The Chatelaine Step Diet

(© Bonnie Schiedel. Originally published in Chatelaine, September 2004)

Want to lose weight? Then get walking. Studies show that dedicated walkers lose weight and keep it off, mainly because hoofing it is easy, cheap, accessible - and fun! Just look at our three amazing walkers who lost a total of 222 pounds by combining a walking program with healthy eating habits. How much weight can you lose? A 150-pound woman on a brisk one-hour walk can burn about 280 calories, so you can potentially shed about five pounds a month, assuming that you walk for about 60 minutes, five or six days a week, just like Theresa, Christina and Sandra did. (Of course, your results will also depend on your food intake, build, metabolism and fitness level, so check with your doctor before starting any program.)

Strolling briskly has a few other fringe benefits, of course. Regular moderate activity such as walking has been found to ward off breast, colon and endometrial cancer, slash your risk of diabetes, lower blood pressure and harmful LDL cholesterol, and combat osteoporosis and depression. Makes the couch look just a bit less appealing, doesn’t it?

We’ve developed a 12-week plan to help you start up, gear up, bump up and keep up your walking weight-loss regime, whether you’re a beginner starting at just 15 minutes a day or a more experienced walker capable of doing 60 minutes at a stretch. You’ll find the first four weeks on the following pages. Then, go to www.chatelaine.com/stepdiet to register for the following eight weeks. Ready, set...walk!

Start up

1. Walk right. To prevent injury and stay energized, start with the proper walking stance, according to Beth Mansfield, a fitness trainer in Ottawa: “Shoulders back, tummy tight, arms swinging easily at your sides. Use a comfortable stride.” Too long a stride causes muscles to tighten up and fatigue before your walk is over, according to the Canadian Physiotherapy Association.

2. Do a mental oil change. Take a deep breath, then exhale sharply, imagining that you’re forcing out stress and fatigue, suggests Mary Frakes, Massachusetts-based author of MindWalks: 100 Easy Ways to Relieve Stress, Stay Motivated and Nourish Your Soul (Life Lessons Publishing). As you inhale deeply and slowly again, think of replacing negative thoughts with fresh air and revived spirit.

3. Stretch all day. Releasing muscle tension and stress doesn’t have to just be part of a workout, says Mike Sutton, a Halifax physiotherapist. But when you do go walking, start at a regular pace for a minute or two to gently warm up your muscles. Then do some easy stretches (see below). Pause to stretch at stoplights or whenever you feel stiff.

4. Stop calf-muscle strain. Stand with your arms extended in front of you and your palms flat against the wall. Take one step back with your right foot, pressing your heel to the floor. Keep both feet flat on the ground and your left knee slightly bent as you slowly lean toward the wall, bending your arms. Feel the stretch in your calf (it shouldn’t be painful). Hold for 15 to 20 seconds, then switch feet. Repeat three or four times.

5. Stop a pain in the butt. Stretch your gluteal and hamstring muscles by lifting your left foot onto a bench in front of you, keeping your toes on both feet pointing forward. Gently lean forward, keeping your body straight, until you feel the stretch in the back of your legs. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds, then switch legs. Repeat three or four times.

6. Banish lower-back pain. Otherwise, it can derail your walking program. Lie on your stomach with your hands flat on the floor on either side of your chest. Push up with your hands, extend your arms and gently arch your back, while your hips and legs stay on the floor. Hold for 15 to 20 seconds, then release. Repeat three or four times.

Week One:

Beginner goal: 15 minutes a day
Experienced goal: 30 minutes or more a day

TIP! Do the talk test. If you can’t talk comfortably while you’re walking, you’re going too fast for your fitness level.

Gear up

1. Dress for the weather. That way you can walk longer. Shorts and a light, long-sleeved t-shirt work well in warmer temperatures. Protect your eyes and skin during the day with UVA/UVB screening sunglasses and sweat-proof sunblock. As the season chills, layers are key: try thin polyester-type (not cotton) long underwear to wick away sweat, a cozy wool or fleece middle layer, a hat, mitts and a water-resistant jacket with “pit zips” to vent your underarms. Walking at night? Make sure your gear is reflective, stay on the sidewalk and carry a flashlight if necessary.

2. Fuel up. If you’re walking for 30 minutes at a time or more, take a 500 mL water bottle with you and sip as you walk. Drink afterwards, too, especially if you’ve been sweating. You shouldn’t need a snack if you’re eating lots of fruits and veggies, lean protein, whole grains and lower-fat dairy products throughout the day.

