Louisiana2Step Review

I completed the Louisiana 2 Step!

It was pretty easy to do.  You log in daily for two weeks.  You answer three questions every day--how many ounces of water did you drink, how much sleep did you get, and how many minutes did you walk the day before?  Each day it gives a little lesson on different aspects of health.  Sometimes there’s a little quiz, but it’s nothing terribly difficult or stressful.  The website is colorful and easy to use.

It was kind of fun to use, and it certainly didn’t feel like a big commitment.  Here are the results of my data:

So that’s all well and good.  From there, it sends you to register with myLA2step.com.  And so I did.  It was not nearly as nice and pretty and easy.  It kept rejecting my registration.  It also never allowed me to input my email address.  I finally gave up and when I tried to return to take a screenshot… it wouldn’t let me back in and it wouldn’t let me register.  Oh joy.  Plus, when I went to check out the current reward opportunities it said there were none being offered at this time.  Hmmmm.  Well that sucks.  Not that I was expecting much.  But it would have been nice to have a printable certificate or something.  Maybe a free pedometer?  A coupon for some yogurt?  But nope.  So I may try to check it out again at some point, but I won’t be in any hurry.

iPhone App Review: Waterlogged

I started using this app on 7/8/2014 to keep track of my water intake.  The Louisiana 2 Step challenge asks me how many ounces of water I’m drinking every day, and I also know that drinking water is one of the best steps I can take towards better health.  In the past, I have used my SparkPeople app and account to track water intake.  I wanted to have an app that just tracked water, so I stumbled across Waterlogged.

Waterlogged is pretty straightforward.  You tap on the empty water bottle on the screen and then you log each time you drink water.  You can even take a picture of the water bottle (or glass) you use--that way you don’t have to remember how many ounces are in that particular bottle.  You just log it in.  Very simple and straightforward.

The app also allows you to set goals.  You can tell it how many ounces you want to drink that day, what time you want to start and finish by.  The screen tells you how much water you’ve had so far, as well as what your goal should be by a particular time in order to meet your goal.  There’s a graphing chart and even a map feature if you want to track where you are drinking water.

There’s a reward feature from kiip, but I’m not really using it.  There is a premium version too.  You can also connect with your Facebook account or connect to your Fitbit if you have one.  All in all, I really like Waterlogged and I would highly recommend it if you are interested in tracking your water intake.  If you have another tracking app that also tracks water, then Waterlogged probably isn’t necessary.  The basic app is free (yay!)--you can unlock reminders for $3.99 and get a lifetime subscription for $2.99.  I find that the free version works just fine for my purposes.

Fitness & Motivation

One thing I’ve learned from all my research and all my soul searching is that I can’t wait to live my life.  I want to have the surgery, and I want to lose the weight.  Wouldn’t it be easier to lose the weight before I start to do things?  Yes and no.  I have a tendency to wait for “the right time” instead of making now the right time.  There will always be something I’m waiting for.  And I don’t want to keep pushing back my life.  I want to live.  Now.  And although I can’t do everything I want to do right now, or be everything I want to be right now, it doesn’t mean that I can’t do anything or be anything.

So I am working on figuring out what things I can do now.  Physical therapy to help my knees is one thing I am doing right now.  Another step I’ve taken is to create a food budget.  We eat out--a lot!  And that gets expensive.  So we have tried to stay within a food budget this pay period.  

Fitness is another area I feel like I’m ready to (slowly!) start tackling.  I don’t want to go too crazy, but I do want to make a start.  The physical therapy is one way I’m getting some exercise.  I would also like to start walking.

I will start walking today.  I brought my shoes to work.  I will probably take a 15 minute walk at my lunch break.  I need to start slow and be consistent.  So now I’m looking at ways to keep myself motivated.  I like to be able to track things, but I want it to be fun and motivating.  So I’ve joined a couple of challenges:

Louisiana 2 Step:  This is an online program in Louisiana, sponsored by Blue Cross & Blue Shield.  They make suggestions for eating healthier and moving more.  You track what you did the day before in very simple ways.  Supposedly you can even win prizes.  You don’t have to be a Blue Cross/Blue Shield member to join the challenge.

The President’s Challenge:  Do you remember the President’s Physical Fitness Challenge you participated in at school?  Well this is through the same initiative, but for individuals.  You sign up online and then log your activities.  There are a couple of different challenges you can choose from.  You can be eligible for awards too, but you have to pay for them once you qualify for them.  I like the idea of earning medals, and it may be enough to motivate me.  My children are also planning to participate, and I thought it would be a neat way for us to motivate and support each other through the challenge.

I’m also trying out a few apps and games to keep me motivated.  I will try them out and then maybe review a few of them.