FitYaf.com
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Me
  • Fitness
    • Group Exercise >
      • How I Became an Instructor
      • Group Exercise Schedule
      • Class Reviews
    • Fitness Friday Workouts
    • At Home Workouts
    • Running >
      • Races
  • Nutrition
    • Shakeology® >
      • Shakeology Taste Sampler
      • Shakeology 3-Day Cleanse
      • Shakeology Sampler Pack
    • Beachbody Ultimate Reset™
  • Health and Fitness Coaching
    • Challenge Groups
    • Testimonials
    • Beachbody Promotions
    • Shop

Runtastic Orbit Review - the activity tracker that will get you moving!

8/26/2014

2 Comments

 
This Runtastic Orbit review is sponsored by Runtastic and Sweat Pink; I received an Orbit in exchange for a review.  All opinions are my own.
I often get asked from my Challenge Group members, class participants or readers - which fitness tracker is the best? Unfortunately, up until a few weeks ago, I never owned/used a fitness tracker, so I wasn't even sure what they did, let alone which was best.  I know that when I set myself a big health and fitness goal, I have to start tracking my workouts and nutrition, but as far as my movement - I never took the plunge.  I was always a little curious, especially when it came to tracking my sleep, which was why I was so excited to receive he BRAND NEW Runtastic Orbit to try out!
Runtastic Orbit Review - the activity tracker that will get you moving!
The Runtastic Orbit is a wearable activity, fitness and sleep tracker that can be worn on your wrist like a watch, or as a clip. It tracks movement, sleep and mood (double tap the button when you're happy).  It also has a screen where you can view your daily progress and is waterproof up to 100 meters!  It displays the time and also will tell you when you're 50% towards your goal, when you haven't been active in 60 minutes and when you've reached your goal.  The first time I wore the Orbit, I wore it in the shower because - why not? - it's waterproof!  I also hit 50% of my step goal, which causes the device to vibrate, right as the water turned on.  For a split second I thought I was getting electrocuted, but rest assured, the Orbit is indeed waterproof!  The information collected on the Orbit will sync with the new Runtastic Me app, which you can download to your smartphone.
BUT, perhaps one of the coolest features is that the activity tracker also syncs with all of the other runtastic apps (run, bike, swim, etc.), so it will combine your data into one place.  Unfortunately, I am not running or biking right now and never was a swimmer, so I didn't get to use this feature, but how awesome is that?
I decided to wear the Orbit for a week on the wristband and a week on the clip.  My weeks are pretty routine, so I thought it would be a good way to compare the two options.  On my first day I wore the Orbit, I was happy to see that I was taking well over 10,000 steps without even trying.  Just my normal Tuesday routine (walking to and from the train station, to and from the gym and teaching my Bodypump class) clocked in at just over 15,000 steps!  On Thursday, when I teach step aerobics, I almost reached 20,000 steps!  I think there may have been some over-counting, but it was really exciting to be able to see my daily movement over the week.
Runtastic Orbit Review - the activity tracker that will get you moving!
Tuesday
Runtastic Orbit Review - the activity tracker that will get you moving!
Thursday
Runtastic Orbit Review - the activity tracker that will get you moving!
When it came to looking at my sleep, there were some good days and some bad days.  The green represents "deep sleep", the yellow is "light sleep" and the red is "awake".  At some point while testing out the Orbit, I started sleeping with a body pillow (hello 30-week baby bump), which restricted my movement while sleeping more, but didn't really facilitate more sleeping, so I think that affected the tracking.  I'm not sure exactly how it judges the "efficiency" of your sleep, but I typically fell between 95% and 98%.
Runtastic Orbit Review - the activity tracker that will get you moving!
Runtastic Orbit Review - the activity tracker that will get you moving!
When I switched over to the clip, I did notice that it seemed to be more accurately counting steps, but the problem with the clip is I would constantly forget it.  I would leave it on the t-shirt I slept in or the pants I wore to work and would miss entire days of tracking.  It also once fell off my clothing, hit the floor and reset the device, so I lost all of the data since the last sync.  So while wearing the clip might be more accurate for measuring, it wasn't the best wear-method for me.
Runtastic Orbit Review - the activity tracker that will get you moving!
It was fun for me to track my movement and sleep, and while I don't have any other wearable fitness tracker to compare it to, I was satisfied with the Runtastic Orbit.  I can't wait to use it once I start running again!  The Runtastic Orbit is available for $120, which is comparable to most wearables on the market and includes 2 color band options (black and blue) along with an easy-to-use USB connection to charge it. Additional color options for the wristband are sold separately: orange/yellow/red and green/white/steel.
Do you currently use a wearable or track your daily fitness?
2 Comments

