Walking the Weight Off For Dummies E-Book

Erin Palinski-Wade

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 545

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Beschreibung

Get up, get moving, and walk away the pounds If you're looking to lose weight and get fit, Walking the Weight Off For Dummies will show you just what to do to walk yourself to a whole new you. Whether you want to burn fat, boost your energy level, improve your mood, shed your belly, or just get toned, this easy to read, fun and friendly guide will have you putting your best foot forward -- over and over again! Inside you'll discover which workouts are the best to achieve your specific goals, how low-impact walking is perfect for fat-burning, how to pick the right pair of shoes for walking, and so much more. Walking is the number one form of exercise in America, and studies show that it is highly effective in achieving multiple health goals -- from losing weight and decreasing body fat to improving overall health and mental well being. Best of all, walking is very inexpensive and can be done anywhere. With this complete and easy-to-use guide, you'll find that creating and sticking to a walking program to lose weight and feel great has never been easier. * Learn how walking is the ideal exercise to achieve and maintain healthy body weight and improve overall health * Figure out the best techniques to avoid injury and achieve your specific fitness goals * Dive into nutrition tips for fueling up before and after walks to maintain health * Discover how you can fit walking into your life, regardless of your age, gender, and current weight If you've always wanted to incorporate walking into your routine to boost your health and effectively lose weight, Walking the Weight Off For Dummies will show you how.

Leseprobe

Walking The Weight Off For Dummies®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Trademarks: Wiley, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. THE FACT THAT AN ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE IS REFERRED TO IN THIS WORK AS A CITATION AND/OR A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF FURTHER INFORMATION DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE AUTHOR OR THE PUBLISHER ENDORSES THE INFORMATION THE ORGANIZATION OR WEBSITE MAY PROVIDE OR RECOMMENDATIONS IT MAY MAKE. FURTHER, READERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT INTERNET WEBSITES LISTED IN THIS WORK MAY HAVE CHANGED OR DISAPPEARED BETWEEN WHEN THIS WORK WAS WRITTEN AND WHEN IT IS READ. SOME OF THE EXERCISES AND DIETARY SUGGESTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS WORK MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS, AND READERS SHOULD CONSULT WITH A PHYSICIAN BEFORE COMMENCING ANY EXERCISE OR DIETARY PROGRAM.

For general information on our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax [phone]. For technical support, please visit www.wiley.com/techsupport.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014958561

ISBN 978-1-119-00250-5 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-00254-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-00256-7 (ebk)

Walking The Weight Off For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/walkingtheweightoff to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Cover

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Getting Started with Walking

Chapter 1: The Perfect Exercise: Walking

Why Walking?

The Benefits of Walking as Exercise

Deciding Whether Walking Is the Right Exercise for You

Goal Setting and Walking

Chapter 2: The Health Benefits of Walking

Preventing Disease by Walking

Sharpening and Soothing Your Mind

Reaping the Physical Benefits of Walking

Walking at Any Age

Combining Daily Activity with Workout Walking

Chapter 3: How Walking Sheds Pounds

Walking: The Cheap and Easy Way to Lose Weight

Walking Your Way to Results

Reducing Your Appetite with Exercise

The Movement and Mood Connection

Stress and Walking

Part II: Preparing and Fueling Your Body

Chapter 4: Hitting the Road

Deciding Where to Walk

Taking Your Walk Outdoors

Walking Indoors

Chapter 5: Walking Workout Equipment and Preparation

How Walking Equipment Can Impact Your Workout

How to Select the Best Walking Shoes

How Apparel Can Impact Your Walking Workout

Miscellaneous Walking Accessories

Chapter 6: The Science of Walking

What Is Gait?

Preventing Walking-Related Injuries

Chapter 7: Fueling Your Walking Workout

The Impact of Nutrition on Your Walking Workout

Determining the Right Nutrients to Help You Walk Off the Weight

Choosing Specific Foods That Promote Weight Loss

Staying Hydrated

Chapter 8: Delicious and Healthy Recipes

Gearing Up with Good Carbs: Pre-Workout Recipes

Rejuvenating Your Body: Post-Workout Recipes

Part III: Walking Workouts

Chapter 9: Creating the Best Walking Routine for You

Setting Your Walking Workout Goals

What Type of Walker Are You?

