Walking Speed for Weight Loss

When done properly, walking is probably one of the best of exercises for losing weight and staying fit. One way to maintain a healthy body and keep an ideal weight is to perform a non-stop of one hour walk daily. If losing weight by walking is your attention then you should adapt a suitable walking speed for weight loss.

How fast do you need to walk to lose weight? Well, the walking speed will be varied from person to person. Generally, if you want to boost your metabolism level and at the same time lose weight, you need to walk at a continuous pace. The faster you walk and the more resistance you add to your walking routine (i.e. the more you’re overweight), the more calories can be burned thus the more weight you lost.

In order to maintain weight and to burn excess fats by walking you need to do it properly. Here are some tips on proper walking styles you can adapt for a proper walking exercise:

1. Walking with a straight posture including the back
2. Swing your arms in front and back straight as high as 90 degree centigrade from the body
3. How much steps you completed would depend on the length of your every single stride. Try taking shorter steps for more steps per minute instead of longer steps
4. Maintain your walk in a straight line and keep your foot as close as possible to each other
5. Try breath deeply
6. When you just started out, start slowly first then increase gradually your distance, duration and walking speed for weight loss as you proceed
7. Begin with a several minutes of walking routine during the first few days and progress to 30 - 60 minutes per day at least 5 days a week. If possible, try walking for an hour per day every single day for more weight loss results
8. Do a few minutes of stretching before you walk
9. Slow down your walking speed if you’re exhausted
10. Heart rate is one of the factors that affect calories burning, higher the heart rate, higher calories will be burn. However, it’s recommended to attain not more than 60% - 80% of the maximum heart rate. So if you’re fit enough, consider brisk walking where you:

• Try divide your walking in three phase: start with a slow walking of 4 to 5 minutes to warm up, then progress to brisk walking and finish it with a slow walking of 4 to 5 minutes again to cool down
• While doing the brisk walking, you can also try interval style walking to permit your body to burn more fat and calories in shorter period instead of merely walk in a constant speed i.e. walk at a normal speed for the first minute and for the next 30 second speed up by walking briskly then slow back down to the original pace for another minute.
• A general rule of thumb on how fast do you need to walk to lose weight is to walk until you are slightly breathless; but still be able to continue your walk comfortably or carry on a short conversion; and keep that speed until the distributed time. If you’re going too hard and become breathless, you are likely anaerobically exercising which means your body gets energy from your carbohydrate stores instead of fat stores.

The bottom line…

If you want to lose weight by walking, you need to walk as fast as you can while still be able to walk and talk comfortably; this is your most suitable walking speed for weight loss. When you do it right, your body will burn off more fats as you walk more and lose weight faster as you increase your walking speed.

Walking 1, 2, 3 miles to 5 miles a Day

Experts have found that walking is one of the best exercises you can perform for overall fitness. They also recommend a regular walking of 5 miles a day to lose weight fast for overweight person or who just need to get rid of some excess pounds. Read If I Walk 5 miles a Day will I Lose Weight? to learn further about walking 5 miles a day.

So, what is so good about walking? Walking is a one and all exercise; nearly every one can do it regardless of his or her ages and fitness levels. It’s easy and free; you can perform it at anywhere and anytime, you don’t even need to buy equipment or learn complicated technique. It doesn’t cause injuries; unlike most other types of exercise, the risk of the joints and the back injury is low since you don’t have to jump up and down. A daily, regular walk of 2 miles daily or 3 miles a day can decrease the risk of heart attack as much as 50%, lower high blood pressure and helps to keep weight under control.

Walking is also the best minimal effort exercise for fat loss; it gives a longer-lasting impact as it uses almost all the muscles while keeping your heart rate at a fat-burning rate. This will help you lose weight fast by burning more fats even long after your workout. It also increase your body muscles mass thus boost the level of body metabolism.

At first, you might feel that walking 5 miles a day to lose weight fast is a little overwhelming. But you should be able to do it better and better by following these simple methods which will help you to accomplish your goals without losing focus.

• Count your steps and distance of daily walk
• Use a Pedometer. 5 miles is equal to 10,000 steps so you can meet your daily quota by using a pedometer to easily keep track of the distance you have covered throughout the day as well as the number of steps that you have taken.


