Friday - 60 minutes of walking,
Saturday- major housework, laundry, grocery shopping
Sunday- 4 hours of walking around a fleamarket
Monday am- speed cleaned kitchen and bathroom at 6:30 a.m. as the repairmen are coming to fix the floor and 60 minutes of walking.

Monday, May 10, 2004: Aqua-aerobics, 1 hour

I posted this question on my 3FC "home" forum, but I know there are a lot of smart Alternachicks so I am posting it here as well.

I do have an exercise question for all you Alternachicks. This has to do with people like me who have LOTS & LOTS of weight to lose.

I read something about a book called --The Spark: The Revolutionary New Plan to Get Fit and Lose Weight-10 Minutes at a Time. Glenn A. Gaesser MD.

He says it can also be effective to break up your exercise sessions and it is not always necessary to do one long session. The general idea is that frequent exercise sessions as short as 10 minutes may be most effective for the OBESE. This is partly because it is easier to find time and motivation for a 10-minute session than for one that lasts 30 to 45 minutes.
It is also easier for the obese to do the shorter sessions.
Although brief workouts do not burn great numbers of calories, metabolism will remain elevated for a time after exercise. So even if only a few calories have been lost over time they will contribute ignificantily to maintaining a healthy weight.

I thought this all sounded very interesting so I tried it the last couple of days.
I have been able to do much more total exericise this way.

For instance when I did my Gazalle all in one session the most I could do (on average days) was somewhere around 35 minutes give or take and then I was done for the day.

But yesterday and the day before I did several shorter sessions on my Gazelle
(ie 30 , 15, 11, 10, 20 etc) and by the end of yesterday I had worked my way up to a whopping grand total of 107 minutes for the day. I REALLY PUSHED myself yesterday. I will not always be able to get such a high total number, but it will hopefully always be higher than the original 35 minutes.

I found it was easier to get my butt on the Gazelle when I told myself it was going to be just 11 minutes instead of 35. I even have 3 songs that I listen to that take exactly 11 minutes to play. Sometimes I play them once and sometimes I play them twice for 22 minutes.

What do you Alternachicks think? Since my daily total minutes was so much higher was that better or is it better to try to go the distance with one very lengthy session (heart rate up and all that). But don't forget my intension is not to build muscles right now but to lose weight as quickly as possible.

Pookie, I remember hearing something to that effect about five years or so ago. I was excited with the idea that even ten minutes at a time could get my heart rate up enough to burn fat. If it works for you, then do it! It IS difficult working out for long stretches at a time.

Thanks ELLIS

I'm such a science nerd, my first impulse is to say "let's set up an experiment to find out if this works." So I'd say try it for 2 - 3 weeks, and keep close records of the experience, not just how many minutes you put in but also how you feel while doing it, plus your weights and measurements. I would play very close attention to my breathing at this level-- in other words, is the exercise helping me breathe more deeply and regularly, without gasping. At your level, it's vital to get the aerobic capacity up-- that way you can gradually build endurance and burn more fat.

But if you find this method doesn't work out, don't worry about it. My whole weight loss project has been a string of experiments, trial and error. I try to do something a tiny bit differently every day, just to see what will happen. A lot of these trials don't work out-- no big deal. If you think about it, the arts and sciences operate by trial and error.... so.... it's all good, just keep fiddling with it.... GO POOKIE!

2 miles WATP.

Thanks SEEK I agree with you it is good to experiment. I will try it for awhile and see how it goes. --Pookie

Pookie - I agree with Elllis, do whatever works for you. Some exercise is obviously better than no exercise. The methodolgy regarding metabolism seems sound to me. I have a gazelle too, and I think I will do what you are doing - lot's of little stretches because thinking about doing more just keeps me away from the darn thing.

Monday - walked 30 minutes
Tuesday - belly danced for 60+ minutes

Teufelchen I am still not sure which way is better.
I think I will check my heart rate after one of my 11 minute sessions and compare it to my heart rate after a 33 minute session and see how much of a difference there is.

What is the story behind your user name? Is that your given name or a nick name? Thanks, Pookie

Hey, I haven't gone bowling in a long while! That sounds fun. My 17 yr old son likes to--maybe he will go with me.

Did Cathe Friedrich's Bootcamp workout.

First the exercise for Wednesday - walked 25 minutes

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Pookie - Teufelchen is German. It means little devil. Hence the little devil as my signature and my avatar. Teufel is devil and chen is a diminutive and can be used as an endearment in that form. And yes, I speak German.

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Have you guys ever "Rock(ed) and Bowl". It's a blast with all the music and disco lights.

Tuesday, May 12, 2004: rest (migraine)
Wednesday, May 13, 2004: walking all over Portland, about 5 hours, looking for something to wear to the opera on Saturday. My favorite formal skirt fell off when I tried to put it on!

Oh dear, another outbreak of my chronic foot in mouth disorder.
Thursday, May 13, 2004: Another 3 hours walking around the mall trying to find something to wear. Clothes shopping doesn't get any easier just because you are smaller.

BTW, I had one of the new Subway spinach salads with chicken at the mall. Pretty good, I thought-- I had them put brown mustard and red wine vinegar on it as a dressing, they thought I was nuts but it's tasty.