Monday, July 30, 2007

Gear

You don’t need the expensive gear. Walking (and running) will not require too much money for basic gear. Of course, you can always add some “extras” – just to “feel better” or to be more motivated.


So, you’ll need:

• walking/running shoes – must be comfortable;
• socks – the same;
• poles – if you decide to try Nordic Walking;
• a short and a T-Shirt (but not in cotton because it absorbs the sweat and your tee (or short) will quickly become heavy; if the temperature is not high enough, you’ll feel more cold than necessary;

• a motivational gadget – a pedometer. Try to buy one because it will motivate you more than anything;

• Draw a statistical grid (on paper or in Excel) and try to note every day the number of steps and the exercise time.

"Extras"

I discovered the benefits of training with heart zones (this will be explained later) and I bought a heart rate monitor (HRM). If you can find one (starting at $60) it will be very helpful in your workouts.


As my physical condition improved, I decided to buy a HRM with the GPS module to control my speed and position and to get the exact running distances.

Don’t forget. You want to lose weight and not to make a competition (for now) – so these gadgets are useful but you can live without them.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

Coming from vacation

One week of vacation is behind us. I really enjoyed the warm, sunny weather and I ran in average 10 km every other day (alternated with the Nordic Walking). I decided to share a few photos from Mt-Tremblant with you.

 

Friday, July 20, 2007

Motivation

This is the key word.


At first, you’ll be motivated because you want to lose weight. But this is not enough. As the time goes by, this can melt (seriously).

So, you'll need something more.

First, try to communicate with a qualified nutritionist. All the time, I was supported by my physician and my nutritionist.

Then, you’ll need:

  • Realistic and achievable goal. In my case (at 134 kg), my goal was 85 kg (but later, I changed it to even less – 83 kg)
  • No time frame to achieve your goal. I lost 51 kg in 18 months.
  • Don’t exaggerate. Normally, you should lose about 1kg (2 lbs) weekly, but it is not a fix value. In the beginning, it is more, then, it almost stops,then restarts...
  • It’s easier losing weight than preserve it (once lost). I’m pretty sure that if you did the efforts to lose the weight, you will never do the same mistake to eat the junk food or just eat too much.

Finally, you’ll need some basic gear which is not expensive. I’ll discuss it in my next post.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Health benefits of walking


Burns almost as many calories as jogging
• Eases back pains
• Slims your waist
• Lowers blood pressure
• Reduces levels of bad cholesterol
• Reduces heart attack risk
• Enhances stamina & energy
• Lessens anxiety & tension
• Improves muscle tone
• Easy on your joints
• Reduces appetite
• Increases aerobic capacity
• Can be done in short bouts
• Slows down osteoporosis bone loss
• Can be done when you're traveling

Nordic walking does the same, but you burn more calories.

Walking is probably the safest exercise you can do. It doesn't require prior training or conditioning and doesn't involve a great deal of physical exertion in the beginning. Studies have even shown that due to the design of our body, walking is more natural than sitting, standing or running, and walking is not as stressful to the body as other exercises.

For example, running is much more stressful on the heart and joints and leads to many more injuries. The shock impact of a runner's step is 3-4 times a person's weight, while walking is only 1.5. Some sports like basketball and tennis can have a shock force of 7 times a person's weight.
While walking is easier on your body, it can be just as beneficial as running in helping you lose weight. If you run for 30 minutes at 8 km/h you will burn about 285 calories. If you walk for 30 minutes at 6.5 km/h you will burn 165 calories on a level surface, 225 on a slight incline of 5%, and 360 calories on a 10% incline.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

Activities

You might think that every kind of exercise is good for you, but this is not entirely true.

In the beginning, while you are still overweight, running is not good for your joints because your body must support the excess of weight.

I know, when you run, you burn more calories, but you can become tired and the fatigue can lead you to abandon. This is not what you want, right?

So, I can recommend you one of the two following activities (no chess, no Monopoly and no poker, please):

· Walking

·Nordic walking

The question is: Why walking and/or Nordic walking? Because they are easy on your body (so you don’t risk too much to lose the motivation), can be aerobics (depending on your speed, of course) and because you can practice them anywhere: your park or a gym are some of the places where you can walk.

There are many benefits of walking, and that’s why I started my weight loosing program by this activity. Recently, I discovered the Nordic walking and I consider it as even better to lose
the excess of weight. You need the special poles (very similar to these used in cross-country skiing), so you will use your legs and the upper body, too. You’ll burn between 20% and 40% more calories than by just walking, and the perception of the effort is the same as in walking. The price of the poles is around $100 and I can recommend carbon fiber poles and do not recommend the telescopic ones because they are heavier and can snap, causing the injury.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Before you start

Start is very important. From that moment on, you begin an activity that has to be at the same time interesting and not too hard.
So, it is obvious that you cannot start as an athlete preparing for the Olympic Games! If you start too quickly, with too much effort, you have more chances to quit. Inversely, if your activity is just right for you, you’ll have a lot of pleasure to continue.
I already mentioned that your activity must be interesting for you. If your rhythm is too slow, you risk being annoyed. So, you need the way to stay motivated. The motivation will be the subject of one of my following posts.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Before...and after






Summer 2004Fall 2006

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Do something for your health

Until two years ago I was inactive and obese, with serious health problems. I started walking for health (at the age of 47) and now, with 51 kg (112 lbs) less, I run and started to compete.

In April 2005 I was diagnosed with diabetes (type II), high cholesterol and hypertension.

There were only two solutions: completely changing my lifestyle (and lose my weight) or taking pills. I was determined to succeed without the medication and set my goal at 85 kg (no time frame defined). I started walking and changed my eating habits.

It took seventeen months of determination and discipline to achieve my goal. My weight is stable at 83 kg since September 2006. My efforts weren’t in vain: I feel great and all my tests are normal now: blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure.

I motivated several of my colleagues and friends to start exercising and change their eating habits and some of them lost between 5 and 10 kg.

Dieting is not the solution. Changing your habits is. Don't expect the results too fast, but with the time, if you have enough patience, you can do it.

I did it with help of my doctor and a nutritionist. In the following posts I'll explain in detail how I did it.