Do you do your 30 min of aerobic exercise per day?

[Sarah in SC]

Calgary Girl, what a lot of truth there is in that article. The maintenance is the toughest part, since your big motivation of losing weight sort of just goes away. I've sneaked back on 10 lbs since we met our goal weight last July, and it is a real bear to get back into the diet/exercise groove. Thanks for the article, at least I know I'm not alone. And I better start jogging to the bathroom to fit in my hour a day!

[Helen]

Thanks Sarah, I'll upload some photos from my disposable camera. I downloaded the photos from the digital camera last night onto the home PC but was too tired to move them.

I'm sitting in Portland's airport waiting for a flight to Michigan to visit my family. I'll post them from there.

We decided last night that my partner will pick me up at the airport in a couple of Fridays and we'll head back to Centeral Oregon through Sunday. We have a great new lake to backpack into, it's rated a 10 for swimming.

After that I'll be on call for three weeks, which means no backpacking excursions. I can't wait to kiss work goodbye!

[RunningBum]

For anyone taking up walking or running, I suggest going up a size or even 1.5 bigger shoes. They won't feel as loose as you might think, and you give your toes room when they start swelling up as you walk/run longer.

Other tips to avoid blisters--use cool max or smart wool socks rather than cotton; stay hydrated; if you're out a long time and are sweating, also replace your salts; use a lubricant such as Body Glide to prevent chafing. Vaseline works if you stay on the road, but if you get dirt inside your sock as you will from being on a trail, it tends to stick and make things worse. Use moleskin to treat blisters immediately, rather than letting them get worse. Duct tape can work in an emergency.

[TromboneAl]

I've gotten back into biking in a big way, and am really enjoying it. DW just got a bike, and she's psyched too. Lost a few more pounds without even trying after adding cycling, and I always look forward to the bicycling days. Low impact, not boring, highly recommended.

We often ride the 8 miles into town for lunch.

[newlife06]

Here is an interesting aerobics idea that could be fun too. I am recovering (nicely) from a back injury 13 months ago. I am finally able to return to a workout regiment but I am nervous about aggrevating my healing process to soon. I came across the website www.watergym.com which I discussed with a girlfriend and a local storefront owner here in town. All three of us gals have back issues, the other two have already undergone surgeries. My girlfriend has a pool, so I asked my fitness trainer to check it out and see if he would be willing to help instruct us by reviewing the "kit". So, we are gathering some local interest and hope to be in the pool soon. My trainer thinks this workout would be incredibly safe for us gals and we would probably get an even better workout and results because the water allows us to do more! I am so excited! Check it out!

[HFWR]

Helen, what type of shoes/socks are you wearing during hiking?

[Moemg]

Originally Posted by newlife06

Here is an interesting aerobics idea that could be fun too. I am recovering (nicely) from a back injury 13 months ago. I am finally able to return to a workout regiment but I am nervous about aggrevating my healing process to soon. I came across the website www.watergym.com which I discussed with a girlfriend and a local storefront owner here in town. All three of us gals have back issues, the other two have already undergone surgeries. My girlfriend has a pool, so I asked my fitness trainer to check it out and see if he would be willing to help instruct us by reviewing the "kit". So, we are gathering some local interest and hope to be in the pool soon. My trainer thinks this workout would be incredibly safe for us gals and we would probably get an even better workout and results because the water allows us to do more! I am so excited! Check it out!

This is the workout I do four days a week and besides it being easy on the joints it is fun .

[Linney]

Originally Posted by Calgary_Girl

Our local paper had the following story a couple of days ago on the amount of exercise it takes to maintain weight loss and I found it very depressing (a minimum of 1 hour of exercise almost every single day....there's not enough hours in the day as far as I'm concerned )

Keeping the weight off takes twice the work

The research findings in that article match those of the U.S.-based National Weight Control Registry. The NWCR does not study weight loss itself, rather, they are interested in understanding long-term successful weight loss maintenance.

One of their research findings is that 90% of the people who successfully keep weight off long term do exercise, on average, about 1 hour per day. They go on to note that the most popular exercise is walking.

I've been a member of the registry for 2-3 years now. In exchange for filling out yearly questionnaires and evaluations, I get a sneak peak at the latest research findings. This year's findings were particularly sobering. They found that the successfull long-term weight loss members rated the difficulty of losing the weight as "very hard" and the difficulty of maintaining the weight loss as "very hard". Yup, maintaining is not "hard". . . . it is "VERY hard" <sigh> There is a bright spot on the horizon. Another finding is that members find that maintaining their weight loss starts getting easier around the five year mark.

Link: National Weight Control Registry (click on Research Findings to learn more)

It is hard to fit in 1 hour of exercise every day. I have to very creative sometimes. Walk the dog around the neighborhood (15 minutes) + take the long route to the cafeteria (10 extra minutes) + evening walk (30 minutes). Some evenings/weekends I take a 2-hour bike ride so I can have the next day off! I alternate my summer workout and winter workout routines to keep it from getting stale. I'm eyeing a class on kayaking. Thinking about how to fit in enough exericse is something I have to do every day.

--Linney

p.s. Calgary Girl -- congratulations on your weight loss so far, you are doing great!

