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Charlie Miller (882 KP) rated Fitbit Charge 3 in Tech
Oct 17, 2020
Fitbit changed my life(style)
First of all thanks to @smashbomb for the great giveaway of a Fitbit Inspire HR
The heading in this review might seem dramatic but it is no exaggeration.
I had a fitbit charge 3 before I won this giveaway. So I am going to repost this review on the charge 3 as well as here. As it is a review on both and I will compare them against each other. I will also post this review for the Fitbit app as both fitness trackers are used in conjunction with the app. I will score them all separately on what they offer.
I was never one to over worry about my appearance so I paid little attention to my weight and in fact have been slightly overweight most of my life. My change started a week or two before I decided to buy a Fitbit. My wife who is one to care about her appearance had recently successfully implemented her own diet and exercise plan using a Fitbit Charge 3 and the Fitbit app to monitor her calorie intake and her daily exercise.
She had recently put on a bit of weight and this had affected her confidence so she decided to change. As I have Lupus an autoimmune disease. I am classed as clinically vulnerable to Covid so we were shielding for 19 weeks. I was advised to go in a little earlier than the rest of the UK nation being locked down. Towards the end of lockdown we started to go for walks on our daily exercise. This was the beginning of the change.
One day I caught site of my reflection in the microwave of all places. It was a side profile of my stomach and my waist and I realised I had let my weight gain go too far.
So I decided to use our daily walks to try and push myself first by slowly increasing the distance walked then to trying to improve the pace and choosing different routes which would push me a bit more. For instance with steep inclines.
I noticed some benefits almost straight away. Being quite goal driven. I set myself a goal of weight loss of 1lb a week. I started using the Fitbit app to monitor my calorie intake alongside my daily exercise.
It has worked wonders. I was 15st 8lb (clinically obese) when I started. I am now 13st 10lb(still overweight) and counting. I walk at least 2 miles, 5 out of 7 days. Most weeks I walk 6 days and some weeks I walk every day.
My wife and I have also allowed ourselves cheat days. This is so we don't feel deprived so that if we really fancy a treat we can say we will have that on Friday or Saturday and it works. Although we have cheat days we always monitor our calorie intake. This is so we can see over a week or month we still have a healthy deficit.
Having the fitness tracker alongside the app has inspired my wife and I to make additional changes. We have implemented new habits due to the tips popping up on the app now and again. I used to drink tea all day. I have changed this to no added sugar dilute juice and now drink my daily recommended amount of water every day.
Another tip that popped up is to eat a high protein breakfast early in the day this gets your metabolism going early and stages of cravings for carbs and sweet things. Of the options recommended my wife and started making overnight fruit and oat jars. This has also worked. I eat much more salad and a lot less carbs and sugar.
The next habit I am going to try and implement is to not eat at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Overall these are great buys. I love the step counter/goal, distance counter/goal, the exercise tracker, the water intake monitor and the calorie intake/outgoing monitor.
It's not often that you can say a purchase actually has a positive effect on your lifestyle.
One gripe about all the products is you have to pay extra for premium content once you have forked out for the trackers.
The scores I have given are: Inspire HR 7
Fitbit app 9
Charge 3 9
After raving about them you might wonder why not 10's all round. I knocked 1 off the charge 3 and the app for the fact that there is additional content that doesn't come with the purchase of the tech.
The additional knock of a further 2 points is because the HR doesn't offer an altimeter and it doesn't have the advertised battery life of 5 days. It lasts just under that amount of time.
So either one of these would be a good investment for a fitness tracker on a budget. Personally I would fork out the extra £30 for the Charge 3. The altimeter and the extra battery is worth the little bit extra.
The heading in this review might seem dramatic but it is no exaggeration.
I had a fitbit charge 3 before I won this giveaway. So I am going to repost this review on the charge 3 as well as here. As it is a review on both and I will compare them against each other. I will also post this review for the Fitbit app as both fitness trackers are used in conjunction with the app. I will score them all separately on what they offer.
