We’ve talked a lot about self care lately, and when the opportunity came around to host another giveaway for, I jumped on it.
We gave away two of the Withings Activité watches earlier this year, and this time we have two new pieces of technology. I have used earlier versions of both for the past year and personally love them a lot – probably more than I should love an electronic device.
Taking good care of yourself is essential self care, I think. So to that end, we have a Withings Activité Steel and a Body Cardio Scale to give away, both of which are designed to help you feel more in control of your health and to remind you to keep taking good care of yourself in the small and large decisions you make.
Personally speaking, the reminder part is key for me – especially lately, when I have been craving comfort carbs that are risen, or baked, or both risen then baked then covered with cheese. I’ve needed a little extra motivation to remind myself to eat the things that make me feel good in the long and short term, and to get out of my chair and go outside. (Me: It’s dark so early. AND IT’S COLD. Dogs: WALK WALK WALK WALKIES TIME FOR WALKING OMG LET’S GO). As I said, I have versions both of these items, one of which was sent to me for evaluation in January, and the other I purchased with the coupon code back in February when we did our last Withings giveaway.
I love them both and I’m really excited to give two away!
The Withings Steel Watch
tracks your activity and shows you your daily progress using a small pedometer dial on the front. Your daily goal can be customized using the app on your smartphone. It tracks your walking, running, and swimming, has a sleep monitor, and a vibrating alarm (you have to wear the watch at night, of course, for the sleep tracking features).
In the Withings Health Mate app, thanks to the tracker, you’ll see distance traveled, calories burned, activity, sleep data, and all that fun stuff. The app also syncs to other apps you might already use, like My Fitness Pal or Run Keeper.
I know many of you have tried pedometers and devices that count your steps, and they can be motivating and kind of addictive, right? That’s definitely true for me.
If I set the total steps goal using the Withings Health Mate app on my phone to 8k or 10k, watching that dial move around to 100% becomes my MISSION. Walking the dogs – ok, that’s 40%. Treadmill days mean I reach 100% earlier; days where I do another activity mean I have to make sure I walk around extra to hit my goal. I’m more likely to go play outside or arrange my to-do list so that there’s more moving involved. And, true and embarrassing story: I have been known to read while pacing my bedroom before bed, or take laps around my kitchen island while making dinner if I’m close to my goal in the evening. (I really hope I’m not alone in doing silly things to hit my movement goals each day.)
What I like about my Activité Steel is that it’s very simple and elegant as a watch. But it also does three key things: It tells me the time and it tells me my progress toward my daily goal at a glance. And, most importantly, every time I look at it to check the time, I’m reminded that I have a goal to reach that day. That reminder aspect is really effective.
The Body Cardio Scale
is the newer model of the scale I purchased in February (I have the Body scale). It’s a glass scale with a digital readout, and it tells you all sorts of things about you, your progress, and also what’s going on around you.
Obviously, it tracks your weight. It’s a scale. It also syncs that data via Bluetooth to the Withings Health Mate app, and in the app you can see your progress overall. The Body Cardio tracks your body fat percentage and your heart rate, plus additional cardiovascular measurements as well.
The scale also connects to your WiFi network and displays the weather for the day where you are, with high and low temperatures. Plus it can handle up to eight different people, and keeps track of who is who and syncs only their data to their accounts. I had mine for a few weeks when my husband wanted to start using it, and it’s been tracking both of us flawlessly since then. When one of my kids tried it, the scale figured out pretty quickly that neither of us had suddenly dropped to less than 70 pounds.
The Body Cardio has a bunch of upgraded features that look seriously cool. It comes with a rechargeable battery, and tracks multiple points of data about your body, including your heart rate and bone mass.
Now, it might seem like a terrible idea to weigh yourself every day, but I find that doing so functions as a reminder, much like the watch does when I check the time. I know I will see the results of what I’m doing each day the following morning, and I am more likely to act according to my goals.
In other words, much like my motto in my calendar series and in the course I’m developing for time organization, Past Sarah and Present Sarah must work together to help Future Sarah. Whether that’s meal planning, or making sure I take a long walk each day, or choosing vegetables over corn chips (and Lord above, do I love corn chips — mmm, salt) the choices I make help both present me and future me. The scale and the watch remind me to do both, so that Past and Present Sarah give Future Sarah the gift of health.
Ok, I’m seriously going to shrivel with embarrassment at how much I’ve talked about myself, here. So let’s get to the really good and superb fun part: I’m so happy to give one of each of these tools away!
