[Jules]

Hi ok.book.guy,
You don't have to join a gym, but you do need to do more than walking. A gym is a convenience, to get out of the weather, to have other people around, to have access to machines that make it easier to work out.

Walking is benefical, but 1) it's not a full body workout. It will not build muscles all over your body which is necessary to really get your metabolism up. 2) Your body will adjust to walking. It may really help you lose weight for a few months, but the body adapts itself and will sooner or later become accutomed to walking a lot. 3) It gets boring to do the same thing all the time. It's easier to stay interested in exercise if you have some variety.

There are lots of options that do not include a gym but do include variety, exercise more than just your legs, and are cheaper than a gym. Lots of us use exercise DVDs to help (such as the BL DVD), bike ride, chase after children, play sports, walk dogs, swim, etc. I hope some of these suggestions are helpful, each person has their own preferences. I use a gym because I am a student and its included in my tuition, plus I enjoy the group classes offered there. To each their own, but if it's not working or hard to maintain -try something else.