The One Mile Walk Test

The success of your weight loss program relies on self-monitoring. Creating a log or journal that keeps track of your journey – what you are doing, what works, what doesn’t work, where you started and where you are going – is required for permanent success.

When you are ready to begin, you will want to determine your current fitness status at the beginning of your journey and at certain increments along the way.

Before explaining this further, understand that measuring your current fitness level is your own personal measuring stick. You will not be required to report the results of your assessments and monitoring to anyone unless you choose to do so. So be honest with yourself when taking the tests.

An integral part of our program is support of your efforts to live a healthy lifestyle. Your safety is important.

After you have taken the  Par-Q Physical Exercise Readiness Test  and Quality of Lifestyle assessment, you will be asked to take a one-mile walk test.

If you are unable to walk one mile comfortably, skip this assessment until your doctor advises it is safe to do so. When starting any weight loss or physical fitness program, always consult with your doctor for clearance.

Any program needs a method of measurement to monitor its success. This measurement provides not only a reliable measure of your progress, but is also helpful in your maintaining needed motivation. When the scale isn’t moving or your  BMI  seems stuck, negative self-talk undermines your motivation and you are likely to give up. This test will give you a starting point and validate your efforts.
You are heading out on a journey – it’s beneficial to understand where you are at now!

So let’s start with a good physical reference to your starting point which will indicate how aerobically fit you are right now before embarking on your program.

Dr. James Rippe   founder of the Lifestyle Medicine Association, and the  Rippe Lifestyle Institute   developed this One-Mile Walk Test designed to measure physical fitness.

What you’ll need for the test:

1. Clothing and shoes: Wear good tennis shoes with support and loose-fitting clothing. If you like music while you are walking, remember your ability to hear automobiles and bike riders is obstructed with ear phones. Please walk in a safe environment without automobile traffic! Safety first.

2. Flat surface: You need a flat one-mile surface without hills and stop lights. You can use  Google Pedometer Calculator Map Tool  to map a route in your neighborhood. A high school or college track is perfect. Or measure a flat surface near your house. You may use a treadmill instead. Although research shows that the treadmill is not as accurate, it is still very close – close enough for our purposes.

3. Stop watch or a watch with a second hand. If you are on a treadmill, you can use the timer on the equipment.

4. Warm up for five minutes by walking slowly, then after your are warmed up, gently stretch your leg muscles to prevent injury.

Beginning the Test

A. Note your exact start time;

B. Walk exactly one mile at a steady pace as briskly as possible without over-exerting yourself.

(You should be able to talk but feel you are making an effort. Watch out for trip hazards if you are on the street or sidewalk!)

C. At the end of the mile, note your exact time. (for instance: 17 minutes 45 seconds.)
The charts linked below will give you a good idea what your aerobic fitness level is right now. As you lose weight and increase your activity your level will improve. Note your rate in your LifeStyle Solutions Journal as you will be checking your progress over the next 12 weeks.

All times are Minutes: Seconds ( < means “less than” and > means “more than” )

For instance, using our 17 minutes and 45 seconds example above, if you are a woman age 50, your result would be “fair.” Remember, your goal is improvement, so don’t be discouraged if your results are below average.

Link to One Mile Walk Test Results


There are several one-mile walk tests available. Another, called the Rockport Walk Test, measures VO2 Max, Mets and gives you a score to compare with your age-group population. A heart rate monitor is recommended. The measurement of your heart rate at the end of the mile determines your result.

Getting Back On Track

Do you wonder why it is so easy to put on the weight and yet seems so difficult to take it off?

Well, don't beat yourself up if you gained a few pounds over the last few months...you are not alone!

Here are some tips to get your diet back on track in a hurry:

1. Take inventory: Clean out the refrigerator and your cabinets of all the leftover junk. Throw it in the trash or take it to your local food bank if it is unopened.

2. Plan, plan, plan! Breakfast, lunch and dinner and healthy snacks. Be sure you aren't looking for food when ravenous and have nothing healthy to choose from. Make your own lunch and know what you are having for dinner.

3. JOURNAL your weight down.......remember, when you write down what you eat you focus on your good and not so good habits. Be accountable.....

4. Become a worker-bee! Be more active. You don't have to join a gym, just continue to increase your activity each day.

5. Take time out to relax. Doing stretches, listening to music, dancing, laughing.

Wishing you success and happiness!

Denise C. Williams, CLC
denisew@lifestylesols.com

Holiday Diets Slips

Is it a slip or a backward slide.......? Your best intentions have turned into a disaster...too many unplanned meals, rushing here and there, office parties, lunches. By now, it's out of control!

Well, not to fear! We can pick up and start anew!

The best advice is consider it a "slip", forgive yourself and start now to plan your recovery. Don't use it as an excuse to give up and give in. Every 200 calorie snack or dessert you skip today is that many less you have to make up for later.

BUT, if you did give in this holiday season...all is not lost....the only time you fail is the LAST time you try.
Merry Christmas!

Denise C. Williams, CLC
denisew@lifestylesols.com

Do I Have to Exercise to Lose Weight?

