45 And Lowest Weight In Years

Today is my 45th birthday. My weight has not been this low for a couple years and if the trend continues, tomorrow or the next day I will be at a weight I haven't seen for a dozen years! Rest assured I am still walking. I will get up after this post and see if I can get my 8 am to 4 pm mini-day to 10,000 steps. If you view the right column on this page and click on "Walk Out!" under Walking Links, you'll see that I post my minutes/miles 3 times a day.

Yesterday I was swamped preparing for a 40 minute presentation last night to a group of college bound high schoolers at Reality Changers. I was so adrenalized after I got home that I couldn't get to sleep until around 3! So, I'm a little tired right now. I'm going to walk and get back to you after my birthday and the Toastmasters speech contest tomorrow.

Please keep in mind that you walk a little EVERY day and some days you get inspired to do more and some of those inspired days you do A LOT more. That's the way it's working for me. I believe it's because I'm simply not stopping. If you don't see a post, which happens about 10% of the time, you can know I'm still walking. Remember to check my "Walk Out!" for my current numbers.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

14 Miles Walking Yesterday

Sometimes you get on a roll. 14 miles in one day is a record for me and to top it off, this morning I weighed in at 119.2 kilos. That's the lowest I've been in two years. We thought the son had broken a toe earlier and spent almost three and a half hours with that. He's in pain, but he's ok. His toe is not broken. More details about walking and weight tomorrow.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

Over 10 Miles In Eight Hours

Earlier I was closing in on 300 miles since 01/01/08 and I blasted through and am now nearing 310 miles. Some days you can get inspired. Keep doing what you're doing every day and then all of a sudden you get a burst of energy or inspiration or encouragement - you get the idea. You don't need to break personal records every day, but keep going and some days you will. My body's buzzing. I'm feeling good and my feet are only a touch sore thanks to my shoes. You can do it. 50 or 100 yards or five or ten miles. Remember, you are competing with YOU.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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Click on the title of this post to see Ooma.com's blog about me and the other winners. We haven't had a phone bill at our house since December because of Ooma. No, I don't work for them, but they did send me a nice T-shirt and blanket(!) today.

Help the hungry and increase your vocabulary for free at FreeRice.com.

On The Verge Of 300 Miles

If you check my "mileage" at Lime.com, you will see this:

I have walked 549 miles so far, over 10,996 minutes, taken 1,099,600 steps, burned 54,980 calories and reduced CO2 emissions from car use by 458 pounds.

Lime.com's Walkout breaks it down into not just miles, but steps taken, calories, minutes, etc...

When the clock struck midnight on December 31, 2007, I had walked 251.75 miles since my start last summer. That was just the "shakedown cruise" while I was getting used to the pedometer and before I made my New Year's resolution to lose 50 pounds (of fat) and gain 10 pounds of muscle by December 31, 2008. Some time today I will pass through 551.75 miles total, which means 300 miles since January 1, 2008.

I am still going. Are you still attacking your resolutions? How are your goals? If you are not happy with your progress, start again right now, February 25th, or whatever day you find this. If you never made a resolution, you can make one right now.

Return to Big Man Walking for encouragement. You can see that I'm still at it. Be encouraged. Get motivated. Get inspired. I'm going for a good walk as soon as I finish typing. When you walk and keep track of your progress, you will be inspired to reach your other goals.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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FreeRice.com

Help the hungry while you increase your vocabulary. It's free and it can be fun if you let it be.

12 Miles In One Day

Yesterday! My new record for walking is 12 miles in one day. I'm glad I talked to my sister. When I heard that she and her kids were walking because of reading my blog, our conversation gave me a shot in the arm and helped me turn a great day into a record-setting day.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

My Sister Got A Pedometer

We just spoke on the phone right now. After catching up about our family activities, I asked if she had read Big Man Walking and she reminded me that I sent a link through email. [Hey, would you do a friend a favor and send them this link through email?] After reading my blog they bought pedometers and my niece walked 8000 steps in one day in addition to all her other activities. My sister is walking more, too! This is really cool.

If you need to get more exercise and you've been putting it off because it's too much effort or takes too much time, start with walking. Even 30 extra steps an hour makes a difference. If you're really stubborn, start with three extra steps an hour. You can do that by getting up and sitting back down. I hope that you will feel encouraged to walk or exercise by reading Big Man Walking. I hope you'll keep coming back and that my progress is inspiring or motivating for you.

As for me, knowing that I have already encouraged my sister and her kids to walk more will have ME walking with a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

Birthday Reminder For Me

Our son turned 17 today. Wow! We watched his soccer playoff and his team is now done for the year. Disappointing, but not truly heartbreaking. One year from now he'll turn 18, and years after that he'll turn 21, then 27, 37, 47 and so on. I want to be here for all of those birthdays. Not being here, now THAT would be truly heartbreaking.

