I know that taking on a walking to lose weight program can seem daunting. This is often the exercise of last resort and the walker must contend with multiple issues. Health can play into obesity and obesity affects health. Constricting yourself from exercise for whatever reason starts a trend towards inactivity that can have serious health problems including depression.

Walking for weight loss offers multiple benefits both physically and mentally. When you are ready to give up making excuses and put the power into solutions then walking to lose weight has a lot to offer.

This recent article, Traverse City Sports Writer Loses 200 Lb,  includes a significant amount of information relating to obesity. However one aspect I want to focus on for some of this post is the idea that others are a good gauge in any way. Mike let himself believe that his weight wasn’t extreme because his friends didn’t mention it. We often use unconscious selection criteria when choosing friends and associates. Overweight people often surround themselves with other overweight people. Under exercisers often surround themselves with other under exercisers.

Most likely he already believed he was overweight but was able to avoid it by making his friends the decision makers for his behaviour. He set a criteria he knew would mean he could deny the issue. The same process but used to find supportive thoughts, words and emotions, would have created the perfect environment for change.

Isn’t that saying the same thing? It’s wrong but it’s right? The answer is NO.

The first step for most people is to get the difference. One way is finding excuses not to make a decision to change his behaviour, the other is finding ways to make the process easy.

Listen to overweight people talking about their weight, or their body parts. Suggesting that someone interested in weight loss should remove it as a statement of their personal value is one way of using law of attraction principles to support walking for weight loss.

Weight loss shouldn’t be personal. Put better, weight loss processes work best when you depersonalise them.

Law of attraction and weight loss as a combination is a natural fit. Evidence presents itself everyday of the effective use of words and thoughts but especially emotions to prompt a new view of your body.

Come back in a few days to read my  next post, as I continue to explain the thought processes that make the difference when walking to lose weight. Law of attraction isn’t as scary as it may sound at first if it is new to you.

I am in the process of rewriting my book Practical Law of Attraction for Weight Loss. There will be a new version of the free chapters available also by subscribing to my Weekly Weight Loss  Hints and Tips email list from July.

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Summer is the only time I enjoy using a gym. It is a fantastic back up for when I don’t feel cool enough to vigorously exercise. The best walking for weight loss in summer is my favourite DVD in the air conditioning at home.

Some tips for walking to lose weight when the weather is hot or humid:

Hydrate carefully. Too much is not a good thing either but do make sure you’re sipping small amounts regularly. If you do vigorous exercise in the heat try the old trick of weighing yourself before and after, replacing the difference in your weight with its equivalent in water.

Avoid the heat of midday for exercising outside. Use sunscreen. Wear a hat and cover up in light weight clothing appropriate for exercise.

Even when exercising in air conditioning, if the temperature or humidity generally is high, your body temperature will go up more quickly than it would in winter. This is because your body is already working harder to keep your median temperature low.

It may be that the same amount of exercise you always do is actually more tiring at this time of year.

It is important to get your heated body back to normal as quickly as possible if you have done too much. Use a towel or washer wrung out in iced water on the top of the head. Repeat until a lower or normal temperature is achieved. Or tip a bottle of water over your head.

Dehydration means thicker blood, which requires the heart to work harder to push it around your body. Keep the water up!

Try some strengthening exercises to insure against injury if you’ve just sat through winter and spring. Walking is the best way to start back into exercise without over doing it but even then some parts of your body may need some special attention.

E.g.

ankles-use a step to stretch the tendons by standing with your toes on the step and allowing your heels to go back over and down below the step a few inches. Hold for 10. Repeat 10 times. Stand normally then rise onto your toes for a count of 10. Repeat.

toes- pick up marbles or other small objects with your bare toes to strengthen them.

calves -stretches will alleviate tightness.

thighs- these muscles can be strengthened by lifting the knee towards the chest while standing. In the meantime try walking up steep steps slowly.

Walking to lose weight in summer is cool!

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Yes overweight people have a life. Look at Oprah. Overweight isn’t a code word for loser but for lifestyle habits which don’t encourage bodily well being. What is needed is a life style which supports our continued healthy active well being.

Lifestyle change is the answer because hanging onto the lifestyle which caused the problem in the first instance isn’t.

If you are prepared to make weight loss a lifetime activity then lose weight and then go back to exactly what you were doing in your life before which resulted in the weight gain.

Lifestyle modification is the key. That means activity or walking or other exercise for several hours a week.

Somehow most of us seem to believe that keeping weight off should be easier than losing weight but is it?