Using Your Goals to Select Your Plan

Determining Your Walking Level and Getting Started

Chapter 10: Walking Routines

Deciding on a Walking Program

The Walking Plans That Make Up the Programs

The Walking Programs That Gear the Plans Toward Your Goal

Chapter 11: Taking Your Workout to the Next Level

Knowing When to Adjust Your Walking Routine

Maximizing the Calorie Burn of Your Walking Workout

Increasing Strength While Walking

Preventing Workout Plateaus

Part IV: Walking Considerations for Any Condition

Chapter 12: Walking to Improve Diabetes

Understanding Diabetes

Walking to Control Glucose Levels

Walking with Prediabetes

Walking and Weight Management with Diabetes

Precautions for Those with Diabetes

Maximizing Your Walking Workout with Diabetes

Chapter 13: Walking Away Heart Disease

The Link Between Inactivity and Heart Disease

How Walking Can Benefit Your Heart

Planning Your Walking Routine with Heart Disease

Maximizing Your Workout with Heart Disease

Chapter 14: Walking Your Belly and Butt Off

Walking to Reduce Belly Fat

Walking Your Butt Off

Chapter 15: Walking During Pregnancy and Beyond

Staying Physically Active During Pregnancy

Exercising Safely During Pregnancy

Walking After the Birth of Your Baby

Gathering the Tools You Need to Walk with Baby

Tailoring Your Workout as Your Baby Grows

Chapter 16: Walking with Arthritis and Osteoporosis

The Link Between Walking and Arthritis

Improving Joint Health

Walking to Fight Osteoporosis

Planning Your Walking Routine with Arthritis

Planning Your Walking Workout with Osteoporosis

Walking and Weight Management for Joint Health

Walking and Weight Management for Bone Health

Chapter 17: Overcoming Obstacles

Facing Common Obstacles That Can Impact Walking

Fitting Walking into Your Schedule

Staying Motivated with Your Walking Routine

Goal Setting for Successful Walking

Walking after an Injury

Chapter 18: Maintaining Your Weight Loss

What Is Weight Maintenance?

Focusing on Health Maintenance

Congratulations! You’ve Reached Your Goal! Now What?

Overcoming Weight Maintenance Obstacles

Weight Maintenance Walking Routine

Part V: The Part of Tens

Chapter 19: Ten Ways to Maximize Your Walking Workout

Head for the Hills

Race Yourself

Step It Up

Pump Iron

Mix It Up

Add Intervals

Focus on Daily Activity and Structured Walks

Make It Last

Incorporate Technology

Get Stretchy

Chapter 20: Ten Essential Tools for Any Walker

A Baseline

Proper Footwear

Water Bottle

Logbook

Fitness Tracker

Digital Scale

Safety Supplies

Walking Weights

Social Motivation

A Plan!

About the Author

Cheat Sheet

Connect with Dummies

End User License Agreement

Guide

Cover

Table of Contents

Begin Reading

Pages

i

ii

v

vi

vii

viii

ix

x

xi

xii

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

171

172

173

174

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187

188

189

190

191

192

193

194

195

196

197

198

199

200

201

203

204

205

206

207

208

209

210

211

212

213

214

215

216

217

218

219

220

221

222

223

224

225

226

227

228

229

230

231

232

233

234

235

236

237

238

239

240

241

242

243

244

245

246

247

248

249

250

251

253

254

255

256

257

258

259

260

261

262

263

264

265

266

267

268

269

270

271

272

273

274

275

276

277

278

279

280

281

282

283

284

285

286

287

288

289

290

291

292

293

294

295

296

297

298

299

300

301

302

303

304

305

306

307

323

324

Introduction

So you’ve decided you want to lose weight, right? And most likely, you’ve considered or tried various quick-fix weight-loss plans in the past only to lose weight and regain it shortly thereafter. If you’re fed up with the weight-loss yo-yo game and are serious about losing weight and keeping it off, you need to focus on making healthy lifestyle changes you can stick with long term. And that’s where this book comes in.

