Since I'm starting in on my healthy lifestyle again, my walking is not much. I walk during each of my breaks, so I'm getting in about 20 mins. a day. I also walk for at least 30 mins. on my days off. When I am at my peak, I usually put in about 5 miles a day. I can't wait to get back there!

I remember using it (exercise) to "wipe away all the cobwebs & noise of the day", is how I always put it. Ever get home from work or get the dinner dishes done & just feel like your brain is full of noise, cobwebs & dustbunnies? That's how I feel a lot when work is crazy & home is hectic...which is going to be more & more frequent that we are far too quickly hitting the holiday season. Exercise is great way to relieve tension/stress, sort out your thoughts & release those endorphins!!!

Annabelle, how much does yard work count for excercise?? I decided I would mow the yard today. My husband decided to buy an edger that he'd been putting off replacing forever! Then we trimmed bushes, raked up the mowing remains, swept the edging mess and picked up the trimmings!! I feel like I got a workout. Don't feel so guilty for not going to the gym today!!

Oh, here is a current picture of me, I posted a before picture from 06 in challenge, from before I started losing so much weight. Thanks for this wonderful group.

You look wonderful, Carrie! Thanks for sharing your "after" picture! You are an inspiration.

I checked one of the online exercise/calorie charts and it says that during raking, you burn anywhere from 236-345 calories per hour, depending on your weight. Those folks weighing 130 pounds will burn 236 calories per hour, whereas people weighing 190 pounds will burn 345 calories. The lighter you are, the fewer calories you burn. These numbers compare to low-impact aerobics, so as far as I'm concerned, yard work counts as exercise!