Perhaps one day there will be a way for that to be true and that would be fantastic but let’s do what needs to be done today, today.

And eating less and exercising is only the start. When you are a successful weight loser than your focus shifts to keeping that wonderful feeling of living in your body instead of using your body as a way to feel less. Walking is a great way to start-it’s non-threatening- but a lifetime interest demands variety, to keep up the motivation of daily activity, when in our world, it is voluntary, not a necessity, to use our bodies, and consume less. So Wii Fit and walking DVDs, or other ways to keep yourself interested are good.

The good news is that it has recently been discovered that exercising 3 to 4 hours daily will keep obesity at bay, even if you have the newly discovered gene which predisposes 30% of Caucasians to obesity.

For example if you lead an active-around-the-home lifestyle which requires daily gardening, walking, housework to the point where you are moderately active for an extended time, say 3 to 4 hours, then you are unlikely to be overweight.
On the other hand I don’t think they’re saying that the people without this predisposition can avoid exercise, eat what they like and still not put on weight.

The real point here is the question of why finding out that 3 to 4 hours will stop any obesity tendencies is news? This is surely not a surprise.

Don’t bother going for a gene test when it is available: if you’re already obese or overweight you know that 4 hours of moderate activity daily would have avoided this problem. Does it matter if you know that you have the gene?

If you don’t have the gene does this mean you can avoid activity and still be healthy? Probably not.

With the enormous amount of research being done it is important to use it for good i.e. let’s not look for excuses for the condition, because it doesn’t matter why someone is fat unless it is a cause which can be changed.

Daily news activity on the web around just walking and weight loss provides constant examples of contradictory “evidence” for many popular approaches. People’s personal experiences show that they can lose weight. It doesn’t mean that everyone is going to lose weight that particular way. Scientific tests or results of research also offer solutions a lot of which are self evident such as eating less and exercising are good for weight loss, but again they often prove contradictory themes. Many reports say that doing a weight loss or exercise program with others and in groups is the most successful way to lose weight and many more deny this is the way to do it at all.

Is life so dangerous that we need scientific answers to avoid making the decisions which will lose the weight we have gained?

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Your imagination is not always an accurate measure of how much walking you are doing. If you have to borrow a pedometer, do, but get one. The advantage of building activity into your day is that it is easier to keep up into the future because it already feels so good and it’s a fun part of your day. However compared to walking on a treadmill which gives you a time and distance measure, walking and being generally active can be deceptive unless it is measured. One of the easiest and most reliable statistics you can use to ensure weight loss is to use a pedometer daily. Become an active person- which means a minimum of 8,000 steps daily. Weight loss starts at about 10,000 steps but if you’re serious try to be up around 12,000 to 15,000 steps daily.

Just using a pedometer has been shown to increase distance walked by one mile and the average user’s step count by about 2,000 daily, or around 100 calories.

Use whatever tools and accessories enhance your enjoyment of walking to lose weight time.

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Stars Who Are Walking to Lose Weight

This article has great walking for weight loss tips and makes a lie of my recent post saying walking to lose weight would never be a favoured celebrity sport.

During the course of writing the Walking to Lose Weight blog some questions arise with more frequency and generally are incorporated as part of posts rather than as specific answers to a question. Today though some questions will be considered and answered directly.

What numbers are appropriate when walking on a treadmill?

W..ell! It depends. Subsequent to my previous suggestions for ramping up the interest or results for treadmill walking it is revealed that there are many fans for using the treadmill for weight loss and adding in increases to your program to avoid boredom. Generally gym treadmills are considered the most accurate and flexible, with walking dvds and other accessories best for at home use, although there are many fans for home treadmills.

Ideal speeds etc. depend very much on your experience, height, weight, age…in other words very much up to you. For instance, in kilometres/hour speeds of 5.5 to 5.9 (around 3.5 to 4 miles/hour) are considered beneficial without over stressing the system. You may want to start on a warm up speed, gradually increase to this or higher level and do short spurts of running or other interval type training e.g. increasing the gradient for 2 minutes. At 5 foot 2 inches I run at around 7.6 km/hr (4.7 m/h) but a taller or fitter person would run faster. Shorter steps done faster is generally the best way to increase speed. Experiment with the gradient levels until you know what suits you. Remember that how you feel on the day will affect your capacity-so a tired body, or one that has sore back of the legs from hill walking may not be up to as high a level of gradient today as yesterday.

When starting walking the numbers on the dashboard can be confusing. A basic understanding of the meaning of the treadmill display information is helpful. In particular note that calorie burning information requires at a minimum input of weight information for any chance of accuracy.

