the breakdown of the longer sleep rated 83:      Here is the breakdown of the shorter sleep rated 84:     I got a lower partial score for the shorter night (42 vs. 46), as one would expect. However, I got a far better restoration score on the shorter night, for spending 94% of the time below RHR, vs. only 48% during the longer night.   What I don’t quite understand is why I got the same partial score of 20 for "Deep and REM" in both cases, in spite of having nearly twice as much deep sleep during the longer night.   Regardless, I find the sleep scores make sense overall, when you look at the breakdowns. ... View more

@gymaddict20 wrote: Today i got a sleep score of 91. i went to bed last night at 0:55 and woke up at 12:26 so i basically slept 10 hours and 19 minutes. if i would have slept an hour more i probably would have gotten a 100 sleep score  @gymaddict20 : incidentally, my best sleep score so far is also 91. Since you were asking about the breakdown, here it is (for my own sleep rated 91, your breakdown is likely different):     "Time asleep" accounts for 50% of the total, the remaining 50% being evenly split between " Deep and REM" and "Restoration". 46 + 23 + 22 = 91.   To answer your question about reaching a score of 100: very unlikely IMO. You would have to score 50/50 on "Time asleep" and 25/25 on "Deep and REM" and 25/25 on "Restoration". I’ve never reached the maximum on even a single component. Getting 25/25 on restoration would probably require sleeping HR to be nearly 100% below RHR and hardly any restlessness. I think the best I’ve had on restoration is 23/25. ... View more

@flinky wrote: how about popping it in your pocket or attaching it to your shoe? OTOH, it wouldn’t track heart rate (if supported by the OP’s model), which may affect things like active minutes, calories burned etc. ... View more

Welcome to the community, @Sarahh1188 !   The seek for perfection often leads to "paralysis by analysis". Get started, even if your routine is not the best there is. Doing something consistently, even if it’s not perfect, is always better than doing nothing, or than doing the "best" workout, but only once in a while.   Since you decided to get yourself a Fitbit, why not start by becoming more active, using your step count as a way to measure it? Set yourself a daily or a weekly goal, and make it a point to hit it consistently. You can increase it over time in order to keep challenging yourself, and add new forms of exercising, e.g. take classes at the gym, lift weights etc.   However, you should consider working out more for its benefits on general health, fitness and well-being than as your main tool for weight loss. That tool will be your diet. Same comment here: it doesn’t need to be perfect right away, and there is no "best" diet anyway (there are many ways of eating that can lead to a healthy weight). What matters is taking the first steps in the right direction. Once you got started, you can make improvements as you go. ... View more

Heart rate and body weight don’t have much to do with each other. Resting HR is largely determined by genetics and doesn’t necessarily reflect fitness. Very sedentary people can see a significant drop in RHR if/when they start exercising, but otherwise it is what it is (may fluctuate a bit depending on stress etc.). If you are interested in fitness, why not have a look at Fitbit’s cardio fitness score? It would be more relevant than RHR IMO.   Body weight is primarily determined by energy balance: how much you eat (calories in) and you much you expand (calories out). Your profile shows an average step count of almost 30k, even higher than last time we had a look at it. I’ll be blunt: if you can’t lose weight with that kind of (incredibly high) activity level, you have an eating problem.   However, the question is: do you really need to lose weight? Based on your profile photo, you don’t look like someone who carries much extra weight.   As to blood pressure: there is no way you can know where it stands unless you actually measure it. Hypertension isn’t called the silent killer for nothing. If untreated, it will literally kill you without you noticing. So if you think it may be an issue, have it measured. Being a bit hypocondriac like yourself, I’ve been measuring mine every morning for the past three years. There are "smart" blood pressure monitors that will automatically upload readings to an account on the cloud, very handy. ... View more

When something sounds too good to be true, then there’s usually an issue with it... ... View more

@t.parker wrote: In other words, you want to boost your energy expenditure, you need to have lots of free time 😉 Exactly my thoughts too: it’s basically like becoming a professional athlete who needs to train full time.   ... View more

In the subject line, you talk about a "2000 calorie workout", as well as calories & steps. In the body of your post, you talk about increasing your energy expenditure by 2000 calories (on a daily basis, I assume). I agree more information is needed about what is it you are trying to achieve.   Steps correlate to some extent with energy expenditure (calories burned), but you need to take into account the intensity of the stepping (e.g. slow walking vs. brisk walking vs. jogging vs. running), flat vs. incline etc. The Compendium of Physical Activities is a good source for comparing various activities, using MET.   It’s hard for me to see the point in increasing energy expenditure by as much as 2000 calories, whether it is for weight loss, health or fitness. ... View more