I realize that this sounds a little like a pitch for life insurance, but for me, it's the truth. I am walking more to increase my chances of being here later. Bottom line.

Yes, I feel better than I did on January 1, 2008. Yes, I have been told by people that they can see the difference. But me? I want to be here as an old, old man when my son is an old man who has kids and maybe grandkids.

What's a good reason for you to walk (or exercise)? Figure out that reason and remember it (better yet - write it down) and you will find it's easier to get started and to keep going when the going ultimately gets tough.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

Probiotics Pancreatitis Connection?

Faithful readers will remember that my brother was going to the hospital on New Year's Eve 2007 while I was making my resolution to walk and lose weight. My brother suffered from pancreatitis and weeks later a friend from church did, too.

Lime.com just alerted me to a New York Times article about a possible connection between probiotics and the severity of pancreatitis. That's my take on what I read. You can read it here.

Celebrating In Line At Panera

While waiting for bagels at Panera I started talking with the tall, slender lady with the big "rock" on her left hand and I got around to mentioning how far I've walked since the turn of the new year. Are you ready? I have now walked 250 miles!

She asked me how I knew and I told her that I used a pedometer to keep track and that I record my progress online at my Big Man Walking blog. I want to take a moment to remind you how important it is to keep track if you want to stay motivated. Because I can visit this blog and my "mileage" on my Lime.com Walkout page, I can check back if I ever have doubts like "Did I really do it?" or "Did I really walk that much?" Because I'm using a pedometer I know I am about as close to completely accurate as I can get. I find the milestones like 250 miles are very motivating. Some might say that it's only a number, but I know I'm a quarter of the way to ONE THOUSAND MILES! If I simply keep up the current pace (and I expect to pick up the pace), I will cross the THOUSAND mile mark sometime in late June. Unless you're quite an athlete, these numbers are at least a little bit exciting.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

(Use a pedometer. Record your results.)


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Starting today I'll include motivational, inspirational and encouraging quotes in this space...

“Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quote from ThinkExist.com


Feed the hungry by increasing your vocabulary at FreeRice.com

Brain Fitness

Amazing what you can find through Google. I was checking on fitness sites and found one on Brain Fitness called SharpBrains.com. Experts are finding that walking helps your brain. Below are the first bits of a couple articles and the links to those articles. Walking is good for your brain. I guess there's hope for me yet!

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Guess what?! There is this amazing therapy that is free for everyone. All you need is two feet (and many very accomplished practitioners don't even have that!). ... It's called exercise!
Two Feet Of Free Therapy

In people age 65 and older, simply walking regularly or engaging in other moderate exercise can reduce dementia risk, a new Italian study finds.
Regular Walking Protects The Aging Brain

700 Steps In Less Than 10 Minutes

There are multiple strategies to help you keep walking. I just walked 700 steps or about one third of a mile before I leave to pick up my son. Not much, but it took me less than 10 minutes and I got the dog a little exercise. How many seven, eight, or nine minute walks can you take in a day? Keep your focus on walking and you will find time to walk more when there is space in your schedule. Don't take the stance that "it doesn't count unless it's aerobic." All that walking burns calories. Burn 3500 calories to burn "off" one pound. One mile walking burns 100 calories. 35 miles burns 3500 calories and therefore, one pound.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

A Funny Thing Happened While Walking The Dog

A funny thing did happen. Mellow, our Lab/Golden Retriever/Chow mix, waited until we were about half a mile from home way beyond the convenient receptacles, to do his thing. Being a dog walking veteran, I had a bag with me. I guess I was penitent while carrying it home. I was at least a little bit sorry! Somehow I ended up thinking about a friend from Toastmasters and a disagreement we had this afternoon. Then I realized that it didn't matter who was right.

What matters is that he matters and I matter. In fact, every single one of us matters. It's not who is right that matters when we disagree. What matters is how we treat each other when we disagree. I'll say it again - EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US MATTERS!

A song from over 30 years ago comes to mind. Some of the lyrics go like this:

There ain't no good guy
There ain't no bad guy
There's only you and me
And we just disagree

Click here to watch Dave Mason's We Just Disagree.

A funny thing happened while I was walking the dog.

Did I Miss Valentine's Day?

