Friday, April 12, 2013 8:16 am

The days are getting warmer, and I am running out of excuses as to why I procrastinate the physical part to my journey. I love to walk. The fresh air, the beautiful scenery and the great feeling of accomplishment.

The rub is getting out the door, carving out that time for me. There are always dishes and emails and the list can go on for days. But if I want to change how I look I need to change how I live.

I sit in front of my computer roughly eight hours a day. I just sit. My fingers are the only part of me that get a workout. Thank God they are nice and thin. If I could only use my keyboard with my thighs.

Russell Pate, M.D., professor of exercise science in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia states, “The best time of the day is when you will do it most consistently, because the benefits of physical activity are tightly linked to the amount you do on a consistent basis.”

Recommendations from the American heart association suggest that on a weekly basis we should put in 2 hours and 30 minutes (150 minutes) of a moderate-intensity workout or 1 hour and 15 minutes (75 minutes) a week for a vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. Sounds easy enough. I can be healthy working out a few days a week. AHA’s alternate suggestion is kick it into full gear and workout five days a week: shorter time and more intensity.

I must admit I walked over three miles a day at my thinnest and I loved it: getting out there and working up a sweat. Not hard to do in South Florida where I lived. At 5-foot-3 I went from a very high 198 pounds at my heaviest (that time) to 130 pounds at my thinnest. I had a walking buddy, followed the When Where and Whys. The How was the walking. Still there were days I did not want to bother, but I was working all areas so well that I was always able to always make good decisions for myself.

I have started my How somewhat and walked my route a few times. I miss my walk on days I don’t. I can still come up with more reasons not to walk but I am winning the battle. I have found a walking buddy and when our schedules allow, we support each other not to back out that day. My present weight is 154 pounds; and will come down even if it’s one step at a time. My goal is 130 pounds and my target date is the Fourth of July.

Affirmation for the week: ”I enjoy the fresh air and it feels good on my face” I can just walk up and down the driveway for that one, no pressure, and look, I’m walking!

Martha T. Soto-Galicia, the president of The Lebanon Voice, is a longtime dieter and a motivational speaker. She lives in Lebanon