One winner will receive the Withings Activité Steel in his or her choice of color. Retail value: $149.95US.
One winner will receive the Withings Body Cardio Scale in black or white. Retail value: $179.95US.
To enter: leave a comment below and tell us one thing you are doing, or will be doing, to give your future self the gift of kindness, health, and good care.
Maybe it’s choosing to move around more by taking a walk each day, and making sure there are excellent audiobooks lined up for your walking time (whomever told me that Kate Reading’s performance of Lord of Scoundrels was good – you are SO RIGHT). Or maybe you’re making sure to prepare extra portions of your favorite meals so you have some for lunch the following few days. Or perhaps you’d really like to give a gift to someone you know and love – that’s fair, too!
Disclaimer: I’m not being compensated for this giveaway. Void where prohibited. Open to US and Canadian residents where permitted by applicable law. Must be over 18 and prepared to gift yourself with ALL the health, in all the best ways. If anyone lets party rock into the house tonight, please close the door. Should individuals note that the beat has dropped, the broom and dustpan are in the hall closet. Rocking out is always permitted. As always, there is no bad weather, just bad clothing. Comments will close at noon ET on Friday 9 December and winners will be announced shortly afterward.
[And, if you’re thinking of shopping, Withings is having a sale right now where you get 25% off two or more devices. They also have this really freaking cool thermometer for $99 that doesn’t require that you touch the person being measured, and connects with a care app that includes info from Boston Children’s Hospital. If you know someone expecting or with a new baby, this could be a lovely present!]
Important Thanks: Susie Felber, who is also known in the Romance universe as “Edith Layton’s daughter,” works for , Part of Nokia, and has provided the giveaway prizes for us. Thank you!
Good luck, y’all!
UPDATE: And our winners are Julia and Cat C! Thanks to all the commenters and happy holidays! I hope you all meet your Gift of Health goals!
Sarah, yes, i totally do the silly things to hit my daily step goal too. 🙂 if i’m short on steps for the day – easy to do now that it’s dark and cold in the evenings – i’ll turn on all the lights and pace around while reading.
I am making a goal to walk places more I can instead of driving.
I recently discovered all the amazing workout videos on YouTube and made a schedule to do one every night of the week, then made Saturday my pamper day with a bath bomb and Amazon clay mud mask:)
I’m trying to get out of my chair more and get out of the house. I’m starting with 5500 steps daily as a goal this week and plan to increase it every day until I get to 10,000–and keep doing it.
I’m going both stretch and exercise more. I end up in a lot of pain most days and I think these two things will help me out.
I’ve taken up daily meditation and I’m starting to add a yoga practice back to my life. One of these days I’m going to say I’m limiting my sugar and dairy intake (neither one agrees with me all that well) and not immediately turn around and bake cookies or hit starbucks.
2016 was a horrible year for me healthwise- recovering from 2 severe abdominal surgeries required a great deal of rest in order to avoid complications like hernias and unnecessary adhesions. Finally given the all clear in November, I’ve unhappily discovered just how out of shape I became as a result. Walking is about all I’m capable of at the moment. Lots and lots of walking. It sucks that it’s gotten cold just when I need to be outdoors. I need a treadmill.
A friend of the family recently gave me a generous monetary gift out of the blue, and I used it to purchase a one-year gym membership with a month of personal training. My abs (& etc) need work after giving birth and breastfeeding twice. I’m also hoping that the commitment to exercise sets a good example for the kiddos.
I bought a gym membership!
I left a relationship that was destructive. After that, so much is clear sailing.
Even though I would probably hate myself if I won this, but here I go. I’m moving soon, and the new condo complex has a pretty good exercise area, so I plan on actually using it.
And it was likely me who recommended Lord of Scoundrels, because it is the first thing I recommend to anyone who asks about audiobooks. It is my all-time favorite and I never shut up about it when asked.
Well, my wife and I are taking a cruise in May, so we have started a nightly 1/2 hour exercise routine on our treadmill and elliptical to get fit for the beaches 🙂
I have better organized my time and cleared out some of the clutter in my life so I can focus more on my fitness goals and SLEEP!!!
Tracking meals – need to be more accountable for that all important nutrition piece.
I’m going to sign up for Zumba Gold again after Christmas!
I’m trying to collect all of the exercises that I should be doing for my various ailments so I can write up a morning and evening routine that incorporates the exercises.