FitYaf's food hacks that will help you stay healthy

8/14/2014

2 Comments

 
We're about 10 days into our August Challenge Group over here at FitYaf, and everyone is doing AMAZING!  People are losing weight, losing inches but most importantly, FEELING BETTER.  The other day, we were talking about substitutions you can make in your kitchen to help keep your nutrition in check, and everyone had such GREAT ideas!  I couldn't wait to share them with all of you!
FitYaf's food hacks that will help you stay healthy
FitYaf's food hacks that will help you stay healthy
Not only for guacamole, avocado works great as a replacement for butter in baked goods such as muffins and breads without altering the flavor.  Use the same amount of pureed avocado as you would butter, and you’ll save about 80 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 7 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. Make the same one-to-one swap for mayo in dressing and sandwiches like tuna fish to eliminate about 70 calories, 8 grams of fat, and 1 gram of saturated per tablespoon.
FitYaf's food hacks that will help you stay healthy
The mashed cauliflower low-carb fanatics eat instead of mashed potatoes can also be used to make vegan-friendly creamy soups. Add extra of whatever veggie you will be using in the soup at the beginning, then remove some once it’s cooked, puree until smooth, and return it to the pot, adding a cup at a time until the soup thickens.  Cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, potatoes and white beans all work well.  You can even sub the pureed veggies for cream, but be sure to get them to a very smooth consistency by blending with some broth or milk.   
More amazing things to do with cauliflower:
Green Saffron Cauliflower “Risotto” with Roasted Vegetables
Not-So-Fried Rice
An alternate sauce thickener:
How to make cream sauce without cream
FitYaf's food hacks that will help you stay healthy
When making a veggie dip or even making your guacamole creamer, use plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  It gives the same consistency and taste without the added calories and fat - even adds protein.  You can also use it instead of mayonnaise when making chicken or tuna salad!
FitYaf's food hacks that will help you stay healthy
Flaxseed can be added to baked products as a whole seed, imparting a healthy appearance and increased texture quality. However, flaxseed must be ground (milled) prior to consumption to obtain the potential health benefits from the Omega-3 fatty acids and lignans.
FitYaf's food hacks that will help you stay healthy
Take any recipe that calls for pasta and substitute with veggie "noodles", cut using a spiralizer.  My challengers love using zucchini!
FitYaf's food hacks that will help you stay healthy
PB2 is powdered protein from peanut butter - all of the great peanut taste, without any of the fat.  It's great to add to smoothies (I add it to my chocolate shakeology EVERY DAY) or even sauces when making stir fry or pad thai.
What's your favorite food hack?
2 Comments

    Jillian [FitYaf]

    fitness enthusiast.
    coach.
    marathoner.
    bioengineer.

    Fit Approach
    FitYaf's Bulu Box
    Picture
    FitFluential Is Fitness Found

    Archives

    February 2015
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013

    Insanity Certification

    Categories

    All
    21 Day Fix
    At Home Workouts
    At Home Workouts
    Beachbody
    Bodypump
    Bulu Box
    Burpee
    Cardio
    Challenge
    Charity
    Choreography
    Crossfit
    Diva Dash
    Fall
    Family
    First Blog Post
    Fit
    Fitmapped
    Fitness
    Fitness Challenge
    Fitness Challenge
    Fitness Friday
    Fitness Friday
    Fit Pregnancy
    Fityaf
    FitYaf Answers
    Focus T25
    Friends Of Fityaf
    Friends Of Fityaf
    Gadgets
    Group Exercise
    Group Exercise
    Group Fitness
    Group Fitness
    Half Marathon
    Healthy Eating
    Healthy Eating
    Healthy Habits
    Healthy Habits
    Les Mills Bodypump
    Low Impact
    Marathon
    Music
    Nickname
    P90
    P90x
    Paleo Diet
    Parties
    Party
    Philly Phitness Tour
    PiYo
    Pregnancy
    Pull Up
    Pull Up
    Pull-up
    Pushup
    Race
    Recipe
    Richard Simmons
    Running
    Shakeology
    Shakeology Recipes
    Shaun T
    Soulmate Workout
    Spinning
    Step Aerobics
    Strength
    Summer
    SweatSync
    Travel
    Treadmill
    Weight Loss
    Weight Loss
    Winter
    Workout
    Yoga

    RSS Feed

    To my readers, please note this website and blog is for educational and informational purposes only. For medical advice, dietary restrictions, and/or medical diagnosis, and before beginning any diet and/or exercise program, please consult a doctor or healthcare professional. 
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.