Our weather turned uncharacteristically cold again. So Valentine's Day was cold, rainy, and windy and we escaped to the movies. Today was tough for walking. We enjoyed the movie a bunch. I just can't quite remember the name right now. It's the one with the dad explaining the story of his relationship with his daughter's mom and the other relationships that led up to that one. You know, the little girl is the same one from that oddly funny movie about the family that goes across country so she can compete in the Little Miss Sunshine pageant...Hey, that's the name of the other movie. The girl does a really good job but nobody will win an Oscar. It's not that type of movie, but we both cried a little. I was surprised. Ok. So I'm tired, but it was a good day. A good Valentine's Day and we got the paperwork turned in for the National Honor Society so the deadline pressure is over. I think I'll take a walk.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

Walkstation

Yesterday I was listening to KPBS and my ears perked up when I heard a report on the Walkstation. I've been looking for a truly sweatproof earpiece for my mobile phone so I can take the really big walks and still have a productive conversation while I exercise. I understand that Plantronics is coming out with one in April. So I was ready to hear this report which will be a solution for some people (as long as they remember to use the technology for good and not evil).

You can walk while you work. I've already seen a report putting this down at Crave as a threat to their "stated pursuit of laziness". If you are looking to be otherwise productive while you walk as I do, the mobile phone sweatproof earpiece seems like a good idea. If you want to get more exercise while you're being productive at work, the Walkstation might be for you if you have the budget. I would hate to see any businesses force this on people, but if you choose it, more power to ya.

The rain has let up. Time to walk the dog.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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Click on the title of this post to see the Walkstation presentation. Here for FreeRice.com

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Proud Papa department-

The son received invitations from Fordham and Seattle Universities yesterday. Yes!

What About My Walking?

Some of you have noticed that a few things have crept in that don't exactly have to do with my own personal walking. Fair enough. I do reserve the right to write about whatever I like, but I will attempt to NEARLY always bring the subject back around to walking, mine or otherwise, or the subject of Big Man Walking.

Today I have had a lot on my agenda and still I am back and forth on the phone with the new insurance company. I'll head out with the dog in a little bit.

I'm still putting FreeRice.com in the link "underneath" the title of my post most of the time because I think it is really important and it is something nearly everyone can do - just like walking.

So look for extra stuff related to walking (or close to related) in the second section of a post and I'll try and keep the first part about MY walking.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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Funny But Probably Quite Useful Invention

Shocking Treatment Of Paraplegic

Watching MSNBC for a few minutes I was shocked to see the horrendous treatment of a paraplegic man by law enforcement in Florida.

I have said more than once that one reason I'm blogging about walking is that the vast majority of us can actually walk, as opposed to more physically taxing forms of exercise that many are not ready to participate in. Here is an article about a man who is confined to a wheelchair and dumped out of it by a deputy:


Digital Journal


I personally believe that this "deputy" should never be allowed to work in law enforcement in the United States (or anywhere, for that matter) again.

Here are comments about the article
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by Cynthia T. [Picasso] #1

I watched this on the news this morning.
I found it shocking the way this man was dumped onto the floor. Then for the other deputies to search him while he was on the floor.

For all those who were a part of this they need to be held accountable and punished for it.


by Pamela Jean (GotTheScoop) #2

What on earth is happening to people!? I saw this video on my local news this morning as well and just thought that obviously the world is just losing it. What on earth could possess anyone to just dump a paraplegic onto the floor like a piece of trash, and then think they shouldn't be fired like immediately is beyond me.

The guy dumped on the floor stated: “There’s a lot of things that can set it right,” Sterner said. “One would be the sheriff apologizing to me personally. The next thing that can happen is the state’s attorney can get involved, and then [Florida Gov.] Charlie Christ can get involved and then somebody else that leads this country can get involved.”

Wow, now there is a really incredible guy. He isn't threatening to sue, he isn't working the system, he is just trying to use this incident to wake people up to what is happening in this world.

by Bob Ewing #3

[name edited] and she is now suspended without pay while investigators look into the incident.
this is a person unfit to be a police officer.

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This video link is from MSN Australia:

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=379241

Chris Rock made a harsh joke about having a reason (or feeling like you have a reason) to push an old man down a flight of stairs (or something close to that) and he emphasized that you may feel that way, BUT DON'T DO IT. One point I believe he was making was about the frustration level that you can reach with someone and how it doesn't matter how frustrated you get, there are some things you simply CANNOT DO to someone. I don't know if this law enforcement "professional" was frustrated or simply tragically oblivious, but her behavior was so wrong.

Do we take our health for granted? I am happy to be able to walk and not have any serious issues beyond weight. I would hate to be at the mercy of people like this "officer" because I didn't have the ability to walk.

Start Walking In Paris

Yesterday I had a friendly phone conversation with Lucille Shaw, a financial advisor at Finances for Life. Lucille is a friend from Expressions Unlimited, my home Toastmasters club. Click here to see a photo of her and two other walkers from a recent post. Lucille is on the left.

