Melt the Fat: Walking Your Way to a New You!

Walking is an activity we do everyday in our lives, and with proper diet and right technique, could become the most beneficial way to lose the extra pounds you have accumulated over the years. Six years ago I was an overweight teenager in high school. I was sick of always feeling fatigued and sick of not being noticed. I felt like a fly on the wall observing all the popular kids through their daily lives and wondering why that couldn't be me. I decided enough was enough and I was going to lose the weight. I had about 60 pounds to lose and less than three months of summer vacation before my senior year. Needless to say, I was determined and through much trial and tribulation, and six full months later, I completed my goal of losing all 60 pounds.

The foundation of my program was walking on the treadmill as much as possible. I wasn't interested in walking around my neighborhood as I was scared of the comments and looks I would receive. I didn't set a time limit each time I got on the treadmill; I just made it a point to get on at least once in the morning, and once in the evening. In the beginning, spending 15 minutes on the treadmill was a monumental task. I overcame this as the weeks went on until I was using the treadmill 45 minutes to an hour in the morning, and the same in the evening. To help stay focused and motivated, I listened to my favorite music on my CD player or turned on a good TV show while I did my workout.

Using a treadmill to walk off the pounds will work, but you must also keep your daily diet in check. Some easy changes you can do which can really add up over time include, cutting soda's out of your diet, limiting your intake of processed foods, and eating healthy lean meats with enough protein to supply your hungry muscles after exercise. Muscle acts like an incinerator melting away the fat stored on your body, so keeping your muscles fed is a vital step in having a successful diet and weight-loss program. A starting point with regard to your diet should be to calculate your BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate.

Calculating Your Basal Metabolic Rate

Your Basal Metabolic Rate is the amount of energy you burn at rest. This is the amount of energy your body uses daily to keep your organs running efficiently. To get a completely accurate calculation of your BMR you would need a gas analysis which examines your calorimetry, but we can get a rough estimate using this easy formula:

Women: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)

Men: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years)

An example of using this formula would be a 24 year old man that is 6 foot tall and weighs 250 pounds. To calculate this we would input 66 + 6.23 x 250 + 12.7 x 72 - 6.8 x 24 which equals 2,374.7 calories per day.

If this is too confusing for you, you can try an online BMR calculator such as the one located at: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

This number is the amount of calories you would burn laying in bed the entire day. Use this number as your base estimate and never consume fewer calories than your BMR.

Now that we have determined the amount of calories you need each day to function, we need to estimate how many calories you burn in a normal day of activity. To do this we use the Harris Benedict Formula of calculating your total calorie needs.

Harris Benedict Formula

Based on your lifestyle determine the category you fit into and use your BMR to calculate your estimated total calorie needs to maintain your current weight.

Sedentary - BMR x 1.2
Slightly Active - BMR x 1.375
Moderately Active - BMR x 1.5
Very Active - BMR x 1.725
Extremely Active - BMR x 1.9

Once you have determined your total daily calorie needs you can setup your diet and exercise program to produce the results you're looking for. First, understand that in order to lose one pound of fat, you must burn 3,500 more calories than you take in. If you're total calorie needs each day is 3,000 calories than to lose three pounds per week you must exercise and diet until you have burned 10,500 more calories than you consumed. This would equate to a deficit of 1,500 calories per day to maintain your three pounds of weight loss per week. A person weighing 100 pounds would burn between 50-70 calories per mile on the treadmill. If this person weighed 200 pounds, we would just multiply that by two. So a 200 pound person walking 3 miles per day would burn an extra 2,000-3,000 calories per week. This means to lose three pounds per week he or she would need to drop the rest from their diet.

As you can see, using these formulas's can help you form a basic plan for your weight-loss goals. These formula's when coupled with walking, weight lifting, and a smart diet plan will get you on your way to a new you. I began my program slow and increased my intensity over the months as I increased my muscle mass and stamina. This helped with the adjusting your body will go through as it becomes familiar with the extra amount of work you're demanding of it each day. I don't recommend any supplements during a weight loss program besides a daily vitamin, omega 3 fish oil, and if weight training, creatine and whey protein. If you happen to hit a plateau during your program, adding a fat-burning supplement to your program at that point can help you push through it.

Even if you don't spend hours laboring away on a treadmill each day, the extra time you do spend will really add up. Walking tones and works many muscles in your body, and when you increase muscle mass, you increase the calories you burn throughout the day. Over time your increased muscle will change your BMR and daily calorie needs so you will need to adjust your diet and exercise plan at least once every few months. Walking can raise your endorphin levels, and even help you battle depression. A 10 minute walk can give you the boost you need to get through any rough day. Just remember your only going to get what you put in, so maintaining a strict regiment will help you reach your goals that much quicker.