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What’s your goal?

I talk about walking, again

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Short
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3 mins
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710 approx.

Hello everyone. I wrote about my walking challenge a while ago. Lately, I walked way less than before, and it is starting to worry me that I might not be able to complete the challenge. I just want to give an update as well as share some of my thoughts.

My daily step goal was set to 10K. I’ve successfully achieved the goal for the past three years and each time I can get a 10% discount on my insurance fee. It was a streak and I completed the challenge without thinking too much about it. So, I thought to myself, why not set the daily steps goal to 12K. That was a mistake. Never set your expectations too high.

I want to share with you that I didn’t really pay attention to the daily steps in the past. But I made it without the feeling that I was pushing myself, or being stressed out. I have walked less than before in August and September. Because I’ve got Plantar Fasciitis. I can feel the pain in my left foot in the morning when I wake up and get out of my bed. But I haven’t seen the doctor yet. I have to rest more and am hoping it might be healed naturally.

Apple Fitness screen capture showing a daily goal of steps taken, distance, and Kcal
Apple Fitness screen capture showing a daily goal of steps taken, distance, and Kcal
Apple Health screen capture displaying a 6 months steps trend
Apple Health screen capture displaying a 6 months steps trend

Here’s some takeaway. The more you want something to happen, the less likely it will. If there’s one thing you desperately want to accomplish; relax, be cool about it. Don’t overthink it. What’s the big deal if it don’t?

With the new iOS 16, they made the Fitness app one of the default apps on my iPhone. Which means I now have 3 different apps to track my steps: Fitbit, Health, and Fitness. Is that really necessary? Fun fact, Fitbit app can only support light mode, and for Fitness, it’s the opposite. I have no idea why. They all did the same thing, but I prefer the Fitness app's simplicity. Because I don’t have an Apple Watch, so some of the features may be hidden from me.

I’ve now set the goal to 400 Kcal for each day which is around 7K steps. It’s lower than 10K but I think I will stick with that for a while. To be honest, 7K steps a day is terribly low. But I can now close the ring more comfortably. Screw the challenge. It’s not about the numbers; what matters is that I’m still walking everyday. Walking is the point.

Fitbit screen capture showing heart rate zones and calories in a walk
Fitbit screen capture showing heart rate zones and calories in a walk
Fitbit screen capture showing the step trend for a week
Fitbit screen capture showing the step trend for a week

Apparently, I’m not a outdoor person. But I do want to keep my body exercised to some level. I don’t want myself to stare at screens for too long. Like my eyes glued to my phone, or computer. For a daily walk, maybe there’s 10% of it was climbing up a slope. It gives some cardio and I’m sweating a lot. Some rules during a walk: keep moving, maintain a pace, don’t pause, and carry as little as you can with you. I find it better if the walk is close to nature. If you live in a concrete forest for too long, it helps. I like to feel the wind.

My goal is to keep myself moving. Don’t be too lazy. I guess, it’s better than sitting on your couch and watching TV. I’m also looking into Podcasts that I can listen to during my walk. Thing is, I’ll need to focus on listening and might get myself distracted and bump into a tree or something. Isn’t that funny? So, we’ll see. See you next time.

This is #Day66 of #100DaysToOffload.

  1. “Plantar fasciitis” or plantar heel pain (PHP) is a disorder of the plantar fascia, which is the connective tissue which supports the arch of the foot. via Wikipedia ↩︎