Member Stories

I started this thing

“I started this thing in April of 2004. I was diagnosed with diabetes, and weighed 340 lbs (154 Kg). When I first started getting 3000 steps in one day was a major challenge. Now three years and a few months later I am at 270 lbs (122 Kg or 32 Kg lost!) I generally average between 9000 and 12000 steps per day. I feel great. I no longer need medication for the diabetes. I even lowered my WHR (waist hip ratio) from 0.87 to 0.85 which officially gives me one measurement so improved to be out of the "horrendously hideously BAD" category. It is a moderate! I also went through a very stressful last year. I was divorced, went back to college, had several job changes, had pneumonia (6 weeks on prednisone!); all things that in the past would have EACH resulted in a 20 or 30 lb (9-14 Kg) weight gain. I am happy to say that because of my "stepping" I haven't gained anything in the last year. I encourage all my friends to buy pedometers and I even give them as gifts. Its amazing because I got my first million steps of the year around 31 May. I will get my second around 1 Oct. Hopefully I will have my 3rd by 1 Jan... I want to do 4 next year. Its nice to be able to say I'm working on my second million!! Good luck and hugs Jenn monsterbabys3mom@yahoo.com”

hi Bronwyn,-good to know

“hi Bronwyn, good to know you are making progress at the gym and your walking. I am persisting with the walking and yoga. I had started by combining yoga and walking and was doing 5000 steps of walking and an hour of yoga. Now I have increased the walking part of the routine to 10,000 steps. I do not power walk, just go at an easy pace, but take a route that is steep, part of the way, and I have to huff and puff up the slope.I enjoy the tranquility and the changing colours of the morning sky and try to bring my mind and body in tune with the peace prevailing at the time. That in itself is such a joy. Hope you are having just as much fun. Bye for now. ”

hi all. -my name

“hi all. my name is michael and i at about 6 feet tall, used to weigh about 89kg. that is over the normal BMI but i never thought it was an issue, i thought it was normal. in oct 06 i started walking and wearing a pedometer. i now do about 14 500 steps a day. my weight has dropped to about 72 kg, thats a loss of 17kg or so. i have much more energy nowadays and feel much better i dont have any walking buddies - i'd love to have some on the list, doesnt matter whether you do more or less steps than me. if you are interested my email address is michael.ellis@bigpond.com Thanks, Michael”

Hi-I have reached another

“Hi I have reached another milestone, that of 5 million steps since I joined. it has taken me a long while and I'm only averaging about 8500 per day. However I'm still persisting, and i know it is doing good. I find it difficult to fit everthing in. So I will make a resolution to bring my average up by 100 steps by the end of the year, as I've been going for nearly three years this will take an effort of about an extra thousand steps to bring the average up by one step! Wendy”

I have been stepping

“I have been stepping since April 2007, wearing my pedometer every day. Yesterday i started to read other peoples stories and decided that it was time to really commit myself to the challenge. So today, so far I have logged over 13000 steps and by sharing my thoughts here I have made a commitment to carry through and walk 10000 steps per day. I will change my life for the better. Wendy”

Hi Raman,-Thanks for the

“Hi Raman, Thanks for the tip re yoga. I will speak to my specialist. I don't use the weights while walking ,just at the gym. My diabetes blood tests have dropped already ,the combination of walking and weights are working. Bronwen.”

Jenny i read your

“Jenny i read your post from july 29th. I had the gastric bypass surgery done 1 1/2 years ago. The surgery helps but you have to do the work. Exercise is a huge factor so keep up the walking and develope the positive attitude and it will get you to your goal. You say your alone here is my e-mail address if you need some one to talk to. tdaughtr@summitpolymers.com This program developed through work and so many of us have benefited from it. It so nice to see my fellow co-workers and friends taking their health serios.”

My name is Meleia

“My name is Meleia and I'm 51. It's amazing to me that I've walked 409,000 steps since june....that is 204 miles. I want to begin to run, however I'm walking at a pace of 3.6 mph. I'm very excited about being over 50 and as active as I am. ”

I just breached my

“I just breached my first million steps --and it feels real good. Just short of 12,000 steps per day, I found my walking not intense enough so I've been using my scooter --a push scooter which really works up the intensity of my travel time. Much more so than bicycling. (I have arthritis and bikes are a difficult mount and too hard on the knees. Scootering is like walking/jogging but without the weight bearing foot strike) I'm going to trade up to a KickBike (even easier to push)but keep this present scooter -- with 20 inch wheels -- for shopping trips(as I've rigged it up for cartage). When you don't scoot/kick you get off and push -- like wheeling a pram . But the walking has given me the confidence to do that after losing all hope of being so mobile. Now I trade off my intense scoot for so many extra walking credits. So I try to scoot every day as well as go for a scheduled walk. I've had a scooter for three years now and really love the ease of the transit it offers. Mine is a dogscooter built from a canibalised BMX. Yes you can 'run' with dogs -- like sledding. Mush! My terrier is too shy to go full out -- but my last dog loved to run with the scooter. But it's hard work if thats' what you want(and no dog is pulling). It aint a walk in the park to scoot around and especially up a hill.But you work the whole body. Full stretch/ drive from the thighs. Kick out and follow through... I reckon it's the next step up (and only a short one! -- 4-6 inches!) from walking. ”

