A dog or a Fitbit?
By bounce58
@bounce58 (17387)
Canada
April 3, 2016 8:17pm CST
I am not a dog person.
Not because I don’t like dogs, but I can’t afford the financial and emotional investment needed to take care of one. But I always hear from dog owners that their dogs keep them healthy, and motivated to be active because they have to walk them every day.
So, I got the next best thing – a fitbit.
It does get me motivated to be active. I try and achieve the recommended 10,000 steps per day. I must admit though that the days I fall off the goal-line are still greater than the days that get my goals ‘green’, but I’m getting there.
So, do you have a dog or a fitbit to keep you active? Do you meet the health goals you’ve set for yourself?
8 people like this
16 responses
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
4 Apr 16
i've no gadgets to keep track'f what i do daily. i've pups, neither require walkin', they jest run amok'n the pasture. i used to stay extremely fit - workin' cattle 'n horses, haulin' hay, cleanin' corrals. these days, i jest do what i can 'n call't a day.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
4 Apr 16
@crazyhorseladycx
Why didn't she come back?!
Did she realize she's met her quota, and is done walkin'? 
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
4 Apr 16
@bounce58 thanks :) yepperz, tendin' the pasture 'n lands brings'n lots'f miles. i do recall a friend came out many years back with one'f those pedometer thingies. she was quite shocked to find that she'd walked nearly 8 miles that day. nah, she ne'er came back 'xcept fer short visits 'fter that, lol.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
4 Apr 16
I'm not a dog person either and it's much more to owning a dog than I can afford right now (vet bills, food, caring for a pet) etc.
Instead my boyfriend and I pay for a parking pass to go hiking on our free time.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
4 Apr 16
Hiking is a great form of exercise!
It's great if you can hike to beautiful trails with magnificent views.
I've done the same. The longest trail I've been was over 4-hours one way. At the end of it was a quiet lake at the top of mountain. It was great!
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
4 Apr 16
@infatuatedbby
It was! There were a lot of people in that hike too. And a lot took a dip in the lake.
I didn't though, because it was ice cold!
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94914)
• United States
4 Apr 16
@bounce58 Wow thats a long hike but that's very motivating to see the other side a magnificent view. 
1 person likes this
@maezee (41988)
• United States
4 Apr 16
You are funny. Ha. I have heard so much about fitbits that I am tempted to buy one. My sister has one and showed me this part of it where you cab essentjally track your sleep - and see when in the night you were restless and so forth. Im not sure how that helps you in a productive way but it seems cool. Let us know how the fitbit goes.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55318)
• Los Angeles, California
4 Apr 16
Hubby doesn't have a fitbit, but he uses some app on his phone to count the 10,000 steps a day.
We don't have a dog either - but my sister just adopted one. They go on walks twice a day (she isn't working nor do they have kids), so her dog definitely keeps her active.
Me - I like to shop, so I say shopping around in stores get me to walk a lot 
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Actually, we've been walking/hiking outside as a family a lot during the weekends - getting that Vitamin D in as well. Knowing that we're staying active together keeps me motivated - that we're doing good for all of us 
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Actually, we've been walking/hiking outside as a family a lot during the weekends - getting that Vitamin D in as well. Knowing that we're staying active together keeps me motivated - that we're doing good for all of us .1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
4 Apr 16
I did have those apps on my phone too before. But when the opportunity to get a free fitbit (even though it's an older model) came along, I got one!
You @much2say must be just rakin' in the dough if you are considering the walks you get from shopping as a form of exercise!
1 person likes this
@Juliaacv (50857)
• Canada
4 Apr 16
Your titled reeled me into reading this.
We bought someone a fitbit for a Christmas gift. She's not really a disciplined exerciser, but she is very competitive. She was in a competition one day and was exhausted after work, so put the fitbit on her puppy's collar and played fetch with her. She won the competition, so don't you be fooled with these antics!
1 person likes this
@TwixTwinz (169)
• Philippines
4 Apr 16
Having a dog is not that complicated, for me its really not nocessary to walk them every morning. At least once or twice a week is enough for them. The only hard is when they are having illness or sometimes they dont like the food that tou give to them, otherwise its much enjoyable when it comes to other activities when you and your dog are with.
1 person likes this
@TwixTwinz (169)
• Philippines
4 Apr 16
@bounce58 yes prepare some budget away from your pocket because having a dog is really mess sometimes to your budget because additional expenses for foods and sometimes dog feeds is more expensive than ours. And few vaccinations is needed every year . Our dog had a 5 different vaccine this year
@shaggin (72021)
• United States
4 Apr 16
I don't think either one would motivate me to do anything. Dogs are too much care for me and a fitbit I would probably just ignore lol. I wonder how many steps I did today with all my pacing the house.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
4 Apr 16
Neither, I just get up and take walks and go to the gym (not often enough).
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
5 Apr 16
Sadly not enough.
It's only been a week and a half since I've jogged every other day (been a couple months since I've had the fitbit and I have reached the 10,000 steps maybe a dozen times).
My goal is actually not to loose a certain number of pounds, but to loose a pot belly.
1 person likes this
@bounce58 (17387)
• Canada
6 Apr 16
@hereandthere
Oooh! That's not good news! Maybe even if I exercised myself until I'm blue, I still wouldn't lose the belly.
1 person likes this
@hereandthere (45645)
• Philippines
6 Apr 16
@bounce58 i have a relative who started with cycling then running, as in joining races. he's slim now and off medication, just like when he was single, but the slight belly remains. he's mid 40s.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317004)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
5 Apr 16
No and no. I plan on getting another dog. Yes, they are an emotional investment as I had to put mine down in January. It was very hard, but I'm a dog person and as soon as I have a green light, there will be another one in my life. I already know what she's like and active is an understatement, so I'm looking forward to it and losing the weight and getting properly fit.
