In January 2014, we asked the community if they were tracking several aspects of their health, and if they were ready to share their experience. Within minutes, many emails landed in our mailbox! Of course. If anyone knows that it makes sense to look at your health from a wide angle, it’s the Withingers! The Health Mate app, at the core of the Withings 360° experience, was carved around the “Weight, Heart, Sleep, Activity” tetralogy.
Draper Harlow
My name is Draper Harlow, I am 27 years old and I live in Moorhead, Minnesota. I am writing about my experience with the Withings Pulse, and the Smart Body Analyzer.
” Creating better habits for myself “
First I started tracking my weight
My experience with Withings devices began in May 2013, when I splurged on a Smart Body Analyzer for myself in order to better keep track of my weight, fat mass, and BMI so I could work on creating better habits for myself.
Once the Smart Body Analyzer arrived, I was amazed at how easy it was to set up, and in no time I was a part of the Quantified Self movement. I am a bit of a data junkie, so I loved being able to see myself visualized through data in the Health Mate app. Seeing weight, fat mass, and BMI as easy-to-read graphs and charts makes it simple to set healthier habits.
“I still felt that as a part of the Quantified Self philosophy, seeing my activity visualized as charts and graphs would make it easier for me to be more active and improve my well-being”
Then I started tracking activity and sleep
Fast-forward to early January 2014, and I purchased a Withings Pulse for myself with the idea that seeing my daily activity quantified in the Health Mate app would motivate me to be more active. I work at an office job, so my activity during the day is pretty low, especially in the winter months as I live in Minnesota and work in North Dakota so getting outside for a walk during the day is not always possible. I still felt that as a part of the Quantified Self philosophy, seeing my activity visualized as charts and graphs would make it easier for me to be more active and improve my well-being.
“I know my body so much better now, and I have found my weight-loss and activity goals much easier to reach”
I have now had my Withings Pulse for about a month, and I find it hard to imagine daily life without it. I know my body so much better now, and I have found my weight-loss and activity goals much easier to reach. I also have noticed a benefit of my increased activity in my lowered resting heart rate. Let’s now take a look at my journey over the past month with both the Smart Body Analyzer and Withings Pulse, and I will share some screenshots from the Health Mate app with you, so you can see how Withings has helped me to know my body.
Pictured here is a screenshot from the day after I received my Withings Pulse:
As you can see, my Health Mate butterfly was looking a little anemic. I had not weighed myself in over a month, and my activity level was definitely lacking. I set a weight-loss goal of 150 pounds by March 17th (my birthday) and started a cardio regimen, tracking that activity in RunKeeper, which pairs with Health Mate.
A few weeks later, my butterfly is looking much better!
What I learned from self-tracking with Withings
- I have approximately 600 minutes of activity per week,
- I am getting between 7 1/2 and 8 hours of sleep per night on average,
- My resting heart rate is down about 20 beats per minute.
I feel better, and I have more energy during the day. I have not quite yet made my weight loss goal, but I only have a few pounds to go, and about six weeks to make it so I am very optimistic that I will meet that goal.
What I like about the Health Mate app
Here I have a few screenshots to share that show detail from my Health Mate app.
As you can see, the app shows great detail in each category, showing times of light and deep sleep, how often I wake up and for how long I am awake as well as when I am active during the day, and how vigorous that activity is.
” I was surprised at how high the CO2 levels were when I first got the Analyzer “
A benefit of the Smart Body Analyzer that I did not anticipate using much is air quality measurement. I keep it in my bedroom, and I was surprised at how high the CO2 levels were when I first got the Analyzer. Since then, I have placed a jade plant in my bedroom to help with air quality, since it is not practical to have a window open in the winter months. I have noticed a correlation with my quality of sleep and the air quality in my bedroom, so I am very happy that the Smart Body Analyzer is able to tell me the quality of the air I am breathing.
” I have been able to reach my health goals much easier, since seeing the journey visualized keeps me motivated “
To wrap this up, I am extremely happy with my Withings Pulse and Smart Body Analyzer. I am able to get a clear picture of my quantified self with these devices in the Health Mate app. I have been able to reach my health goals much easier, since seeing the journey visualized keeps me motivated. I would definitely recommend the Withings family of products to anyone, since they have helped me to make 2014 the year of knowing my body better than ever.
Want more?
• Click here for another “360° Withings self-tracking experience” testimonial, this time by Stefan Ivarsson.
• Other Withingers explaining how they use their Withings devices with a particular partner app? Click here and here.
• To read a few comments of the made by Withingers on social networks, click here.
