I didn't exercise for the first 4 months of this WOE. After I'd lost about 65 pounds I did start a walking regiment. It was painful. I had sore feet, sciatica and a very weak and sore lower back. Walking was not fun and not easy; and things got worse before they got better. Weight was a factor. How could it not be? I was still 375 pounds and moving at a snails pace -- but I was moving.

As hard as it was when I first started, the pain and physical exertion was tolerable and I made progress rather quickly. It was not weight loss progress. It was about feeling more fit and being able to do more. When I started in May 2014 I could barely walk a mile. By the end of the summer I was walking at a better clip and could easily do 3 miles. Over that time, my rate of loss actually slowed down. I'd lost faster before I started walking. But the exercise was therapeutic and rejuvenating. I could do more of life's regular activities and I was having less pain. By the end of the summer I'd lost 35 more pounds and was feeling like a new man. As the pain started to subside, I started enjoying my daily walks more and more each day - even at 340 pounds.

In December 2014 I broke my foot. I was just walking. One little hop from the parking lot to the curb snapped one metatarsal and cracked two others. The Ped Dr. said there was nothing wrong with my bones. It was just a little too much stress and the right set of circumstances. It happens. But again, I'm sure my weight (310 or so) was a factor. Still, this does not mean that I shouldn't have been walking. There is no way to know for sure, but I think I am farther along health wise because I have been doing regular exercise within my capabilities. Jogging at 300+ pounds may have been within my capabilities, too. But I don't think I would have enjoyed it and it certainly would have put excessive stress on my back, feet, and other joints. I don't think it would have been a smart thing to do at my weight. I don't have any notable problems with my feet, knees, and hip joints. I'd like to keep it that way. Walking works just fine for me.

I see diet as the means to weight loss and exercise as the means for getting fit, getting stronger, and feeling healthier. I think diet can make exercise more beneficial and certainly can help with the pain. Exercise + a bad diet is beneficial, too. Just don't expect to lose weight from it (especially if your insulin resistant). I'm a firm believer in the notion that "You cannot outrun a bad diet.". But I also believe what Dr. Atkins says about exercise... that it is "non-negotiable." A good diet and regular activity make for a healthier you.

I walk regularly at a local middle school track. There are several regulars that go there and a couple of groups that do intense workouts with a fitness trainer. They have been doing it for months and I actually feel a little sorry for the heavier participants. I don't see any progress with their weight. They are working hard at it and from what I see they do appear to be more fit than when they first started. They jog faster and get more of a workout in during their hour long session. I'm sure they are doing it to shed a few pounds. That does not appear to be happening. They keep busting their butts and I just keep walking circles around them.

I have lost over 30 pounds since the fitness trainer sessions got started. Their trainer has noticed and has thrown out some nice comments to me as I walk by. Maybe one day one of the participants will ask me what I'm doing. You know me... If they ask, I'll have plenty to say.