I'd gone to bed with the two Fitbit fitness trackers discussed in yesterday's post dismissed from my mind. But the notion of using one to get me walking about a lot more, and to gradually achieve a decent level of fitness, wouldn't go away.
The particular device that had set off this current enthusiasm for improving my fitness was the Fitbit Alta HR - what Sue had been wearing on her wrist last Friday over lunch. I'd liked its styling, obvious quality, light weight, and how the strap felt. At a quick glance, it resembled a woman's bracelet. But I thought its screen was too small, and its functionality too limited, and it didn't seem to be what I needed. I had in mind something much more on the lines of a proper sports watch with a big screen and umpteen bells and whistles. That was a mistake: I would never use them. I would be served well enough by a less complicated device. At less cost, too.
So after writing yesterday's post, and before I went to bed, I looked more closely at the Alta HR.
And I looked even more carefully this morning. I read the reviews again. Hmm. Although simpler than the two models considered yesterday - and, yes, cheaper to buy - it still offered rather more than I'd probably ever need. But it was a device definitely recommended for the average person. And there was Fitbit's oh-so-useful app to study on my phone - accumulating statistics, and producing from them graphs to reveal trends and progress towards better personal fitness.
I thought: this would complete my modern 'walking kit'. I had already, back in April, switched to a small, lightweight, cross-body bag from Pittards - much less to carry, when out and about. Last month I purchased Memory-Map's all-GB OS Explorer map for my phone and laptop - perfect for planning walks, and plotting them on the map with GPS as I walked along. Why not add an Alta HR, to record my steps, my heart rate, and some other fitness things besides? And apart from both being able to tell me the time of day, with alarms set if I wanted them, there was no overlap between Fitbit and phone.
The online TechRadar review gave today's best prices, among them Amazon's. I clicked through, and there was the Amazon deal: £119.99 with next-day delivery. As compared to £129.99, if I bought it from Fitbit's website. A no-brainer. I already had an Amazon account. A few more clicks later, and my order was made and confirmed. (I'd better stay in tomorrow, until it's delivered. If I go food shopping, the delivery man is bound to call, no matter how quick I am)
So what have I bought? Here's some of the Alta HR stuff on Fitbit's website.
Just to be perfectly clear, I do not in any way mean to exert myself in the way the girl on the right in the lower screenshot is doing!
Lots of strap colours, but the strap on the Fitbit I've bought is in a colour not shown above. It's close to the magenta one, but to my eyes somewhat more red. An Amazon Special, perhaps?
I will definitely give the sleep-monitoring a go. I do sleep OK, and usually wake up refreshed; but I ought to go to bed earlier, and it would be interesting to see what benefit there might be if I changed my habits.
There's Fitbit's own price: £129.99. And that's what the ordinary black-strapped Alta HR looks like. I think Sue had that colour. So I thought it best to choose another colour for my own. Amazon's illustration showed one with a plum-red colour that almost exactly matched my lipstick. That would do nicely. So this is what I've bought.
The strap size was important. I thought I'd be a 'small', but in fact (after careful measuring) I had to specify 'large' (only just, though).
And here below are two pictures to show how my lipstick-coloured Fitbit will appear. I know, I know. I resemble neither that slim athletic teenage girl, nor that trendy mum with her daughter. But hey.
I have an ordinary Amazon account, but I'm not a very regular customer. I will, at odd intervals, purchase a few mp3 music tracks. A much bigger purchase like this Fitbit is a rarity. Prime membership has its perks, but I'd never buy enough to use them.
So I did my best not to fall into the trap of signing up for a 'free 30-day trial' of Amazon Prime. But I must somehow have clicked on the wrong onscreen button, because after the order was made I got a message confirming that I was now going to enjoy that free trial.
Oh, how did that happen? I didn't want Prime membership at all, on any basis, because there's a monthly payment. As expected, the small print said that there would be an automatic run-on into paid membership after 30 days. £7.95 a month, I think they said.
No way.
So I spent the next quarter of an hour trying to get out of this. I took screenshots of each stage, as evidence of what I did to extricate myself from this unwanted commitment. You had to go from screen to screen, with Amazon extolling the advantages of Prime membership on each one; and each time you had to confirm that you really, really wanted out. After several screens, I finally got my way, meaning that I wouldn't have ongoing Prime membership. Amazon sent me an email confirming that.
Phew!
But what a palaver. I feel tricked. And it wasn't easy to escape the trap set for me. I'll be very wary of you henceforth, Amazon!
Hmm, I hope they don't mess around with my order, out of spite.
Same day, early evening
Well, all credit to Amazon. They have processed my order fast. I have a just received an email to say that it's been 'dispatched'. That means it's now on its way to whatever local delivery firm they are using in my area. I can track my Fitbit's progress by tapping the link on the email. I might get a chance to nip out for fuel and shopping after all!
