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Creative Walking, Inc.
reviewed by Frances Benham
Robert
Sweetgall, in his former life an overweight cheesecake
fanatic and DuPont engineer, left his past behind in 1982 to
begin walking to save his life. From a family in which
males died early of heart disease, Rob decided not to become
a statistic. He has walked across America seven times,
including a 50-state walk of 11,208 miles in one year.
Funny, charming and disarming, Rob has presented
motivational workshops and seminars to over 500,000 people
worldwide. His Walking Wellness curriculum is now used by
thousands of schools and teachers in all 50 states.
Walking and teaching its power led Rob to start Creative
Walking, Inc. to support and manage his busy speaking and
walking life. To spread his message Rob has written a
number of books (or workbooks) which provide guidance and
logs for walkers to record progress. Research has shown
that successful dieters maintain progress records and
typically walk as their major exercise. Two of Sweetgall's
workbooks which may prove helpful to those who are trying to
control weight and to establish positive exercise behaviors
are described below.
Walking Off Weight Workbook provides a 14-day,
14-step program for developing a sensible program which has
been successful for many who previously had trouble
achieving dieting objectives. Sweetgall's lessons are
brief, humorous and informative. He starts by explaining
why diets don't work and in fact may be dangerous. He
advocates slow gradual weight loss resulting from small
life-style changes and moderate walking exercise. The
reader is challenged each day to participate in a creative
Walking Off Weight exercise, most of which take only 30
minutes. Each day’s lesson includes space to record
individual obstacles to be overcome, specific steps and
plans for that day, and finally changes in attitude,
behavior or physical being resulting from that day’s
effort. At the end of fourteen days, the
reader/dieter/walker will have gained valuable insight,
including how to establish new behaviors, and if the dieter
has been faithful to the program, weight loss will have
begun. And if needed the program can be repeated.
Co-authors for this work, Roba Whiteley, a nutritionist, and
Robert Neeves, a physiologist, add useful tips to
Sweetgall's realistic fun approach to dealing with a serious
health problem. The workbook sells for $8.95.
Once the fourteen-day Walking Off Weight program is
established, one may obtain further support and guidance
through another Sweetgall workbook, Walk the Four
Seasons: Walking and Cross-Training Logbook. This
365-day illustrated fitness diary with 20 walking-weight
loss programs for increasing metabolism, muscle mass and
cardiovascular endurance helps the reader to continue the
development of new behaviors with gradual healthy weight
loss. The log allows one to record daily and weekly
experiences. It teaches one to view food as fuel and to
learn to determine and to record daily caloric intake, daily
calories spent, mood, weather, resting heart rate, body
weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.
Walk the Four Seasons is full of sensible information
and guidance, including such things as walking with back
pain, depression, high blood pressure, osteoporosis,
pregnancy, arthritis and old age. Sweetgall's encouragement
for moderate exercise and gradual diet and behavioral
changes is supported by research which indicates that most
diets are a waste of time and almost certain to fail and
disappoint. On completing a year's log, one can fill out an
annual assessment form and send a copy to Creative Walking,
Inc. for another year's log at a discount. The initial cost
is $7.95 and the discounted price is $5.00.
This reviewer had the good fortune to participate in a
healthy heart seminar that included a half-day Sweetgall
walking session. It was fast-paced, filled with laughter,
information and great motivation. To order these workbooks
and find information about other Sweetgall publications and
motivational seminars, contact
Creative
Walking, Inc.
P. O. Box
50296
Clayton,
MO 63105
Tap into
his website at
www.creativewalking.com.
For a
live response, telephone 1-800-762-9255.
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