Statistical Whatisthis?

I promised to explain the stats, and since my iphone is updating to the new OS, we have time.  On Weight Watchers, we are allotted a certain amount of points each day.  Those are our daily points or DP.  It is comparable to your calorie intake, but more comprehensive, because it takes into account what those calories are made up of.  Fat, fiber, carbohydrates and protein.  We are also allotted weekly points.  Now daily points do not carry over from day to day.  One is meant to get a certain amount of nutrition each day and this ensures that we develop consistency.  A healthy habit!

The weekly allowance points can be used through the week, but don’t need to be used.  Now the clincher.  We can earn activity points, or AP.  In the online community, there is debate about how these are calculated.  When I started back on WW last year, I didn’t work out at all.  I was a big rotund couch potato, twice baked.  I didn’t like getting out of bed, let alone exerting effort for the point of exerting effort.  Excuse me?  You want me to what 10 times?  ha!  I slowly started to go back to the gym and add some activity in.  Ride a recumbent bike and read a book, maybe spin my legs on an elliptical.  Eventually I got myself back to a spin class.  I used to go and loved it, so I did want to get back. 

Now when I would go to the points tracker on the WW site, and put in 1 hour of spinning, it came up with 16 AP.  16!!!! I couldn’t believe my wondrous eyes.  That is enough for 2 big meals, 3 smalls ones, or lots of drinks or some yummy dessert.  Yikes!  I could get into some trouble with that!  I started to look on the message boards and found a lot of opinions on the matter.  Many feel that the points tracker is a bit too generous with the AP, and that we are better off with a more calculated approach.  Being that I am a geek, this is right up my alley.  The idea is that one should use a heart rate monitor or HRM.  Track the workout and at the end, check the stats to see how many calories burned.  Some say 100 calories should = 1 AP, and others 80.  80 calories seems to be the most popular. 

Well, this entire concept had me intrigued.  With an HRM, I could see how hard I was really working.  That might be cool!  I researched online and asked on fb for suggestions.  I ended up getting a Polar FT4.  One thing I found is that there is not much getting around one with a chest strap, so that your HR can be accurately monitored.  I wasn’t wild about that, but I got over it.  When I am working out, I don’t watch the calories at all.  I am not trying to earn a chocolate cake (although I might…).  I am actually monitoring my HR.  I find myself checking it and saying “Move it!” because I see I am at a low HR and could do more.  Other times, I see myself spiking and can check myself, and back off. 

When I am done with my workouts, I go through the stats and list them.  I was posting them on fb, but will now post them here.  Many people on WW and fb have told me that my stats inspire them to workout.  To move.  I think that is great!  They also come in handy when I go to track my AP in the ww tracker.  So I can see how good of a workout I did.  Over time I can see how I am progressing, etc.  It serves a lot of purposes. 

Back when I was researching the whole AP thing. I saw someone posting in the WW community, on their status, that they were planning to burn 1,000 calories every day at the gym.  I thought they were insane!  I was thinking that I specifically would never do this.  I mean, come on, 1,000 calories!  Yikes!  

Well, that picture is the first time I burned over 1,000 calories at the gym.  I actually did that move where you pick up your knee, bring in your fist and say, yes!  I was dancing out of the gym.  I did it!  It was such a cool accomplishment.  As you can see by today’s stats, I was 20 off.  Some days (usually a Saturday if I have time) I will stay til I get over, but generally my goal is a good burn, and to work out well,  Hitting 1,000 is just a fun bonus.  I ride high the rest of the day, feeling so physically fit.

So that is the story of the statistical wowisis.  That is whatitis….