by Ethan Johnson
March 20, 2007

I'm well into my second round of 30 days on the treadmill. The first set was actually 26, due to doctor-ordered rest. But the minute the rest time was over, I was right back on the treadmill. Today I found out how or if my daily exercise is paying off.

Here are the numbers from the first 30-day block (February 3 - March 4, 2007):

Exercise:

• Average time on treadmill per day: 00:19:10 (HHMMSS)
• Average distance per day: 0.66 miles
• Average calories burned per session (according to treadmill display): 67.1
• Total calories burned for 30 days: 2013

Physical Results:

• Starting Weight (as of 2/3/2007): 295 lbs
• Ending weight (as of 3/4/3007): 283 lbs
• Average weight over 30 days: 290 lbs
• Weight loss/gain over 30 days: -12 lbs
• Hip circumference (referred to as the "Texas waistline"): 45.5 inches

Needless to say, while the first 30-ish days showed dramatic results, the second block is even better, although less dramatic. There seems to be an initial heady blast of weight loss, then slower losses, to the tune of about 1 pound every 5 days. Granted, I haven't really altered my diet, but this is pretty solid anecdotal evidence supporting the claim that if the only change you make to your daily routine is to walk for 30 minutes a day, you'll see improvement fairly quickly.

Next, I will spell out what my personal goals are. Perhaps I will surpass them, or fall a little short. Here they are just the same:

• Weight: 220 lbs
• Waist (belly, not hips): 38 inches
• Ideal pant size: 38 x 36 (36 x 36 would be really fab)

I won't get into medical stuff, such as blood pressure, because as a rule my vital signs are usually very good. I had a quacky doctor once tell me I was seconds away from Defcon 8 Diabetes, but no other doctor has corroborated this. Cholesterol was a concern, but again, we're talking "borderline", not "get thee to a quadruple bypass operation." I'm planning to take a physical soon to firstly get my progress on the record, and to get a fresh snapshot of the medical numbers so I can focus on them too. Getting the exercise started first was a major milestone.

As for the results of my labors, here's what happened today: Mar's car is being fixed, so she has mine. Which means my only method for hitting the town is my own two feet. I had an errand to run close by, so I walked to the bank, walked to the corner department store (1.4 miles, roughly, round trip), and to top it all off, I scaled a 6-foot brick wall with a shopping bag in tow. I mean, I found a foothold about 2 feet up, pushed myself up by my arms (!), straddled the bricks, swung my other leg over, sat on the wall, braced myself and the shopping bag, and dropped 6 feet into the alley behind my house. Not bad for "obese" and 38, eh? I haven't done that sort of thing since my teens.

I still have to hit the treadmill today, though. For anyone who is thinking about sensible weight loss but is unsure what to do, here's your hip tip for the day: Walk at least once a day (treadmill or not), every day, no excuses. Doctor's notes are OK though, but sparingly. I'll be honest: Walking on the treadmill is really boring, even with music. It's unnatural, really. But all of that unnatural walking got me ready for the real thing today. Sure, it was essentially across the street and back, but live in a hellscape like Dallas sometime and you'll appreciate the effort.

Frankly, if walking outdoors is an option for you, do it. Just have a backup plan (such as a treadmill) in place to deprive yourself of convenient excuses for not walking. I front-loaded the treadmill routine to establish the habit, and to prove to myself (if not the world) that I was serious about exercising. With that habit securely in place, it's time to introduce the next change. And so on.

Use physics to your advantage: If you're in motion, you'll want to stay in motion (and be restless). If you're at rest, you'll want to stay at rest (and be motionless).

Get moving! <EM>