Each day, Lina wore a ring that continuously monitored her heart rate, sleep quality, and activity levels. In the evenings, she eagerly reviewed the data it provided.
“It’s incredible. It has transformed my life,” she would tell anyone who inquired. “You should definitely consider getting one!”
Jeron, on the other hand, had a different experience.
While he also used a device to track his sleep, the more information his smartwatch revealed, the more restless he became.
Lina and Jeron are just two of the many individuals who utilize devices to monitor various aspects such as weight, body fat, running speed, steps, calories burned, calories consumed, heart rate, body temperature, respiratory rate, brain waves, and more.
Thanks to modern technology, we now have access to more information about ourselves (and our clients) than ever before.
But does everyone benefit from having so much information?
Who will react like Lina did? And who will respond like Jeron?
In this article, you will discover answers to these questions, along with:
Information and gadgets are fascinating. However, depending on the context and perspective, they have the potential to either assist or hinder a person’s health journey.
Here’s how to determine what is suitable for you (or your clients).
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Data points assist individuals in understanding their progress.
For example, if someone aims to enhance their health, they may decide to swap their nightly ice cream for a piece of fruit to reach that goal.
To assess if this change is effective, they could track:
- a behavior, such as how frequently they engage in the action. For instance, they might monitor how often they opted for fruit instead of ice cream after dinner.
- an outcome, such as their cholesterol level or blood pressure. Outcomes can be either objective (like bloodwork) or subjective, such as stress or energy levels.
In either case, the information serves as a progress indicator, aiding in evaluating whether a change is effective.
But is monitoring progress always advantageous?
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5 surprising truths about data tracking
Truth #1: Different types of people thrive on different types of data.
Some individuals respond positively to data.
On the other hand, some can become anxious.
Rather than viewing their weight, heart rate variability, or sleep quality as a means to evaluate the effectiveness of their actions, some individuals perceive these metrics as a reflection of who they are.
When someone takes data personally, they might step on the scale and feel hopeless, thinking, “What’s wrong with me?”
Or they might look at a sleep tracker and think, “My sleep is terrible—I must be defective!”
A Ph.D. candidate at Colorado State University, Kayla Nuss, MA, MS, PN1, has focused much of her graduate research on the link between data trackers and motivation to exercise.
Based on her findings as well as research by others,1,2 she states that individuals are more likely to take data personally if they:
✓ View the behavior they are tracking as a chore, making statements like, “I have to do this to lose weight.”
✓ Feel like they have no choice. An individual might say, “I don’t want to exercise, but my doctor told me I have to.”
✓ Engage in the behavior to avoid feeling guilty. In other words, they exercise because they don’t want to feel bad about not exercising.
(You will learn more about how to help individuals perceive data differently shortly.)
Truth #2: A measurement is only valuable if it aids in decision-making.
For many people, wearable devices provide a fun distraction and satisfy curiosity.
However, without an action plan, these devices are intriguing but not beneficial.3
Consider the contrast between:
- Someone who monitors their mile splits to determine if their new training regimen is enhancing their running speed.
- Someone who tracks their mile splits because their watch does it automatically (so why not?).
The first person will eventually be able to make a decision: Continue with the same training plan or consult with their coach about making adjustments.
The second person will only have a collection of numbers—and potentially some frustration. They may even experience overtraining if they continually push themselves to beat their mile splits without following a training plan that ensures adequate recovery.
Truth #3: Some trackers provide inaccurate data.
Research indicates that the accuracy of a tracker depends on various factors: the body part it monitors (finger, wrist, arm, chest), the tracker’s algorithm, the sensors utilized, and the activity being monitored.4,5
The least reliable progress indicators include:
Distance: Despite advancements in technology, some trackers overestimate distance when moving at faster speeds and underestimate distance at slower speeds.
Trackers with GPS technology are typically more accurate than those without it, although dense tree foliage and tall buildings can interfere with GPS signals.6-8
Sleep quality: Sleep trackers tend to overestimate hours slept and sleep efficiency, while underestimating waking moments.9,4
Calories consumed: Generally, measuring calories is challenging, regardless of the tool. Consequently, the calories listed on menus and food labels may be off by up to 20 percent.10 (And inaccuracies in calorie counts can be influenced by various factors, as outlined in this infographic: The surprising problem with calorie counting.)
Calories burned: Trackers estimating calorie burn often rely on laboratory averages, resulting in significant error margins (around 10 to 23 percent).11,4 (Further reading: The problem with tracking calories burned.)
If an individual uses a tracker solely to observe a general trend or pattern, this lack of accuracy may not be critical. However, if crucial decisions are based on these readings, issues may arise.
For instance, if a watch reports that an individual burned 400 total calories during a run, they may assume, “Great! I ran hard. Now I can consume an extra 400 calories.”
However, there are several considerations to bear in mind.
Firstly, they may believe they are consuming 400 calories but actually consume up to 480 due to imprecise calorie calculations.
Secondly, due to wide error margins, they may have burned as few as 320 calories.
Lastly, the numbers displayed on the device do not solely represent additional calories burned during the activity itself.
Whenever “calories burned” is indicated, it includes the calories expended through normal, resting metabolism—calories that would have been burned whether the individual ran or remained completely still. (For a 180-pound person, the resting metabolic rate is approximately 1.2 calories per minute.)
Consequently, they could easily end up consuming over 160 calories more than what they expended.
Truth #4: High-tech trackers motivate some people—for approximately three months.
Upon acquiring a new smart device, many individuals become extremely engrossed. They wear it constantly, analyze their data, and strive to surpass their step, mile, or speed counts.
Initially, it works like a charm.
Until it doesn’t.
“Humans tend to get bored very quickly. We purchase a fancy gadget anticipating it will solve all our problems and use it every day for a few weeks or months,” states Kate Solovieva, MA, Pn2, a Precision Nutrition master coach.
“However, we eventually take it off, maybe in the shower, or when the battery dies, and the charger is out of reach. So we toss the gadget into a drawer, only to rediscover it two years later while searching for a charger for our NEW fancy gadget, and think… ‘Oh yeah!'”
Researchers refer to this as the novelty factor.12,13 By the end of a year, only about 10 percent of people continue to use their trackers, as indicated by one study.14
Truth #5: High-tech trackers can demotivate some people.
This is particularly true for trackers with preset goals, such as sleeping a specific number of hours or walking a set number of steps daily.15
When an individual consistently falls short of the goals set by the tracker, they may feel disheartened. Not only do they cease using the tracker, but they might also abandon efforts to improve the activity being tracked, according to Nuss.
“For some individuals, the tracker is the right tool. For others, it may lead to a continual sense of, ‘Geez, I’m inadequate.'”
How to determine if data tracking will benefit your client
When it comes to data, individuals typically fall into three categories:
- Individuals who benefit from extensive data
- Individuals who benefit from some data—but not an excessive amount
- Individuals who may be negatively impacted by an overemphasis on data
Here’s how to ascertain which category a client belongs to.
Individuals who benefit from extensive data tend to:
✓ Have a penchant for numbers. These clients often possess engineering, actuarial, or accounting mindsets.
✓ Have more ambitious objectives. This includes elite athletes, bodybuilders, models, and other individuals whose appearance or performance impacts their livelihood. For them, even a slight variation can mean the difference between first place and tenth.
✓ View data as information—nothing more. Regardless of their profession, the numbers do not define them. The data is not a part of their identity. Consequently, data can be beneficial as they perceive it simply as information.
Individuals who benefit from some data tend to:
✓ Have straightforward goals. They aspire to look or feel better, get in shape, or boost their energy levels, among other things. While some data is certainly beneficial for progress, they do not require an excess of it.
✓ Do not get excessively fixated on numbers. Unexpected occurrences (like sudden weight gain) may disappoint them, but with a little guidance, they can shift their focus from “That’s unfortunate” to “Okay, that’s interesting. What should I try next?”
Individuals who may be negatively impacted by an overemphasis on data tend to:
✓ Have an unhealthy fixation on food and/or fitness. These clients can become so consumed by the numbers that they cannot think about anything else.
✓ Have undefined core values. When clients fail to align a goal with their deeper values, they constantly feel inadequate, regardless of the numerical outcomes. Think of individuals who perpetually strive to lose five pounds, irrespective of their weight.
✓ Have inaccurate or misaligned standards. Many recreational exercisers, for instance, criticize themselves for not achieving elite performances. They lack a realistic understanding of what to anticipate.
✓ Feel anxious about the activity they intend to track. Instead of feeling motivated by a sleep tracker, they may experience even more restlessness.16
✓ Have perfectionistic thought patterns, also known as “not-good-enough-itis.” While discussing a measurement, they insert themselves into the narrative. Failing to meet a timed workout goal swiftly becomes “I’m slow” or “I’m inadequate” rather than “I’ll improve next time.”
✓ Be so competitive that they risk injury or overtraining. Rather than taking a day off or easing up, they might strive to increase their step count, beat their previous walking time, or outperform others during the Workout of the Day.
Assist clients in utilizing data effectively.
It would be ideal if all clients viewed measurements solely as a means to evaluate the effectiveness of their action plan. However, that is not always how many individuals initially perceive it.
Here’s how to guide clients in interpreting data as feedback.
Define progress.
Add clarity to vague goals such as “lose fat” and “get strong.”
“Lose fat” could evolve into “reduce my body fat percentage below 25 percent.” And “get strong” might transform into “be able to lift myself off the ground while holding one of my grandchildren.”
Additionally, link these specifics to deeper values by posing “Why?” repeatedly. (Refer to our 5 Whys worksheet for detailed instructions.)
The dialogue could unfold as follows:
Coach: I see that you want to get stronger. Could you elaborate on that? Why is it a goal for you?
Client: Well, I used to feel strong, and now I don’t. I want to regain that feeling.
Coach: Excellent response! Let’s delve even deeper. Why do you wish to feel as you did before?
Client: It’s disheartening to feel weak now. I used to perform tasks effortlessly. Take grocery shopping, for instance. It wasn’t a challenge for me to carry the bags into the house. But now it is.
Coach: That’s a profound insight. Why do you want those activities to feel easier?
Client: By the time I finish my errands and shopping, I’m so drained that I can barely stand, let alone spend time with my grandchildren. I don’t want to