^{Tuesday 8th June 2010}

I am not well renowned for watching what I eat or one to spend every day in the gym, which is why when I first heard about the new Ki Fit technology, I didn’t think it would be able to help me. This is why I decided to put it to the test, in true Wealth & Living style.

The Ki Fit claims to allow you to track and understand how your day to day lifestyle choices affect not only your weight, but your overall health and wellbeing. The armband monitor can track your daily routine on a number of levels including calorie burn, intensity and duration of activity, number of steps taken and duration and quality of sleep. This is all stored within the armband's tiny computer and is easily transferred via USB to your online activity manager.

So to put it to the test, I decided to give it a go for a few days to see if I could really benefit from it.

Day one

I was amazed at how easy the Ki Fit system was set up – you simply plug the armband device into your computer, download software and sync the armband to your activity manager. In all, I was on the computer for about 5 minutes. You get to set up your future goals through the system so it works out how you can reach them an when you are going to reach them. My target was 8 hours sleep a night, 5,000 steps during the day and to burn 2,500 calories. Right, game on.

The part of the system I was most interested in trialling was the sleep monitor and amount of steps taken. Although the Ki Fit is not a pedometer or heart rate monitor, it can measure these through the use of motion and heat. The system not only allows user to lose weight, but can help to gain weight or maintain a healthy weight. It can also aid you in maintaining a particular level of fitness, all aided by a monitor than syncs to the armband.

I put on my armband just before I went to bed to get started with how the Ki Fit could help me.

Day two

Woke up relatively refreshed and assumed I must have had quite a good sleep. Having the Ki Fit on my arm suddenly made me feel the need to reach the targets set by the system - when I get to Victoria I usually jump on a bus into Knightsbridge - but this morning I decided to walk it as it only takes 15 minutes. I became more aware of the whole calorie counting aspect of the device too. The Ki Fit was allowing me 1900 calories a day, so I scoured sandwiches I could possibly have in Waitrose. I actually ate what I normally would have had anyway, but was delighted that it made me think more.

When I got home I plugged the armband into the computer to see the progress, if any, I had made that day. I was astonished as I had taken 8,500 steps, burned 1,600 calories and only consumed 1,100 including dinner. Most of all it showed that I had only had 6 hours 10 minutes of sleep. No wonder I am always so tired!

Day three

Got woken up at 2am by engineering work at the train station opposite our flat, not impressed. Then I decided I could use the findings from my armband as evidence when invariably decided to complain to Network Rail. Am absolutely shattered but continue with my walk into work and even take a brisk walk around Hyde Park at lunchtime. I actually feel better for taking this trial, I am less bloated and more concerned about doing a bit of exercise and reaching my targets. I have decided to reclaim my lunch hour.

Day four

This isn’t technically day four of this trial, but I went to Barcelona the day before and didn’t want to attempt to take it through airport security. It isn’t really day five either as I wanted to sunbathe and I would have looked a bit weird with a white mark across my arm. The only downside that the Ki Fit has is that it looks a bit silly wearing it with summery dresses and blouses. I felt a bit self conscious if it was on show below my shirts as if I was declaring to the world that I am overweight, which I’m not, not really. My sleep is gradually increasing, I think this is mainly due to the fact that I am eating properly as this trial has forced me to do so. However, the noise around where I live is ridiculous and the gaps in between sleep on the online activity manager are just silly. This is why my boyfriend and I have decided to move to a quieter part of town after our holiday. Result.

The Ki Fit has actually had quite a positive effect on me in just four days. I don’t take the bus to work anymore and even if I tried to my Oyster Card has nothing on it. I think about how much I eat and whether I can justify chocolate. I’m also thinking about getting a bike.

The system is great for anyone who has a spare £100 and wants to get into shape for a particular occasion, or just in general. It was worked out that I could lose a stone within two months if I met my targets every day, which I plan to do. This is great it you wish to monitor you weight to be able to get into a dress, or maintain your weight if you are a sports person.

It’s no surprise that I have also lost a couple of pounds too, especially as the Ki Fit technology was originally developed to find out if hospital patients were eating enough. Therefore, the Ki Fit can also work the other way and is clinically proven to help maintain weight loss. After all did you know that you even burn calories when you sleep? The Ki Fit makes sense of all this for you and helps you maintain your objective. I like it.

The Ki Fit is priced from £99.99 and is available online from www.kifit.co.uk