How do I restart my Fitbit device? ... View more

Is the issue only with calories, or also with steps, active minutes etc.? Have you try to restart your tracker? ... View more

Goal: lose between 0.25 and 0.50 kg per week (i.e. down to 58-61 kg).   Week 0, 30-Dec-19: 64.0 kg, 2594 cal, 14.9k steps, 16.3% Week 1, 6-Jan-20: 63.7 kg, 2781 cal, 16.8k steps, 16.2%, -0.36 kg Week 2, 13-Jan-20: 63.3 kg, 2853 cal, 17.7k steps, 15.9%, -0.37 kg Week 3, 20-Jan-20: 63.4 kg, 2901 cal, 20.0k steps, 15.9%, +0.09 kg Week 4, 27-Jan-20: 62.6 kg, 3044 cal, 20.9k steps, 15.7%, -0.77 kg Week 5, 3-Feb-20: 62.0 kg, 2685 cal, 15.8k steps, 15.9%, -0.59 kg Week 6, 10-Feb-20: 61.8 kg, 2837 cal, 18.9k steps, 15.9%, -0.20 kg Week 7, 17-Feb-20: 61.5 kg, 2702 cal, 16.5k steps, 15.7%, -0.29 kg   Modest loss (-0.3 kg) during the past week, but still moving in the right direction. Total loss so far is 2.5 kg (-0.36 kg per week in average, i.e. within the target range). ... View more

Wow, 120-320, quite some rollercoaster! I also find maintaining (i.e. keeping things static) more difficult than gaining or losing (dynamic), which is why I have set a range within which my weight is allowed to fluctuate. As I said, it has been 60-65 kg for the past two years, and I intend to keep it that way for the foreseeable future:     When my weight is on the rise, I don’t panic. I let it rise until I get close to the upper limit, then I start an active weight loss phase (usually 3 months) to get back to the lower limit. Once there, I try my best to stay there for a while, but I usually start to gain at some point, so it’s rinse and repeat. The 5 kg range is wide enough to provide flexibility, but narrow enough so things don’t go entirely out of control. I find this approach works quite well for me. ... View more

Cardio fitness score is a metric that tends to stay the same for quite many days in a row, especially when expressed as a range (as opposed to a single number). In other words, it’s not like RHR, which can vary up and down on a daily basis. So I think it should be "has dropped (back to where it was before)", rather than "is now dropping".  ... View more

No, restarting your tracker won’t result in any loss of data. You literally have nothing to lose by doing it, and it only takes a few seconds. ... View more

@JimC_99 : looks like your metabolism has recovered (from the reduction induced by the long weight loss phase) and you’re now in a good position to lose again!   I also live in a place where winters are cold (except this one hasn’t been so far), but I find the main limiting factor for outdoor activity (all I do indoor is weight lifting) is the shortness of days: when the days are at their shortest (December), I basically have to do all of my walking between 10am and 3pm. Fortunately, I’m self-employed and have flexibility with the use of my time, but I understand it can be a problem for someone who has fixed working hours. ... View more

@JimC_99 wrote: I seem to be unable to stop calorie logging - I feel guilty if I don't track calories in....  I have been in a maintenance mode for ~5 months so its about time to lose the final 25 lbs.... OTOH, I think logging calories during maintenance was a smart thing to do, since you must now have a pretty good idea of what your maintenance calories are, and therefore how to go about the next weight loss phase. Btw, have you seen a noticeable change in your maintenance calories now compared to 5 months ago? ... View more

Yes, I’m also surprised you didn’t see a major change in BP after losing more than 60 pounds. Maybe it will come with a delay? I’ve been monitoring my BP on a daily basis for three years now and it has been fluctuating up and down (though all the time within the normal range) without me seeing a clear pattern:     It kept rising at the end of 2019, to the point of getting close to the "elevated" range (> 120) and starting to worry me, but it has come down a bit since. ... View more

One more question, @BecomingMyself : did you have diabetes and/or high blood pressure? If so, have you seen any improvement (for instance, in terms of medication for these conditions) since last Summer? ... View more