As a nutrition and fitness professional, I have worked with thousands of clients in the same situation as you. They may have had success with weight-loss plans but been unable to maintain the results. And one of the main reasons is that they were looking for a quick fix. Quick fixes just don’t work. What does work is burning more calories than you take in. You see, weight loss doesn’t have to be complicated — it’s simple math. The key is to burn more calories so you don’t have to drastically (or unrealistically) cut back on calories to a level that you can’t maintain.

One of the easiest ways to burn more calories day in and day out is by walking. And the best part about it is that walking is one of the easiest, more versatile, and affordable forms of exercise you could ever ask for. That’s why it’s America’s number-one form of exercise. It’s easy to do anytime, anywhere, and it works! Walking on a regular basis — whether going for a brisk, structured walk or just fitting in more steps every day — can help you shed pounds and inches and, most importantly, keep them off. That’s why I wanted to write this book — to show you just how simple weight loss (and maintaining a healthy weight) really can be. And it all starts with just one easy step!

About This Book

It probably comes as no surprise to you that exercise can help you lose weight. However, you may be unsure of just how much exercise or what type of exercise you need to lose weight. If you’re new to exercise, you may also be unsure of how to get started. Walking The Weight Off For Dummies was designed specifically to answer these questions. Regardless of whether you’re a seasoned exerciser looking to take your workout to the next level or have never exercised before, this book has something to offer you.

Unlike many weight-loss and fitness books on the market that provide strict, rigid guidelines that don’t work for everyone, this book is completely customized to your needs. Using this book, you can begin to understand your exercise personality and goals and follow a personalized walking plan that not only will bring about quick results, but most importantly, will provide you with results you can maintain. When it comes to weight loss and exercise, the solution is not one-size-fits-all. This book addresses that fact, so no matter where you’re starting from or how big or small your weight-loss goals are, you can achieve them once and for all.

This book is broken down into three main sections to help you lose weight: understanding how and why exercise promotes weight loss, determining the best exercise plan for your personal needs, and continuing to challenge yourself to maintain your results long term. You won’t get to your goal weight with this book and wonder what’s next. Instead, you’ll find strategies and plans to help you not only get to your goal, but also to stay there for life. All of these sections work together to help you understand and achieve your weight-loss goals. However, each part, and even each chapter within each part, is entirely independent of the other chapters while providing you with helpful information. If you feel you’re already knowledgeable in one area, feel free to skip it and dive right into the sections where you want to find out more. The great thing about this book is that there’s no right place to start. You can start anywhere. Although a lot can be learned from starting at Chapter 1 and reading the book in order, you don’t have to approach the book in this way. You can choose to read one chapter today, such as the one detailing individual walking plans, and then choose to read more about why walking is so effective at promoting weight loss another day.

As you read through this book, you’ll notice that I flag some content as Technical Stuff and provide other information in the form of sidebars. This information can enhance your knowledge, but it’s not critical for your weight-loss success. Skipping these areas is perfectly fine if you don’t have the time to focus on them, and by doing so you won’t miss any critical information.

Within this book, you may note that some web addresses break across two lines of text. If you’re reading this book in print and want to visit one of these websites, simply key in the web address exactly as it’s noted in the text, pretending as though the line break doesn’t exist. If you’re reading this as an e-book, you’ve got it easy — just click the web address to be taken directly to the website.

Foolish Assumptions

I wrote this book with the assumption that you are looking to lose weight and improve your overall health. Because you were motivated enough to pick up this book, I assume that you’ve committed to making some lifestyle changes, even if only small ones, to start on the road to a healthier you. I also assume that, like everyone who wants to lose weight, you want to see results quickly. However, with that being said, I also assume you don’t want to just see results quickly, but would like to maintain the results you achieve long term.

