What Happens to a Fitbit Addict When Her Fitbit Dies?

I've worn my Fitbit every single day since June, 2013. I haven't ever forgotten to pack it when traveling, I've only forgotten to put it on in the morning a handful of times, and on those rare occasions when I have forgotten it, I've returned home a couple of hours later to give it a little hug + kiss, tell it how much I missed it, and clip it on immediately 

I'm a Fitbit addict, and I know I sound a bit crazy, but I really don't think I am--I'm not consumed by my need to get an insane amount of steps each day [a la David Sedaris], or with raising my goal every time I hit it, and my Fitbit hasn't turned me into an obsessive Step Nazi--I just like to know how active I am each day and I like the little push that my Fitbit provides when I've been a bit too stagnant.

So, when I accidentally threw my Fitbit into the washing machine with a pair of my yoga pants on Sunday, I was heartbroken. I realized halfway through the rinse cycle and rushed to save my little friend, but it was too late. 

I pulled my Fitbit out of the wash and tried to resuscitate it; I plugged it into the charger to see if just needed a little boost, but the screen didn't come on. No encouraging "Keep it moving, MCS!" flashed across it's face. It was over. 

I ordered a new one within 24 hours, but due to shipping and processing time, it's now Thursday and my new Fitbit still hasn't arrived. For the first time in over 2 years, I've spent 3 full days--and today might end up being my fourth--without a Fitbit clipped onto my clothing somewhere. 

Part of me was expecting to find that these Fitbit-less days would be freeing or would have something to teach me about our reliance on technology, but I have to tell you, they haven't. 

I've missed being able to check-in at the end of the day and get a little jolt of satisfaction for meeting my step goal--or on more active days, surpassing it. I've heard stories of people running in place next to bed before getting in, just to get their last few steps, but I haven't taken it that far (except for that one time that I went downstairs to get something that I didn't really need, just so I'd hit 10,000...). 

Although this isn't the case for me now, for much of my life, I was an over-exerciser and I had a lot of anxiety about working out enough/burning enough calories. Oddly enough, although my Fitbit tracks calories, I never even look at them and could care less. All I want to know is how many steps I've walked and how many flights of stairs I've climbed. 

Sure, my Fitbit helps to quell some of my lingering anxieties about getting my body moving, because even on the days when I might not have time to do a full, really active workout, I see that I was still moving around, still active, still walking quite a bit, and that feels like enough. 

But I love seeing how much I walk when traveling or visiting new places, I love checking it after a long walk on the beach and seeing how many miles we walked, and I love being notified that I didn't get many steps in a day, because it reminds me to "Get moving!" a bit more the next day. 

Do you think I sound crazy? Maybe you do, but if you, too, have a fitness tracker, I hope you understand. And maybe calling myself an addict is too strong of a word, but if not, this is one addiction I'm okay with. 

Yes, I've had some phantom Fitbit sensations over the past couple of days; I've reached down to check it after a walk, I've reached over to sync it on my nightstand at night, and I've had flashes of feeling like the steps that I'm taking don't really count...Towards what? I don't know, and maybe therein lies the problem, but there's something about holding yourself accountable for even the most basic things--like walking--that really works for me. 

What do you think? Are you a fitness tracker addict? Do you feel my pain? 

Can't wait to get back in the game when my new Fitbit arrives... ;)