Megan K., 38, a kindergarten teacher in Philadelphia, PA, had tried to lose weight before, but nothing seemed to work. “I’ve struggled with my weight on and off throughout my life,” says Megan. “And I had always been interested in fitness, but I was never able to stick with it.” So when Megan learned about Fitbit trackers from a friend last spring, her husband took note. “He bought me a Fitbit One for my birthday,” says Megan, “and it was love at first sight.”
“I was instantly motivated by having a step goal,” she says. “Once I saw I could regularly hit 10,000 steps, I was unstoppable.” Megan spent the summer working out in the mornings, going for a walk or to the gym, and reaching her step goal by daybreak. And soon tracking steps became a family activity—Megan’s son began joining her on daily walks. “It’s really important to me to be a good example to my son,” she says.
When she returned to school in the fall, Megan was 40 pounds lighter and her co-workers were impressed. “A lot of people were asking how I did it,” she says. Megan was more than happy to share her secret. She managed to convince the school’s human resources department to purchase 10 Fitbit trackers for employees to “check out,” and use to compete against each other in monthly challenges. The other teachers love the program. “There are always 10 people using the ones from the school, and at the end of the check-out period a lot of them end up buying their own Fitbit trackers!” says Megan.
Today, Megan and several of her co-workers spend their free periods and lunches walking together, and the group of 10 has grown to over 30 teachers. “It really changed the culture of our work environment—even the students notice it,” says Megan. “We push each other to be more active, and I’ve increased my goal to 15,000 steps a day now,” she adds.
Adding more steps to her daily routine was a good start, but Megan knew if she really wanted to improve her health she wouldn’t get there with a fitness-only approach. She also made an effort to make better food choices. “Being active and eating well go hand in hand,” she says. “Once you start doing one, the other catches up.”
Her one-step-at-a-time approach is ultimately what helped Megan lose all of her extra weight. “It can be overwhelming to try to do 10,000 steps all at once,” she says. “But it’s really surprising how quickly it can all add up.” And after losing 100 pounds, it has certainly has added up!
Megan’s initial goal to simply walk 10,000 steps a day has also lead her to try new workouts and activities. These days Megan can be found running, swimming, and biking, too. “My Fitbit has changed my life,” she says, “I’m more active than I’ve ever been, and my Fitbit One has made it so easy for me to get here.”
Megan’s advice for others:
Rack Up the Steps All Day“Trying to do 10,000 steps at once didn’t always fit into my schedule, and seemed hard to do,” says Megan. “But going on a little walk in the morning, and another after lunch helped my steps add up.”
Set Goals that Work for YOU“I know some of my coworkers are hitting 30,000 steps on a regular basis, and it’s tempting to compete with that—I really hate losing,” Megan says. “So sometimes I have to remind myself that’s a lot of steps, and that number isn’t always realistic for me on a daily basis. 15,000 is what works for me, and that’s still super active.”
Believe It’s Possible!“Even if you’re someone who struggles with fitness, or if being active doesn’t come naturally to you, you can do it—and it can all be done with walking,” says Megan. “You don’t have to go out and kill yourself every day, just set a goal with Fitbit and ease into it.”