I was never one to over worry about my appearance so I paid little attention to my weight and in fact have been slightly overweight most of my life. My change started a week or two before I decided to buy a Fitbit. My wife who is one to care about her appearance had recently successfully implemented her own diet and exercise plan using a Fitbit Charge 3 and the Fitbit app to monitor her calorie intake and her daily exercise.
She had recently put on a bit of weight and this had affected her confidence so she decided to change. As I have Lupus an autoimmune disease. I am classed as clinically vulnerable to Covid so we were shielding for 19 weeks. I was advised to go in a little earlier than the rest of the UK nation being locked down. Towards the end of lockdown we started to go for walks on our daily exercise. This was the beginning of the change.
One day I caught site of my reflection in the microwave of all places. It was a side profile of my stomach and my waist and I realised I had let my weight gain go too far.
So I decided to use our daily walks to try and push myself first by slowly increasing the distance walked then to trying to improve the pace and choosing different routes which would push me a bit more. For instance with steep inclines.
I noticed some benefits almost straight away. Being quite goal driven. I set myself a goal of weight loss of 1lb a week. I started using the Fitbit app to monitor my calorie intake alongside my daily exercise.
It has worked wonders. I was 15st 8lb (clinically obese) when I started. I am now 13st 10lb(still overweight) and counting. I walk at least 2 miles, 5 out of 7 days. Most weeks I walk 6 days and some weeks I walk every day.
My wife and I have also allowed ourselves cheat days. This is so we don't feel deprived so that if we really fancy a treat we can say we will have that on Friday or Saturday and it works. Although we have cheat days we always monitor our calorie intake. This is so we can see over a week or month we still have a healthy deficit.
Having the fitness tracker alongside the app has inspired my wife and I to make additional changes. We have implemented new habits due to the tips popping up on the app now and again. I used to drink tea all day. I have changed this to no added sugar dilute juice and now drink my daily recommended amount of water every day.
Another tip that popped up is to eat a high protein breakfast early in the day this gets your metabolism going early and stages of cravings for carbs and sweet things. Of the options recommended my wife and started making overnight fruit and oat jars. This has also worked. I eat much more salad and a lot less carbs and sugar.
The next habit I am going to try and implement is to not eat at least 2 hours before going to bed.
Overall these are great buys. I love the step counter/goal, distance counter/goal, the exercise tracker, the water intake monitor and the calorie intake/outgoing monitor.
It's not often that you can say a purchase actually has a positive effect on your lifestyle.
One gripe about all the products is you have to pay extra for premium content once you have forked out for the trackers.
The scores I have given are: Inspire HR 7
Fitbit app 9
Charge 3 9
After raving about them you might wonder why not 10's all round. I knocked 1 off the charge 3 and the app for the fact that there is additional content that doesn't come with the purchase of the tech.
The additional knock of a further 2 points is because the HR doesn't offer an altimeter and it doesn't have the advertised battery life of 5 days. It lasts just under that amount of time.
So either one of these would be a good investment for a fitness tracker on a budget. Personally I would fork out the extra £30 for the Charge 3. The altimeter and the extra battery is worth the little bit extra.
Zuky the BookBum (15 KP) rated A Pleasure and a Calling in Books
Mar 15, 2018
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/a-pleasure-and-a-calling-by-phil-hogan
<b><I>You won’t remember Mr Heming. He showed you round your comfortable home, suggested a sustainable financial package, negotiated a price with the owner and called you with the good news. The less good news is that, all these years later, he still has the key.
That’s absurd, you laugh. Of all the many hundreds of houses he has sold, why would he still have the key to mine?
The answer to that is, he has the keys to them all.</b></i>
This is a truly chilling novel. With such a unique plot line, excellent narration and beautiful descriptions, I’m amazed this hasn’t found itself being more popular. After scanning this books lower reviews, I can understand some people's frustrations with this because they were expecting a thriller, and while this technically does class as a thriller, it’s not what most people associate with thrillers. When you think of a thriller, you think Jason Bourne, fast-paced, exciting, and, of course, thrilling, so when you open this to find it’s slow-paced narration of Heming’s day-to-day life you’re going to be a bit miffed. So don’t go into this thinking your socks are going to be blown off in super fast-paced action.
