Last week I started a new fitness journey and started tracking my progress with the FitTrack Dara BMI Scale. I’m starting off at 142.2, which is the most I’ve weighed since I worked hard to lose all the “baby weight.” When I’m actively working out and paying attention to my diet, I usually hover around 126. Now that I’m in my 40’s, weight seems to creep up faster and accumulate in undesirable places, and then refuse to leave. I really have to work at it now, so I’m creating this blog post to keep me accountable. Because I’m terrible at sticking to a workout plan! I also really like beer, wine, cheese, bread and all the things that help you add pounds. And I refuse to give them up. So my only option is to get moving.

*I was sent the scale for free to test out for an honest review- click here to see the updated post about how the scale broke after 6 months

My First Time on the FitTrack Dara BMI Scale

As you can see from the image below, the Dara measures way more than just weight. BMI, body fat, muscle, water, bone…it measures it all! The scale works by “sending small electrical signals through your body when you stand on it. These pass quickly through water and meet resistance when going through body fat tissue. The resistance is measured and used to calculate your body composition measurements.”

When my son was a toddler, the gym was my favorite escape. I could drop him at the child care center for 1.5 hours of total “me time” and I took full advantage of that. After he started going to school, there was less incentive to go spend my time at a gym. And then COVID hit and I didn’t want to be anywhere near a gym, so I decided I’d just work out at home. And by “work out at home” I guess I meant some half-ass yoga and counting the bike ride to school as my cardio. And I totally thought it was working because my scale said I was LOSING weight. I felt pretty smug about my gym-free progress, and blamed my tight pants on shrinkage. Then I stepped on the scale and it said 98 lbs. and I started to suspect something was up. So I moved it to the other side of the bathroom and got a very rude awakening when it came up 140+.

Apparently, I had put on about 15 lbs., though I blame some of that number on my sweatpants. I’m sure they added a couple pounds. But regardless, I knew I needed to make a change. So I got started with a new scale.

Tracking My Fitness Progress

Week 1 Changes Made:

1. Set goal to close my rings on Apple watch 6 out of 7 days. Started walking 2 miles a day to make this happen.
2. Switched evening drink to 120 calorie beer or wine (because I’m not giving that up)
3. When making dinner, if it is a large portion, I immediately half mine and save some for tomorrow for lunch. That way I eat a good lunch instead of crap like pizza rolls.
4. Switched my coffee creamer to the fat-free version (small changes add up!)

Days 1 and 2: Walked 2 miles and closed my rings

Day 3: I switched it up and did the rowing machine for 30 min. I closed all my rings and was feeling pretty good so I tried the scale again. There was already a change in my results, however I realized I was weighing myself with less clothes on and at a different time of day. So this is where I realized I need to switch to weighing myself at the same time each day, preferably naked.

The Dara scale recommends using the scale at the same time and under the same conditions each day to get the most accurate results. I’ve already messed up by getting my first reading while fully clothed, but I won’t do that again. You should be barefoot, on a level surface and not weighing yourself right after a shower/bath or right after eating. So my new plan is to weigh myself clothing-free at 10 AM.

Day 4: This day was a total waste due to a terrible migraine. I spent the day hiding in bed and trying not to throw up from the pain. I really hate missing out on entire days due to migraines. They are just awful awful things. Glad I gave myself one day off with my fitness goals, because I got nothing done that day and didn’t even put my watch on.

Day 5: The migraine is gone but I still need to take it a little easy so it doesn’t bounce back. Walked 2 miles in the morning and did a bike ride later that day. Managed to close all my rings.

Day 6: It’s cold and rainy outside and a Saturday, so I chose to do the rowing machine instead. I was pretty proud of myself for completing my rings. I find the rowing machine pretty boring, but it is a good overall workout. I even did some extra credit and added 20 crunches and 10 resistance band deadlifts. I know it’s not much, but it’s something. I also switched my usual beer to a glass of red wine. I figure it’s more heart healthy, and harder to chug.

