Any 10,000 Steps (Daily) Success stories?

NewLIFEstyle4ME

I use the FITBIT One and love it! My daily goal is 13,000 steps which is pretty easy to hit since I gave up my car about a year ago. I love beating my daily goal and competing with friends on the Fitbit website.

That's fabulous! I'm finding competing with myself in this 10,000 step business is super motivating to me--I LOVE IT!

NewLIFEstyle4ME

I'm finding this 10,000 steps daily is REALLY doing some damage to my lazy and sedentary ways. Yesterday I did over 11,000 and today I did 10,133, which included some serious fat crying sessions in mowing/manicuring my lawns today.

If anyone isn't trying this, please do...it's really a terrific challenge and as you see you've only got 5 or 6 thousand steps in, you'll find yourself going the extra mile (literally) to make it 10,000+ for the day...at least I sure do!

kapot

I got my fitbit today and managed 9700 steps, so really pleased with myself.

LvlyLars

I have a fitbit too but hadn't heard of earnedit. How is that??

ColleenDeBeasi

I'm in love with my fitbit one. I got it for Christmas and started using it on 12/26. I live in a major city, so getting steps isn't a challenge, but I challenge myself to get as many steps per day as possible- a minimum of 12,000. I usually am around 18,000-20,000.

Not a total success story just yet, but I am down 19.6 pounds since 12/26, even with some significant "life things" happening. It was a big eye opener to see how many calories I really needed- I'm actually super active, but I never felt that way. I routinely eat around 2,000 calories, and that seems to be working well for me!

charismanoodles

I use the FITBIT One and love it! My daily goal is 13,000 steps which is pretty easy to hit since I gave up my car about a year ago. I love beating my daily goal and competing with friends on the Fitbit website.

I just got my fitbit and it's amazing how encouragaing it is! love it

LissaK1981

I have hit my 15,000 daily steps 3 times but have yet to hit my 20,000.

ktsmom430

Activity

17716 steps taken
53 floors climbed
You have climbed: The World's Tallest Tent
7.31 miles traveled
2497 calories burned
1533 active score
Top Daily Step Badge
15,000 steps
Top Daily Climb Badge
50 floors

This is my fitbit one dashboard from 4/17/13. Typically, I am getting 17,000 to 18,000 steps M-F, with 60 minutes of cardio (mostly elliptical) weekends, I get 12,000-15,000 and walk 3 miles each day. I got my fitbit on 2/9/13. I love it. It is a great motivator and challenges me to do more. My next goal is 20,000.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Activity

17716 steps taken
53 floors climbed
You have climbed: The World's Tallest Tent
7.31 miles traveled
2497 calories burned
1533 active score
Top Daily Step Badge
15,000 steps
Top Daily Climb Badge
50 floors

This is my fitbit one dashboard from 4/17/13. Typically, I am getting 17,000 to 18,000 steps M-F, with 60 minutes of cardio (mostly elliptical) weekends, I get 12,000-15,000 and walk 3 miles each day. I got my fitbit on 2/9/13. I love it. It is a great motivator and challenges me to do more. My next goal is 20,000.

This is sooooo tremendously encouraging and super inspirational...you ROCK my friend, period! WOOT:drinker: :flowerforyou: Look at your results....super WOW and YAY!

NewLIFEstyle4ME

My company started a walking program with a cheap pedometer in November. Each month our goals changed. (First month was just 5000 3 times a week.) This month it is 25,000 steps a week.

In January, I started walking a bunch. I walked over 80 miles in January. I got my FitBit at the end of February, and I don't think I've had less than 5000 steps any day. I beat 10,000 most days. I've hit 15,000 half a dozen times, and 20,000 2 times.

I do have trouble getting flights of stairs in because I am rarely in a two story building, Although my new gym's cardio is upstairs. One of these days I'm going to get brave and try the stair machine. My record is 12 flights.

Having the pedometer has definitely helped me keep on track. Some nights I'll walk around my house or stand behind the couch and march or run in place to increase my steps. (Better than sitting on the couch!!)

Love this, especially standing behind the cough marching Also, stair climbing is really under-rated. I have this little doo-hickey by Nordic track, it's called the nordic track mini stepper and this thing is FIERCE. It has elastic resistance bands for full body/upper body work-out and again, it's a little thingy, but powerful as all get out. I found my at sears on sale a couple of years ago for under $25.00 bucks! It's help accomplish the daily steps for sure and then some!

iamabutterflychaser

I made a goal of 10,000 steps, but I have only reached it a couple of times. It's difficult when you have a desk job, because I do such little walking at work. Even when I wear it during my regular workout (Curves), I may only get up to about 5 or 6,000 in a day. I did figure out that a mile for me is around 2,750 steps, so if I have time to also go on a 3-4 mile walk, I can easily reach 10,000 +. Since wearing the pedometer, it really makes me realize how little I'm moving in a day. But, as a result, I am now going out of my way to figure out how to get more steps in throughout the day. Awareness is key!

edspillane

I am trying to average 12,000 steps a day. It's hard but the next 60 days I'm committed to doing it. Fitbit is great for that. If you have fitbit, feel free to friend me there because it's nice to compare steps per day.

edspillane

The only time I hit over 20,000 was while walking at disneyland! Needless to say I ate a lot that day!