While I started walking because I know I really, really need to do something about my health while I still have it, Lucille has been working out regularly for a while. She told me that when she was at the University of Illinois, she walked in some pretty nasty weather as a student. This experience turned her off to walking for a while and over the years she has done plenty of exercise in the gym. A few years ago, she and her husband visited Spain, Italy and France and she made reservations at hotels that were within walking distance of the museums and other sites she wanted to see. In Paris and Barcelona Lucille didn't have to fight snow while walking and she found out that she might actually like walking at temperatures above freezing. She even does half-marathons now.

What a fun way to rediscover walking!

You might find walking fun or you might be doing it to get in shape or lose weight or all three. Take that first step at home or in some exotic location, but take that first step. Then take another. And another.

I am walking. (So is Lucille.) You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

Oniony

One of these days I'll add some audio (and maybe video!) to my written word. For now I'll share a some audio humor from a site I had forgotten about. Click on TheOnion.com or the title of this post to listen to a brief satire. I'm betting you'll replace that puzzled or curious look with a smile.

I am chuckling. You can chuckle. Please...

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FreeRice.com

You know what to do, Mr. Phelps, er, Hunt.

Three Miles Before Sunrise

This morning I woke up a little early and decided to talk a walk and wake up, so I got the dog and off we went. I expected to walk at least a mile, yet I found what I have found many times before: more energy as we went on our way. Lost in thought about a story I'm thinking of writing, I had gone a mile almost before I knew it. I simply turned and went the other way. You see, it's just not that hard once you start doing it. Longer distances start to seem more "normal" and doable. Even walking before most of the neighborhood is awake is a tenable situation.

There are a lot of lights in our suburbia, especially within our development. With Mellow as my companion, this is a pretty comfortable way to wake up. Visible crime is rare here. It's been six or seven years since two teenagers mugged one of the neighbor kids and that was seen as an aberration by everyone in the neighborhood, except maybe the victim. So I felt good about this walk. You've got to decide whether your neighborhood is safe in the early morning darkness. Or maybe you're fortunate enough to live somewhere that that doesn't even cross your mind. For those of you who think it's just fine, consider getting up earlier than normal to get your walking started.

Gene Griessman, a professional speaker who also does a great Abraham Lincoln, includes that advice in 99 Ways To Get More Out Of Everyday. That is, get up an hour earlier to accomplish more or to get that "extra" thing done. It seems simple enough, but I know lots of people who might say, "Ooh, I could never get up that early." Well, you CAN if you stop telling yourself that you can't. When I first stepped my toe in the water of walking last summer, I even got up about four one morning to take a walk. You can if you allow yourself to think differently. I originally found Gene Griessman on Zune where I downloaded all of his stuff for free once I paid the monthly fee and I've also seen him on ITunes and MP3.com. His ideas can save you a lot of time and help you get more done. Will I walk this early tomorrow. Maybe. Maybe not. But I did today.

Google Big Man Walking

Two days in a row I've googled Big Man Walking and two days in a row this blog comes up number one! That took just a little over a month from the start of this blog. You might be thinking, "Who's googling Big Man Walking?" and you might have a point there. But, if YOU google Big Man Walking and tell a friend...anyway, it's a neat little milestone for this blog.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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Click on the title of this post to visit FreeRice.com. Have a little fun, expand your vocabulary and while you do that you'll be helping to feed some hungry people.

Another mile before you know it

Here I am a couple hours later after running a couple errands and walking across the Palomar College campus and I've added another mile to my total. I took some extra steps to get into the shaded area because it has started to warm up. I'm reminded how nice it is to live in Southern Cal and I'm just shy of four miles today.

Nearly three miles walked before 10 am

During the last few days I haven't taken walks in the two mile and up range. So I decided to get this week off to a more powerful start. Even though I've got to watch my time more closely today, I was still able to get in a two mile walk and my total is close to three miles already and it's only 9:45 in the morning. We'll see how the rest of the day goes. Gotta go.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

Money Reward For Walking

Money as a reward gets the attention of a lot of people. I'm not offering you money for walking, but maybe I can help you see the reward part differently. I realize that for those of you who have been fairly inactive, walking or exercising more is more physical work than you've done in a while.

Unfortunately, one BIG reason to get your walking in is to avoid health problems. Or at least to lessen the possibility or intensity of those problems. I mentioned my brother had pancreatitis when I started this blog in January. Since then I found out that a friend of my son's dad had a heart attack and I think he's around 51 like my brother. He will recover, but it's still a big deal. Today I visited a friend from church in the hospital (who is also 51, coincidentally) and he was initially admitted for pancreatitis and then had a problem with a burst blood vessel. I can't promise that if you walk that these health problems won't happen to you, but I know being in better shape lessens the probability that you'll have certain problems. Plus, being in better shape can lessen the severity of what you're going through. I still remember how well my sister-in-law came through her pregnancy some years back when she was working out at the gym regularly. Being in such good shape helped with a smooth delivery and got her back on her feet much quicker.