3. Invest in a good shoe. “It’s like buying a good car - test the shoe thoroughly before you buy,” says Dr. Robert Chelin, president of the Canadian Podiatric Medical Association. Walk around and use any ramps or treadmills in the store. Medium- to higher-priced shoes are likely to have the best shock absorption. Walking shoes should be light and flexible, except where the shoe cups the heel. For more tips, visit www.chatelaine.com/shoe.

4. Protect your feet. Lace looping makes your shoes fit securely. Here’s how: lace your shoes as usual. On the top hole closest to your ankle, pull each lace end back into the same hole it just came through, leaving a small “bunny ear” or loop on the topside of each shoe. Then, thread each loose end through the loop on the opposite side. Pull until snug and tie as usual.

5. Say bye-bye, blisters. Cotton or merino-wool walking socks, with a double layer of fabric and padded heels and toes, allow your feet to breathe, wick away sweat and reduce blisters. Moisturizing your feet before you slip them on will also reduce friction, says Dr. Chelin.

6. Watch for wear. Every few months, check the wear pattern on your soles. If the corners of your heels are wearing down unevenly, your feet may be rolling inward or outward too much, so check with a podiatrist. Don’t stuff your feet in and out of laced shoes, either, because that also wrecks the heel counter. Replace your walking shoes every six months or 750 km.

Week two:

Beginner goal: 20 minutes a day
Experienced goal: 40 minutes or more a day

TIP! Resurface. Ward off injury by mixing up your walking surfaces. “Walk on grass one day, then concrete, then a walking track that has a springy surface,” suggests physiotherapist Mike Sutton.

Bump it up

1. Burn more fat. Calculate your fat-burning heart rate zone by subtracting your age from 226. Then multiply that number by 70 or 80 per cent. The result is the number of heartbeats per minute you want to achieve for most of your walk, says Rosemary Quinn, a personal trainer in Victoria, BC. Measure yours with a heart-rate monitor, available at fitness stores.

2. Hit the trails. “Walking off-road conditions more muscles and helps you learn to be more agile,” says Patricia Kirk, a California fitness trainer and author of Rugged Walker: Great Workouts for the Great Outdoors (Human Kinetics Publishing). One of her favourite moves is jumping over rocks and curbs. “You feel like you’re flying.”

3. Surprise yourself slim. Once you're feeling comfortable with a brisk 30 to 60 minute walk, increase your heart rate by alternating your usual brisk pace with minute-long bursts of speed. Work different muscles also by adding hills, stairs or ramps to your route, or an incline of one or two per cent to your treadmill program. “Your body gets adapted to walking on flat surfaces, so you have to surprise it,” says Quinn.

4. Put it in reverse. Walking backwards develops your hamstrings and reduces wear on your knees (but don't try it if you have balance problems). Face a friend, hold her hands and walk backward while she watches where you’re going, then switch. Or, try it solo on an indoor walking track. Go slow and keep the distance short (half a kilometre or less for your first few times).

5. Arm yourself. Swinging your arms burns five to 10 per cent more calories. Bend your arms at a 90-degree angle. On your forward swing, your hand should reach the middle of your chest. On your back swing, your arm should not pass your ribs. When you step with your right leg, bring your left arm forward and vice versa.

Week three

Beginner goal: 25 minutes a day
Experienced goal: 50 minutes or more a day

TIP! Multiply your results. Taking the stairs zaps twice as many calories as walking on a flat surface. Time your flights and then use the Calorie Calculator at www.healthcanada.ca/stairway to figure out your total calories burned.

Keep it up

1. Get inspired. British historian G. M. Trevelyan once said, “I have two doctors, my left leg and my right.” To find other motivational quotes, visit www.quotegarden.com and click on “Walking.”

2. Walk the dog. Dogs are “exercise machines with fur,” says Mansfield. No pooch? Ask your local animal shelter about its volunteer dog walker program. Or, barter with a neighbour: you walk her dog while she waters your garden.

3. Make your walk something you look forward to. Seek out one special thing every time you go, suggests Frakes. It could be the sight of the first fall leaves, the smell of homemade spaghetti sauce floating out a window, or a problem solved after letting your mind wander.

4. Walk for charity. Knowing that you’re training for a worthy cause will give you an extra kick in the butt when you need it. Consider the National Ovarian Cancer Association’s Walk of Hope (www.nocawalkofhope.ca), which takes place on September 12, or the Cheerios Mother-Daughter Walk for Heart and Stroke (www.heartandstroke.ca) on September 26.