Day 7: The weather was worse but I didn’t want to row again so I bundled up and went for it. I felt so good for doing it! I did my two miles and came back and did 10 minutes of stretching. Tomorrow is my big 10AM weigh-in to see if I made any progress. I already know it will be a few pounds lighter with no clothes. I don’t really feel any physical changes yet. My pants are still tight and my middle is still squishy. But I’m doing it!

The Big Weigh-In on the FitTrack Scale

Nothing ever goes as planned when you have kids, and this day was no exception. Apparently school was closed, but we did not know until we got there and it was empty. Oops! So instead of my morning weigh-in, I was entertaining a 5-year-old most of the day. I finally managed to strip down and step on the scale later in the afternoon, around the same time I had weighed myself before. So after a week of closing all my fitness rings, I got rewarded with a big change:

10 lbs. Lighter After a Week

I guess this diet and exercise thing actually works! I had gone down 10 lbs. (although admittedly some of that was due to less clothing- I also weighed myself fully clothed and it was about 1.5 lbs. heavier) I think the initial change in weight is probably the easiest, and I expect less dramatic results next week. My weight, BMI and fat levels all went down, though ironically my “metabolic age” went up! I went from 42 to 44. What the heck is up with that? Getting healthier has made my body seem older?? That was a bit disappointing to see, but everything else was pretty good!

Day 8: I managed to get my walk in today, even though it was another windy and cloudy day. And I am SO not feeling it today. I really just want to take a nap. And I had a chicken pot pie for lunch. That’s one of my favorite comfort food choices, and not the healthiest. While I am happy to see my efforts paid off, I also know if I start slacking then the numbers will go right back up. Hoping to get a second wind later and manage to close those rings! (I did manage to close my rings, but I was still dragging)

Life Tries to Knock Me Off Course

You can make all the plans you want, but life has a way of stepping in and knocking you off course. I kept up the walking for a couple more days, but my grandmother had been very sick and suddenly I found myself planning a trip to Alabama. I knew this was going to totally stall my progress. I was disappointed that I’d managed to stay on track less than two weeks!

I was packing as little as possible, so I couldn’t fit any workout equipment in my carry-on. And my grandma doesn’t live in a good area to go for walks. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, but I figure I’d just make an effort where I could and not stress about it.

I tried to make some health-conscious decisions on my trip. I walked to my airport terminal rather than taking the tram. And each morning I tried to fit in a little strength workout and stretching. But for most of the trip, I was just sitting and spending time with my grandma.

The Weigh-In After I Return

I was a little anxious to see the results of my weigh-in. I also apparently did not realize I needed to have the app open in my phone for it to actually record the results. I thought it would magically just send it anytime I stepped on the scale. My weight was up, but there’s no evidence since it didn’t record it. This mistake of mine continued until today, when I finally got the courage to open up the app again and see how my weight was doing, only to discover it didn’t record any of it!

I’ve been back now for a couple weeks and my fitness routine has gone to crap. I try to keep it up, and then get busy and the first thing I skip is the workout. Everything is tight again! I am not all that happy with myself for not sticking with it. But I walked yesterday and will again today. I went to the grocery store and got some healthy quick meals so I could eat better. Summer swimsuit weather is coming and I am not feeling ready. I pretty much just feel pale and squishy.

Is anyone still reading this?

At this point, I’m keeping up with this article just to keep myself accountable. I plan to come back and update it on a regular basis. Hopefully with some fabulous “after” photos. I’m just skipping the “before” photos, LOL. This weight thing is a rollercoaster right now. I don’t understand why it all wants to migrate toward my belly area! It’s like having a baby made some extra room in there and now my body wants to keep it. I know people are all “body positivity” and “all bodies are beautiful” and all that, and if you are happy with your size and weight, that’s great. I’m not judging anyone else but myself, and I know that I have slacked off on fitness and my body is not where I like it to be. So writing this and admitting it is the first step to helping me get back on track. I live at the beach and I want to enjoy wearing my swimsuit again!

And on that note, it’s time to stop sitting at this computer typing, put on some shoes and get out for my walk before I get busy and find a reason not to do it! I plan to keep tracking progress with the scale and report back here in a week.