How much does it cost to get sick? You can lose work days as my brother did. Most of us have to pay something when we go to the doctor or the hospital, even if we are insured. Those are real costs when they happen to you. (Come to think of it, they're real costs even when it's not you paying for them.) NOT having to pay those potential costs is itself a financial reward. Not missing work and pay is a reward. Maybe you prefer to think of those scenarios as punishments. If that's the case, you're increasing your chances of NOT being punished by walking. I realize that this point of view isn't sexy or exciting or wow, but it's a real and legitimate way to view one of the rewards of walking or otherwise exercising and getting/staying in shape. Maybe I'll be more exciting next time. I know I'll be walking.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

Crunched My Back

No cause for alarm, but, apparently 15 crunches two days in a row is too much for me right now. I walked over 200 miles in a little over a month and no problem. After 30 crunches in two days I walked a little funny. So I'll lay off crunches and I'll keep walking. I still believe it's better to not push quite as hard and keep yourself healthy so that there is no recovery time. I simply didn't pay as close attention as I should have. Maybe there's a lesson here?

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

Change Your Idea And Change You

Last week I was talking with my friend and mentor, Fran Cannon of Cannon Business Institute (formerly Cannon Training & Development), about my resolution to walk and lose weight this year. He encouraged me in my journey and we talked about how he started running in the late 60s. He had run track in high school, but running five miles or more at a time was not part of his universe of ideas. I'm pretty sure he said that he went to work for General Atomic and saw a guy who ran five miles at lunch. After Fran saw him do it, he realized that it was possible. He went on to run with some people from work at lunch time even up to eight miles or so in Torrey Pines and the surrounding areas. He saw some great scenery while running and picked up the "bug". He's in his 60s and still runs on a regular basis.

A few months ago I wouldn't have guessed that I would be walking as much as I am every week or that I would pass through the 200 mile mark in early February, but I did. I changed my idea, my conception of what's doable or possible. I decided that if I'm going to have a chance to live to be 80, let alone 100 or more, I better get started taking better care of myself. I made my New Year's resolution and my idea universe expanded.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

200 Miles Since January 1

This afternoon in Escondido, California I passed through the 200 mile mark for 2008!


I am REALLY walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what!

Christine Burke On The Radio

After some walking at Palomar College when I picked up my son, I found that Christine Burke had asked through email if I could be a backup speaker tomorrow at Toastmasters. Of course I said yes and then we emailed further about getting together at her Fitness Together in La Costa to measure my fitness progress. Here's our brief exchange:

> Is Tuesday 7:30 am ok?


I am on the Radio next Tuesday! KCEO AM 1000 9AM.



She's not available next Tuesday morning because she's on the radio! Listen Tuesday morning at 9 Pacific Time. Then come by and see Christine's Fitness Together.

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Click on the title of this post to see Christine Burke.

Don't Quit

In politics, I guess sometimes you have to know when to quit. I am surprised that Romney did.

As for walking and exercise in general, never quit. Keep it up everyday. Know your physical limits or your limit on a single day or outing, but don't quit regular exercise.

I KEEP walking. You KEEP walking. Please walk today. No matter what.

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I noticed that the second line of the article has a "did" where an "if" should be. I guess I can relax a little about my blog's grammar and such. Click on the title of this post...

Dog Walk Just Over A Mile

Thursday morning. I've already had my 6:30 meeting and talked with my son about the academic programs being offered to him and I've walked the dog around the neighborhood almost a mile and a quarter. Yesterday my longest walk was just a little more than that and I had to guesstimate because my new Sportline pedometer has a cover over the battery compartment that can open accidentally just by handling it. When that happens, it goes blank until you put the cover back on. I prefer to have a pedometer that is absolutely a no-brainer. My original Sportline was like that except that the belt clip broke and that took me on the search for one with a better belt clip. I give this new one a B as long as nothing else funky happens. So I will keep my eye out for an A pedometer with a clip that doesn't break or wear out too easily. Maybe I'll design one.

I guess my thinking goes something like this:

I want as many of you to either

1) walk if you're NOT walking, even if it means 30 extra steps an hour

2) walk at least an extra 30 steps an hour if you ARE currently walking/exercising - hopefully more like an extra mile or two or three a day, but SOMETHING is better than nothing

3) move on to running or a more "calorie intense" exercise for a portion (even a majority) of your exercise IF that's what you want to do and you are ready for it

4) get/stay ENCOURAGED in meeting your goals (exercise or otherwise) whether you're exercising at the optimum level for your size, type, age, etc... or whether you're just reading this blog periodically and haven't dived in yet.

