At one point closeted away with a bunch of strangers in a cold room, coughs and sneezes and general close proximity made me think of my good health and how much easier it is to have control over this aspect of my well being now I exercise and eat well, and have flexibility around work and rest.

Some of the reasons for working for myself are:

1. I can set my own agenda;
2. I can build a lifestyle which allows a balance between my work and other life;
3. I can love what I am achieving;
4. I can love my work environment.

Walking to lose weight is a blog about taking advantage of the well being associated with moderate exercise- the natural high, good health, agility, vigour- to build a lifestyle which successfully supports continued control over my weight issues. While starting my on business, and because of this, I have been able to make as significant change as possible, to my lifestyle.

How to succeed at weight loss while maximising your business success:

1. Choose where you will put your focus for both weight loss and exercise. My suggestion- walking to lose weight!
2. Avoid overwhelm- pace yourself. The advantage of walking to lose weight.
3. Eat half as much for your meals and add in healthy snacks during the day.
4. Use walking “tools” and the Internet as a gatekeeper and to keep motivated.

The various contradictions from a few days locked away with others in an attempt to focus positively on business tactics and motivation, are in some ways easier when you work for yourself. For one thing, you are focused about your purpose and the goals you want to achieve. Usually you also want to ensure you get value from your attendance. Working in my own small business from home, gives me different responsibilities, when thinking about aspects of my lifestyle and business.

1. Talk carefully. Use a positive community for support, avoid complainers!
2. Carry water and pack a snack when you’re out working, particularly on long drives.

Success is transferable. Each triumph over a detail or problem or creative thought brought to fruition is a generating engine for success in other ways. So frustration in business is offset by walking daily or counting calories successfully. The goal of weight loss or health, contributes to my resilience as I note further evidence of positive results on my checklist. This doesn’t substitute for business success but works synergistically.

Working within a corporate environment is a whole different mindset than working for yourself. One way this is demonstrated is the introduction of quality health programs such as weight loss assistance or the treadmill desk phenomena. Employee well being is becoming an important business tool.

What adds to your bottom line while taking away the fat?

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Normally I would have written something for this blog but I probably won’t be posting again until next week.

I’m away for a 4 day business seminar and have been generally busy for the last few days. Sometimes working can seem to get in the way of my committed walking for weight loss lifestyle, but also, sometimes it is normal for priorities to be reordered for a little while. This is one of the reasons for making walking to lose weight a lifestyle.

As preparation I have been making walking and weight loss through dieting a priority for a limited time. Not as a one off diet but at an increased intensity, returning to the previous sedate program afterwards. By allowing for the normal flow of priorities, by anticipating that changes are coming, give thought to new ways of keeping weight loss a primary commitment.

Eat less when uncertain as to exercise options.

Be discreet about cutting down if food and drink are important with this organisation’s culture. You can still do it but leave the table often, or be going somewhere after, preventing over indulgence.

Planning for business trips or seminars, budget and review times, can be stressful. Walking is a great de-stressor; walk and meet with associates at the same time. Others may be tired of sitting. They do not have to know this is a part of your walking to lose weight program.

Less eating more talking. Network, make friends by concentrating on this aspect rather than the food.

Fill up your time with relaxing small talk not high pressure interviews. Think of this as a game where you are carefully assessing these other people.

Wear a pedometer and count steps to get a better idea of how much walking you have managed that day. It is easy to run up and down stairs a few times to get papers or other things and add effectively to the day’s steps.

If you are staying at a hotel use the facilities such as a treadmill or you may find taking your Walk Away the Pounds DVD the easiest way to walk.

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Your imagination is not always an accurate measure of how much walking you are doing. If you have to borrow a pedometer, do, but get one. The advantage of building activity into your day is that it is easier to keep up into the future because it already feels so good and it’s a fun part of your day. However compared to walking on a treadmill which gives you a time and distance measure, walking and being generally active can be deceptive unless it is measured. One of the easiest and most reliable statistics you can use to ensure weight loss is to use a pedometer daily. Become an active person- which means a minimum of 8,000 steps daily. Weight loss starts at about 10,000 steps but if you’re serious try to be up around 12,000 to 15,000 steps daily.

Just using a pedometer has been shown to increase distance walked by one mile and the average user’s step count by about 2,000 daily, or around 100 calories.

Use whatever tools and accessories enhance your enjoyment of walking to lose weight time.

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1. Walk to the local coffee shop, take your drink for a walk, think about a new creative idea.

2. Ramble or wander with no set agenda other than to get out and walk around.

3. Do something ridiculous- walk backwards looking at camera opportunities. In other words make it fun!

4. Listen to someone else talking about their enthusiasm about walking, running, activity of any sort. Let their enthusiasm boost yours. Follow someone else, maybe through a dvd on walking to lose weight.