Hello ,-I have just

“Hello , I have just read a previous story from David who is 59and wants to becomea vittual Walking Buddy. I would be willing to invite David to join my walking buddies. David or anyone else who wants to join if you post email address here I will invite you to our group. Hope this helps Marjie”

Hello All,-My name is

“Hello All, My name is David I am 59, and I live in Queensland, I have only recently joined 10000steps as a result of a friend - who I later found out is not a member anyway, currently I walk for about 1 1/2 hours from 0410 in the morning and have just started to reach my morning goal of 12000 steps. At that time of the day no one is willing to go walking with me, so, it's just me and my dog!!. I am interested in perhaps a virtual walking buddy, preferably in the same age bracket simply as a form of mutual motivation, any Australian state or o/seas country would be fine. I have no idea as to how this would or could work but the 10000steps office suggested to give it a go..Would there be any takers? like to hear from you. Regards...David”

Hi everyone. My name's

“Hi everyone. My name's Andy in Western Australia. I'm 44 now - have exercised all my life but have seen my weight gradually kick up over 120 kg (I am 6'4) over the past five years or so. My training regime always used to keep my weight down but a cycling accident plus years of running in dodgy shoes on tarmac have shot my knees so I was looking for something to supplement weights and kayaking. I'm only on week 2 now - any difference? Well, hard to tell - our new pup seeems pretty fit and I've taken to walking with 15 kgs in my rucksack - just to add to the workout, and that seems to be pretty hard. I really like the motivational factor - I'm much more inclined to take the pooch out in the evening to bump the steps up and enjoy factoring in other exercise. Anyway, watch this space. Good luck everyone else and I'll keep you posted. Todays weight 116 kg. Cheers Andy ”

hi Bronwyn,-it may be

“hi Bronwyn, it may be possible to avoid the pills for diabetes by doing yoga exercises. And the exercises are not all that exhausting or taxing. I do yoga postures (asanas) and breathing exercises (pranayama)as part of my daily limbering up. Any yoga centre should be able to tell you which ones to take up. I have seen people walking with weights but had no idea it has to do with diabetes.One lives and learns. Bye for now. Raman ”

Hi Raman,--We appear to

“Hi Raman, We appear to be the only walkers over 75, I will be 77 next month. I have now walked over 2,100,000 steps since the 1/1/2007. Just recently I went to a diabetes seminar and learnt that when you have diabetes it is important to use weights as well as walking. I have now joined a gym and have started on the Uni Balance Programme that includes weights. I am trying to stay off the diabetes tablets and keep my A1C level to below 6. At around 6 1/2 I go onto the tablets. I know I won't be able to stay off the tablets forever, as diabetes is a progressive disease. All the best with your walking, I'm sure you will enjoy the site. Bronwen. ”

Hi everyone-Wow, it is

“Hi everyone Wow, it is fantastic to read your stories. It does give so much inspiration to so so many people. I have started to struggle recently in my commitment to walking and loosing weight, as I have surpassed my goal weight,(Goal 65kg, I am now 57.4 and 163cm short!) but the fear is still there that I will put the weight back on if I cut back on the walking, the drive to walk was been getting a bit low. In saying all of that I dont want to loose any more weight, I want to maintain. So I need to keep on walking, a bit of a dilema! So reading everyone elses struggles and wins, my issues dont seem as difficult. I will get on the treddie tonight. Pat Melbourne”

Hi Jenny--You go girl.

“Hi Jenny You go girl. Just over a year ago I was 98kgs and only 153cm tall and killing myself, people stared at me and even my kids called me names. By Feb this year I had gotten down to 66kgs and a size 12 my kids are now my best friends as we now run together, go horse ridding and spend time together and they are no longer embarrassed by me, I did the 10,000 steps challenge last year and found that walking with some friends became my inspiration to really get out there. Keep going and no matter how hard it is some days to drag your body out of the house do it anyway even if it is only for 10 minutes. I will be joining the challenge again this year and Im hoping to have dropped the last 10kgs that I want to have gone by Christmas. Remember to take it slow as that is the key to not putting it back on again and always keep a smile on your face. Kel”

