This video below is fun for me because when I first started Walking to Lose Weight blog I wrote a post about avoiding excuses for not walking and included a video with the same topic and from memory the same doctor talking about walking for weight loss in the rain. In the first video he was holding an umbrella! Walking to lose weight is a lifestyle because of the dedication you demonstrate when overcoming the ‘issues’ that you can choose to let get in the way, or choose to look for answers or solutions to resolving the obstacle.

The first step is to make an attitude change if for some reason the ease of starting walking has led you to believe that you will never have to change your mind or food habits, make decisions supporting your new hobby and try doing it differently occasionally.

Walking in the rain or going to the gym, using a treadmill at home, walking early morning in the  local mall…These are some examples of solutions for weather problems that I use all the time!

Think of it this way-I am an active person (or becoming an active person) so I will do what an active person would do under these circumstances. An active person feels better for exercising so prioritizes it, an active person sees benefits for herself and others (children, partner, other walkers) from her activity, so feels good about doing it. An active person finds way to make walking, exercise, running more than a means to an end, because there is no end. Old age is not about sitting back and relaxing! Use the extra wisdom you’ve gained from those years and enjoy living.

However tiredness is a potential problem that can be resolved with trial and error. How much tiredness is from muscles and joints getting a workout for the first time ever perhaps? How much is from physical exhaustion? When you increase your level of exertion such as I did from the beginning of this month it has an effect on your tiredness during and at the end of the day.

Take a lesson from athletes and take care of yourself with proper treatment of injuries or concerns. There is a vast array of creams and potions for strains and blisters etc. so use self care first unless you have done something serious where professional help is necessary.

For hints and tips for how I stay above the real world issues that could prevent staying focused on walking to lose weight join my free mailing list for insight and advice from my ebook.

The point is to do as much with what you’ve got until the time you can develop higher fitness levels or have reached your personal limit. Stretch those boundaries to determine just how far you can go.

Keep on with the walking even if at lower intensity until any physical ailment resolves itself. If you are really tired then sleep-an early night or cat nap worked well for me when long work days added stress to the list of issues. Walking aids depression sufferers so it may actually be the ‘fix’ needed.

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Eating patterns develop over time. Repeated circumstances such as regularly hurrying to fit eating into a short space between tasks and choosing quick over nutrition, result in similar behaviors. The reason isn’t complex or deeply hidden- for most of us it is simply a habit. The choice is usually between one goal that supports weight loss and another goal that poor food choices satisfy. The goal that is more important at the time of the decision will be the choice made. For ease, ‘habits’ of eating take the thinking out of the process and this saves time, and also avoids an issue that may make us feel guilty or inadequate.

When I have a good time I eat less! Usually I eat less than my hunger. I find that by duplicating the environment that makes me happy not to eat I can make good food decisions easily. Introducing an eating environment that is separate from the family social occasion where I learned the bad habits of overeating and eating for stress relief has led me to a far more satisfying relationship with food. For instance I exercise before eating as much as possible. This often  means that walking to lose weight becomes social!

Also eating with those who you want to feel good with often means adopting ‘normal’ eating rather than ‘reward’ eating. It’s not a bad thing to have your eating restricted by decisions based on ‘what is right for this occasion?” For instance at a party: dips and canape can be messy so I avoid them; standing and eating is not an elegant look, particularly while juggling drinks and a bag; chips leave my hands greasy; smaller, one bite portions are easier to handle; etc.

I have modified my eating to satisfy my body’s needs yet let me ‘feel good’ about my eating. I am talking about the physical act of eating and this is about self image. If you haven’t had a preferred mental image than now is a good time to choose one. If instead you have had one that had nothing to do with good body habits, such as being the first person offered cheesecake (cos you love it so much), than make a different choice now, rather than letting a decision made many years ago still dictate your eating choices.

Walking to lose weight is an easy alternative to food for stress relief. Exercise, and consistently walking to lose weight, means you will have a daily natural source of decompression.

Time alone particularly if I am tired triggers a desire for food. As I have only added consistent exercise into my daily life over the last few years I have needed to develop a balanced way to assess my hunger. Sometimes I am hungry even when I’ve eaten what I thought was enough. It may not be my ‘old’ habit of eating to overcome tiredness.

Make it a game. To balance my food intake while exercising much more than I have ever done before on a regular basis, requires adjustments to my old style ‘diets’. You may have noticed watching The Biggest Loser and other shows that these contestants actually eat a lot! It is important to develop ‘snacking’ as a tactic for effective weight control. Fruits, drinks, small meals all enable you to monitor your stomach and feel if you require more food. In the past I would diet by being hungry a lot of the time. As I didn’t exercise that much this was not a problem. Hello…if you are seriously exercising and maintaining regular activity such as walking to lose weight then eating and drinking enough is vitally important.

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If you don’t understand how good it feels to live in an exercised body it probably means you have never done it and doubt the result.

The exercise and gym fan with the appropriate clothes and early start, is hooked on something. It is the natural high of endorphins and the benefits of feeling good. Feeling good can have a major influence on your lifestyle as you choose to enjoy it!

Walking to lose weight as a lifestyle embodies those who wish to have a life full of every day joys in the best way possible. Most adults do not get daily exercise and this can lead to health and weight problems in the long term. Having a diversion from your main daily focus whether family or work is also healthy, a way to relax from the peculiar stresses of your main life.

The more of an asset walking becomes in your lifestyle the more weight loss results. Eventually you will forget that the reason why you started walking to lose weight and do it for the many positive aspects it brings into your life.

