http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Topic: "Edinburgh Napier nurses given pedometers following shock report" en Sun, 31 May 2026 19:32:40 +0000 http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231480 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 19:56:00 +0000 Blueth 231480@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I had a colleague who declared that since he and his wife had stopped drinking a bottle of wine in the evening and started on spirits with diet mixers the pounds were just falling off.</p> <p>It's all perception evidently. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231477 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 18:27:52 +0000 Klaxon 231477@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>The decision with soft drinks was as much for dental health as it was dietary, I'm not sat counting calories in a bar :) AND like you say most of the calories are in the alcohol itself so the choice there is whether or not to have a drink at all. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231476 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 18:02:24 +0000 crowriver 231476@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"everyone else was faithfully wearing their fitbit."</p> <p>Kinda like the mileometer in their car, except for walking. I'm starting to see the connection now.</p> <p>"Single exception for tonic as a mixer."</p> <p>Slimline/diet tonic? Most of the calories coming from the gin, it must be said... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231475 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 17:18:13 +0000 Klaxon 231475@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I've not drank a soft drink in 8 weeks now and the amount of empty sugar calories I've not consumed as a result must be huge. Single exception for tonic as a mixer.</p> <p>It's not been easy resisting to be honest, I have a massive sweet tooth. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231474 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 17:12:38 +0000 sallyhinch 231474@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>A friend recently went to a public health meeting on increasing activity in the region. One person walked there, she and her colleague cycled (the bike racks were buried in the undergrowth somewhere) - everyone else was faithfully wearing their fitbit. Hopefully they parked a bit further away in the car park ... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231471 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 17:07:16 +0000 dougal 231471@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"the science of losing weight is mysterious and ill understood..."</p> <p>Eat less; move more; measure, don't guess.</p> <p>The power of marketing to obscure this reality (see, "low-fat" foods) and the hard work inherent in doing the above means gadgets, pills, fad diets and New Year gym memberships continue to be profitable. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231469 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:39:13 +0000 wingpig 231469@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I did once turn on one of those mapping things which takes account of your mass to see how many laps of the hill would be required to calorifically counteract a standard ISB chocolate chip muffin. For a while I only let myself have one when I'd been for a run the previous evening. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231468 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:32:09 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 231468@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"<em>There is also the recognised problem of over-rewarding oneself for the activity done. Oh I have done my 10, 000 steps today, I'll just have that extra muffin after all</em>"</p> <p>In fairness that's exactly what I do with the cycling.... :-/ </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231467 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:18:01 +0000 kaputnik 231467@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Walking the boy to the Meadows swingpark and back again from Meadowbank reliably got me 15,000 steps when I tried a pedometer, but it took no account of pushing 4 stones of pram and lumpen child up Dumbiedykes! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231466 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 16:04:58 +0000 LivM 231466@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>As the proud mother of a toddler with sleep issues, my main use of my Fitbit is to monitor how many hours sleep I actually got (as opposed to how many hours it feels as though I got). Surprisingly, once I got it I realised that I was actually sleeping moderately decent hours, it's just that as I was unconscious at the time I didn't realise it, and it seemed as though all the awake hours ran throughout the night. </p> <p>I do keep an eye on the steps though but as above I can't say it's particularly motivated me to do more per day. I did 15k for the first time on Monday though which felt good (#bl*****knackered) (EDIT for forum rule 2...) </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231462 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 15:44:49 +0000 Min 231462@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>There is also the recognised problem of over-rewarding oneself for the activity done. Oh I have done my 10, 000 steps today, I'll just have that extra muffin after all. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231459 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 15:25:14 +0000 UtrechtCyclist 231459@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>@WC, interesting article on fitbits making people gain weight - the science of losing weight is mysterious and ill understood... </p> <p>My guess is that if they asked whether having a fitbit made you (very slightly) more active the answer would be yes. Feedback is usually a good thing, and if it makes people who do too little exercise excited about doing slightly more then that's great. My mum has a fitbit and loves it.</p> <p>I used strava once for a couple of weeks and it did make me add in some extra little bits to increase my weekly mileage. It also depressed me by telling me that my cycle to work only burns the equivalent of two and a half slices of bread, I had imagined it would allow me a second lunch... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231458 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 15:22:16 +0000 chdot 231458@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Basically, the same reasons I cycle to work."</p> <p>But clearly <em>you</em> are sensible and not willing/able to make up excuses! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231456 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 15:16:23 +0000 Rob 231456@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>"I point out that they'd get some exercise using the stairs, but it falls on deaf ears."