Walking To Lose Weight

Counting Steps

Walking to lose weight can be greatly increased by using a pedometer and other ‘toys’ such as weight loss dvds.
My general position on counting daily steps is that it is a help for serious ‘average’ weight losers. If you have a personal trainer keeping track of food intake versus energy output and the calorie burning potential of one type of exercise over another as well as your specific body goals then you could forget this type of motivation.

Mr or Ms Average though needs lots of help in this era of multiple possibilities for the perfect way to lose weight and gain the body of your dreams. Of course some dreamers are thinner to start off! Most public awareness surrounding exercising for weight loss gives an impression of the perfect system for all overweight people.

Step A Weigh

During a period of my life which was particularly inactive I could do as little as 3000 steps a day. When starting to increase activity I kept balance by noting where I started and then improved on that. This is the best way. Average number of steps of other people do not help you increase your activity levels. In this modern age where so much physical exertion has been removed it requires a decision to choose action, before weight loss is easy. From that decision all else flows.

Yesterday I decided to do no extra walks or exercise specifically to increase the number of steps I did (and recorded on my pedometer) and made it to 7625, over a long, normally active day i.e. shopping and cooking, computer work, occasionally jigging to a bit of music.

That was not an average day for me. I don’t shop every day, some days I may be solidly at the computer. However it is a demonstration of how my new ‘action man’ idea of myself has slipped into my subconscious. Basically I see myself as a physically able person who lives dynamically, that is , I interact with my environment.

This morning I was without the use of my car for an hour. I took the opportunity to walk around a car park and shopping center. I noticed a new Thai restaurant had opened, Christmas is dominating store decor, looked in Borders, had a chai (skim milk) and raisin toast (without butter). It was pleasant and I added to my exercise program and thinking time – both of which which keeps me destressed.

Normally I do some extra walking, gym or other activity specifically to meet or break my minimum step requirement of 8000/day and target of an average of 10000 daily over a month. I’m continually improving and am looking to move up to 15000 step days at some point!

I heard recently of a woman who has 45000 step days. She is a runner and contestant in races etc.

How to Start

Start from where you are, increase continually until you reach a goal, review that goal and increase it if that will serve your weight loss or fitness purpose. Great advice on how many steps are required for weight loss.

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