Great Walks discovers you'd have to hike a long way to burn off the calories from overeating.
Most of us, say the experts, fall into the trap of underestimating how much we are eating and overestimating how much we are exercising. And it is that little fib to ourselves that makes it hard to lose weight and to keep it off. It is a well-known fact, too, that although many people take up walking to control their weight, many of them are hoping for a miracle without facing up to what they are scoffing down on a regular basis. If that is the case, the result of all their activity is invariably disappointing.
Christel Dunshea-Mooij is a performance nutrition expert who has heard every story in the book about battling the bulge and the barriers people put up to sensible eating, but she says it is never too late to start turning things around. “A few little changes begin to make a bit of difference, and that’s okay to start with,” she says.
Nevertheless, it is a change of approach to the way we eat that will make for weight loss and control, rather than an obsession with numbers and measurements.
“It’s no use kidding yourself,” Christel says. “After a big meal of fish and chips you’d have to walk 33 kilometres to work it off.”
Oh dear. And it is also the same daunting picture for trying to walk off the smaller transgressions.
Burning off calories
Christel says it takes 82 minutes to walk off your average muesli bar, and about an hour and a half of walking to use up the unwanted calories from a can of Coke. But as she says, there is no need to get bogged down by numbers. Everyone wants a treat; they just need to remember that it comes with a price. “Occasional” is the operative word.
Making small, gradual changes is the easiest way to change your diet, as you give yourself time to get used to a change before introducing another one. You also need to allow yourself a treat now and then, and not feel bad when life gets in the way. But if weight control is your goal, then you need to get back to making healthy eating choices the next day or you are not going to make much progress.
The best approach to maintaining a healthy weight is to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Limit alcohol intake and give your body all that it needs from each of the four food groups daily. Cut back on fatty, salty and sugary foods, and drink plenty of liquids, especially water, every day.
Where calories lurk
Until quite recently some people thought that it was carbohydrate intake that was making us fat. In fact, it is the amount of calories (from fat, carbohydrate and protein) that have a direct bearing on the weight we carry. Keeping our weight under control means trying to avoid foods with a higher energy density and higher calorie count.
Energy density is the ratio of calories to the actual weight of your food. Therefore, a food that is of high energy density provides a large amount of calories in a small weight, while a food of low energy density has fewer calories for the same weight. In other words, just a few mouthfuls of a favourite food (alas!) can pack a big calorie punch.
Foods can vary enormously in energy density. For the same number of calories, you can eat just a quarter of a cup of raisins compared with two cups of grapes.
Many studies have shown that people eat the same weight of food daily, no matter what the calorie count. This shows that the energy density of foods affects satiety. You may think you don’t have more on your plate than your friend, but the calorie count could be far higher – at every meal.
It is handy to know that water added to food provides a more satisfying portion and lowers the energy density of any food (chocolate vs chocolate milk, for example). You can often lower the energy of favourite recipes by simply adding naturally water-rich vegetables. When you do this, you can eat more for the same number of calories or eat your usual portion and take in fewer calories.
Take a positive approach to weight management and try to lower the overall energy density of your diet. This is a lot more fun than trying to squeeze the fat and sugar out of every morsel you put in your mouth. And it is an easy change to make that can soon become a way of life.
“It is very important not to become obsessed about what you eat, and these days we have moved away from setting specific quantities as guidelines,” Christel says. “Nevertheless, we live in an age of super-sized servings and we are piling food onto much bigger plates and bowls than our parents used.
“Just being aware of these things can help us in our mealtime choices without making too much fuss about what we eat.”
Fueling that morning walk
Whether you should eat breakfast before or after your morning walk depends on your goals. If your goal is to improve your performance, have something to eat before you start out. But if you want to lose weight, and you will do the same amount of exercise on an empty stomach, do not have breakfast until after your morning walk.
*Exercising in a fasted state (eight hours since you had dinner or an evening snack) is said to be more efficient from a fat-burning perspective. It results in a greater proportion of fat being used as the fuel for your walk, compared to doing the same walk after a breakfast containing carbohydrates. However, you will more likely be able to exercise harder and for a longer period if you have had a light breakfast before your morning walk.
Personally, when I try to walk without having breakfast, I feel wobbly, I don’t seem to have any stamina and my pace is slow. But 30 minutes to an hour after breakfast I am ready to walk anywhere at a steady pace.
Breakfast eaten before exercise is only useful once it has been digested and absorbed. This means you need to time your food intake so that the fuel becomes available during the exercise period. The time needed for digestion depends on the type and quantity of food consumed. Generally, foods higher in fat, protein and fibre tend to take longer to digest than other foods. Large quantities of foods take longer to digest than smaller quantities. You need to experiment to find the timing that best suits your individual needs.
Breakfast before your morning walk (if you are choosing to fuel for performance) should provide sufficient amounts of carbohydrate, fluid and a little protein, and should be low in fat. It is useful to consider other nutritional goals, too, and opt for a breakfast that also provides a wide variety of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, such as fruit and vegetables.
Getting your heart rate up
Intensity is the factor to building fitness and making those kilos start to melt away. You have to walk at a purposeful, brisk pace – breathing moderately hard and still able to talk – but fast enough to get your heart rate up. And you will need to do this regularly and sustain the pace throughout most of your walk.
For beginner walkers, the recommended level is at a heart rate of between 50 and 70 per cent. You can calculate this by checking your pulse once you have been walking for a while, or use a pedometer or heart-rate monitor to tell you how hard you are working.
Of course, you will need to warm up to avoid making the mistake of many a zealous new walker who tries to go too far too fast. Once you are walking for at least 30 minutes at a good pace without stopping, and doing this at least four to five times a week, you will start to see results. Take it slowly at first if you have to, but sticking with it will soon bring sufficiently pleasing progress to spur you on into better shape.
Need to know (pic: cover shot needed)
This is an extract from Helen Vause's book Walking for Fitness, Pleasure and Health, $24.99, available from www.exislepublishing.com.au or in all good book stores
Healthy options for breakfast
• wholegrain toast plus a poached egg and a grilled tomato
• wholegrain toast spread with 2 tablespoons of avocado, a tomato and a pot of yoghurt
• wholegrain bread roll with low-fat cheese plus fruit
• raisin bread, plus pot of yoghurt
• fruit salad with yoghurt
• fruit smoothie made with a cup of low-fat milk, a cup of fruit and 2 tablespoons yoghurt (optional: add Weet-bix or half a cup of oats)
• All-Bran with low-fat milk and fruit
• rolled oats with low-fat milk and fruit.
Food groups and recommended daily intakes:
• fruit and vegetables: 5 + servings
• bread and cereals: 6 servings
• meat, fish and alternatives:1 to 2 servings
• milk and diary: 3 servings