I got a Nike Fuel band as part of a giveaway (thank you Daralisa!) before I left LA. With the move, I packed it away and forgot about it. I wasn’t really sure what it was all about, anyway.

Then I came across an article about all the different kinds of bands out there and what they do. When I read that it could track sleep, I got excited. So I rummaged around to find it and set it up.

I started out tracking my sleep–although it’s not as in depth on the sleep tracking as other bands, it does tell you how long you slept and how much you moved. So cool! I couldn’t wait to set my band and wake up in the morning to see my sleep graph. I found out that Monday and Tuesday nights were the worst, along with nights where I worked out in the evening (I guess that can be filed away under obvious, but it was still eye-opening to see it confirmed).

I also started to keep track of my movement throughout the day. And guess what? I learned that I hardly move aside from going to the gym and walking to the train. Even though I stood at my desk all day, I wasn’t really moving. Even though I don’t have a car, I was taking the subway. I started adding more activity into my day: taking breaks to walk the stairs, walk at lunch, or walk after dinner. I also started hopping on my bike a lot more than hopping on the train around the city on the weekends.

I’ve been wearing the Fuel band since September and I think I’ve become obsessed with it. I’m constantly checking to see if I’ve made my day’s goal, or how many points I have to go.

I think it’s a good thing and a bad thing. I don’t think I need to be checking a graph of my every moment throughout the day. I don’t think I should be so focused on reaching my daily Fuel points. On the other hand, it has made me move more, get outside, and realize that I need to move throughout the day, not just for one hour at the gym.

So, my goal for November is to keep up the physical activity, despite the cold and the dark (we already fell back today, making it pitch black at 5pm, which in combination with the sun not coming out all weekend, is the perfect recipe for SAD). I am committed to moving in the morning, throughout the day, and at night. My thermal jogging pants are ready.