So I like walking, it's something I actually enjoy, and a bunch of years back when I needed to lose a bunch of weight all I did was walk. Lost 80 pounds that way in a mall in NH. Everyday I walked a couple laps. I'm not certain what the distance was, but I'm guessing it was about three quarters a mile per lap.
So here in Ohio there is a wonderful, rich park system that allows me to walk to my hearts content. But it's winter. Cold and I don't get along so well. So walking in the woods, in the park, is out of the question. But I need to lose weight and take better care of myself. My body doesn't care what time of year it is, it needs more from me than I was otherwise going to give it at this time of year.
Sure, there are malls here, but I'm not used to them, and the energy is so weird, so strange. Everyone worrying, people who can't afford to shop, but feel compelled to, retailers and even the Mall management afraid of going out of business. There is this paild feel to the malls I cannot quite cope with right now. So walking there is out.
Over the years I've heard about Walk at home programs that let you walk without leaving the house. I kept meaning to go online and find one that was reasonable in price and order that. In the meantime I went to Target looking for a step, so that I could start doing step aerobics at home figuring that could work. Well they didn't have any Steps in stock they did have Leslie Sansone's "Walk Away the Pounds" DVDs. So I got three of them.
In the last 12 hours I've walked three miles and haven't left my house. That makes me happy, and it feels really good. I mean really good, great even!
Leslie does a great job, it's a bit more than walking, but it's so doable and works more than just the muscles used for walking, and I'm enjoying this. It makes it easy and much more likely that I'm going to keep doing it. It's fun, the pace starts slow, works up, and then cools to make the whole thin pleasant.
My "walk at home" programs is the treadmill I bought last spring before I retired. I had planned for it to have many more hours on it than it does right now; you'd think it would be easy especially with a TV and DVD/VCR sitting right in front of it...
ReplyDeleteI used to go to the "Fitness Center" we had at work and after a back injury worked my way from 288 down to 188, from a 54" waist down to 33". Then they started adding overtime to us, and once they passed 10 hours there wasn't enough time in the day to get there and get anything else done. It had taken me 18 months to lose the weight; it took about two years to gain it all back plus another 20 or so.
Since June I've gone from almost 310 back down to around 280 with several "yo-yo's" back up 7 or 8 pounds as life got busy again. I've gone from around 56" down to around 48" or so because when I've had time I've spent more lifting weights than walking.
Every day I say I'm going to get at least a half hour down there...everyday something else transpires...
Congratulations on having the willpower and making the time to do something good for yourself! I'm proud of you!
alan
I was going to say as well, but forgot, that in magazine after magazine, issue after issue, it is pointed out that despite all the wonderful elliptical and bicycle and other machines you can find; the fastest way to burn the most calories is still walking!
ReplyDeletealan
Well you know, I've read a bunch of those reports too, which is why I'm kinda focused on walking for the nonce. Plus, I know it works, I lost 80 pounds four years ago walking the mall, so if it ain't broke, I'm not going to fix it.
ReplyDeleteLast night I watched "Eye of the Dolphin" which was a great movie, and walked a couple miles while watching it. I couldn't see why not... Tonight I'm thinking I'm going to take it easy, since I've walked at least a mile everyday for several days running...