Walked 3 miles today. I am now 2/2. Hope everyone else is doing good also! Have a great weekend.

Did my Octobercise this morning. Had planned to go inline skating, but it was raining when I woke up. So, plan B, went to the gym and did 30 min. on th elliptical trainer at level 5. 3/3--I am doing it!

Extremely happy to report that I jogged 3 miles today!

I feel so totally out of shape when I read what y'all do. Here I am happy just to get up and move. How do y'all do it? Did you start slow and work up to it or have you been pretty active all along?

One mile walking. 15 minutes on stationery bike.

I wasn't able to walk today, must have overdone it yesterday because my calves are screaming!

Four more miles walked yesterday, 9/2.

Oct. 2nd

We did:
13 miles of walking
45 minutes of exercise

Thought we had more in the group than that? Are some of you not walking? or not reporting?

Hi skinnbones don't be down on yourself! When I started walking in February. I could only walk once around the park track (it's 1.2 miles) and it took me 30 minutes and I was huffing and puffing afterwards. I've consistently walked at least 5 days a week since then (with the help of DH who pushes me out the door when I don't want to go) and can now walk that same track three times around in about 20 minutes each lap. Each time I go out I push myself to go a little further or do it a little faster (I have a timer on my watch, usually know the trail/track length and if not I use my pedometer).

I don't get bored anymore because we constantly change which parks we walk at (right now we choose between 3 parks each with different lengths of track 1.2 miles, 1.5 miles and 1.89 miles) On the weekends we either go hiking at Mohican State Park, Buckeye Trail, or walking/hiking/biking at the Ohio-Erie Towpath. We've discovered a lot of great places to walk, and seen some amazing nature moments, here in Ohio (from books and online resources).

It was slow and I worked up to it but each day I did it was a little easier and I challenged myself to do more (still do). It begins with getting up and moving (which is what you're doing..that's fantastic :agree. Constantly challenge yourself. You can do it!!!

Oct 2 -

12864 steps
5.88 miles
514 calories burned.

Sorry about late reporting. It's tough to get to the forums at this time of day.

Someone had a question about whether walking is more fun after losing a bunch of weight.

I actually first started my walking when I was at my top weight. I walked about a mile or two a day, and it was quite fun then. It was in an October - I think 2000. It was fun because I could feel myself grow more capable each day, and because it felt good walking in the cool air (and not having to sweat.)

In December of that year I discovered 10,000 per day step programs through the www.sportbrain.com site. I quickly got into achieving my "happy heart" icon each day for completeing my 10,000 steps. In the summer of 2001 Sportbrain went out of business and I got very busy and my walking gradually tapered off. I slowly regained back a good portion of the weight I had lost up to that point.

I eventually got a pedometer that didn't depend on a web business and got back to 10,000 steps a lot of days - and averaged about 8000. I was also back on high quality eating and was losing weight.

After I stalled out on low carb at 220 for way too long, I eventually got on a 10,000 steps per day, every day program. 10,000 means I put a little heart shaped smiley face on my calander - and 9999 means I didn't earn my happy heart.

The 10,000 daily gives me a whole lot better health feeling than 6,000 or 8,000 did. What's most fun about the strong foundation of daily walking and the weight loss is that I am much more willing to be active than I have been in the past. I get daily reinforcement that I'm NOT going to be tired or run down after doing active things, and that I am capable of doing all kinds of active things. That's what's fun.

I've got more confidence in it now than I did at heavier weights, but so much of that is just that I now have years of feeling confident about my walking instead of just weeks and months. But let me tell you, I still felt mighty confident the day I walked 12 miles in 33 F temp rain and weighing about 280 lbs!

What was fun was finding ways to never let weather, motivation, or location de-rail my walking. I've got a great rain jacket and goofy rain hat, and I know I can be warm and cozy walking in weather that has everyone else in the house. I have some incredibly busy work days now, but I know that if I run in place for 40 minutes while reading a book before work, I'm going to have no problem making my 10,000 even if my rear is stuck in a chair all day because of meetings. Gee - if I get stuck with business travel and a hotel in an area where I don't feel safe walking, I stand up and run in place - no treadmill required. I've also done things like find the nearest Home Depot store and walk up and down every aisle until I get my steps in.

The best part about a 10,000 step program is that it eventually changes your willingness to get up and move. I see maintaining that willingness to move as a key factor in keeping my weight under control.

One other thing that is cool is that once you get in a walking habit, folks along your route really seem to admire "the walking lady". I get a good deal of arm exercise waving to folks who know they are going to see me hiking the plant's back every day. When I used to walk in a suburb, the same thing happened. Makes you feel kind of like a celebrity.

Lynda

The pedometer helps me a lot. I get an amazing amount mileage from things like going to the furthest bathroom at work or at home, lousy parking spots, going to the Walmart produce section by way of the garden center, going to get the mail from the mail box instead of waiting for Hubby to do it, putting away laundry 2 - 3 items at a time, leaving the laundry basket in the laundry room.

One of the other things that was important at first was learning that "a brisk 1 mile walk in 10 minutes" was WAY too far above my beginning stamina level. I started off by committing to walk around one large block every day, and giving myself permission to let it take as long as it took. I think a lot of folks push too hard and give up as a result. You don't need to be sucking wind to be getting stronger. Walk at a gentle pace, and once you get that comfortable maybe challenge yourself with 10 - 20 high speed steps in a row to get the blood pumping - just so you can learn what the feeling is like and start learning that you body enjoys that feeling when it can have a taste of it without getting exhausted. And then just have faith that if you give your body a chance to move every day, it will grow stronger over the years. It's a lifetime sort of thing, and your body will appreciate daily movement opportunity - and doesn't need pushing and pummeling and punishment.

Lynda

I need to log in for the last three days (including today )

Between work and ummm..... work (home)....... I am finally here!!

Oct 1- walked for 30 minutes on the treadmill..... didnt write it down, had to run out the door to faast

Oct 2- walked the treadmill for another 30 and went shopping for a total of 12,000 steps!!

Oct 3- already did my treadmill and on my way out to do some grocery shopping at Costco.... parking as far away as possible!!

Walked 3.78 miles for 1 hour 15 minutes.
It's starting to get cold out...

Did my 30 minutes on the elliptical at level 5 this morning. I agree, it is getting cold! 4/4--we are awesome! Keep it up everyone!

This sounds like a great challenge and I was wondering if it is too late for me to join. I haven't exercised in the past two days, but I plan to today and I want to be able to go the rest of the month getting my exercise faithfully, even if I spend the day at a hospital or whatever. I must make it a priority.

I will start wearing my pedometer again and making sure I get my minimum 10,000 steps also. It took me three months to get where I could walk 10,000 steps, but now I can get 16,000 or more in on most days. Just keep at it folks.