I am resolved to be more forgiving to myself. It’s better for my health overall if I’m not driving up my cortisol by worrying about every little thing. I’m walking, poaching chicken, eating nuts instead of those delicious Kettle chips and generally trying to be cognizant of what goes into my mouth. Sarah, I too, pace around my island to try to reach movement goals 🙂 Birds of a feather, right? 🙂
I try to add one good habit (or break one bad one) per month instead of New Years resolutions. My first one for 2017 will be to prepare healthy(ish) breakfast options at home so I can break my drive thru breakfast habit.
So there is a personal development book out called The Morning Miracle, and the author recommends getting up early to meditate/pray, do affirmations and visualizations, exercise, read, and journal. If done it in the past, and it has really helped my days. I can’t seem to get up early to do it these days, but I’m working on part of it in the evenings, and hope to get back to all of it soon.
12/31/16 is my quit smoking day. I quit one for 20 years gonna make this quit last a lifetime.
I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, and I live in the Pacific NW, so I decided to be proactive this year and joined a gym. I’ve been going 3-4 days a week and it gives me a reason to get out of my house and not just hide and mope and eat.
I’ve actually started running (this year) and made a goal to do it a little bit each night. I don’t even think of it as exercise — just as 30 minutes of de-stress time where I can let my mind go totally blank. It’s been awesome for my mental health!
I signed myself up for a volleyball class so I’ll have. To exercise at least three times a week
I am going to try to keep it simple: take a walk daily, and eat smaller meals throughout the day.
Winter is especially hard on me, and the worse I feel the more I isolate myself which only contributes to the death spiral. My self care commitment is that I have a real conversation or catch-up each day with a close friend or family member. Next to taking care of myself physically and practicing good habits consistently/having a routine, it helps me the most. And it has the added benefit of maintaining and strengthening my relationships with loved ones.
I’m trying to make it a point to get active more often and get to sleep earlier.
More walking for both myself and my lovely old dog who also spends too much time lazing around. More meditative time (meditation, reading, dinner with friends)to combat the daily work stress. More good food, less junk. More kindness to others as well as myself.
I started going to the gym regularly for the first time in my life. I’m edging into middle age and realized this summer that I was seriously losing mobility. I joined a small fitness studio near my house and I’ve been dragging myself out of bed for 6am classes 3-5 times per week. If you’d told me a year ago I’d be doing this I’d have laughed in your face. But here I am, actually doing this.
I will be going to bed on time and getting plenty of sleep
I AM going to control my bp by dropping weight, and diet and exercise, not so much medication. I Am going to feel good about myself again. I need to renew my relationship with my treadmill. (We barely see each other anymore) 😉
A body in motion stays in motion. A body at rest stays at rest. Well, I am well “rested”
@Bruce Brown
Good Luck on the quit smoking! You can do it!! I quit 16 years ago. I purchased my treadmill and went on vacation with the money I saved by quiting.
Yoga at home and drinking less wine and therapy for anxiety and cycling when it’s not snowy out and long baths and going to bed early.
This past April, I started a low carb diet, and I haven’t looked back since! I’m now walking three miles a day, five times a week, on my way to Mordor (http://home.insightbb.com/~eowynchallenge/Walk/walk.html), and eating right (real food, no faked stuff).
I’ve still got to get sleep under control (more, that is), but this has gone a long way to making me a healthier person!
Back in high school, I quit the track team after the first practice. Now I’m doing what I wish I would have done then and training to do a half marathon in 2017.
I am firmly setting my foot down and reclaiming my office from my beloved family so I can actually do yoga/meditate or otherwise inject order into my chaotic life without having to wade my way through family detritus that no one seems to know what to do with/is too lazy to deal with.
While I’m letting my yoga studio membership go (y’all! hot yoga is not good for this post-menopausal grandma!), we’re hoping to join a center where we can swim, work out, and play some fun games (pickle ball, anyone?). We’re also going to make a point to walk more often, like daily. That’s for us and the pooch.
I have not been very good about self care lately. However, I am regularly attending belly dance classes. Thanks for the great giveaway!
I loved my Fitbit, but 3 trackers in and I can’t seem to keep them alive 🙁 Even so, I am obsessed with hitting 10k steps every day, even if it means making my coworkers take a lunch break with me so we get some exercise AND sun, even for a little bit.
Also, more tea and less booze this holiday season, as well as forgiving myself when that doesn’t happen.
I am going to sign up for indoor rock climbing!
I will call the doctor’s office to make an appointment to talk about some things that need to be looked into.
Why do I keep putting that off?
I am learning to meditate to help with my anxiety and just my general well-being… turns out that taking a deep breath is kind of a life changer.