Is walking in a shopping mall really an option?

Skeptics abound apparently about the feasibility of walking seriously in shopping complexes and achieving a decent walking to lose weight workout. Perhaps we can point out what is not a walking to lose weight mall experience. It is not strolling down aisles stopping every few feet to look at a price, or pushing and leaning on a shopping cart, or pulling two children reluctantly behind you with frequent stops, or sitting whenever possible- if you have to wait when walking to lose weight then stand!

Your local shops may not be ideal for this exercise. If not, look for venues which are: undercover markets which are large and regularly laid out; one or two level malls with inside/outside and underground levels work well. Air conditioning is a major incentive when walking outside isn’t an option because of the weather.

Many communities have mall walking clubs which generally operate before the centres open for shopping, sometimes with set routes. The main purpose of the group may not suit you as some are aimed at the elderly and frail for instance, and consequently would be slower but many are weight loss or fitness oriented. This doesn’t have to be your main option but it is a great backup.

Once you realise the attractiveness of walking in a well lit, comfortable, flat environment look around your local area to see other options you haven’t considered previously.

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There are many appropriate events for walking to lose weight by different groups, organisations and individuals around the world.

This Walking to Lose Weight program endorses opportunities for combining walking projects and weight loss by participating in fun min (or maxi) events which target walking (to lose weight) and training for events we’re doing.

Walking to lose weight is a spiral of walking, weight loss, walking, weight loss, walking, weight loss… at some point it becomes walking, weight control, walking, weight control, walking, weight control. With this in mind you need to learn to love it.

Yesterday on Day 28 of the 31 Ways to Lose Weight Walking we talked about having a specific purpose which will focus you and enable a greater than usual effort to jump your progress up a level.

Participating is a wonderful way to walk. For those who aren’t able to use this type of event, look at creating your own fun…many will piggyback their efforts with others who are doing the real thing.

Whether from circumstances or choice some people are not joiners and will not be involved in these group efforts but that doesn’t mean they can’t walk along doing a ‘pseudo-walk’.

Suggestions for creatively increasing the fun in walking to lose weight:

Visit your office headquarters, and learn about the area while walking around it; “Write” a book using mp3/4 player with microphone; Go to the closest ‘tourist’ town and find all about it by walking around it; Then walk around that next door town, get to know it; Walk around your home town. Do a new section each day. Don’t think you know an area if you’ve only driven through it; Track (virtual) your favourite actor/TV star- visit their home, go on tour with them; Learn (make believe) a hobby- walk to the appropriate sports store and activity area, rent DVDs and walk while watching; Take a famous train trip, e.g. walking the distance between stations; Walk to the birthplace of your mother and tell her of your progress; Listen to an exciting audio book only while walking, make it something special; Walk a long beach in the early morning and study the geography, surf board riders, fishing; Visit Paris, Rome and Venezuela; With a tourist guide and map, tour world famous art galleries; Learn exotic languages.

You’ve got the general idea. You’re bound to have better ones appealing to you in particular. Use walking for weight loss to enhance any other goals you have by embracing the time it provides for you to focus on motivating other dreams to fruition.

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Overweight can have a lot to do with eating for comfort, a habit learned in childhood, for many people.

Weight loss can be an uncomfortable process.

Immediately a tension is created.

Often your success is determined by how well the Walking to Lose Weight process can be comforting for you. There are 2 aspects to this: the physical and self image.

Your Body

Your body is not you. It is a part of who you are but is a short term representation of the total you. As you are today is temporary. The cells in our bodies constantly change having varying life spans. Our hair and fingernails grow. The way your body looks is ever changing. If for some reason you are not satisfied with you body remember that change is happening. In minute details, if not more, your body has already changed for the good.

In walking to lose weight it is far easier to get started and to have less concern about the physical aspects of the process.

It is important to have the right and comfortable attire, especially shoes, and appropriate gear for outside conditions. Often these items are already in the wardrobe.

Weather is controllable by exercising inside or in a gym or other air conditioned environment.

The warm up and slow down with walking …is walking. Easily done.

Do people look silly walking? Not often.

The pace with which you start is up to you. It is not likely to damage your body by walking slowly if you are inactive or rehabilitating, and faster if you are basically fit.

The physical discomfort exercising does bring if you push your body, as is likely, must be bearable. Only experience will tell how much extra you can ask of it without running to the chocolate. Balancing this is a fine but important task for walking for weight loss.