TrendWeight can retrieve all your history, if you want it to. I think it asks about it when you first link it to your Fitbit account. Note that TrendWeight works best in a desktop environment. The site is not optimized for browsers on mobile platforms, at least not on smartphones: on my iPad, it works OK, but on my Android phone, the tabs for periods (2 weeks, 4 weeks, 3 months etc.) and for weight vs. fat/lean do not work. ... View more

Glad to hear things are now moving your way. You’re still averaging 1.4 kg per week since Jan-6 and if anything, I’d be worried it’s too fast rather than too slow (real plateaus tend to occur – after a while – if/when losing at too fast a pace).   If your weigh-ins make it into your Fitbit account, you may want to link it to TrendWeight (link in my signature), a free web-based service that allow you to look at short-term, medium-term and long-term trends. It’s especially useful after it has been "primed" (i.e. has a few weeks of data) and when weighing daily (or often enough) in the same conditions. Although it’s cloud-based, the data is only available to you, unless you choose to share the link to it (as I did). I personally find the TrendWeight graphs more informative than the Fitbit ones. ... View more

I agree with @Baltoscott 95-99 is way off the charts. What does a typical 24-hour HR graph looks like for you? This one (from the app):     What about resting heart rate (RHR)? Cardio fitness score is primarily based on heart rate, so I would look at the HR stuff first. ... View more

"barely eat" is a relative notion. @BecomingMyself recently reported she eats 850-950 calories per day, and she’s a lot taller (5’8) than you, that’s what I would call "barely eating" (I honestly don’t know how she does it).   I entered your numbers in this online calculator. I used the "light" activity level. Yes, I understand exercising on the elliptical doesn’t give you a lot of credit in terms of steps, but as I said, daily step count is a pretty good proxy for overall activity in my experience. With your numbers and this assumption, TDEE (calories burned) would be 1876. If your calories in were 1500, you would still have a deficit (though one smaller than expected). However, just like with calories out, there’s also a margin of error with calories in. More often than not, calories in are under-estimated.   Bottom line: I think you’re doing nothing wrong. The scale has been moving in the desired direction, you just need to adjust your eating and your activity so that the magnitude of the change is what you want. Your goal (156 to 135 in 7 months, i.e. less than a pound per week in average) is a realistic one IMO. ... View more

You may want to have a look at this other topic started by @RowingMan : Diets to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes. By following the dietary recommendations of the book mentioned, he was able to drop 26 pounds since Thanksgiving and cut his medication for diabetes by more than half.   Here is another way to have a look at it, by Mayo Clinic: Diabetes diet: Create your healthy-eating plan.   There are many ways to eat for better health regarding diabetes and hypertension, but the key is to find one that works for you and will let you lower your weight. Increasing physical activity is also beneficial for both conditions. ... View more

How tall are you? Your profile shows an average step count of about 8k (step count is usually a good proxy for gauging overall activity). Even though you’re young (27), it’s unlikely your total energy expenditure is much above 2000 calories, no matter what Fitbit says it is (it tends to overestimate for most people). You’re probably eating too much given your current activity level (in order to have an actual deficit of 500), so you could either eat a bit less, or move a little bit more (I would personally focus on increasing informal activity across the entire day, as opposed to formal workouts at the gym), or a combination of both. ... View more

Thanks for the info about Optavia. I wasn’t familiar with the company / their products. Do you use / have you used their coaching services? If so, is it online, and with what frequency? How much of their own foods (vs. food you purchase / prepare yourself) do you eat? Do you count the calories you’re eating, or do you just size portions as per their guidelines? I’m just flaggerbasted by the implied deficit for an average weekly loss of 2.5 lbs, especially sustained for several months on end.  ... View more

@BecomingMyself wrote: I've lost the weight since August - I started at 255, and I'm now at 191.  I'm on the first plan that works for me   Based on the amazing results you were able to achieve, I’m sure quite a few people would be interested in hearing about the plan you have been following. Would you mind telling us about it? ... View more

When did your Fitbit last sync? The info is displayed when you click on your profile photo in the upper left corner in the app. ... View more

64 lbs in 6 months is an average of about 2.5 lbs per week, which is a lot. This shows you have clearly found an approach that works for you and you have stronger than average willpower. I understand you want to keep the momentum and continue all the way to your ultimate goal of 155. However, I still think it wouldn’t be the optimal way to do it, for the reasons mentioned in the Losing All Your Weight At Once video, my favorite resource for all things weight loss.   Excess skin is a minor issue IMO, and the health benefits of a lower weight are way more important. ... View more

