How to Break Up with Your Fitness Device

HOW TO RECOGNIZE A FITNESS Device OBSESSION 

4 SIGNS YOU MAY NEED TO TAKE THE Fitness Device OFF

Smart watches can be very useful and convenient. Modern technology has made it possible to send messages, receive notifications, take calls, use GPS, track sleep, heart rate, activity, stress, and so much more all from a small device attached to our wrist. But what happens when this useful tool turns into a compulsive attachment and what are the signals to look out for? Here I will share common signs that your smart watch has too much hold over your life and how to let your body take back control.

1. You feel like you never can take it off.

Do you minimize the amount of time you spend not wearing  your watch? With the exception of routine charging,  you are always wearing your watch. Showering, shopping, sleeping, cleaning, and all other daily tasks are opportunities to meet your daily step, calorie, flight, or stand goal. Feeling incomplete or anxious without it are good signs that too much of your time is spent wearing your watch.

2. Your day is not done until goals are met.

If you have an Apple Watch, you are hyper fixated on closing your activity rings, even to the point of missing out on sleep. Even if you are in the middle of important matters, you always obey your watch when it tells you to stand up. You will stay up late running around your room, waving your arms, or doing anything you can to achieve the step, stand, or other goals you’ve set.

3. If you forget it, the activity doesn’t count.

You think your steps and activity without the watch don’t count, so you have to do more when you get your watch back on. For example, maybe you forgot to charge your watch during your usual time, so you have to charge it at a less convenient time. You have a busy schedule, so you run around getting grocering, walking the dog, doing chores, etc. Despite being physically active during, you did not have your watch on, so it did not record the activity. Now, you're behind on closing your rings for the day, so you convince yourself that you need to do extra activity later to make up for the untracked steps, calories, etc.

4. Your diet is based on watch data.

You eat according to the number of calories your watch says you burned.  You check your watch constantly and have deadlines for yourself throughout the day. Maybe it’s calories burned or steps walked. You will avoid eating until you have reached such deadlines, despite feelings of hunger. You may eat less at meals or skip them entirely  if you have not reached your calorie burn goal according to the watch. 

WHAT’S THE SOLUTION?

If you are experiencing one or more of these signs, it’s time to take a watch cleanse. Have your roommate, spouse, family or friend hide your watch for at least 2 weeks. During this time, avoid using your phone or other device to track activity or intake. It may take more than 2 weeks, so keep going until you no longer feel a NEED to constantly have your watch. It will be difficult at first, but by the end you will feel liberated! 

After your watch cleanse is over, you may no longer want to wear a smartwatch at all. However, I cannot deny the many conveniences of smart watches, such as those briefly mentioned above. So here are a few tips if you want to wear your watch again, without diving back into the deep end of letting it control your life. 

1. Take it slow.

Don’t jump right back into wearing your watch 24/7. Make the transition gradually. Start with wearing it for the activities where it is most useful, such as work or school. Avoid using it while exercising until you are sure it won’t trigger a need to burn blank number of calories or reach blank number of minutes.

2. Change the watch face.

Technology is great in that there are so many options for what information the watch face presents. Having your activity ring and numbers as the first and only thing you see each time you look at your watch is not setting yourself up for success. Instead, switch the watch face to show just the date and time. There are still many different templates and colors to choose from, so make it unique and meet your preferences!

3. Have scheduled times/days off. 

Scheduling time to take off the watch can be beneficial for many reasons and a 15 minutes break for charging is not enough. Have at least 1 day when you don’t wear the watch at all, Sundays for example. Avoid wearing your watch while you sleep, unless you are tracking your sleep for a specific reason. Remember, your activity without the watch still counts towards your health and happiness!

This post was written by our dietetic intern Amanda Putnam.

If you or a loved one is struggling with compulsive exercise or you are concerned about your relationship with food please contact our office or schedule an appointment.