</em></p> <p>In my old office, I would take the stairs to the 6th floor because it was faster than the lift. Especially if it had to stop a few times on the way up.</p> <p>Basically, the same reasons I cycle to work. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231454 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 14:58:44 +0000 chdot 231454@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"maybe I shouldn't have set a target that means me having to do more than the little I already do..."."</p> <p>I'm (slightly) surprised they bother to set targets!</p> <p>I know nothing about Fitbit (apart from being a black lump on some people's wrists), so I don't know how much people use them to measure what they do, or give themselves incentives to do more or just wallow...</p> <p>I think we're down to discouraging current behaviour, like moving the carpark further away from the front door and shutting roads and doubling the price of fuel, and other things that won't happen. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231450 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 14:37:00 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 231450@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Pretty much everyone I know with a fitbit and the likes (save a few very fit exceptions) seem to complain about the fact they're being constantly reminded they haven't walked enough. This doesn't seem to trigger the desire to walk more, just noting that it's telling them they should.</p> <p>It does seem to act more just as a salve for the conscience. "I haven't been to the gym for 7 months, but look, I've done all these steps today, so it's not as if I'm getting no exercise. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't have set a target that means me having to do more than the little I already do...". </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231445 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 14:12:50 +0000 Min 231445@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Or, as one gadget-fixated but decidedly inactive colleague once demonstrated, they can pretend they did lots of steps simply by shaking their wrist for a while.</em></p> <p>Very apt! </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231440 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 13:15:54 +0000 nobrakes 231440@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>People always want technology to compensate for failings in the human condition. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231438 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 13:11:26 +0000 crowriver 231438@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"I don't have time to do any exercise!"</p> <p>Translation: I like taking the lift to the car park, then driving all the way home. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231437 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 13:10:35 +0000 PS 231437@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><em>Still, at least they can say they did 1000 steps en route to the coke machine..........<br /> </em></p> <p>Or, as one gadget-fixated but decidedly inactive colleague once demonstrated, they can pretend they did lots of steps simply by shaking their wrist for a while. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231436 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:56:42 +0000 Nelly 231436@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"Fitbits are designed for people who like the idea of exercise but can't actually be bothered to do it"</p> <p>As threefromLeith will attest, these are generally worn in our office by people who could do with taking up cycling.</p> <p>Its nothing to do with fitness, more fadness (a bit like Apple Watches).</p> <p>TV programme the other night confirmed that the heart monitors in these are dangerously poor - nothing like a decent chest strap monitor.</p> <p>Still, at least they can say they did 1000 steps en route to the coke machine.......... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231434 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:47:44 +0000 earthowned 231434@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>In the past I have offended my work colleagues by making an offhand remark that Fitbits are designed for people who like the idea of exercise but can't actually be bothered to do it. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231433 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:40:46 +0000 threefromleith 231433@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Scotland's problem is summed up neatly by my work colleagues: </p> <p><em>"I don't have time to do any exercise!"<br /> *waits for a few minutes for a lift to take them down 1 floor (24 actual steps downstairs)*</em></p> <p>I point out that they'd get some exercise using the stairs, but it falls on deaf ears. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231428 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:19:00 +0000 chdot 231428@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>"basically lose weight without specifically having to go out to do exercise"</p> <p>Yep.</p> <p>Still no idea if 'experts'/govs don't 'get it' or they don't know how/haven't the nerve to try to get the message across OR realise it needs things like <em>infrastructure</em> which might be controversial/expensive... </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231427 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:16:00 +0000 kaputnik 231427@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>I'm quite taken aback by just how many of my sedentary colleagues have invested in all manners of Fitbit type things and not done a single other thing to change their lifestyle. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231424 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:10:01 +0000 Wilmington's Cow 231424@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p>Meanwhile, as reported in a lot of newspapers today, fitness trackers make you gain weight: <a href="http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/09/fitness-trackers-may-actually-make-you-gain-weight/" rel="nofollow">http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/09/fitness-trackers-may-actually-make-you-gain-weight/</a></p> <p>Again I do wonder why there's such a disconnect in how people think about solving these issues. 'Here everyone, have a gadget that you can ignore if you want to', rather than, 'here everyone, here's how you can get to work actively, more quickly than by car, cheaper, and basically lose weight without specifically having to go out to do exercise'. </p> http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/topic.php?id=16901#post-231423 Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:00:52 +0000 chdot 231423@http://citycyclingedinburgh.info/bbpress/ <p><a href="http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-napier-nurses-given-pedometers-following-shock-report-1-4236126" rel="nofollow">http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/edinburgh-napier-nurses-given-pedometers-following-shock-report-1-4236126</a> </p>