Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Walking for Weight Loss: Walking with a Purpose

Walking for Weight Loss: Walking with a Purpose

I wrote this article back in the late fall when I was struggling with weight loss motivation. Since January I have embarked on a serious weight loss journey and I have lost 37 1/2 pounds. "Walking with a purpose" was the first step in making exercise a regular routine in my life.

Let me start off by telling you: my purpose was walking for weight loss. For all of you goal oriented people out there, you might be thinking, "Ok, she has a goal, what's the problem?just do it! I enjoy walking very much but I do have to admit that sometimes "life" gets in the way and I don't "just do it". I manage to come up with all sorts of excuses as to why I can't fit a walk into my schedule on any given day. I must admit I don't like this trait but I wasn't able to find a way to break the cycle, even though I knew that walking for weight loss was the key.

I thought that maybe if I didn't concentrate so hard on losing weight but instead focused on the other benefits of walking I might be encouraged to take my walks on a more regular basis, thus increasing my weight loss motivation. On a long walk one day I started to think of my walks, my weight, and what the benefits of exercise are. I decided I would establish a purpose for walking other than losing weight. I decided there were probably thousands of reasons why a person could walk to include: physical, emotional, spiritual, environmental, educational, philanthropic, and economic. (Just to name a few!) I started to focus on this concept and it has really worked for me.

We are all different so my purposes might be very different than what would work for you. But once you understand the concept of doing something for a purpose I am hoping it will help to motivate you too.

This is how it works:

Each time you want to take a walk, think about the purpose. The purpose can be extremely simple or complex; it can focus on only you or it can involve others. The important thing is that it encourages you to continue. Sometimes my purpose is downright silly but it motivates me; and deep inside I know if I keep walking, I will ultimately achieve my original goal.

Purpose:

*Collect trash?make your community a nicer place to live.

*Collect cans to recycle...do something good for the environment and put money in your pocket too!

*Listen to music from when you were in college...focus on memories

*Watch and admire nature?how much wildlife can you see in a given time?

*Connect with people?say hello to at least 10 people on your walk?more is even better!

*Think?pick a subject and focus on it for the entire walk.

*Walk to places you might usually drive to?saves gas money!

*Admire the yards in the neighborhood?make a mental note of things you want to remember to do in your own yard.

*Look at holiday displays

*Collect objects from nature to use in arrangements/decorations for your home (one of my favorite purposes for walking)

*Participate in a walking event?earn money for charity

*Devise a "mental game plan"?.for the day, week, or upcoming month.

*Take the dog with you?he needs exercise

*Take the kids or spouse with you?.yup, they need exercise too but more importantly...it is a wonderful way to spend time with your family.

*Discover a new walking trail or path...adventure!

*Listen to a self-help tape?learn something new about yourself.

*Walk at a faster pace?complete the "old boring walk" in record time.

*Take scenic pictures?be artistic

*Walk in the snow?look at the beauty around you.

*Walk in the rain?feel like a kid again by splashing in a few puddles.

*Go to the store?buy what you need and carry it home.

I think you get the idea. Walking with a purpose is highly motivating because it really makes you think and come up with creative ideas prior to hitting the trail. When I walk with a purpose it seems to take the stress off of me when I start to think I can't possibly ever reach my weight loss goal. "Walking with a purpose" encourages me to walk more often and I will let you know when I do reach my goal!

If you too are having a hard time losing weight and staying motivated, give "walking with a purpose" a try! Your weight loss motivation will skyrocket!

Visit me for information on walking for weight loss and other weight loss tips or stop by walking for weight loss to see how I have lost weight and stayed motivated.

quick home cleaning Glenview ..

In The News:

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

LastPass faces $1.6 million fine from U.K. regulators after 2022 data breach exposed 1.6 million users. Password manager failed proper security controls.

Petco disclosed a data breach exposing customer Social Security numbers, financial account details, and driver's license information due to a software error.

Baseball teams can now analyze complete swing mechanics in normal training environments using Theia's markerless AI system that processes standard high-speed footage.

Smart home hacking fears overblown? Expert reveals real cybersecurity risks and simple protection tips to keep your connected devices safe from hackers.

MIT develops needle-free glucose monitor using light technology. Revolutionary device could replace painful finger pricks for diabetes management.

The ClickFix campaign disguises malware as legitimate Windows updates, using steganography to hide shellcode in PNG files and bypass security detection systems.

Researchers from Osaka Metropolitan University designed a 21-foot dome that combines aquaculture and hydroponics to create a self-sustaining urban food system.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

ChatGPT data breach exposes personal info of users through partner Mixpanel. OpenAI confirms names, emails compromised in security incident.

Android rolls out Emergency Live Video for 911 calls, letting dispatchers see real-time scenes during emergencies. Great for holiday travel safety.

Malicious Chrome and Edge extensions collected browsing history, keystrokes and personal data from millions of users before Google and Microsoft removed them.

Google's new Call Reason feature lets Android users mark calls as urgent before dialing, displaying an urgent label to recipients using Phone by Google app.

Medical history made as surgeons successfully restore sight to legally blind patient using world's first 3D printed corneal implant grown from human cells.