To start feeling better about your body is a good way to get the right mindset for weight loss.

Think of your new body as you might an impressive loved one. Admire the willingness to do the best it can; its ability to perform at a new level and on an ongoing basis; thank your body by looking after it and responding to its needs. This is not an inventory of faults but encouragement and solutions. Identify when help is needed but be a supporter not an inhibitor. Over worry or in fact worry of any kind is a burden. Appropriate concern encourages finding solutions not giving up.

Be a guardian angel-make walking to lose weight a way to  ’enlighten’ your body!

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Because of this it can also come undone when the other layers of requirements are added if the whole basis of walking for the walker has been its ease. Adding 20 minutes a day is generally easy -remembering to do it being the biggest problem for most at this point.

After that it is the refinements to the walking to lose weight process which continues the weight loss and health/fitness increases, as well.  The first step is to get going and become a regular walker. Then once this is established start reducing the calories and volume of food eaten. Continue to upgrade the walking to lose weight process.

What is required:

• starting;

• adding to the time or intensity  level;

• watching what you eat;

• make sure you drink enough;

• correct any mistakes e.g. eating too little;

• add to the variety to stress muscles for higher calorie burn;

• repeat the process.

Stress, worries, physical changes- all have a detrimental impact on our bodies if we let them. Avoiding letting them requires strategies to avoid this. It is far easier to correct these as you go then try to back track and undo the cumulative effects of long term physical well being neglect. This of course is different from, although may include, medical care and wellness which often overlooks physical well being as a criteria.

The simple process of walking to lose weight can introduce general well being along with the weight loss which also contributes its own health benefits. However once you had successfully added the twenty minutes walking to lose weight each day, the game moves on- now it is time to do this twice a day, or add in an hours walk on the weekend, etc.

There is a lot to refine to determine exactly how you can get the best results for you. We recommend our newletter which is for those who want more positivity and energy in their lives daily! Sign up for The New Walker on the right hand side column and become part of the new-style walking to lose weight community.

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Having satisfied whatever desire to break the rule I felt at the time, I have returned to my first love which is walking to lose weight as a title. It seems much more meaningful to me and is a cornerstone of my well being strategy. Just as an alcoholic may think it better to see himself as an alcoholic even after numerous years on the wagon, I like the idea of keeping my weight loss maintenance through a walking (to lose weight) program.

Also as successful weight loss through walking requires preparation on the part of long term over eaters and under exercisers, the same is true for home based Internet Marketers when first starting out if you have worked for a large organization previously. The routines, responsibilities and logistics of working from home, and for yourself, make it normal to require a transition period for learning how best to create a high performance lifestyle.

The advantages of walking as a daily activity for home business owners is enormous- stress relief, creativity, mood control, health and energy improvements, physical well being, etc.

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That’s when pedometer steps helps! By wearing a pedometer daily it is easy to get started. In fact the busier the day the better. Make a game out of fitting in extra steps especially when it seems difficult. Walk while waiting, fill in time with picking up toys or clothes (bend and take each item back to its spot individually), walk from the back of the house or the office instead of shouting or phoning.

Walk to the shops. Walk to the other side of the car park. Walk down the stairs instead of using the lift.

Walking for weight loss can be taken too seriously. Walking or exercise can be taken too seriously.

Make it easy on yourself.

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When walking to lose weight particularly if you have come from inactivity over a long period say several years, stress can be eustress, the good type which has you jumping around with excitement or anticipation, and tends to mean that you can’t help but get either incidental or purposeful exercise because our bodies react to the adrenaline by wanting to move, or what we commonly know as stress the so called ‘bad’ stress which floods our bodies with hormones which call for action when at the same time we are forced to not act – maybe because a passive environment or role requires you not to act but restrict activity.

Think of watching an action movie or a chase scene- does your body move at that moment when the hero grabs the bad guy? Although your body is not involved but is physically inert the feelings produced are similar, the body reacts and wants to move. Watching a really good dance show makes you want to get up and move or jump around.

Our bodies are designed for action particularly as a defense mechanism (fight or flight) but also to celebrate joy. Thriving requires both bountiful rest and inspiration (breathing) as well as vigorous action.

When someone has not got their hormones in balance, if adrenaline is flooding the body without enough cortisol produced to balance back to stasis, then tiredness results. The body feels as though it has done a lot of physical work without having been active, and the mind races and without the balancing hormone required , cannot return to calm.

Balance.

Walking can be playful, invigorating and destressing. As your body adapts to the new amount of exercise, to increase your results, you need to increase the activity level by doing more or doing it faster/harder. However the body also needs rest to repair and restore. There comes a time when walking to lose weight, when you find your body is feeling “it” and not in a good way- unless you are the type who sees pain as gain.

The body adjusts beautifully, even miraculously, given the rest it needs. So for those times when you feel stressed about walking, consider the cause. There is a difference between motivational and physical reluctance. Ongoing or chronic overuse (stress) of the body requires rest. Acute or one-off incidents require walking through. If it is physical such as a strain, take it gently but do some activity. If it is mental such as tiredness from lack of sleep and too much anxiety do not overdo it but put some fun into the activity, a stroll along the beach with your kids (assuming this would be fun!) If your tiredness comes from depression, walk until your spirit lifts!

Sleeplessness and stress causes increased production of cortisol and this can cause a desire to eat calorie laden food (comfort food) and lack of motivation to exercise which in turn causes increase in fat retention.

Destress!

The good news? – the reverse is also true! Rest, good feeling, fun, lightness of being, recreation make well being, and weight loss, easier.

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