• If you don’t have a pedometer, you can try to calculate the distance of your daily walk. You can use the milometer in your car to measure the distance of certain walking route or otherwise google maps for a rough estimate of the distance.


• Calculate the time it takes
• Using either your pedometer or other counting methods, estimate the time you need to walk a specific distance, such as one mile. Do this a few times on several different days and average the figures together. You will then be able to estimate how long it will take you to walk a portion of your daily goals if you decide to spend a set amount of time walking them off.


• For example, if you find that you can walk 5 miles in an hour, then you can devote an hour everyday to walk those miles. But, if you’re unable to devote a full hour, then you can add up increments of fifteen minutes at a time until you achieve your goal. Knowing just what it takes to achieve your goal will help you to approach the task much more strategically than if you did not have a plan. The calculations will save your time and assure that you achieve your 5 miles.


• Plan an appropriate walking path


• Plan a routine and appropriate walking path by measuring a route based on the time and it takes you to walk your 10,000 steps. This will help you to look at the task of walking 5 miles a day to lose weight in a more manageable light. You will be able to estimate your progress along your day and have a system for reaching your goals.


• Try to plan two or three routes since you might get bored by walking the same path again and again each day. Plan a long route for days when you are energetic, a short route for days when you are tired, and a mid-length route for days when you are energized but busy. Giving yourself plenty of options is important to helping you stay positive so that you can achieve your goal.

If you’re just starting off or the task is just too difficult for you, you can go by walking one mile a day and progress to 2, 3 then 5 miles a day. Try going for a one mile walk every other day and then increasing this to 2 miles daily then 3 miles a day. Once you get used to the regular walking of 3 miles a day, increase this to 5 miles every single day or at least five days a week.

Finally, the key to effective walking of 3 miles to 5 miles a day to lose weight fast (as similar to other form of aerobic exercises) is long term consistency not intensity. Take your time to develop the most suitable walking plan for yourself so you can do it consistently and without hassle. So go and take your first step now.

Losing Weight with Laxatives - FAQ

Do you curious whether laxatives work for weight loss or not? Ever wonder can laxatives help you lose weight fast? Or do you even think about the idea of losing weight with laxatives? Whether you do or not, check these FAQ to find out all about taking laxatives to loose lose weight.

What is Laxative?
Laxative is a substance that is used to treat constipation by inducing bowel movement.

How do laxatives work?
Laxatives work by starting and inducing peristaltic action. Peristaltic action is a wavelike movement that occurs right through the digestive tract; esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon; that helps propel food into the stomach, through the intestines, colon and finally out the rectum. Laxatives stimulate peristaltic action especially on the colon which is the lower and greater part of the large intestine.

Where to find laxatives?
These days, laxatives can be found easily in any drug or health store. It is used widely as one of the essential ingredients of almost any weight loss supplements and all constipation relievers. It can take the form of slimming’ tea, Chinese diet tea, fasting tea, super dieter’s tea, weight loss tea, diet pills or drugstore laxatives but most of them are actually the same. They promote frequent bowel movement by combining laxatives with other ingredients.

Can laxatives help you lose weight fast?
No, laxatives can not help you lose weight. This is because most of laxatives only stimulate large intestine to empty instead of the small intestine where most of the calories are absorbed. As a result, laxatives may give a sense of body cleansing thus make you feel like you are losing weight with laxatives. However, it does not stop the body from absorbing a significant amount of calories. And even if they do work on the small intestines thus prevent the absorption, many nutrients or minerals that is needed by your body will be lost in the process too. Laxatives should only be used as a remedy for constipation not a solution for weight loss.

But, why do laxatives make one lose weight fast? Isn’t that mean that laxatives work for weight loss?
Well, laxatives do work for weight loss but only if you’re overdosing. And that is really a bad idea as there’ll be many adverse effects along with it. It might make you lose weight by affecting fat absorption of the body thus lead to loss of weight but at the same time you’ll lose some vital body fluid and suffer from greasy diarrhea.