Heming is a seriously unreliable narrator. Thanks to his wonderful storytelling, we’re drawn into his life, eager to know what happens next with almost no regard to the horrible things he’s actually doing! The narration is amazing at masking the creepiness of the situations Heming puts himself into, making you want to like his character, when really we know we shouldn’t.
Each character in this novel was presented in an excellent way, giving you enough to know about them without things becoming confusing and too heavy. As for the plot, well, what can I say? It was magnificent! It was so well thought out and solidly presented. I had wanted to read this novel for such a long time, I’m remarkably pleased it didn’t let me down, not even in the slightest!
I don’t have a lot more to say about this other than I loved it completely, I don’t think it let itself down at all and I was prepared for it to be a slow moving, almost dream like novel (which is a writing style I personally adore). In many ways, this is a very Lolita-esque novel, the unreliable narrator, the slow moving pace, in-depth and beautiful descriptions, deep infatuation etc etc, so if Lolita was a novel you enjoyed, for all of those reasons, then definitely give this a try.
<b><I>You won’t remember Mr Heming. He showed you round your comfortable home, suggested a sustainable financial package, negotiated a price with the owner and called you with the good news. The less good news is that, all these years later, he still has the key.
That’s absurd, you laugh. Of all the many hundreds of houses he has sold, why would he still have the key to mine?
The answer to that is, he has the keys to them all.</b></i>
This is a truly chilling novel. With such a unique plot line, excellent narration and beautiful descriptions, I’m amazed this hasn’t found itself being more popular. After scanning this books lower reviews, I can understand some people's frustrations with this because they were expecting a thriller, and while this technically does class as a thriller, it’s not what most people associate with thrillers. When you think of a thriller, you think Jason Bourne, fast-paced, exciting, and, of course, thrilling, so when you open this to find it’s slow-paced narration of Heming’s day-to-day life you’re going to be a bit miffed. So don’t go into this thinking your socks are going to be blown off in super fast-paced action.
Heming is a seriously unreliable narrator. Thanks to his wonderful storytelling, we’re drawn into his life, eager to know what happens next with almost no regard to the horrible things he’s actually doing! The narration is amazing at masking the creepiness of the situations Heming puts himself into, making you want to like his character, when really we know we shouldn’t.
Each character in this novel was presented in an excellent way, giving you enough to know about them without things becoming confusing and too heavy. As for the plot, well, what can I say? It was magnificent! It was so well thought out and solidly presented. I had wanted to read this novel for such a long time, I’m remarkably pleased it didn’t let me down, not even in the slightest!
I don’t have a lot more to say about this other than I loved it completely, I don’t think it let itself down at all and I was prepared for it to be a slow moving, almost dream like novel (which is a writing style I personally adore). In many ways, this is a very Lolita-esque novel, the unreliable narrator, the slow moving pace, in-depth and beautiful descriptions, deep infatuation etc etc, so if Lolita was a novel you enjoyed, for all of those reasons, then definitely give this a try.
DP
Don't Panic, I'm Islamic: Extreme Vetting Now
Leila Aboulela, Molly Crabapple, Negin Farsad and Joumana Haddad
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Even E.T. was allowed to phone home. But then, he was a good alien.Donald Trump is right about some...
Dana (24 KP) rated The Year's Work at the Zombie Research Center in Books
Mar 23, 2018
I had to read this book for my zombie film course at UCI and I can honestly say it was incredibly interesting. I loved seeing all these ideas about how deep the zombie narrative is because it made me think in ways I would not have otherwise.
There are essays on race, post feminism, the health care system, and so many more.
I loved how it related to both zombie films from the 1930s as well as the more prevalent films known about today. These essays took into consideration the history of zombies and the actual cultural significance of these monsters instead of ignoring it. Many of these essays made references to the Haitian culture surrounding zombies which was awesome.
I enjoyed seeing the different cultural and gender perspectives on all of these issues. Instead of only seeing the viewpoint of some middle aged white male, we get to see women and men of color all engaging in this scholarship and being able to keep it entertaining enough to keep the readers engaged.
