My Google Health Watch and Aria Scale Keep Track So I Don’t Have To

There are some things I enjoy keeping track of myself.

And then there are things I’m perfectly happy to let technology keep track of for me.

That’s where my Google Health watch and Aria scale come in.

I have a Charge 6, and I really like it. Of all the tools I’ve talked about so far on my Calorie Crusade, this is probably the one that collects the most information while requiring the least amount of work from me. And it syncs with Cronometer, which means some of the information from my watch can become part of the same picture as the food and nutrition information I’m already tracking.

I put it on my wrist and go about my day.

I Really Like Tracking My Sleep

One of my favorite things to look at is my sleep.

I wear my Charge 6 to bed, and in the morning I can see information about how I slept.

I find that fascinating.

Sleep is one of those things that can be difficult to judge. I might think I slept pretty well, but it’s interesting to look at the information my watch collected overnight.

I’m not treating every number it gives me as a medical diagnosis.

I’m looking for patterns.

Did I get enough sleep? Am I sleeping better than I was a few weeks ago? Are there nights when I seem to sleep particularly well—or particularly poorly?

It’s one more way to learn a little bit about myself.

I Keep an Eye on My Resting Heart Rate

Another number I really like keeping up with is my resting heart rate.

My Charge 6 keeps track of it for me, and I can look back and see how it changes over time.

Once again, I’m much more interested in the trend than I am in any one day’s number.

There are all kinds of things that can affect resting heart rate, so I don’t look at one reading and draw a big conclusion from it. I just find it interesting to see what mine is doing.

As I become more active, I can watch it and see whether there are changes over the weeks and months.

That’s exactly the kind of information I enjoy.

I don’t have to stop what I’m doing and take my pulse every morning or write anything down. My watch collects the information, and I can look at it whenever I want.

Cardio Load Gives Me Something to Shoot For

Another feature I’ve really come to like is cardio load.

Instead of simply telling me that I should “exercise more,” Google Health gives me a weekly cardio target.

I can see how much cardio load I’ve accumulated that particular day and how I’m progressing toward my weekly target.

I really like having a range to shoot for.

It turns exercise into something measurable.

If I’m having a more active day, I can see the difference. If I’ve had several easy days, I can see that too.

And because the goal is weekly, I have some flexibility.

I don’t have to accomplish exactly the same amount every single day.

Life doesn’t work that way anyway.

Then There’s My Aria Scale

My Aria scale may not be quite as exciting as all the information coming from my watch, but it is incredibly convenient.

I step on it.

It weighs me.

And my weight gets recorded.

That’s about as easy as record keeping gets.

I don’t have to find a notebook. I don’t have to remember the number later. I don’t have to type it into something every time I weigh myself.

It’s simply there.

Over time, that gives me something much more useful than one morning’s weight.

It gives me a history.

I’m Interested in Trends, Not Just Today’s Number

That’s becoming an important part of this Calorie Crusade.

One day’s numbers aren’t particularly important by themselves.

My weight can fluctuate.

My resting heart rate can change.

I can have one unusually active day or one very inactive day.

I can have a great night’s sleep followed by a terrible one.

What interests me is what happens over time.

Am I becoming more active?

Am I sleeping reasonably well?

What is my resting heart rate doing?

Is my weight gradually moving in the direction I want it to go?

That’s the information I care about.

Another Part of My Calorie Crusader Toolbox

I’ve accumulated quite a toolbox.

I have Cronometer to help me keep track of what I’m eating.

I have my food scale to tell me how much I’m eating.

I have a glucose meter because I’m curious about what my blood sugar is doing.

And now I have my Charge 6 and Aria scale quietly collecting information in the background—everything from my activity and sleep to my resting heart rate and weight.

None of these things will lose the weight for me.

I still have to do that part.

But they give me information, help me see progress and make the whole process more interesting.

And I’ve already established one very important rule for this Calorie Crusade.

I want this to be fun.

For someone like me who enjoys watching the numbers and seeing what they’re doing, my Google Health watch and Aria scale make it just a little more fun.