‘We Walked Off 947 lbs!’: Hacks to Help You Double Fat Burn
Walking often seems like a good starting point as we try to lose weight. But how far can it really take us? “As far as you need to go!” insist Kari Newman, Amy Eiges, Traci Day and LaNette Whiteside—four readers who’ve walked off a combined 947 pounds, drastically overhauling their health in the process. Their accomplishments are astonishing. Yet here’s why experts aren’t entirely surprised: Harvard research shows walking flips genetic switches that make it easier to get lean. Plus, “there are over 40 diseases that walking prevents or treats,” says cardiologist David Sabgir, M.D., founder of Walk With a Doc. And as walking heals us, weight loss becomes more effortless. “I believe walking is the cure we’re looking for,” he says.
Walking for weight loss: a beginner’s guide
Getting started is easy. “All you really need is a pair of shoes,” says Dr. Sabgir. In the early going, listen to your body, he advises. A good workout feels invigorating, not punishing—and the sweet spot is different for each of us. Stay consistent, and you’ll soon trigger biochemical changes linked to a better life. “Walking reduces risk of heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, colon cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer. It improves blood pressure, osteoarthritis, anxiety, depression. The list goes on and on,” says the doc.
How much weight does it take off? Let’s say you keep your diet the same and gradually add 2 miles, or 4,000 steps of walking, a day. You’d burn enough calories “to lose about two pounds a month and over 20 pounds a year.” And if you hope to lose faster, “you can increase steps, add strength training, add incline, add speed bursts or fine-tune your diet,” says Dr. Sabgir. That’s exactly what the women who spoke to us for this story did.
Real women reveal walking for weight loss success stories
The women who spoke to us for this story took Dr. Sabgir’s advice and got inventive with ordinary walks. In every case, the results were astonishing.
Kari Newsman, 49, lost 110 lbs
On a fateful anniversary trip to Kentucky’s Red River Gorge, Kari couldn’t manage even an easy version of the hike her husband had planned. “He tried encouraging me, but I knew if I got hurt, he wouldn’t be able to help me because I was so big,” she shares. Devastated, she vowed to change.
Did she go on her millionth extreme diet? No. Her life was stressful enough. Instead, she made tiny changes—like trading soda for water and taking short walks. “Weight started melting immediately,” she says. It gave her hope.
Using a fitness tracker and treadmill at the local YMCA, “I tried to go 5,000 steps a day. After a few weeks, I could walk a mile in 25 minutes,” she recalls. “I started feeling proud of myself.” She kept making small changes, like skipping takeout and tracking her food. She joined the Start Today Facebook page for support.
By the time Kari was hitting 10,000 steps a day consistently, her fitness tracker prompted her to get her heart rate up a bit. “I’d do faster walks, use YouTube dancing videos or hike hilly areas,” she shares. Eventually, she aimed to incorporate 30 moderate-to-vigorous minutes as part of her 10,000 daily steps. New research says the approach likely doubled or even tripled her results.
How Kari turbocharged weight loss with 10,000 steps a day
When a team led by University of Kansas’ John M. Jakicic, Ph.D., coached hundreds of dieters to walk about 10,000 steps a day, here’s what set the biggest losers apart: They did about 4,400 of their steps at a moderate-to-vigorous pace. Participants who lost significantly less or even gained weight took fewer than 1,800 moderate-to-vigorous steps.
Why do a few vigorous steps help so much? After a burst of speed, it takes the body a while to downshift—so even as you slow down, you keep burning fuel as if you were going full speed, notes University of Scranton’s Joan Grossman, Ph.D., an expert on fitness in older women.
A European study found this effect can last for up to 10.5 hours. On top of that, speed bursts also trigger the release of hormones that help us replace fat with muscle. All in all, “the results are astounding,” says Grossman. Kari heartily agrees.
‘I walked off 110 lbs!’
Not long after taking her first baby steps, Kari started to feel better and better. Once always tired, “I had so much more energy,” she shares. Her brain fog began to clear; she felt less stressed. Her menopause symptoms even improved. Pain in her knees, hips and back disappeared. As for her blood sugar, “I reversed my prediabetes.” And all the while she was getting leaner. Down 20 pounds in six weeks, Kari shed 110 pounds in just over a year.
A surprise bonus: Kari says regular hikes with her husband have brought them closer. “I never realized how much taking little steps to get healthier would change my entire life. I’m a better version of myself now!”
Traci Day, 55, lost 253 lbs
When Texas grandmother Traci Day began gaining at a scary rate during treatment for severe depression, “Doctors said it was the least of my concerns.” Fast-forward 20 years: She carried 450 pounds and was in such poor health it was unlikely she’d see her grandkids grow up. “I was crying every day,” she recalls. A friend told her about a free app called LoseIt! “I downloaded it from her couch.” The app helped Traci reduce portions and encouraged her to move.
“I started by walking to my mailbox every day, not even 250 steps. Each week, I went a little farther. The first time I walked a mile, it took me 30 minutes. It took months to get faster—and I never got fast.” Yet she shed a steady 8 pounds a month and kept getting stronger. So Traci and her husband began saving to take their family to Disney when her granddaughter turned 5. “Someone told me you walk over 10,000 steps a day at the parks, so that became my goal.” Not only did she achieve it, “I was ready in time for her 4th birthday! I walked over 15,000 steps a day. It was amazing, for so many reasons.” Traci strolled off 253 pounds, mostly in two years. She averages 12,000 steps a day.
