Giveaway: The Gift of Health – A Withings Steel Watch and Body Cardio Scale

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!