5. Pick somewhere you would like to go to which is a long walking distance away. Have a rest/drink/eating spot to head toward.

Today I found that as usual walking to lose weight around my neighborhood early in the morning is an interesting experience. I felt increased optimism and general wellbeing, realised that walking requires paying positive attention to the little things and then, of course, realised that this is also true of life.

Last Saturday I made an early start to the gym. Usually the drive is straight forward but this time as I approached the traffic lights to turn right into the complex, roadworks had completely obscured the entry with no obvious way to get in. Totally puzzled and wondering if the gym was closed, I did the obvious which was to go up to the roundabout and return from the opposite direction. As I made my way through the roadwork maze I felt like I was in an adventure. First I had to find the magic entry point, then I could be a master-in-training.

I made it inside, not many people there so it was perfect for trying a different method of treadmill walking. I jumped on, watched through the glass wall in front of the treadmill as buggies trundled around the golf course opposite. Not much on tv so I was looking for entertainment of some sort- inspiration: after 10 minutes I jumped off the walker and rowed for 5 minutes then back on to the treadmill. Another 5 minute on the treadmill then increase the speed and run for 2 minutes. Back to walking at a slower pace then jog for a few minutes, finishing with a slowdown walk. I “walked” for over 30 minutes, then used some weight machines. Chatted to a few different people intermittently, and discovered that I qualified for a free session.

After an hour I went to the change room and showered at this gym for the first time. Always an interesting experience to try out facilities and I have made a few mental notes on ways to make showering there even better. The result: a pleasant even exciting experience at my gym! And a very good workout.

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I have also started a friendfeed room for walking to lose weight. It would be wonderful for fellow walkers to share their thoughts and results there. I’m hoping this will be easier for those wanting to get involved in a walking conversation to comment or ask questions. Imagine the incentive it is to report in when it is expected by others. At the same time it is relaxed and ultimately up to each individual how they use the process. It is my goal to be encouraging to myself through this technique so let’s keep it pleasant.

When you’re serious about losing weight it is important to keep doing it- sometimes others are not as committed and can divert you from your course. This way we are only talking to other walkers instead of boring our friends- another way to doom a walking program! Walking on a treadmill is not as boring as watching grass grow I’ve discovered from others. Here are a number of tried and true methods for revving up your interest and weight loss results from the use of a treadmill, and some seem a little unusual..

1. Variety every day is really important- treadmills give you many options for this, choosing from programs and exertion levels.
2. The gym gives you the benefit of choosing from a range of automated walking equipment, updated versions, weights and interaction with other users.
3. Many machines provide an array of details about your workout – recording this can add a feeling of success as the data adds up and also enables you to improve workout sessions. At a basic level track mileage, time and calories burned.
4. If you can, find a local gym with tv access from your treadmill. The ones that let you plug your earphones into an individual monitor are best but the overhead television gives walkers something to watch.
5. Ipod and mp3 players with music, or study/work information to listen to, audio books etc., all help pass the time.
6. Reading. Although I’m not sure about reading on the treadmill- it seems unlikely to allow a speedy walk and may encourage poor posture- there is now the Treadmill Book Holder!
7. My new favorite is for the office- the Desk Treadmill which enables the worker to keep up a slow gait (which is obviously better than sitting) and uses about 100 calories per hour.
8. Finally, as we know dog owners in our world can find it difficult to walk the animal as much as necessary for its well being. Now there are dog treadmills!

Just thinking about adding all of these suggestions in to my walking on treadmills has made me happier. I might even get a dog!

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This time of year I will be heading indoors for a lot of my walking. Spring brings with it hotter weather, and sometimes hay fever. After this morning’s walk I looked in the mirror and my face was not only sweaty but bright red. I felt fine but all the signs are there that it is getting too hot for me to be taking long walks without temperature control. Some options I use: air conditioned environments (gym or at home with a dvd -Leslie Sansone’s Walk Away the Pounds -or even the WiiFit); coastal walks always get a breeze and generally are 2-4 degrees cooler than my local area; walking early or late- early is my preference.

At my gym the treadmills have tv attached so I can relieve the boredom to a certain extent with watching something, or listen to the gym music which tends to be good, or my own mp3 player.

I find walking to lose weight outside to be totally stimulating. Plenty to look at, think about, feel invigorated by- when it is in the cooler weather. Recently I’ve been recording my dedicated walks in the walking forum at About.com. This has added to my commitment and feels more social. The treadmill on the other hand can require ingenuity to make it more fun.

I’d love to hear suggestions from you about keeping treadmill walking interesting on a daily basis.

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