5. Join the club. University-of-Saskatchewan research suggests that a group dynamic can help you stick to your exercise program. Join the Chatelaine walking club at www.chatelaine.com/walkingclub to chat with fellow walkers and get walking tips and free stuff. Our latest offering? A free, additional eight-week walking plan complete with nutrition tips, motivating strategies and tools to help you track kilometres and calories burned. Register at www.chatelaine.com/walkingclub. “When you choose something like walking that’s safe, easy and fun, you’ll stick to it - and that’s the most important part of any fitness program,” says personal trainer Quinn.

Week four

Beginner goal: 30 minutes a day
Experienced goal: 60 minutes or more a day

TIP! Stay indoors. Weather too foul for an outdoor walk? Then recharge your routine inside with a walking video or audiotape, with programs on walking in place. Consider Leslie Sansone’s Walk Away the Pounds Express on VHS and DVD or Mary Frakes’ MindWalks With Music audiotape (www.mindwalks.com).

SIDEBAR: 10 ways to step it up
A stroll to the water cooler, a dash across the parking lot - all those steps add up. Your goal as a healthy adult: 10,000 steps a day (a 30-minute brisk walk requires about 3,000 to 3,500 steps). Keep track of them with a handy little device that counts every step you take. A pedometer or step counter is like a personal trainer who is always there, says Catrine Tudor-Locke, author of Manpo-Kei: The Art and Science of Step Counting (Trafford) and kinesiologist at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. “You get immediate feedback, and just seeing it clipped to your waist reminds you to be active.”
SIDEBAR: Be your own coach
Try these five great ideas to give your walking plan extra energy:

Map it out Does your sister live 100 km away? Keep track of your daily distance on a road map and then see how many times you can “walk” to her place in a month or a year. Or, pick a landmark to “climb.” Workers in an eight-storey, Moncton, NB office building, for example, regularly take 1,860 steps in their stairwell, analogous to climbing the Empire State Building. It’s goofy, but fun!

Shop for a cause Never underestimate the power of a cute outfit to motivate you. Check out the Running Room’s Pink Ribbon Fit-Wear (available in Running Room stores at www.runningroom.com), for instance. Proceeds go to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

Write it down Scribble “I want more energy” or “I promise to take one hour for myself” on a stickie note and put it where you'll see it every day.

Donate your steps. Visit www.canadaonthemove.ca to “donate” your steps to a national health research project on physical activity in Canada. Fellow walkers have already contributed more than 177 million steps!

Track your results Write down how you feel after each walk and note your progress from exhausted to exhilarated. Or, ask someone to snap a picture of you every month or so to see how your body is changing.

Christina Cacho, 33, Edmonton
Walking gains: better health; liberation from joint pain
Walking losses: 165 lbs and 26 clothing sizes over three years
As soon as the temperature dips, Christina Cacho heads to her local mall each day and walks 13 to 15 one-kilometre laps in 83 minutes. In late spring, she moves her walk outside and also adds stairs and ramps to the mix.
Biggest obstacle: “Getting started. I was so heavy that my legs rubbed together, my feet blistered and I got panty-burn lines. But I started out with a 10-minute walk and just kept thinking, ‘one step at a time.’”
Best tip: “To keep motivated, I think about where I was before. Today, I feel like I can conquer the world.”

Theresa Delicato, 33, Victoria BC
Walking gains: increased energy; improved mood
Walking losses: 17 lbs in four months
Four to six days a week, while her toddler naps, Theresa Delicato hops on the treadmill in her laundry room. She combines 40 minutes of brisk walking with bursts of speed and inclines (which simulate hills).
Biggest obstacle: “Deciding to spend ,000 on a piece of exercise equipment. I’d love to walk outside for free, but it just wasn't happening because I’m a stay-at-home mom.”
Best tip: “Get a heart monitor. I have a band that straps around my chest and transmits information to the treadmill. I know what my heart rate goal is and I work toward it.”

Sandra Wollf, 36, Headingley, Man.
Walking gains: More zip and better self-esteem
Walking losses: 40 lbs and four sizes in nine months
At the beginning of her program, Sandra Wollf managed to squeeze four walks into her work day - two 20-minute coffee breaks and at least a half hour of her lunch break, plus an evening walk with her two kids. Now that she has reached her goal weight (and has a new, more active job), she skips the coffee break walks.
Biggest obstacle: “Lacking the energy to get started. But once you start walking regularly, the energy comes.”
Best tip: “Don’t sit. Go!”