I never assume that you are foolish! In fact, I assume quite the opposite. You probably are already knowledgeable to some degree about weight loss and exercise, but would like guidance in these areas. I assume that you are most likely new to exercising as a form of weight loss or are already exercising some but looking for a way to enhance your results. I also assume that you have already made, or are considering making, improvements to your diet to help foster additional weight loss. However, if you’re not sure how to eat to enhance your weight loss or have tried to make dietary changes unsuccessfully in the past, I encourage you to pick up my book Belly Fat Diet For Dummies along with the Flat Belly Cookbook For Dummies for individualized weight-loss plans that not only help to maximize your results when combined with the walking workouts in this book, but also further increase your knowledge of the role diet plays in weight loss and maintenance.

Icons Used in This Book

In the margins of Walking Off the Weight For Dummies (as in all For Dummies books), you find icons to help you maneuver through the text. Here’s what the icons mean.

Whether you’re getting started with exercise, sticking with your walking plan, or working on maximizing your results, you’ll find that I periodically point out tips and tricks to make achieving your results — and keeping them — as simple as possible.

Be careful! This icon calls your attention to health conditions that may make certain forms of exercise unsafe as well as points out ways to reduce your risk of injury while walking.

Here, I point out many of the “whys” concerning weight loss and health improvements, such as why walking is so effective. Although I find this information valuable, if you want, you can skip over this stuff and still not miss a beat.

When it comes to weight loss and improving health, at times you may find yourself feeling discouraged or sidetracked. You may also sometimes forget why you are working so hard to achieve your goals. The information highlighted here helps you remember what you are working so hard for and how to stay motivated throughout the process.

Beyond the Book

This book provides a solid foundation for getting started with walking for weight loss. To maximize your results and stay motivated to continue with your walking plan, you may also want to check out additional resources available to you online:

You can download the book’s Cheat Sheet at

www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/walkingtheweightoff

. It’s a handy resource to keep on your computer, tablet, or smartphone.

You can read interesting companion articles that supplement the book’s content at

www.dummies.com/extras/walkingtheweightoff

. I even include an extra top-ten list.

I also encourage you to check out my personal website, www.erinpalinski-author.com, for additional information, up-to-date research, product recommendations to enhance your walk, and weight-loss tips and recipes.

Where to Go from Here

As with all For Dummies books, you can start at the first page of Chapter 1 or dive in anywhere the subject header grabs your attention. From there, you can move forward or backward as you like, skipping around or proceeding in sequence, to get everything you need from what’s in store here.

If you don’t plan to read in sequence from cover to cover, the obvious way to get your feet wet is to select the part that covers the subject you feel you need to explore most urgently and dive right in. Then dig into other sections that discuss subjects you feel you know pretty well, and you’ll very likely discover some new facts or helpful tidbits. If you’re really not sure what you hope to get from this book but know you want to begin working toward your weight-loss goals, start the old-fashioned way: Chapter 1 gives bite-sized overviews of just about everything else in the book, providing you with jumping-off points that help direct you where to go next.

Part I

Getting Started with Walking

Visit www.dummies.com for more great Dummies content online.

In this part . . .

Find out just why walking is America’s number one form of exercise.

Discover the amazing health benefits of walking.

Get the scoop on how walking can help you to shed pounds, lose inches, and most importantly, keep the weight off for good.

Learn the various ways to incorporate walking into your daily routine.

Chapter 1

The Perfect Exercise: Walking

In This Chapter

Seeing how exercise affects your health

Discovering what makes walking terrific exercise

Determining whether walking is right for you

Setting attainable goals

Over 100 million people can’t be wrong! Walking continues to be the number one form of exercise in America with over 100 million Americans walking regularly to improve fitness and manage their weight. Why is walking so popular? Is it the right exercise for you? As something that comes naturally to most of us, walking is a skill you already have. No need to take lessons, hire a trainer, or purchase expensive equipment. You already have everything you need to walk because you do it every day.

Walking is also a “no excuse” form of fitness. It can be done anywhere — around your home, at the grocery store, outside, at work, and so on. You can’t say you couldn’t exercise because you weren’t able to get to the gym or forgot your exercise equipment. You can squeeze in a walk almost anytime no matter where you are. Talking on the phone? Stand and walk while you talk! Have to go grocery shopping? Take a few extra laps around the store before you get started. It’s really that easy!