So, I want to reduce the potential blocks. I want to cut down on your potential excuses. I value the ability to see where you've been and where you're going. I see that keeping track of your progress is best done through measurement. The easier it is to measure your progress, the more likely you'll measure your progress. So, the search for the completely no-brainer pedometer or step counter goes on.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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Click on the title of this post to learn, help the hungry and maybe entertain yourself. The table below shows the millions of grains of rice donated each day so far this month. (The up arrow in row three is just there because I didn't do this in WORD or something like it.)

February 1, 2008 171,527,040
February 2, 2008 100,095,120
February 3, 2008 ^91,009,660
February 4, 2008 139,444,840
February 5, 2008 152,321,000
February 6, 2008 163,823,880

New Year's Resolution In February

We are over ten hours into this 6th day of February, 2008. We can start a New Year's Resolution right now if we choose. Or you can simply call it a resolution or a goal. Maybe you had a New Year's Resolution that you petered out on. Maybe you didn't make any resolutions as I did not do for several years. Whatever your situation, you can start over right now. For me, I'm going to add crunches to my daily walking and I'll add them to my count/history at Lime.com, so you can check my progress. Remember, you can do the same. You can even register using another name. I'm DrNetwork at Lime.com. I've told you mine so it's not anonymous, but you get the idea. You can share your online walking/exercise history or not. If you like, I can add your link to Big Man Walking so other people can be encouraged.

The thing is, you will find it helpful to track your progress whether you do keep track online or not. I definitely find it motivating to look back and see what I've done so far. During the next couple of days I will go through the 200 mile mark since the beginning of 2008! That's a motivating factor for me. So is the weight loss. I haven't lost weight every week, but I have most weeks. I see the numbers and I feel the difference. I feel better. I can see results in black and white and if they don't match up with what's happening physically, I can take action to change that. The very first week I noticed that in spite of my walking, I gained weight. There could be more than one reason, but I believe I got it right when I noticed that maybe I got hungrier and ate more than normal during that first week. During the next few weeks I paid closer attention to how much I was eating and it paid off. I even decided not to worry about it on Super Bowl Sunday and I saw the results on Tuesday on the scale. The lesson is that I had the information and was able to make informed choices that actually made a difference because of that information. If I had not kept track of my progress, I would have been less clear or specific in what steps to take to achieve the desired result.

So, set a resolution or a goal and keep track. It might be big or small, but be specific. Me? I will do 15 crunches every day. You might believe that is too easy or too hard. It's what I choose today. I believe it's within the range of exercise I can do that will NOT result in injury or a condition that could either cause or encourage me to do less. I want to keep on going everyday which means I want to lessen the possibility that I will have a recovery time which would mean less exercise overall. In addition, I personally find injuries a little demotivating. So set a goal or goals and if somehow you're reading Big Man Walking and you're not walking or running or exercising, make that part of your goals.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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I'm including links and quotes by or related to or about three people who I believe set goals or resolutions at some point in their life. Those goals have had a big impact in their own life and in the lives of other people. Take a peek and remember that clicking on the title of this post will take you to FreeRice.com.

Ziglar.com

If you wait until all the lights are "green" before you leave home, you'll never get started on your trip to the top.

Zig Ziglar


LesPaulOnline.com


" ...we must all own
up that without Les
Paul, generations
of flash little punks
like us would be in
jail or cleaning toilets."

- Keith Richards

(Les Paul)


Joniandfriends.org

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The man who fears is not made perfect in love." — 1 John 4:18

(Joni Eareckson Tada)

Time To Vote

We're driving to the polls. My honey wants me to wait until she's done with dinner. She's not ready to walk in order to cast her vote. Maybe in four years. Remember to vote!

Super Bowl Party Price

My extra really good friend who I mentioned in my last post has a wife who can really cook. She made really yummy stuff for the Super Bowl Party at their house and I ate a lot of it. She made some pretty healthy fare like turkey meatball soup as well as chocolate cake. I ate a lot of both. I went into the situation with my eyes wide open. I knew there would be consequences on the scale at Tuesday morning weigh-in.

Good news. I still lost weight. I think my buddy was a little concerned about whether I would burst or something, but I never reached the "ouch" phase of overeating that some of you might be familiar with. (Probably best to stay away from all-you-can-eat buffets...) I admit that there have been occasional times in my life when I have eaten to the point that my stomach hurts from the volume of food that I put away. Those of you who have never done this might be recoiling in horror or something close to it right now. On this Super Bowl Sunday I did not do that and I haven't done that for quite a while. Why am I telling you this? For those of you who have done what I just described, I want you to know that someone else who has done that, someone like you, can walk to lose weight and to get on a more healthy path. It can be done and you can do it.

This morning I weighed 120.8 kilos. That means I lost .4 kilos this week, which is .88 pounds. So the price of the Super Bowl Party was about three quarters of a pound when I compare the last couple weeks with this one. I can live with that. Can you?