LJCannon

:drinker: I usually getAT LEAST 10,000 steps a day. I am Not Absolutely Positive how much impact that has on my Success, as I tend to Exercise A Lot, and I don't even wear my Pedometer when I am on a Machine like the Bike, Treadmill, or Elliptical.
The Pedometer just reminds me to stay active.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Went out walking today and my son said "Mother, I found your other stepper counter, can I have it?" They got me this ultra cool watch thingy called a nano and I love it. A Few weeks before that, they got me this other step counter thingy. Anyway, I told him no, that I wanted it just in case, turned it on--put it in my pocket and was out the door. I also turned on my watch stepper. After my long long walk, I checked my stepper watch and BLAST! I didn't turn it on like I thought I did--and lo and behold...I remembered I had my stepper thingy in my pocket, so I got my steps (minus the mowing time, but that's okay). I was THRILLED and I'm always going to keep this extra one with me just in case! My steps today (minus my mowing) was 9066--:drinker:

dessyjo

Now you have to go buy your son one.

Lorax250

As a college student my average was at 8k from just walking to and from class. Living in the city made it easier to walk more as well. Now that I'm home, I'm lucky if I hit 3k because I work a desk job.

sbrownallison

I've been aware of the 10K step recommendation over the years and bought a couple of pedometers that were crap so I gave up on them. I would pace my usual walking routes in my car to get a ball-park estimate of mileage. Very frustrating. In mid-November I got a Fitbit One and it has changed my life (well that may be exaggerating a bit). It has re-set my motivation about moving my body. I love this device -- and it is so accurate. I exercise at the Y 3-5 hours a week, but also try to get my steps in, especially if my schedule doesn't allow for the gym. Last Thursday I walked around my neighborhood for two hours (lot of hills) and ended up with 13K steps, 5.3 miles, and 52 stairways! So cool to watch the Fitbit dashboard on the website and see goals being met. Enjoy your 10K challenge.

judtod

I had made 10,000 steps a day my goal since joining MFP nearly a year and a half ago. Like others posting on this thread, I have a desk job, so for me to get to 10K would require an actual effort to go out and exercise. At first I was hitting the goal about half the time - there were too many days that I would blow off the daily walks.

In February of last year I read an article online that changed my entire attitude. Basically, it describes a technique that helps you focus on your daily commitment to your goals, and does so in a visible, tactile way. I've posted about this before, but it's really a great article.

http://lifehacker.com/5886128/how-seinfelds-productivity-secret-fixed-my-procrastination-problem

I kept my first streak going for nine days, and then ended up getting sidelined with the flu. But I picked it up again and kept the chain alive for nearly seven weeks. That streak was broken last Easter because I was traveling to visit my daughter and her family. I haven't missed a day since - and passed the one-year mark this past Monday.

If 10,000 steps is too many to work into your schedule at first, start by setting a more modest goal. Once that becomes comfortable for you, bump your goal up a notch and let yourself settle in to the new routine. Before long you'll be hitting 10K steps every day, and the idea of skipping a day won't even cross your mind. Good luck!

This is a great article! I am going to use it to get myself to finally clean my house.

caitlyn30

3,202,106 steps since I started using my fitbit.



Activity
10232 steps taken today
102% of goal of 10,000
12 floors climbed today
120% of goal of 10

You have climbed: The Tallest Snowman

4.07 miles traveled today

Hopingforchange

This is from last week:


63,794 steps which is just over 9000 steps daily, 98 floors climbed, 26.44 miles traveled. Love the Fitbit.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

Now you have to go buy your son one.

Yep! But now I have to get TWO more, because I left that other blasted thing in my pocket, washed my jeans and it's ruined now:sick: ...So, I'll get another back-up one for myself and my darling boy!

ddzubow

When I first began MFP, my daily steps were around 5K (I work a 9-5 desk job). I was completely disheartened when I realized that I was only halfway towards the "healthy norm" of 10k steps a day. However, after making several small changes in my daily routine, I've upped my average daily steps to 11-12k without too much effort. Here are a few tips that worked for me:

1) I take the train to work. There's a stop 2 blocks from my office, but I now get off at the stop before about 3/4 mile from my office and walk. If you drive into work, just park as far from your office entrance as possible.