Is there any other form of laxatives beside the dieter’s tea and pills?
Yes, laxatives can be found also in the form of drugstore laxatives. Basically, there’re five types of drugstore laxatives:

• Bulk Forming Laxatives, clears constipation in 1 to 3 days
  This is the safest form of drugstore laxatives. You can use it longer than other types of laxatives. They contain fiber or fiber like products to stimulate bowel movement but it is still best to get your fiber from food for a balance of all nutrients your body needs.
  
• Stool Softening Laxatives – Emollients, works in 1 to 4 days
  These laxatives work by absorbing water into the stool to make it softer, so it can pass easier through your colon and out the rectum. Don’t use them since they have adverse effects. They might increase the toxicity of drugs and affect liver function.
  
• Lubricant Laxatives, works in 5 to 9 hours
  Lubricants promote a bowel movement by coating your colon walls and stool. They also help keep water in stool, so they don’t become hard and difficult to pass through your colon and rectum. One such lubricant is Mineral oil. But, you should avoid it since these oils can cause a pneumonia that is difficult to clear. They interfere with intestinal absorption of food nutrients, and fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin A, and collect in the lymph nodes when used often.
  
• Osmotic or Saline Chemical Laxatives, works in 1 to 3 hours
  Saline laxatives work by drawing more water to the colon to soften the stool. Saline laxatives might affect the balance of body fluid and electrolytes. It might also increase the toxicity level of magnesium especially for person with kidney disorder. Some people also abuse saline laxatives to lose weight where he or she shouldn’t. Losing weight with saline laxatives is not a good idea.
  
• Stimulant Laxatives, works in 6 to 24 hours
  Stimulant laxatives work by stimulating peristaltic action in the small intestine and colon. They also absorb water into the stool and increase electrolyte secretion. Excess and prolonged use of this laxative can lead to cathartic colon.

What happen when one abuse laxatives?
Adverse effects of misusing laxatives happen when it is taken in excess amounts or prolong period. This especially occurs in people who want to lose weight fast and have an ideal body weight. They believe they’re losing weight with laxatives.

These misuses of laxatives can cause certain disorders like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, fainting, chronic constipation, bloating or water retention, bulimia, anorexia, acute abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, electrolyte disorder and dehydration as well as injury and when laxative use finally ceases, a person can experience withdrawal symptoms or worse, death.

Moreover, in several cases, laxatives cause permanent damage to the digestive tract and lead to osteomalacia, a condition of weakening and softening of the bones. Excess use of laxatives also leads to malfunctioning and enlargement of the colon due to severe constipation and pain for long periods (as much as for decades). This eventually led to surgery removing the colon altogether.

Why losing weight with laxatives is not the answer? And why you shouldn’t abuse it?
This is because:

• Its chemical substances will damage your health
• It stimulates an intense force which can injure the nerves that control the muscles in the colon walls and cause permanent damage
• It can be habit forming since it reduce the sensitivity of your colon and your natural peristaltic action thus causing laxatives dependency
• It can interfere with the body's absorption of nutrients since it rush food through your intestines
• It kills friendly bacteria except when they are fiber foods
• It comprises unhealthy preservative, coloring, and other additives
• It excessively removes fluids and electrolytes from your body.

What about saline laxatives to lose weight fast?
As mention earlier, you shouldn’t use laxatives of any kind to lose weight fast. This includes saline laxatives whether it help to lose weight or not. Use laxatives only when you really need it to relieve your constipation.

What else do I need to know about laxatives?
Don’t ever use laxative in any form when you’re suffering acute abdominal pain, especially if the pain is on the lower right hand side, where the appendix is located.

If you’re pregnant women, don’t ever take laxatives of any kind. Use natural fiber food products as an alternative to relieve constipation since the chemical substances of laxatives might get into the fetus or, when breast-feeding, the breast milk.

Never use laxatives to help you lose weight fast instead use it only as a medicine to clear your constipation. Once your constipation is relieved, find a more natural way to keep regular bowel movement. You can start by eating more fruits and vegetables to get more minerals and fibers.

Losing weight with laxatives is a big NO whether it works for weight loss or not. If you’re already taking laxatives to lose weight, stop now since you already understand the risk of abusing laxatives. If you want to lose weight fast, you should incorporate a proper regimen of regular exercise, balanced diet and healthy lifestyle instead of abusing laxatives.