Self Image

Self image is a major part of the 31 Ways to Losing Weight Walking journey. Through out this process you must retain a positive view of yourself. Often our focus moves to ways for you to find emotional support in maintaining the exercise and calorie reduction necessary.

It may surprise you to realise that by putting appropriate self or body appreciation along side the walking and calorie burning, it can expedite your success.

Comfort Zone

The stress caused by going outside your comfort zone threatens to send you back towards your reliable method of de-stressing: eating.
One way of expanding your comfort zone is a non-threatening walking or exercising process at home. This is where walking DVDs and the Wii Fit can be very helpful.

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Success Walking to Lose Weight.

Successful weight loss comes via layer after layer of little behaviour changes, each one a tiny bit better than the last. Success through walking to lose weight is like compound interest-it has more than a simple multiplier effect and is powerful enough to influence many areas of your life.

Qualifications for Success Using the Walking to Lose Weight Program:

You are more likely to find this program suits you if you are  or have been-

overweight in the long term
doing little to no exercise
are puzzled by how to “do” weight loss
wanting to make a permanent change.

Self confidence comes by doing it. Start from what you know how to do, walking, and build an exercise support structure which is always available for you.  These multiple support layers include a network of walking friends or acquaintances- this may include or exclude online- an environment for commenting and questioning which is comfortable, a variety of exercise options and measurement systems so you’re always having fun and see the results you want.

Start from the first step. Make changes as you go. Improve a little. Improve a lot. Counteract difficulties. Check on results. Make any necessary changes. Keep going.

This is the easy way to walk.

Join from Day 1 of the 31 Days of Losing Weight Walking.

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Previous 31 Ways to Lose Weight Walking posts start here.

Today if possible put on the pedometer first thing in the morning and take it off just before you go to bed. This may require some clothing adjustments, but it is worth it. Commit to this as much as possible. When you go for a walk you can find other ways of measuring the distance although the pedometer does provide some interesting information which you can use later. The steps counted for the day though is very helpful information which you cannot get any other way.
Until now we have been recording daily walking to lose weight information on the time or distance walked: Take this daily data from the 5 days and add it together, then divide by 5. This is your average daily walking so far and the basis for setting your goal for the next 5 days. Although we will add steps counting keep using your original measuring method. e.g. minutes or mileage, for your goals. Unless you are above 1 hour of dedicated walking a day, increase your daily average by 25% to make your new quota.

For those taking walks of at least 1 hour a day, think about how you want to increase your walking. Certainly you can increase this daily time but for many this is not a convenient option. Going from not walking to an average 1 hour per day would mean definite weight loss. However for ongoing success and enjoyment add in some other ways of getting extra walking or activity.

Some options include:

Have 1 day where you go for an extended walk, perhaps making it an outing with friends.

Count steps with the pedometer and note how many steps come from daily activity and aim to increase that part of your walking.

Increase the difficulty of the walking you are already doing by walking hilly areas, add in running or use the treadmill speed and incline options.

If you have found it difficult to reach a daily walking time of 20 minutes, concentrate on getting your exercise up to this level. If you didn’t like walking outside get a walking for weight loss DVD or find/start a group for company.
The preliminaries are over, today get really serious about walking. You’ve started and have been increasing the amount of walking on a daily basis. At some point during the last 5 days walking you’ve had a problem of some sort- sore muscles, really tired, rough terrain, weather is discouraging etc. You’ve solved it and have continued with the program. If that’s not you, if you haven’t looked for a solution which allows your continued walking, then you’re not really trying. The people who successfully walk to lose weight, walk through the problem.

Walking through the problem may mean that you actually ‘step back’ for a short while. If you need more preparation, for instance strengthening your ankles to avoid twists etc., take time out of some aspects of the program. Still do what you can such as set up a pedometer, and keep walking, but concentrate on strengthening as you do this. In a short time you will be able to do more than you did before, and can continue the daily walking increases which is the weight loss process.

If you haven’t experienced any of these issues, you need to walk more. The idea is to add in a training factor which requires your body to adjust by getting fitter and leaner. So if you haven’t felt very tired at some point, I mean body tired, then this is an indication that you can increase the daily walking by a lot- this is fantastic! The more you walk the more weight comes off.

You’ve read the information that comes with the pedometer including how to set it up and my previous posts on walking to lose weight with a pedometer. If you’re just joining in make sure you’ve read the pedometer’s instructions and do what is required for getting started- batteries,  height and weight input, step measurement , safety strap attached.

Go, go ,go!

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