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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Visit FreeRice.com and help the hungry by clicking on the title of this post. Click here to view Big Man Walking January posts. Scroll down to January 29th to see my previous weigh-in.

Return Here For Encouragement

Return here for encouragement in reaching your goals.

I'm adding that to the Big Man Walking description at the top of this page. Part of who I am is an encourager. I want you to be encouraged today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year by returning to this site. I know the vast majority of you can walk, but even if that's not part of your goals, you can check on my progress and know that I'm still "doing it" and I'll keep on doing it and I'll keep on keepin' on. Know that "it" can be done, whatever "it" is for you.

Now, whether or not you have walking as one of your goals, you can still use it to encourage yourself and remind you of your goals. Let's say you ride an exercise bike instead of walking. One of my oldest (longtime, bestest, etc...) friends rides an exercise bike while he watches TV. I guess it's sort of a reward system as well as an efficient use of time system. I know other people run instead of walk and I used to know a guy who swam nearly every day for about 30 years. So, no matter what exercises you're doing or what goals you're striving to reach, you can still use a tiny bit of walking to remind yourself and encourage yourself.

Walk 3 steps. Walk every hour. 3 steps. That's ridiculously easy. If that's too easy, then walk 30 steps. Just do it every hour. I KNOW you can do 3 steps without inconveniencing yourself. That's basically getting out of your chair and sitting back down. On purpose. With mindfulness or intention. Why? To remind yourself every waking hour that you are working on goals. When you do 30 or so, that has the added bonus of losing two to three pounds a year. Not much? Well, that's not much walking when you do it every hour. I'm getting up to do 30 steps right now. OK. I just got out of my recliner and walked down the stairs to the front door and back with my dog watching expectantly. How long did it take? Maybe 24 seconds. Maybe. So 3 steps would be ridiculously quick. And you could remind yourself of your goals whenever you hear a song like Three Steps To Heaven by Eddie Cochran (or Gimme Three Steps by Lynyrd Skynyrd or a post rock track like Submerged Universe by Three Steps To The Ocean) or if you see a presentation with three steps. These can be reminders for you IF you LET them be. 3 steps or 30 steps - your choice. You may have heard it said that the longest journey starts with but a single step and I say that this is also true:

The longest journey begins with three steps!

I am stepping. You can step. Please step today. No matter what.

(Or something like that.)

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Visit FreeRice.com and do some good by clicking on the title of this post.

Oregon Scientific Pedometer Disappoints

Earlier today I picked up an Oregon Scientific Pedometer and after taking over half an hour to figure it out, I set out with 12000 set on the counter which then counted backwards, presumably until I reach zero. Well, a friend of mine warned me about his wildly innaccurate $100 talking pedometer and I told him that mine was pretty simple and seemed to be pretty accurate for around 12 bucks. But my Sportline broke today and I thought it would be a chance for me to find one with a more resilient hinge. Really, the counter on the Sportline was still working except that you need it to STAY on your belt for the counter to work. I really didn't like the hinge breaking, which reminded me how cheap this device was and I thought about getting what you pay for. So I bought one that looked sturdier and even had a panic alarm, just in case.

My guess is that Oregon Scientific might have too many people on their design team who miss the forest for the trees or who don't keep their eye on the ball or something like that. I should have seen the handwriting on the wall when it took me so long to get through the instructions. And there is a section titled IMPORTANT FOR ACCURACY which says this:

The following conditions may cause incorrect reading of steps taken:

1) Uneven walking pace, such as walking in crowded areas or on uneven floor.

2) Frequent up and down movements, such as standing up and/or sitting down; running, jumping or ascending/descending stairs or steep slopes.

Give me a break! Human beings are going to use these devices, not robots. I am looking for a SOLUTION to the challenge of counting my steps. I can go around a track and figure out how many of my steps add up to a quarter mile (approximately - I know I'm not adjusting for metric). But what I want is the solution to my challenge or problem. If a guy followed me around with a camera and worked out through math (maybe trig?) how far I'm walking, that would be a solution. If someone used global positioning to figure it out, that would work. I doubt if I could get people to do that for free and wouldn't it be simpler to just attach something to my body to keep track of my steps which I can convert to miles? OK. But there is a catch. The device has to WORK! I don't really care about the bells and whistles. I want something that works, first and foremost. I think the Oregon Scientific people have lost sight of this with this model. That has been my experience so far. I don't know how many they sell. Maybe people don't care about accuracy. Maybe their doctor tells them to go get exercise and they can give a number to their spouse, family, and medical professional and get them off their back. Well, not me. I want to know that this pedometer or step counter is in the ballpark and as good looking as this device is, so far it's not even close. So I'll have an asterisk on today's walking distance when I record it. I don't want them to replace it with another one that works the same way, I want it to work after I spend half an hour learning how to press all the buttons correctly. I simply want it to work the first time and every time until it wears out 5000 miles from now. I'll be generous and give it a D.

