Milwaukee — Devices that collect fitness metrics aren’t just for Olympic athletes and marathoners. Activity trackers such as Fitbits, Apple Watches and Garmin Smartwatches have become more commonplace over the last decade.

TOPS — Take Off Pounds Sensibly — Club Inc., the non-profit weight-loss support organization with a “Real People. Real Weight Loss.” philosophy, recognizes that fitness trackers can be a source of motivation, encouragement, and accountability– all qualities that are necessary to lose weight through healthy habits like regular exercise.

But how helpful are fitness trackers when trying to take off a few pounds? These are a few tips to help you use your smartwatch or Fitbit to your advantage:

Choose the right fitness tracker

When it comes to smartwatches or other activity trackers, there are hundreds of options from which to choose. What you purchase depends on what data you are seeking.

The most popular measurements include how many steps you’ve taken and how many minutes you’ve been active. If you want to increase your activity level, these two metrics are useful, and you can probably opt for a low-cost device. Top-of-the-line trackers report more specific data like heart rate and stride length but are more expensive.

Once you choose an activity tracker, accurately enter user information like weight, height, and age. This information impacts the numbers you’ll see. Whenever your weight changes or you have a birthday, update your settings.

Set realistic goals

A new smartwatch or Fitbit is exciting, and its purpose is to help you achieve certain goals. However, avoid setting too many goals at once or goals that may be too difficult to achieve.

Wear the watch for a week without any expectations in mind. See how it feels, and pay attention to how many steps you take daily and how many minutes of activity you partake in. Then, set goals based on those numbers.

Most activity trackers give you a goal of 10,000 steps a day. But if you’re only averaging about 1,000, adding 9,000 more steps daily is not an immediately achievable goal.

Check your progress throughout the day and spend a few minutes before bed reviewing your goals. Adjust accordingly. Remember to set yourself up to succeed and increase your goals as time goes on.

Be kind to yourself

It can be easy to get caught up in the data and take drastic actions to close your Apple Watch rings or get to 10,000 steps a day on your Fitbit. Remember that your numbers today, tomorrow, or yesterday have no bearing on who you are.

Life events such as vacations, illnesses, and work deadlines can throw us off balance. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t meet your goals on a particular day. Forgive yourself and start anew tomorrow.

Get social

Exercising and establishing healthy habits is more fun with friends.

Many trackers allow you to add your exercise buddies and compare weekly progress. If you find competition motivating, some devices even offer a way to compete against your friends to complete certain challenges.

So, grab your friends, family members, or peers at a TOPS chapter near you and socialize while improving your health.