[Sarah in SC]

Linney and CG, I sent the article to my personal trainer, who might be the only combo research geek/bodybuilder on the planet! He found the study abstract and made a few relevant points about the difference between walking for exercise and strength training--primarily that intensity matters. The study--and a lot of the emphasis at the NWC registry (Linney, good to know you enjoy participating--I've got my paperwork but haven't filled it in yet) is on walking, and intensity didn't appear to be defined.
My trainer's commentary was that intensity can vary your results dramatically. I know that if I walk around the track for 30 minutes versus climbing up on the evil elliptical trainer, my calorie expenditure "bang for the buck" is vastly different. So his point was that doing higher intensity exercise several of those days each week can bring your total minutes down from 60 minutes to a more manageageable level of 30 minutes, something I do think is true.
Having said that, I do agree that maintenance is a bear--I met my goal weight back on June 22 of last year (60 lbs lost) and I am right now 10 lbs above that thanks to a careless vacation-filled June and July of this year.
Filling the time with more interesting stuff is tough--great idea about the kayaking class! I have started doing more hooping (hula) and went to a couple of workshops last weekend to get some new moves and a brand new sparkly hoop, plus I start the pole dancing classes on Monday for 6 weeks, in addition to the 2x week trainer and cardio on other days. All in the name of defeating boredom!

[Helen]

Originally Posted by HFWR

Helen, what type of shoes/socks are you wearing during hiking?

I've been wearing my running shoes with regular socks and am not getting any blisters. I'm going to suggest my partner try some light weight nylon socks with a pair of hiking socks over them. I've read this can help prevent blisters as the friction occurs between the socks and not between the socks and feet.

[Helen]

Here are a couple of shots of Waldo Lake in Central Oregon. It's a 22 mile hike around the lake. This is the second cleanest lake in the world, the lake water is basically distilled:

[HFWR]

Originally Posted by Helen

I've been wearing my running shoes with regular socks and am not getting any blisters. I'm going to suggest my partner try some light weight nylon socks with a pair of hiking socks over them. I've read this can help prevent blisters as the friction occurs between the socks and not between the socks and feet.

http://home.earthlink.net/~barbmurray/boots.htm

http://www.llbean.com/outdoorsOnline...ose_boots.html

[Calgary_Girl]

Originally Posted by Helen

I've been wearing my running shoes with regular socks and am not getting any blisters. I'm going to suggest my partner try some light weight nylon socks with a pair of hiking socks over them. I've read this can help prevent blisters as the friction occurs between the socks and not between the socks and feet.

I bought socks that have two layers to reduce the friction and no blisters yet (and I ALWAYS get blisters)....

[Calgary_Girl]

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC

My trainer's commentary was that intensity can vary your results dramatically. I know that if I walk around the track for 30 minutes versus climbing up on the evil elliptical trainer, my calorie expenditure "bang for the buck" is vastly different. So his point was that doing higher intensity exercise several of those days each week can bring your total minutes down from 60 minutes to a more manageageable level of 30 minutes, something I do think is true.

I definitely agree. Unfortunately, I also think it's easier (at least for me) to stick with exercising if the exercise is not gruelling (i.e. walking). Personally, I find it easier to walk for an hour than run on the treadmill for 30 min. Plus, my knees thank me in the morning!

[Linney]

Originally Posted by Sarah in SC

My trainer's commentary was that intensity can vary your results dramatically. I know that if I walk around the track for 30 minutes versus climbing up on the evil elliptical trainer, my calorie expenditure "bang for the buck" is vastly different. So his point was that doing higher intensity exercise several of those days each week can bring your total minutes down from 60 minutes to a more manageageable level of 30 minutes, something I do think is true.

Hi Sarah,

I see that Calgary Girl replied already but I'll add my 2 cents. I think she has a very good point that intense or grueling exercise can be off-putting and a less intense exercise like walking is one that people can stick with year after year.

My earlier post misrepresents what I actually do for exercise since it shared a walking-only exercise day. A typical week actually looks like this;

Mon: weight training on machines for 1 hour
Tue: walking, 1 hour total, in multiple segments
Wed: hard intervals on the elliptical for 1 hour
Thu: weight training circuit with free weights
Fri: 1 hour evening walk with husband
Sat: 4 hour hike or 2 hour bike ride + evening walk to shake legs out
Sun: gardening or hang loose

So I do intense exercise 2-3 times a week BUT my most frequent exercise is still walking. It forms a great core and when I have a bad day (or bad week) I fall back to walking rather than no exercise at all.

My exercise routine is more intense that what is absolutely required to maintain weight loss but I prefer to exercise a little more and eat a little more rather than put hard restrictions on my food intake.

Sarah, I too sat on the NWCR paperwork for awhile before sending in it. You should get it done! I found it useful as another motivator to keep the weight off.

Cheers!
--Linney

[Linney]

Originally Posted by Helen

Here are a couple of shots of Waldo Lake in Central Oregon. It's a 22 mile hike around the lake. This is the second cleanest lake in the world, the lake water is basically distilled:

Helen, that's beautiful! Are there any developed or even primitive camp grounds on that loop. or just pitch your tent where you find a spot? I'm in the PWN so this is a hike I could really look forward to doing in the future.

--Linney

[Helen]

Originally Posted by Linney

Helen, that's beautiful! Are there any developed or even primitive camp grounds on that loop. or just pitch your tent where you find a spot? I'm in the PWN so this is a hike I could really look forward to doing in the future.

--Linney

Hi Linney,

Yes, there are actually three camp grounds - two on the Northern side of the lake and one at the Southern (Shadow Bay). I'd wait till August - Sept. to go as the mosquitoes will be gone then.

We only saw three primitive camp sites on the loop, but the book we have said there were dozens of them. I suspect they were under water as the water level was really high due to the record amount of snow fall last winter. Most of the sandy beaches were submerged too.

Can you believe those photos are from a throw away camera? I had them developed and put on a CD.

If you do go to Waldo Lake, be sure and watch for Salt Creek Falls on hwy 58, it's very close to Waldo Lake and well worth the short jaunt to view them: