Addicted to Fitbit

[Cascade]

Anyone else have a PD in their life who is addicted to getting high amounts of daily steps with their Fitbit? Especially if they have been invited to a challenge? My PDh walks a lot when he is at work and then comes home and walks for hours on his treadmill after work, so he can win a step challenge or to post on the app how many steps he took to impress people he's never even met. I know exercise is good for you but this seems like something else.

[SonofThunder]

Hi Cascade. 

Yes!  My uPDSiL.  She creates teams and then walks for charities as a team,  living on social media posting about her sufferings, endurance and efforts.  She collects foggy friends and teammates this way. 

She then proceeds to drive her teammates crazy, because her intense leadership trophy-goals must take the team to never-ending awards (higher miles walked/higher funds raised).  Her teammates end up frustrated and quit because they can never perform enough to satisfy her, as the team bar goals keep getting raised. 

When the teammates express frustration, she exposes her harsh PD traits and they steadily quit.  When enough bail, she will disband the team before it self-implodes, and blame them all for being undedicated (victim mode) and then she starts a new team. 

uPDSiL also is imo, a steady Munchausen's trait abuser (self). In addition can be by-Proxy mainly with her pets.  There is an endless and growing collection of ailments she claims to have suffered, and some repetitive experiences that steadily grow in number (with her pets also).  So much, she has promoted herself by utilizing handout contact-cards to others as a 'patient advocate' because she's been a survivor SO many times.

*I don't in any way, desire to diminish these very terrible medical conditions that people endure and the research being done to assist.  I know of one ailment in which she endured at a much younger age and that started this trophy ball rolling.  That ailment sadly reared itself again in her life at an older age.  Both were resolved with excellent medical care and Im sorry she suffered through them twice. 

All the additional times she claims were repeated are unverified and the multiple other types of ailments she claims to have endured are unverified as well.  But because her friend groups change so frequently, the new friends dont know her history, so they simply take her at her word.

This seems to align with your Fitbit trophy description. 

SoT

[Cascade]

Thanks for sharing that with me, SonofThunder. it does sound similar. My husband loses Fitbit "friends" too, when people get frustrated with his overwhelming need to win.

[xredshoesx]

i have to use a fitbit to reduce our health care expenses and i'm over here putting it on my dog so i can make the minimum.

if i ever needed confirmation i'm not a PD this thread is it.  i had NO IDEA people take it that seriously.

[Cat of the Canals]

i have to use a fitbit to reduce our health care expenses and i'm over here putting it on my dog so i can make the minimum.

OMG this is hilarious.

My husband and I try to get 10K steps a day, but there's never any competition and there never would be because, ummm... exercising sucks.

[SeaBreeze]

Yes. uNPDh has a co-morbid eating disorder that includes excessive exercise. He's also OCPD, so what could be a healthy habit of counting steps and calories is, with him, more of an unhealthy obsession. He tried to get me to join him on a phone app, tied in to FitBit, tracking our weight, steps, and calories together, but I declined. A fitness partner could be nice to help with accountability and shared goals, but I know uNPDh would just use it to control and monitor me. No thanks!!!

[Cascade]

Xredshoes, that's hilarious about putting your Fitbit on your dog! 😄

[xredshoesx]

thanks guys!  i'm here all week.  Please make sure to tip your waitstaff and remember the two drink minimum includes soft drinks!

[SonofThunder]

thanks guys!  i'm here all week.  Please make sure to tip your waitstaff and remember the two drink minimum includes soft drinks!

LOL 🤣

[Poison Ivy]

This sounds like an exercise addiction to me. It can co-occur with a PD but is not the same thing.

[1footouttadefog]

Not specifically fotbit, but exercise related numbers..YES. 

My pdh used to make manual soreadsheets that tracked how miles he rode his bike and also weightloss when he was dieting.

He would talk about it to anyone who would listen.

[Cascade]

Well, I'm glad Fitbit removed the competitions. I'm hoping that will help.