I’m reading the Mankato Free Press in southern Minnesota right now, and they have an article about Dr. William Lee, a local surgeon, who has just recently begun doing lap band surgeries. It’s a good article with all of the basic information you’d expect. This, however, jumped out at me, and I thought you’d want to know this:
Lee said his patients can be divided into two groups, those who shed 6 to 8 pounds a month and patients who lose 10 to 15 pounds a month. “The difference between these two groups,” he said, “is exercise.”
Up to 9 pounds more a month because of exercise. Wow. Now, I know you probably hate exercising as much as I do. There’s nothin’ I’d rather do than hunker down in my little bedroom on my lap top, with my little foster dog snoring adorably at my feet and cruise the internet. But that really doesn’t cut it, does it? Nope. Not for me. Not for you. And that’s part of the way I, at least, got into this mess.
Anyway, if you’re contemplating surgery, you do need to prepare to start walking afterwards. Being a great walker, myself, I have a few tips to pass along.
First of all, you need to buy a good pair of walking shoes, and that involves going to a store where they really know how to fit you for shoes. A good store will have a clerk that watches you walk, takes a look at your bare feet, checks for flexibility, and they’ll have a good idea what shoes are likely to be best for you. The right shoe can change instantly how far and how fast you walk and how much fun you have doing it. People who have high arches are miserable in shoes designed for people with flat feet and vice versa. The right pair of shoes will let your feet just roll forward – easy as pie – and stay steady. And when you experience it for the first time, it’s going to change your mind about walking. Seriously. Walking, in a good pair of walking shoes, is a premium physical delight. Now, good walking shoes aren’t necessarily expensive. You should budget somewhere between $60 and $150 and it can fall anywhere in between. There are some that are more expensive, but unless they are particularly perfect for you, you can probably find something as delicious for quite a bit less. In LA, my favorite place to buy shoes is Phidipiddes in Tarzana – great stock and wonderful sales people who know their business. It’s worth the trip from all over the city. They also have this little note about how many calories you burn walking:
We are often asked about calories burned while running or walking. The number of calories is directly proportional to your weight. In round numbers, a person weighing 100 pounds will burn 67 calories per mile. If you weigh 190 you will burn 128 calories per mile. These numbers are for walking, and running tends to be slightly higher. As with any transportation system (and our bodies ARE, in fact, a transportation system) the issue is moving weight over distance, so the more you weigh, the more you will burn in moving that weight.
The best site I’ve found for walking is www.thewalkingsite.com. They outline an excellent walking program for beginners. They have a wonderful forum as well where you can check in to ask any questions that you have.
Lastly, I haven’t tried Nordic Walking yet. But I understand from people who have that it makes walking easier particularly for people who are heavy. The poles engage your entire body so you burn more calories, and they help move the impact of weight away from hips, knees and ankles – in other words, less pain. Good deal. Here’s what the Nordic Walking Online Site has to say about weight loss using Nordic Walking Poles:
Nordic walking is also great for weight loss. By using the Nordic walking poles, you increase your heart rate on average 10-15% more than normal walking. This means you can burn up to 450 calories per hour, much more than normal walking, which only burns approximately 280.
Now, the numbers there are less optimistic than the numbers from The Walking Site. But I do know that with the Nordic Walking Poles, so much more of your body is engaged – arms, back and abs – that it will inevitably burn more calories while protecting your joints from trauma. Here’s what Tom Rutlin, who more or less invented it as an exercise form has to say about the benefits:
* Strengthen abdominal, back, arm, shoulder, chest, leg and all “core” muscles (without separate weight or resistance training!)
* Burn 25-50% (and up to 70%!) more calories with each step
* Improve both “cardio” and vascular fitness
* Increase overall stamina and muscle endurance
* Improve lymph system function and boost your immune system
* Reduce pain and injury-causing stress on hips, knees and feet Help maintain overall bone density
* Maintain joint health and range of motion Improve both your posture and balance
* Enhance both your energy and mood Experience a truly fun and convenient “good use” total body exercise
When you first start walking, don’t fret. If you get out of breath after ten feet, that’s okay – just stop. Catch your breath. Walk another ten feet. And then another ten. If that’s all you can do, turn around and go home. Just make sure you do it the next day as well. The point is that you don’t have to be a marathon walker the first day out. Once you get to the point where you can walk a couple blocks and back again comfortably, you’re going to feel a lot different about starting your walking program. And maybe, if you’re too self-conscious, you don’t think of it as a program until you’re that far along. That’s okay too. Whatever you do, don’t let “shoulds” intimidate you. The only thing you should do is get out and walk and get a little fresh air.
Here are a couple more Nordic Walking Links:
http://walking.about.com/cs/poles/a/nordicwalking.htm
http://www.skiwalking.com/index.asp
http://www.fittrek.com/weightloss.htm
I know you didn’t come here to hear about exercising. But I figure that if I can lose eight to ten more pounds per month, that’s something I want to know about and I’m betting you do too. At least, I want you to have the option.
UPDATE Claire Walter, a Colorado based writer, provides a link to her website with a really fantastic story about two obese women who are using Nordic Walking to lose weight and are seeing their blood pressure and other vitals returning to healthier norms.
Elizabeth Foote, one of the two Nordic Walkers, told KSL, “The first time I did this I went out three times. My blood sugar dropped 20 points. So that got my attention. The fact my knees didn’t hurt got my attention. I could breathe and talk while I did this and that got my attention.”
If you’re interested in reading more about Nordic Walking, check this out!
And the link to the home page ofClaire Walter’s Nordic Walking site as well.
Thanks, Claire!
Love My Lap Band! 