Have you ever had head knowledge but failed to act on it?
For example, I have been overweight since I was a teen. Those extra pounds have contributed to diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, and heart issues. There have been plenty of negative weight comments, and I have been physically incapable of fully participating in life. Some amusement park rides had to be skipped because the safety harness could not be connected, and I’ll never take my shirt off at the beach.
My highest weight was 292 pounds in 2002. After being diagnosed with diabetes, I lost 40 pounds to about 250 pounds. I have yo-yoed 25 pounds plus or minus ever since.
Two things have happened since last summer.
First, my father died in July. He was 86 years old, and he, too, was overweight for much of his adult life. Over the last three years, his physical and mental health steadily declined. He didn’t move around much. His flexibility and general strength lessened as his movements became less and less. He could not lie flat for medical tests or help with his own care.
The second event was the death of an acquaintance. In many ways, he was like me in that he was overweight. He had heart problems. I, too, have some heart problems. And he tried to lose weight but still died of a heart attack. He was about 10 years younger than me.
What does any of this have to do with technology?
Those two events helped me decide that it was time to take my head knowledge about losing weight and make it a reality.
I am striving to lose weight (eat better) and to exercise (move) more.
I won’t bore you with the decision-making process. The result was to purchase a refurbished iPhone 11 and a Series 7 Apple Watch. These are not the only tools available, but they are the ones I am using.
The iPhone and Apple Watch can help you track and manage your health and well-being. The Apple Watch monitors my heart rate, reports on my A Fib and oxygen levels, and can call 911 should I lose consciousness and fall.
The Apple Watch face also shows my relative activity level. It encourages me to stand for several minutes each hour, shows how much exercise I have done during the day, and the calories burned by moving. It includes all movement, from …….