2) Talk a short walk after lunch. I take a half hour walk, but even 10-15 minutes would give an extra 1-2k steps.

3) In line with #1, always park far away from restaurants, stores, etc when you're out. It may only a few hundred steps, but it's something.

You could also take a short walk after dinner, walk your dog if you have one for 10-15 minutes in the evening. It all adds up and makes 10,000 steps achievable for those of us who work desk jobs.

Hope this helps for those of you that find it difficult to reach 10k!

lehuagirl

I am going to get a FitBit. My success story was that I worked a retail job where we were haulin all the time. I noticed I was losing weight and believe me, I would know if I was actually trying So I got a pedometer (very cheap) but my steps in a 7 hour shift measured 14,000! I was so pleasantly shocked. Then I tried the ped on a normal mom day... groceries, carpool etc. Thought I'd get to about 7k and need to make up the rest in exercise. I was only at like 4500! Wow what an eye opener. I also learned that those 10-12K steps I was doing at work made me "glisten" occasionally, but I was not sweating bullets all day and sore the next like some huge power workout I think I have to do. Slow and steady and consistent wins the race...

lehuagirl

Also, a co-worker and I looked it up and I think 10K steps is about a 5 mile walk. Is that consensus?

HannahJDiaz25

On days I am not way way too busy at work I'll get up and walk one lap around our three floors at my office every 30-45 minutes. That plus my workouts and a walk after dinner puts me up to 10000 at least 4 times a week. (If you go shopping at Cosco or SAMs you will be surprised how easy it is haha!

OlyCapitalChick

Sorry this is long. Hope it helps someone else in similar shoes.

So I read about the 10K steps a day idea and thought well at least I can walk (sort of).

I got my fitbit from Amazon and man was I crushed when I put it on and after 1 week I was barely getting 2500 steps a day! 3500 was a good day. This was seriously bad news….10k seems like a triathlon from that starting point.:sad:

This is what I did to get to 10k steps a day.

- Starting Point: No activity, closer to 300lbs than not, and very, very little muscle strength in ankles, hips and knees.

- Figured out I needed to break it up into proverbial baby steps (screw the heart rate thing, I just needed to get my legs to swish back and forth 10,000 steps a day and there was no way I could mentally or physically sustain a huge chunk of walking. I would rather stab myself in the eye.

1. The Math: 10,000 steps – 2500 steps = 7500 steps to get done.

2. I noticed that on average it was minute for a 100 steps (like I needed to walk 75 minutes) - (math is 'ishy')

3. If I walked 10 minutes in the morning = 65 minutes left
4. If I walked 1x 15 minute break = 50 minutes left
5. If ate my lunch at my desk before my 'official lunch' break I could drive home and walk the treadmill 20 minutes, touch up my hair/makeup brush my teeth and be back at work on time. (-20 more minutes down) = 30 minutes left
6. If I walked the second break (-15 minutes) = 15 minutes left
7. In the beginning (first 2 weeks) If I was dying from the pain both mentally and physically I would use my recumbent bike 15 minutes (at level 2) and consider it done
8. Or I would dig super deep and walk the last 15 minutes

So here is the good part if I got more daily steps in I could eliminate that ‘end of the day’ 15 minutes or rest on one of my breaks.

Some tricks I do. Note: Don’t judge... if..well..some seem, “bad employee-esque” --I have given my everything to my company, gotten treated like *kitten* and my health has paid the ultimate price.

Tips to get more steps:

1. Park farther away – this is like against everything I have ever known and felt soooo ridiculous and I know everyone saw this at work and thought: OMG she’s not parked ‘in the doorway!’ I am known for front row parking...
2. Since you can generally go to the bathroom whenever the need calls: drink a crap ton of water and then you will have to go wee-wee. So now walk to the opposite side of the office to use the bathroom drill into your head "Breaks for walking not wee time" wee on company time.
3. Print to the printer that is farthest away from your desk. And print lots more! Find stuff to print (sorry I know this is bad bad. :embarassed: But I am desperate. Don’t judge).
4. Walk over to visit folks and converse about work in person vs. instant messaging, calling or emailing.

I am on 32 days straight & down ~ 15lbs.:happy:

almasters90

I walk anywhere between 9,000 to 11,000 steps a day on top of whatever my norm is. I've been doing this for about 6 days/week for almost 3 months now. With my calories cut, I have lost 28 pounds so far.

Really works! Good luck and don't give up no matter what challenges you.

kimosabe1

I bought one of those gadjics and hit 10,000 steps and got blisters on my heels....lol....

eva512

I have been researching the fitbit for the past week. This thread has helped me to decide to just break down and buy the darn thing. I am very active at both jobs, but because I run around so much, I am never motivated to exercise. I hope the fitbit will motivate me to move more outside of work. Also love the earndit.com thing.. Free stuff for walking,can't beat that!