Now, don't give up. Hang in there. I'll get a better device and even keep trying a bit to see if I have done something wrong to the PE828, but I don't think I have done anything wrong to cause it to be wildly innaccurate. I want the thingamajig to sit on my belt and work, just like the Sportline did before it broke.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

(Even if your pedometer breaks and you don't keep track accurately.)

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Click on the title of this post to visit FreeRice.com and help the hungry while you learn something and maybe entertain yourself.

Rainy Super Bowl Sunday

There was so much going on today and at this hour I'm really quite tired and need to get up early tomorrow. We had rain and wind together today and that's unusual for Southern California. We had the sister-in-law visiting and the son coming back from winter camp. It just never stopped after we left the house this morning. We had fun at our Super Bowl party, but we didn't get a lot of walking in. This is the first time in about a month that my total is under an hour's worth of walking. I will simply get back on the horse tomorrow. Go Giants! You read it here first:

The Giants Are Giant-Killers.

I am walking. (More tomorrow!) You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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Click on the title of this post to see the actual numbers that I'm logging at Lime.com.

Walking With My Honey On The Beach

We parked near Heritage Hall and walked to my newfound stairs down to the beach in Carlsbad and I took off my shoes. Marianne and I walked on the beach together in February(!). I realized this was the first time I've walked on sand in a while and it is incredibly gentle compared to concrete and asphalt. We walked with waves alongside. She said the waves in Florida were bigger when she was there recently for the Avatar seminar. She had a great time and I'm glad she's back.

Soon we walked up the ramp to street level and continued on to Fresco Trattoria. Unfortunately, the restaurant doesn't open until 4:30 on Saturday. So we walked a little further to Las Olas and shared a carnitas burrito plate. There was an antique luxury car parked outside ten feet or so from where we were eating on the patio. I thought it might be a Pierce Arrow, but I can't find a picture that matches the hood ornament I saw today. We enjoyed lunch on the sidewalk (almost) and then walked back past the Episcopal Church to our car. The whole walk was less than two miles. We had a nice time together because it was Saturday and I wanted to share with my honey a place I like to take a walk.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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Click on the title of this post to visit Fresco Trattoria and remember FreeRice.com.

Getting Naked Gets Attention

Walking is good for a lot of things. (Nakedness comes later.) I remembered just a little while ago how good it is for cooling you down when you get agitated. I was not happy after I found out that I couldn't buy the workbook for my son's French class without buying the textbook, which a friend loaned him. Actually, I could potentially order it online, but he needs it NOW. So I bought the whole deal because the owner of the off campus bookstore refused to break up the set. His reasoning was that the instructor didn't order workbooks separately so why should he? He did give me $10 off because I pointed out that he took in used French books and resold them, so the people buying those would need new workbooks that weren't previously written in. I assume he will make a change next semester and have those available. We'll see. The total was under $200.00! Anyway...

I walked about 3/4 of a mile when I got back to Palomar College before I ended up in the computer room and the walk did cool me down considerably. My son popped in in the middle of this post and I'm completing it from home.

You might be thinking, ok, but what about the nakedness? I'm not walking naked, if that's what you're wondering. I was just trying to get your attention just like Lime.com got my attention with their email. At first I thought it was spam, but then I saw that it was from the "healthy living with a twist" people. It involves Victoria Beckham and if you're curious, click on the title of this post. She's supporting a cause by getting naked. Please don't peek if you're easily offended. Just move along...nothing to see here.

Two Average Days

Earlier this week I got off to quite a start with two record-setting days in a row. Starting the day before yesterday, I moderated my walking. By comparison to the record-setting pace of Monday and Tuesday, these last two days are average days. BUT, my average days are getting bigger. Both of these "average" days are five miles long. That's almost 20% more walking than my average day of a few weeks ago. Not too shabby.

I am walking. You can walk. Please walk today. No matter what.

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Yesterday Big Man Walking had a photo of three friends from my Toastmasters club. A fourth Toastmaster friend, Christine Burke, owner of La Costa Fitness Together, sent me an email that started like this-

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unstoppable!

I'm thoroughly impressed! Congratulations on finishing the Carlsbad Half-Marathon!
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SO, that photo is the finish of 13.1 miles that these women completed together. I'll mention one of them at a time in my posts. The one in the middle wearing 3222 is Linda Bedrosian. If you meet Linda, she will probably tell you how much she has gotten out of Toastmasters in the last few years. She's fun, creative, resilient and kind and she designs and crafts very, very nice jewelry especially for you. Her website is JewelryoftheEmpire.com.

Visit Linda's site as well as clicking on the title of this post to visit FreeRice.com.