Hotel Star 5: Challenge # 2 : Take 20,000 Steps in One Day

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Challenge # 2 : Take 20,000 Steps in One Day

I have a goal of losing 20 pounds to get back down to my wedding weight. As most of you know, it's not easy especially if your work revolves around partaking in fantastic food and wine. I refuse to run because I hate it and I can never go on a diet because dieting turns me into a hungry and crabby Asian beast.

So last month, I signed up for my club's Virgin Health Miles program which rewards participants points for any activity, and with the help of a pedometer, the program also keeps track of all my steps in a simple online format. I'm determined to lose these last 20 pounds by being active - squash, walking when playing golf, walking and lifting weights.

I take about 4,000 steps on a typical work day. While the goal of 20,000 steps is not necessarily difficult if you live in a pedestrian city like New York and Paris, 20,000 steps in Grand Rapids takes some effort and creativity. We have a treadmill at home, but that's off limit for this challenge.

Here's what I did to achieve my goal. I also took my camera along to highlight some of the sights I discovered during my walk.:

In the morning, my wife and I took a walk around Reeds lake by our house which counted for 10,850 steps. Instead of driving to our favorite Indian restaurant for lunch, we walked to the restaurant with the kids which accounted for another 6,500 steps. In the afternoon, I took my daughter Francesca to the driving range for some daddy-daughter bonding - another 1,500 steps. With a little over 1,000 steps to go, Francesca accompanied me to Gaslight Village to get my favorite coffee. Mission accomplished!