If you like reading essays on popular culture connecting to both social and political issues of the time period, then definitely pick this book up, it is worth the read. Honestly, even if you don't like reading those types of books, pick it up because it could give you a different perspective on something you feel like you already know.
There are essays on race, post feminism, the health care system, and so many more.
I loved how it related to both zombie films from the 1930s as well as the more prevalent films known about today. These essays took into consideration the history of zombies and the actual cultural significance of these monsters instead of ignoring it. Many of these essays made references to the Haitian culture surrounding zombies which was awesome.
I enjoyed seeing the different cultural and gender perspectives on all of these issues. Instead of only seeing the viewpoint of some middle aged white male, we get to see women and men of color all engaging in this scholarship and being able to keep it entertaining enough to keep the readers engaged.
If you like reading essays on popular culture connecting to both social and political issues of the time period, then definitely pick this book up, it is worth the read. Honestly, even if you don't like reading those types of books, pick it up because it could give you a different perspective on something you feel like you already know.
Amy Christmas (171 KP) rated Northern Lights in Books
Jan 14, 2019
A child's perspective written well (1 more)
Imaginative but believable world
Absolutely loved it!
I loved this book, I have been meaning to read it for years and have finally gotten around to embracing all those childhood favourites.
We follow Lyra a girl from Oxford who is looked after by the scholars of Jordan college. We are introduced to her deamon 'Pan' (for short because I couldn't for the life of me work out how to say his name) and the workings of this world, of this child's world. Before being thrown as Lyra is into the politics and shenanigans of adults.
Lyra's character is a complex one she is a feisty intelligent girl but at times the way she behaved and is described to talk is unrealistic for a child her age, however these small things can be overlooked.
As I had only ever seen the movie before, which pales in comparison, I was shocked by the twist at the end of the book concerning Ms Coulter and Lord Asriel, and made me feel as if my journeying with Lyra through the north, meeting Iorek and the witches and the Gyptians had all been worth it and there was another adventure ahead, as it is not over at the end of this book rather it tells you loud and clear that you've barely begun... and I love it.
We follow Lyra a girl from Oxford who is looked after by the scholars of Jordan college. We are introduced to her deamon 'Pan' (for short because I couldn't for the life of me work out how to say his name) and the workings of this world, of this child's world. Before being thrown as Lyra is into the politics and shenanigans of adults.
Lyra's character is a complex one she is a feisty intelligent girl but at times the way she behaved and is described to talk is unrealistic for a child her age, however these small things can be overlooked.
As I had only ever seen the movie before, which pales in comparison, I was shocked by the twist at the end of the book concerning Ms Coulter and Lord Asriel, and made me feel as if my journeying with Lyra through the north, meeting Iorek and the witches and the Gyptians had all been worth it and there was another adventure ahead, as it is not over at the end of this book rather it tells you loud and clear that you've barely begun... and I love it.
Dave Mustaine recommended Cheap Trick At Budokan by Cheap Trick in Music (curated)
Bobby Gillespie recommended Gilded Palace of Sin by The Flying Burrito Brothers in Music (curated)
Merissa (13422 KP) rated Fractured Energy (Energy Series #3) in Books
Apr 14, 2023
The third instalment of the Energy series starts off with Lena still desperately trying to cope without Wilma and pushing everyone away, including Tarek. They are still fighting the good fight and their numbers on Arcus are growing but they find out that things aren't always as they seem which starts the ball rolling on a whole new adventure.
This book simply blew me away. There is every emotion you could possibly think of, including guilt, shame, love and bravery, to name just a few. It has had me laughing out loud on one page, whilst crying on the next. The characters have all gotten under my skin until I actually care about each of them.
This is writing at its best. When an author can make the characters real and make the reader care about what happens to them, I have nothing else to say! The plot is as well-structured as ever and if there were any grammatical errors, I'm afraid I was too engrossed with the story to notice.
This series gets better and better and I can't wait for book 4 to find out if my beaten-up, wreck of a heart will beat again. Highly recommended!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 30, 2015
This book simply blew me away. There is every emotion you could possibly think of, including guilt, shame, love and bravery, to name just a few. It has had me laughing out loud on one page, whilst crying on the next. The characters have all gotten under my skin until I actually care about each of them.
