morningstar
Cathlete
For those that think that I have a special hate on for steady state and low intensity cardio, I thought I'd share something with y'all. Last week I went hiking/camping for 7 days. I have a GoWearFit (Body Media) and burned an average of 3100 calories a day- and three of those days were light days (not entirely accurate, as it didn't taken into account the 30-35lb pack I was carrying everywhere). This week, I'm exhausted from the hike and work is insane, so all I did was walk to and from work, with the exception of Thursday. By the way, walking one way is 7.5k, 15k both ways.
Here are my calorie burns since Monday:
Monday (7.5k walk): 2650
Tuesday (15k walk): 3120
Wednesday (15k walk): 2930
Thursday (7.5k walk, run 7k): 3125
Friday (19k walk): 3458
Why the differences between the days when walking the same amount of time? Just got up and walked around a lot while working those days, I guess. Maybe I had to pee a lot!
Anyway, my point is that I lost 110lbs 3-4 years ago, and I've kept it off. I do a lot of different things, and have tried a lot of different things. Currently, I'm mostly into running (steady state as well as sprinting) and strength training using various methods. But underlying it all, and the foundation of both my fitness and weight maintenance, is my walking. I haven't dieted seriously in over a year, and for more than a year, my weight has stayed within the same 5lb range, with the exception of a day or so here and there where I've overindulged and the scale reacts. I eat a lot. My weight, and more importantly, my body composition, isn't ideal, but it's a thousand times better than where I was 5 years ago and I am not depriving myself in any way to be at my current level.
My walking time is my time - to be alone with my thoughts, to consider, to listen to audio books or music, to enjoy the sights, to be out of reach of a phone or an email, to transition from work to home or vice versa. Many types of exercise will come and go, but walking will always be my base of operations, if I have a choice about it.
How serious am I about walking? Well, yesterday I was up all night worrying about work. I woke up 2 hours late for work. I skipped running, showering, everything but a quick breakfast and brushing my teeth, but I still walked to work instead of taking transit. And then I worked a 12 hour day, and still walked home. Those walks were the best part of a very long, stressful day.
Here are my calorie burns since Monday:
Monday (7.5k walk): 2650
Tuesday (15k walk): 3120
Wednesday (15k walk): 2930
Thursday (7.5k walk, run 7k): 3125
Friday (19k walk): 3458
Why the differences between the days when walking the same amount of time? Just got up and walked around a lot while working those days, I guess. Maybe I had to pee a lot!
Anyway, my point is that I lost 110lbs 3-4 years ago, and I've kept it off. I do a lot of different things, and have tried a lot of different things. Currently, I'm mostly into running (steady state as well as sprinting) and strength training using various methods. But underlying it all, and the foundation of both my fitness and weight maintenance, is my walking. I haven't dieted seriously in over a year, and for more than a year, my weight has stayed within the same 5lb range, with the exception of a day or so here and there where I've overindulged and the scale reacts. I eat a lot. My weight, and more importantly, my body composition, isn't ideal, but it's a thousand times better than where I was 5 years ago and I am not depriving myself in any way to be at my current level.
My walking time is my time - to be alone with my thoughts, to consider, to listen to audio books or music, to enjoy the sights, to be out of reach of a phone or an email, to transition from work to home or vice versa. Many types of exercise will come and go, but walking will always be my base of operations, if I have a choice about it.
How serious am I about walking? Well, yesterday I was up all night worrying about work. I woke up 2 hours late for work. I skipped running, showering, everything but a quick breakfast and brushing my teeth, but I still walked to work instead of taking transit. And then I worked a 12 hour day, and still walked home. Those walks were the best part of a very long, stressful day.
