Walking and dieting for weight loss is a great start even if you begin with just five minutes down the street. Not only will you lose weight, but you will also improve your health by training your heart muscle to gradually pump a little faster and a little stronger, circulating blood, nutrients and oxygen more efficiently. This type of weight loss program also enhances the health of your arteries by decreasing your bad cholesterol, increasing your good cholesterol and reducing plaque buildup on the walls of your arteries.
Walking
Step 1
Walk at an even pace for five minutes on your first Monday. On Wednesday, add 10 minutes to your walk. Walk another 10 minutes on Friday. Begin your second week of walking with 15 minutes on Monday. Add five minutes on Wednesday and Friday, building up to 30 minutes of a steady walk.
Step 2
Add short bouts of a fast pace walk during your Wednesday sessions. Walk at a steady pace for four minutes then walk quickly for one minute. Repeat this interval for 30 minutes. Perform this workout every Wednesday, gradually building up to a 45- to 60-minute session.
Step 3
Complete a hill workout on Fridays. Use a treadmill or find a hilly route in your neighborhood. Select the automated hill program for 30 minutes between levels three and five. Perform this routine on Fridays, building your endurance and stamina for a 45- to 60-minute session. Increase the intensity by walking at a harder level.
Step 4
Lengthen your steady pace Monday workouts to 45 or 60 minutes. Where a weighted vest to help burn more calories during any of your walking sessions, according to a 2010 article by Kristine Fallon, and colleagues, published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research."
Diet
Step 1
Maximize your walking program to lose weight by following a low glycemic index diet. Foods with a low glycemic index do not raise your blood sugar quickly compared to foods with a high glycemic index, generating a small insulin response. Insulin is a fat-storing hormone so the less insulin your body produces, the less likely you are to store body fat, enhancing your weight loss, according to a 2008 article by R. Paul Gustafson, Ph.D., published in the "Strength and Conditioning Journal."
Step 2
Eat cooked spaghetti noodles or fettuccine noodles instead of rice, baked potatoes or bran muffins. Choose apples, oranges, pears and sweet cherries with a glycemic index less than 45 over pineapple and watermelon with a glycemic index of 66 and 72. Include salmon, almonds and walnuts as these foods have a minimal effect on your blood sugar, aiding in your weight loss. These foods also improve the health of your heart and blood vessels.
Step 3
Eat about 45 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, the lower end of a healthy carbohydrate range instead of 65 percent of carbs. You must consume some carbohydrates to effectively burn your stored body fat, without completely eliminating carbs from your diet, according to the authors of the book "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance."
Tips and Warnings
- Keep an exercise journal, ensuring you are gradually making progress.
References
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
- "ACSM's Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research"; The Impact of Wearable Weights; Kristine Fallon, et al.; Jan. 2010
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; The Glycemic Index and Weight Control; R. Paul Gustafson, Ph.D.; June 2008
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Carbohydrates; Dixie Thompson, Ph.D.; November/December 2008
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