Welcome to Week Six of my Weight Loss Journey where I challenged myself to take 10000 steps a day. Scroll to the bottom for this week’s video where I take a trip to a wonderful library garden.
How Much Weight Did I Lose?
This week I lost an additional 2 pounds, bringing my total weight loss to 56 pounds. I’m currently weighing 293 lbs.
Exercise Goals
I feel great! This week I really stepped up my exercise routine. I made it a priority to get up to the recommended 10,000 step count. It was challenging due to the blister I obtained on my first attempt but with a few minor adjustments, I’m finally pain-free.
The Magic of 10,000 Steps
On Monday, I dared myself to do 10,000 steps. I don’t remember where I read that 10,000 steps a day was an ideal step-count goal for an active person. But, I checked various websites and saw that Mayo Clinic and the Department of Health and Human Services recommends we get 150 minutes of aerobic exercise every week. There was no mention of an ideal step count.
After further digging, it turns out that this whole 10,000 steps shebang has its roots in the first pedometers sold in Japan in the 1960s. They were marketed under a name that literally means “10,000 steps meter” in Japanese. It seemed as though this recommendation wasn’t all that scientific.
However, studies have been conducted since then that show increasing activity to 10,000 steps does make you healthier. The benefits include reduced blood pressure, improved glucose levels, and, of course, weight loss. Most experts agree, though, that any increase in physical daily activity is beneficial for overall health.
Pushing Myself to the Limit
Nonetheless, I wanted to see if I could get to this magical number. So I set out Monday morning, determined to reach my goal. But after about an hour of rounds around my neighborhood park, all I had was 8,000 steps and a HUGE blister to show for. 
Like always, my wife says that I’m being too hard on myself. After all, I did end up doing 8, 223 steps that day. To this day, I have yet to hit the elusive number of 10,000 steps. Do I still consider myself an active person? Only time will tell. But that’s certainly the goal.
This week, I averaged about 7,000 steps on the days I went to the park or walked on my treadmill. This is an improvement from my average of 1,500 to 2,000 I had been getting in the last 5 weeks. An even bigger difference from the sad 200 steps I was taking before I started my weight loss journey.
On the days I did not do exercise I still managed to average a decent amount of steps. I plan to start going to more interesting places and of course sharing the images and videos with you. There are many nice and FREE places here in Miami to visit and get exercise.
Exercise Doesn’t Have to be Boring
This week I discovered why it’s so difficult for me to do exercise consistently: boredom! To conquer this boredom, I decided to have an active week and go to places I normally do not frequent in the attempts to increase my step count and it worked exceptionally well.
My wife and I went to Key Biscayne Library on Saturday to check out some books. To our wonderful surprise, they had a beautiful garden oasis which we loved. We spent about half an hour walking through it and looking at all the plants and animals in the small pond.
Feeling Energized
I have noticed this week a big difference in energy levels. I attribute this to the exercise I have been doing. Apart from walking and running, I have been doing a good amount of bodyweight exercises for all areas of the body.
My Vegan Diet a.k.a Magic Weight Loss Pill
I have been consistent with my vegan diet. I’m still amazed at how easy it has been to lose the 58 pounds I’ve lost so far. After I getting used to not having meat, dairy, or eggs on my plate, it has been smooth sailing from then on.
As you know, I have been relying on mock meat and processed products to get through this transition and I have been wanting to cut back for a while. I know that packaged foods are not conducive to weight loss. Plus, fruits and vegetables have so many benefits.
This week, I did increase my fruit and vegetable intake. I tried very hard to diminish the consumption of processed foods that serve me no good. But, as you’ll see in the video, I did enjoy a Boca chick’n patty this weekend. I used to a whole wheat bun to make myself feel less guilty. =]
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