Hello All,--I started the

“Hello All, I started the 10000 steps program because I was embarrased of what I saw staring back at me in the mirror. My wife was saying that she didn't care what I looked like (Which was great) but it didn't make me feel any better. Before I started stepping (11/05/2007) I weighed 96kgs @ 183cm and I was only completing about 4000 steps a day. I couldn't keep up with my 2 year old son, and with another on the way I was fearing that I would soon trip over the century on the kilo front. I was so scared. I made some tough dietary decisions (Cutting out my best friend sugar was the hardest thing) and I now complete about 12-13000 steps a day. It was hard at first getting the steps up, but having my little pedo' friend (I named him Pedro) and watching the numbers rise is very addictive. I now weigh 85kgs and the mirror and I are talking again. I now give my son a run for his money. Reading the stories of ordinary people has inspired me to achieve something I thought was impossible. I now truly see movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience. Good Luck to everyone - If I can do it, so can you! Joseph & Pedro”

hi Jenny-Thanks for sharing

“hi Jenny Thanks for sharing your story, please keep us updated. This months chalange should be good for you as you can set the number of steps at what is achievable for you. What a sense of achievement you will get when you complete your first chalange or clock up ypur first million steps. Slow and steady... I'm sure everyone who has read your story is wishing you well. Wendy”

Hi Jenny,--I was also

“Hi Jenny, I was also moved by your story, keep going and you will walk yourself towards your goal. I have been with 10000steps a year now and have slowly walked off the weight. I know it will seem to take forever but it is worth it. In just over a year I lost 18.4 kgs. and I am still walking towards my goal weight. I find the challenges each month are helping me to stay on track and also reading other walkers stories, so never give up and you will feel better about yourself. I recently had a bad fall, tripping and hitting my head on a tree. You should of seen the bad bruising I had all over my face it took 5 weeks for it to clear up, and yes I still did my walking. I hope my story so far will help Suzanne. Newcastle . N.S.W. ”

Jenny..--You will certainly lose

“Jenny.. You will certainly lose whatever weight you want to lose, because I can sense from your words the will to do so.. Your mind is now clicked into the "lose weight mode" and you'll definitely lose it. Good luck, and keep us updated with your progress.. And be patient, very patient.. Belal”

hi walkers and especially

“hi walkers and especially Bronwyn and Jenny, I was checking up to see if there were any people over 75 on the programme and was delighted to read Bronwyn's story. Age is no barrier in the effort to stay healthy and take up challanges. And then there is Jenny with her predicament and her determination to get over it. I am sure she will do it, she is already more than half way there, having made a positive start. Keep it up everyone. Best of luck with your goals. I joined only three days back but already feel a bond with the walkers. Raman ”

hi, my name is

“hi, my name is Raman,I live in Kenmore, Queensland, Australia. I am a seventy six yeas old ethnic Indian male. I stopped working recently and have taken up the challenge to do 10000 steps for twenty days in the month to begin with. I have always enjoyed walking but never kept a check on how much I do, and have been casual about exercising. I need to be disciplined and the programme provides the tools to keep a check on what I am doing. I am short, 164cm and the weight is 67kgs, which is OK but I would be happier with a couple of kilos less, around the waist. In any case it is fun to share the story with others and see how we are all aspiring to keep fit and the way we go about it. Diet is important. I am a vegetarian, and I gave up smoking around twenty years ago. I intend to go on a cycling and hiking tour through Cambodia, Vietnam,, Laos,Thailand,Mynmar,Bangladesh on my way to India in January 2008 and mean to be resonably fit by the time I start. Wish me luck. ”

Jenny--Now you have joined

“Jenny Now you have joined the website, you are no longer alone in the world with this. The longest journeys start with just one step and yours was sharing. Good luck, there are people half way round the world want you to succeed so keep going! Jo England”

Hi Everyone--My name is

“Hi Everyone My name is Jenny and I am morbidly obese @168kgs, 160cm tall. I personally think I am going to die if I do not do something soon. I have even had my stomach stapled and I am still getting bigger every month. My only hope left is exercise. So I have a pedometer and I am walking and I go to boxing lessons as it allows me the opportunity to vent my anger. Why am I angry? I am angry because I have allowed this to happen to my body. I did this to me and I need to fix it. I can no longer live a normal life unless I do. I cannot fit in chairs,people stare at me, its an effort to move. I am alone in this world so I have chosen this website to record this journey. I will be successful you just wait to hear. 2300 steps is all I can manage so far, I will get better. Jenny Townsville Qld”

Hi Again--I've just finished

“Hi Again I've just finished my first I Challenge - The Alaskan Glacier Adventure, four days earlier plus I've also hit the 1 million step mark. I'm still working at achieving 10,000 steps a day but I've been adding the other activites to my total, so I can still reach my mark even if my steps at work have been low, I know I can catch up by working out in the gym or swimming a few extra laps in the pool. Since wearing the pedometer and learning how much or how little I do each day at work and at home I can use my pedometer as a gauge/tool to see how much more i can or need to do, then push myself further each day to beat my previous total. I really enjoy participating in the challenges - we're currently participating in the National Heart Foundations "Climb to the top" challenge to stair climb, step, swim, run and cycle the equivalent of Mount Everst during the month of August, so we are preparing ourselves for the challenge (approximately 2212 floors of stairs to the top). See you at the top! Stacey Perth WA Australia (the most isolated city in the world - lots of wide open spaces to walk in)”