Can you post the same graph (from https://www.fitbit.com/activities) for yesterday? I’d like to see what "no activity at all" look like on your graph. Have you restarted your Charge 3, just in case? ... View more

Welcome to the community, @BecomingMyself !   What you didn’t mention in your "essay" is you already lost 60 pounds (this is from your profile). Very impressive, btw. When / how fast did the 60 lbs drop take place? You said you wanted to set a reasonable goal for your ultimate "ideal" weight. I’m sure the goal of 155 you tentatively set is just fine, but what should be reasonable IMO is the time frame to get there. Which is why I asked about the 60 lbs you already lost.   If I got it right, your BMI would be 25 at 155 + 9 = 164, which would make you 5’8 tall. Your current weight would be 155 + 36 =  191 (BMI 29.0) and your ultimate starting weight was 191 + 60 = 251 (BMI 38.2). That’s an amazing change already. Take your time with the further loss, to improve chances the new, lower weight will stick.   My own "ideal" weight has evolved over time (= during my 7 years of fitbitting). I started at 75 kg pre-Fitbit in early 2013, lost about 10 kg during the first 3-4 months and kept the fluctuation range between 65 and 70 kg for the next three years (2014-2016). Starting in 2017, I lowered the fluctuation range to 60-65 kg. In terms of BMI, the new range is 19.8-21.5. I just feel I perform better at a lighter weight. ... View more

What does the 24-hour graph for calories burned yesterday look like? Here is what mine looks like for today:     Are you saying that yours only show short red bars during the one-hour period of your class yesterday, even though you were wearing your Fitbit? ... View more

What you probably mean is they weren’t autodetected. Not being tracked would imply you didn’t get any credit in terms of calories burned, active minutes, steps etc. I’m quite sure if you look at the 24-hour graphs, you will see your activity reflected there.   If you have problems with activities not being autodetected, why don’t you start and stop them manually? It can be done on the Charge 3 as far as I can remember. ... View more

Although you did say "nothing huge", "nothing majorly strenuous", increased activity could mean increased stress, and increased stress can translate into increased RHR, especially if you’re not able to fully recover. How do things like calories burned and active minutes compare at the monthly level (January vs. previous months)? Trying to assess the level of disruption.  ... View more

@bushka60 : you already stated your age in your first contribution to this topic. I believe @SunsetRunner’s question about age spectrum was directed at @LoriBells, who is likely a lot younger than the rest of us. When there are many participants in a topic, such as here, it can be useful to tag people (as I’m doing here). ... View more

I think Fitbit’s intention is to be "diet neutral" and "nutrient neutral", which is why it won’t single out a given nutrient like sugar.   You may want to add your voice to this existing feature suggestion. ... View more

How old are you, @LoriBells ? The OP was asking about issues faced by senior women. What you offered was generic weight loss advice not specific to age or gender. ... View more

Welcome to the community, @H2468 !   Let’s have a look at the positives: 1) you are aware of your binge eating issue, which is an important step (many people are in denial of the issues they have), 2) even if you’ve gained weight lately, your weight is still at a perfectly normal level for your height (145 lbs translates into a BMI of 23.4). Have you considered seeking help from a mental health professional? Try not to benchmark yourself against your twin sister. Just because she’s very thin doesn’t mean you have to be as thin as her. ... View more

Goal: lose between 0.25 and 0.50 kg per week (i.e. down to 58-61 kg).   Week 0, 30-Dec-19: 64.0 kg, 2594 cal, 14.9k steps, 16.3% Week 1, 6-Jan-20: 63.7 kg, 2781 cal, 16.8k steps, 16.2%, -0.36 kg Week 2, 13-Jan-20: 63.3 kg, 2853 cal, 17.7k steps, 15.9%, -0.37 kg Week 3, 20-Jan-20: 63.4 kg, 2901 cal, 20.0k steps, 15.9%, +0.09 kg Week 4, 27-Jan-20: 62.6 kg, 3044 cal, 20.9k steps, 15.7%, -0.77 kg Week 5, 3-Feb-20: 62.0 kg, 2685 cal, 15.8k steps, 15.9%, -0.59 kg Week 6, 10-Feb-20: 61.8 kg, 2837 cal, 18.9k steps, 15.9%, -0.20 kg   Not much change during the past week (only -0.2 kg), but a loss is a loss, so I’ll take it. Total loss so far is 2.2 kg (-0.37 kg per week in average). We’re now half way through, so if I keep the same pace, total loss for the challenge will be 4.4 kg (I would be happy with that!). ... View more