Hi Margaret, Im back at ur diary for more inspiration, and your record for 2006 sure provided lots of it!

Im wondering about the fact that people say you wont lose weight by simply walking, and the only way u'll actually lose is to work up a sweat and jog/run it off? I find myself getting out of breath very fast when I jog, seeing as I havent done it since a while, and cant go longer than 12-15 mins. However, I can walk for much longer periods of time,without getting tired, but according to what Ive heard, thats not much good apart from keeping fit.However, your walking has been the key to weight loss, hasnt it? So what do you say to the so-called gurus?

Sorry, I meant your record for 2007!! I cant quite come to terms with it being 2008 yet...

Hi Sam

I knew what you meant. For future reference - on postings that you do (i.e. not other people's but yours) there is an edit button at the bottom right and if you click on it you can put little things like that right. I use it a lot!!!

I certainly do not run or jog and havent for a very long time (probably at least 20 years). If an expert tells you that you need to jog or run - they do not know what they are talking about! Naturally jogging for 15 minutes will beat walking for 15 minutes - but I suspect that once you have said that you have basically said it all. The fact is that I dont think that I would be able to jog now (I would be a bit scared to risk it quite yet) but I can certainly walk.

You have that treadmill - and I would do what I said in your diary. Put a tv program or some music on and walk, walk, walk, walk. I am convinced that it would be constructive for you. And I am sure that you will quickly find that you have the stamina to walk quite a long way. I am convinced that walking for at least 3 hours every day as I currently do and being good with my food means that I get the weight loss of a "normal" person - not a PCOS lady. I am not saying that you need to walk for this amount of time - that is just the routine that I have got into. I am sure that you will see a difference in your weight loss.

Naturally if you also feel like jogging - do some of that too.

Take care
Love
Margaret

I'm pretty sure Margaret works up a sweat and gets her heart rate going when she's out walking. The thing to exercise is that you have to take your fitness level into consideration. If you are fit and of a normal weight, walking a mile at a 3 mph pace probably isn't going to make you pant or elevate your heart rate much. But if you weigh 300lbs and rarely exercise, that is probably gonna be very hard for you to do. When I started walking a year ago, I weighed 277, and walked 3mph, and I was definitely getting a workout. As I lost weight and became fitter, I gradually increased my pace and distance. Now I walk at 4mph with some jogging intervals and can walk further at this pace.

Like Margaret said in her earlier post, she started out walking around the block a few times. Now she walks for hours and hours a day. You just should increase your intensity and/or length of exercise as your fitness increases. Push yourself in your exercising, and you'll see your fitness increase. If it's easy to do, then it's probably not doing much. I try to beat my times to make it interesting, and gives me something to work for.

If you can jog for 12-15min without stopping, that's good. I don't think I can go more than 5-10..lol. I suggest that you walk and do some jogging intervals. This is walking at a pace that's challenging, but that you can keep up for extended periods of time. Every 5 min or so, jog for a couple min. Then walk again. This really keeps your heart rate elevated, and burns the calories.

Margaret, sorry to hijack your diary!!

Hijack away - Kimberly.

I certainly do pace out... I certainly didnt at first...

I am keen to encourage Sam to try and add walking to her diet control as she is a newbie PCOS lady and finds losing weight difficult. She is really lucky as her weight has not shot up yet - so her other PCOS symptoms are comparibly minimal and her weight is not what we would think of as that high really.

She cannot get out on walks as she is helping her very ill father - but she has a treadmill at her disposal. I think that getting on the treadmill instead of sitting watching the tv could really kickstart her project. Janice (Abbagirl) has a list of programs that she always watches from the treadmill. I am sure that as her stamina improves Sam will a/ speed up and b/ walk further - almost by accident. Your idea of adding a burst of jogging is good as long as it doesnt exhaust her and make her stop instead of keeping on going.

I also think that the walking will help with the stresses of the situation - her looking after her ill father and the fact that she is currently living away from her new husband to do this. You have to remember that many PCOS ladies need added tranquility in our lives since we have extra hormones playing tricks on us. Janice and I are both convinced that the walking helps us be more tranquil.

You are so right about Sam walking on the treadmill. It would do her a world of good.

If she can jog for 12-15 min without stopping, she can do some intervals on the treadmill w/out becoming exhausted. I really try to push myself when I go out walking (most of the time ) by jogging for a min or 2 every 5 min or so. It really makes me feel great when I'm done--like I've really worked hard. It actually increases my energy levels.

Walking is also really good for toning the legs and glutious maximus.

Have you noticed this happening from all your walking?

I have certainly lost a lot of inches from my legs and indeed a fair bit off my bum.

My thighs although still large visibly shrank - one leg at a time and are much better than my waist (odd at the front - it is in at the sides and sticks out at the front) and tummy. I have surplus pounds all over - but if we could choose where they came off next I would not be choosing my legs at all for a long time!

I really try and step out when I walk and keep to a steady pace. I dont jog (too scared yet I suppose - all sorts of issues including what would happen if I a/ collapsed with a heart attack or b/ broke a leg, couldnt walk and got really fat again) but I do keep the fairly fast steady pace going for quite a few miles at a time.

That's great! Jogging isn't necessary. I didn't do it for ages b/c i was afraid of injury, too. Also, not having health insurance scares me. By the time the weather gets better and I start walking again, I'll have HI so that won't be a factor. Also, I should be considerably lighter by then, making the impact on my joints better.

Keep on rollin', Margaret--I know you will.

I must admit my BMI is too near 30 to feel safe about my situation regarding medical expenses too. A morsel of food can put me the other side of it at the minute.

Thanks Kimberly and Margaret!

I am going to try and incorporate the jogging bursts into the walking session to increase the time Im on the treadmill and burn more calories without getting tired too fast.
My treadmill is a pretty old one which doesnt have too many options, but I figure I dont really need those as Im only using it coz I cant get out of the house much for long walks, and the day still hasnt come when we can control the resistance/incline/etc of the ground we walk on outdoors right? so why should I bother with all that at home!

Margaret, I just want to say I feel so happy whenever I hear from you...and I was really touched by the way you introduced me to Kimberly

Bless you!

Love,
Sam

Hi Sam

I dont have a treadmill at my disposal so all my walking is done outside. On days like today when it has been very cold and wet (the forecasters said there may be snow but there hasnt been yet) an old very basic treadmill sounds a definite step up.

I am more than happy to help you in any way that I can.

I am sure that you and Kimberly will soon be considering each other to be firm friends.

Take care
Love
Margaret

haha i've been waiting for the snow all day...but instead i'm frozen and no snow!! there is enough pain but no gain! i wanna see snow!!

;-)

x

Hi Angel

It certainly has been cold enough for snow here. It was bitterly cold - almost biting!

So if it snows are you going to run out and play snowballs and burn up some calories or sit and look at winter snow scenes?

I have just spoken to my parents and there is loads of snow in Newcastle.

Take care
Love
Margaret

You want snow????? I'll fed ex ya some!!! LOL 'Cuz trust me I got plenty!!!! Just look at my avi!

Hi Dawn

You certainly have tons of snow - and a really nice avitar.

My hubby was hoping for snow because he thought that the powers that be might shut the college where he works for the day and he would get an extra day off.

I was just glad that it didnt snow so that there was no problems with my walking. I did keep by blocks walked to 5 which is the minimum that I normally do in the afternoon - because it was cold, wet and dark and I was still walking.

Take care
Love
Margaret