Can I walk myself slim?

[reddaisy]

I'm really overweight and I am tired all the time thanks to full-time job, commute and 3-year-old who doesn't sleep through yet and every diet/exercise plan I begin is too ambitious as I soon stop. Ie my swimming lasted about two weeks running one and now I have decided that walking could be the thing! Would it actually help though? Say an hour a day of brisk walking? I figure anything that gets me out and exercising has got to be a good thing.

[bluejeanswhiteshirt]

I've been going for a brisk walk every morning (except weekends) for the last month and I've already lost half a stone. If you can find somewhere uphill then even better.

[Lottapianos]

Walking is excellent exercise and an hour of brisk walking a day sounds great. Dont' write off running and swimming either though - you need to stick with a new exercise plan for at least a month before you see / feel any results.

If you want to lose weight though, you need to take a good hard look at your diet - you need both diet and exercise to make it work. Can you think of one area of your diet you could tackle to get you started?

[purplemurple1]

I use to carry a rucksack and gradually increased the weight as I got fitter. I also dieted though losing 6stone over a yr.

Give it a go.

[Rudawakening]

Walking is great exercise, one of the best things you can do. Especially if you aren't at a level of fitness where running is comfortable. It's a good way to build up fitness first. If you plan a route and then consisteny try to do it quicker to make it a challenge.

I find listening to music or an spoken book are good for staving off the boredom and it's good for a bit of you time.

[reddaisy]

Thanks for all the encouraging replies, I think I can mentally cope with committing to walking as it isn't that arduous at first and the thought doesn't feel overwhelming iyswim.

I didn't write off swimming and running, Lottapianos the pool is 45mins away and it just wasn't practical and I don't particularly enjoy running so I gave up - I was definitely at fault, not the exercise! I figure that if I improve my general fitness first, I might give something else more challenging a go later.

Well done, purplemurple. I definitely need to look at my diet too. Did you follow a particular plan?

Rudawakening - that's what I thought, a bit of time to catch up on Podcasts etc.

[Lottapianos]

Fair enough. I'm a runner but its definitely not for everyone. And practicality is a big consideration - if its going to be a long journey or a huge faff or whatever, you definitely won't do it.

[Artandco]

You need to incorporate it into your day. Sk walking or running or cycling all or part of your commute will work more than adding it on after work. If you take train or tube or bus, get off earlier and walk. Or if you drive park 15mins walk away

[WorktoLive]

How far away is work - is it practical to walk to and from work, or even some of the way if there is somewhere you can leave a car, or use public transport part of the way?

Regarding diet, you need to choose one that suits you. I could never do 5:2 and am too lazy to count points and calories but do quite well on either Slimming World (low fat, low sugar) or low carb.

[WorktoLive]

Oh, great minds, Art

[purplemurple1]

I calorie counted I find I over eat free food otherwise. Plus I like wine and like to earn more of it.

[reddaisy]

I already bike two miles as part of my commute but there is no scope to do more exercise than that as my journey to work is already over an hour (drive, train, bike) and there just isn't time to fit anything else in with childcare drop offs and pick ups. It is already my most stressful time of day.

The walking I could do after DH and I have got the children to bed, it is very flat where I live though so not sure how much it will burn.

[tabulahrasa]

Realistically you'll only lose weight walking if you walk instead of eating...it good for you and it may well help with energy levels, but it won't make you lose weight if you don't change your diet.

I've lost a lot of weight with slimming world, but it might not suit you as it does involve cooking absolutely everything from scratch which can be quite time consuming.

Maybe something easier like calorie counting with my fitness pal would be better?

[reddaisy]

I have done slimming world before and had good results but getting to meetings etc is just impossible as the class near me starts as I finish work.

I must find the time to do more cooking from scratch during the week, the DC eat at childcare and we spend more time cooking properly at the weekend. I don't eat loads and loads but I do graze and tonight for tea I am having tomato and mozzarella salad for tea which is very easy to do but not healthy at all. Last night it was that instant fresh pasta and sauce for example.

I might give walking a go and make a start because it can't hurt, that's for sure.

[tabulahrasa]

If you've done it before...you could do it without rejoining tbh, use the board on here as your group and just google for syns.

But no, walking will do you good anyway

[kickassangel]

If you have time to cook at week end then do more and save portions for the week. E.g. Make a good soup, and save enough for dinner one eve. Do a veg stir fry and keep half for another eve. That could get you through to Thu before you need to cook from scratch again, then try to do enough for Fri as well so you can be lazy on Fri eve.

Walking is good exercise, but you need to keep upping how much you do.i tend to go out on Sat morning to start the weekend. Do you have to pick up DC on the way home? Would you be able to go for a longer bike ride on the way home so that you've done something before you even get home? Are there any exercise classes during the day near work? I used to do an exercise class once a week in my lunch break.

The key thing is to have things that fit in with your daily routine, so that they just become part of your way of life.

[reddaisy]

Thanks for the support everyone. Because of the 1hour plus commute and the childminder's hours, I already work compressed hours - as does DH in case anyone is interested! - to fit everything in so no time to add more exercise other than the two mile each way bike ride into the commute or into my 15 minute lunch break which is a shame.

To be honest, I am so exhausted all the time that going for a walk seems like the only thing I will manage to begin with so I might give it a try and take it from there.

Cooking at the weekend doesn't involve batch cook type meals, more baked salmon, pots and veg etc so it is still quick stuff just healthier! I need a housekeeper to run the house and get the meals ready, that would solve everything