Why slow walks work: In a 15-week University of Michigan test, women over age 50 who walked a bit farther at a slower pace burned 2.73 times more fat—basically tripling fat burn—compared to subjects who pushed harder for a shorter distance. Why? “Our bodies use different fuels at different speeds,” explains lead scientist Katarina Borer, Ph.D. And when we slow down, the preferred fuel is fat. “Go gently, and the difference in fat burn."
LaNette Whiteside, 56, lost 359 lbs
And then there’s LaNette, 56, who spent decades carrying nearly 500 pounds on her 5'8" frame. “I don’t push myself, but I do talk to God while I walk,” says the Arkansas grandmother. Studies show the simple prayer strategy can work as well as strenuous tactics—and LaNette says her “prayer walks” were key as she shed 359 pounds.
LaNette Whiteside used to be so heavy that doctors weighed her at a cattle barn. “It was the only scale big enough,” says the Arkansas grandmother. At 488 pounds, she suffered with diabetes, fibromyalgia and many serious health issues. When chronic respiratory infections nearly killed her, she went back to Weight Watchers. Getting to her first meeting required help from her teen daughter and a heavy-duty walker. “I took it one step, one meal, sometimes even one bite at a time.”
Though weight came off quickly at first (27.6 pounds in a month!), LaNette was still weak and in considerable pain. “Instead of working out, I concentrated on ‘working in’ activities like making my bed or walking to the kitchen unassisted.” She also leaned on her faith. “When my body allowed, I made an effort to get outside, appreciate the beauty of nature and talk to God. When I’m frazzled or worried, it’s a way to find peace.” LaNette ultimately shed 359.7 pounds over four years and got off a host of medications. She still marvels at how her life has changed. “Maybe I’m here to show people with extreme obesity that you can make life better.”
Proof prayer walks work: Prayer has often been shown to lower stress—and less stress not only reduces our desire for comfort food, it actually changes our body chemistry in a way that makes weight loss easier. In one study, women incorporating spiritual beliefs into their fitness efforts tripled their weight loss compared to a non-spiritual group. Consider it divine intervention!
Amy Eiges, 56, lost 224 lbs
From childhood fat camp to countless crash diets and many Weight Watchers attempts, Amy Eiges reached 410 pounds and was told gastric bypass was her only hope of getting healthy. She went keto on a whim; it was the first strategy to truly dial down her hunger. She gradually learned to listen to her body, eating only when hungry.
Down 80 pounds, she made her first attempt at exercise, struggling to walk 2 miles. But as she built stamina, “I remembered myself on the track in high school. Everyone was supposed to run a mile and I could barely walk a quarter mile.” Again on a whim, she tried to run. “I would add in 15- to 30-second running intervals. I thought I was going to die. But eventually, I increased the intervals by 10 to 20 seconds. The first time I actually ran for a full mile, I had tears streaming down my face.”
While the strategy is not for everyone, it propelled Amy to a level of fitness she never dreamed possible. It also helped reverse her prediabetes and melt 225 pounds. She’s been maintaining for three years, still using a mix of walking and running. “I am so incredibly proud of being able to exercise. I do not take being able to move for granted for one single second.”
Why intervals work: Alternate between regular walks and short bursts of high-intensity activity like running or calisthenics, and “your body thinks, ‘Whoa! That was hard’ and responds by increasing your ability to use oxygen,” explains McMaster University researcher Martin Gibala, Ph.D. This fast-tracks overall fitness, revving both stamina and metabolism. The effect is so powerful that one study found postmenopausal women using the approach for 50 minutes a week doubled their fat loss compared to women doing 250 minutes of jogging at a steady pace.
Protein snacks that make walking for weight loss 5x more effective
Recent University of Pittsburgh research found walkers over age 50 slim down 5.4 times faster on protein-rich diets that spread protein evenly throughout the day. Eating this way stimulates older bodies to replace fat with metabolism-boosting muscle. To try it, eat 20–30 grams of protein (such as 3–4 oz. of meat) at meals and add 10–15 gram snacks like the examples below. A free app like LoseIt! makes tracking easy.
Protein snack #1: Yogurt + granola
? cup Greek yogurt has 11 g. protein. Add Nature Valley protein granola for 1 g. per spoonful.
Protein snack #2: Edamame
3?4 cup edamame has 13 g. protein (plus fiber and good fat for a satisfying nosh!).
Protein snack #3: Cottage cheese toast
Get about 11 g. protein from ? cup cottage cheese plus 1 slice whole-grain toast.
Protein snack #4: Easy protein bites!
Whip up a batch to enjoy as tasty grab-and-go breakfast or snacks
Ingredients:
1 Tbs. avocado oil
3 cups diced omelet veggies (such as onion and spinach)
? cup shredded cheese
2 cups egg whites
Instructions:
Sauté veggies in oil until soft. Spoon evenly into a well-greased muffin tin. Top with cheese and egg whites.
Bake at 350oF until pick in center comes out clean, 23-30 minutes.
6 servings, about 11 g. protein each.
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