This is writing at its best. When an author can make the characters real and make the reader care about what happens to them, I have nothing else to say! The plot is as well-structured as ever and if there were any grammatical errors, I'm afraid I was too engrossed with the story to notice.
This series gets better and better and I can't wait for book 4 to find out if my beaten-up, wreck of a heart will beat again. Highly recommended!
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 30, 2015
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Forget You Know Me in Books
Apr 4, 2019
I have to hand it to Jessica Strawser--not sure what's happened to her in her life (ha), but she can come up with some tangled plots. As always with her books, you have to go in expecting more women's fiction than suspense/thriller, and that helps set expectations up front. Still, I have to say, that there are a surprising number of suspects for the black-clad figure who pops up on Liza's web cam. For a suburban neighborhood, it sure is a tangled web of secrets and lies out there!
So I found the plot on this one kind of baffling at first: I think it could have done without Liza and Molly's fight, honestly. Their fighting was awkward and uncomfortable and didn't seem really necessary. But I quickly warmed to Molly and Liza, who were very real characters with flaws and genuine traits. For Liza, much of her life is ruled by her anxiety, while Molly's by her chronic pain. I felt for both of them. Despite being best friends, they are on separate tracks for most of the book, making you wonder where things are going to wind up.
With everyone keeping secrets, telling lies, and basically just being dishonest--both to others and themselves--the book really does keep you guessing about what happened that night. As it does, you're treated to a very realistic look at marriage and friendship. I felt parts of it were overblown and it was a very different sort of read, but I enjoyed it overall. The descriptions and portrayals of Molly and Liza are what really drew me in. 3.5+ stars.
So I found the plot on this one kind of baffling at first: I think it could have done without Liza and Molly's fight, honestly. Their fighting was awkward and uncomfortable and didn't seem really necessary. But I quickly warmed to Molly and Liza, who were very real characters with flaws and genuine traits. For Liza, much of her life is ruled by her anxiety, while Molly's by her chronic pain. I felt for both of them. Despite being best friends, they are on separate tracks for most of the book, making you wonder where things are going to wind up.
With everyone keeping secrets, telling lies, and basically just being dishonest--both to others and themselves--the book really does keep you guessing about what happened that night. As it does, you're treated to a very realistic look at marriage and friendship. I felt parts of it were overblown and it was a very different sort of read, but I enjoyed it overall. The descriptions and portrayals of Molly and Liza are what really drew me in. 3.5+ stars.
Merissa (13422 KP) rated Seer (Soulmates #2) in Books
Dec 10, 2018
Seer (Soulmates #2) by Erin M. Leaf
Seer is the second book in the Soulmates series, and oh my goodness, this was a good read. We start off with Jeff, mourning his parents and not believing the murder-suicide the police have told him. Then Nick shows up at his door, and confirms without proof that it was murder. This starts a whole chain of events that has Jeff being shot at, potentially blown up, tortured, and held hostage. Oh, and Nick and Jeff find out that not only is Jeff not human, but he is Nick's soulmate too.
Can I just say here how much I am loving this series?! Jeff has had girlfriends in the past, but was never convinced he was 'just' straight. Nick has always been gay, but what these two feel for each other is off the charts. I loved how not only were they soulmates, but they made each other stronger.
This is a fast-paced, full of action both in and out of the sheets, story, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. It was a delight to enter this world again, and I adored how Guy and Theo had their cameos. This is not a world I am ready to leave, it is that well-built. The characters are amazing, and I really can't wait to see where Erin M. Leaf goes next. Absolutely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Can I just say here how much I am loving this series?! Jeff has had girlfriends in the past, but was never convinced he was 'just' straight. Nick has always been gay, but what these two feel for each other is off the charts. I loved how not only were they soulmates, but they made each other stronger.
This is a fast-paced, full of action both in and out of the sheets, story, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. It was a delight to enter this world again, and I adored how Guy and Theo had their cameos. This is not a world I am ready to leave, it is that well-built. The characters are amazing, and I really can't wait to see where Erin M. Leaf goes next. Absolutely recommended.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!