I don't want to exercise and I hate exercise. I just want to diet. Can't I just diet and lose weight? The answer is "yes." But before you get too excited about that simple answer, here is what you need to know about losing weight and exercise:

1. Without some weight-bearing activity, (such as walking) much of your weight loss will include loss of muscle. At best, the weight loss will be temporary because muscle burns more calories than fat. That means your metabolism will slow down to a crawl and you will need to eat less and less to stay at your proper weight.
2. The more you move, the lower your risk of diabetes. If you can walk or do some type of activity for a combined total of about 3 hours per week, you will lower your risk of diabetes by 40% (Journal Amer. Med Assoc, 1999).
3. Strength training exercise increases bone density. Staying active with some strength training and walking helps maintain balance and reaction time especially in older adults.
4. Your body was made to move! Keep moving to assist your body in the functions of cellular replacement, digestion and proper oxygen useage.

In addition, combined activity of 30 minutes per day leads to better sleep, lower blood pressure, anxiety/stress relief and a healthy heart.

You can lose weight without exercise, but why would you want to when all the benefits of better health are available. Be active...Stay hydrated....Be well........

Denise C Williams, CLC

Denisew@lifestylesols.com

http://www.lifestylesols.com/

Obesity in America: Disease of the Rich?

It has been said that obesity is the result of the affluent society that is the American lifestyle. Yet, if we examine the victims of obesity in America, it is easy to observe that those that live the “lifestyle of the rich and famous” rarely fit the category of “obese” More often the less affluent members of society are afflicted with this disease.

What influences this tendency for the less fortunate to fall victim to the obesity epidemic and the related health problems that go hand-in-hand with being overweight and obese?

How are you influenced in your every day life by some of these same challenges?

Denise Williams, CLC

LifeStyle Solutions for Weight & Stress Management

Denisew@lifestylesols.com

Recognizing and Controlling Emotional Eating to Lose Weight

Every one of my clients at one time or another discovers that over-eating is inexplicably tied to stressful periods in their day, month or year.

Awareness of "triggers" that inspire binges of consumption of food and drink is key to weight loss and weight control over a lifetime. So let's examine what defines emotional eating and we'll follow that with some lifestyle strategies that will help you to stay on track and avoid the pitfalls.
Most emotional eating begins with strong underlying emotions that drive the eating behavior.

1. Vengeful eating begins with some form of anger that the person cannot express overtly. Vengeful eaters often grab for crunchy/spicy foods like chips, salsa, hard cookies and will eat them for a period of time until either the anger passes, the food is gone or their conscience starts nattering at them to stop.

2. Sad eating begins with self-talk that occurs between the sadness and the first mouthful of food and often leads to "comfort foods" (often softer foods) such as ice cream, mom's old home cooking such as pies, sweets, extra helpings of potatoes, etc.

3. Celebratory eating occurs people find themselves in social situations and use food and alcohol to feed a happy mood or to "loosen up." After a drink or two, it is easy to graze on the appetizers and lose track....even so, a celebratory eater relies on food for comfort and finds it difficult to celebrate without food.

Do you recognize those times in your life that might cause you to overeat and if so, what can you do to minimize the damage? Here are some actions that have worked for others:

1) be sure to write down everything you eat in log or pad of paper, that way you can examine your habits and target change;
2) verbalize your feelings in a constructive way instead of holding your feelings inside;
3) unwind after work by doing easy stretches for 5 to 10 minutes while listening to music; 4) enlist support from friends or find a good counselor.

What other ideas work for you?
Denise C. Williams, CLC
denisew@lifestylesols.com

Lose Weight One Day at a Time

How many times have you resolved to lose weight only to find two months later you haven't lost what you had expected or you even see the scale increasing? You may have "decided" to take off that holiday weight gain, but what is the best and fastest way to do it? Which is better: a high protein, low carb diet or calorie reduction and exercise? The answer lies in your feelings. That's right, it really depends on how you feel about it. The best diet is the one that works for you! One size does not fit all! "Oh no," you say! "Just tell me what to eat, when to eat and how to exercise. Better yet, just give me a pill and wake me up when I've lost 20 pounds." Weight loss through a pill rarely works in the long term. Through interviewing, counseling and a lot of support, we can work together to devise an eating plan combined with or without an exercise plan that will result in satisfactory weight loss. If you have given up in the past or are ready for a new approach, contact me and get back on track. Be all you want to be!

Happy New Year!

Denise C. Williams, CLC

Denisew@lifestylesols.com

Lose Weight Quickly by Shedding Food Cravings!

According to a recent article in this month's issue of Scientific Mind magazine, (Nov. 2006), your cravings have nothing to do with "willpower" or "weakness." Peter Pressman of Cedar-Sinai Med. Clinic and Roger Clemens of UCSC reported that according to recent research, the culprit is your neural network. Brain chemicals, including serotonin, that influence your mood, emotions and memory are the culprit. Add to that the hormones that are produced by your gastrointestinal tract and you might think you have no choice but to give in. That could be bad news if you are trying to stay on a healthy weight loss plan. The good news is your brain is fickle! It can't really concentrate on more than one thing at a time. So when you feel those cravings coming on get out of the house for a walk, read a book, surf the blogs. (Don't take the m & m's to the computer with you!) If your really having trouble, grab an apple on the way out. The cravings will pass.......till next time that is!

Denise C. Williams, CLC

Denisew@lifestylesols.com

Weight Management during the Holidays

Perhaps it's the looming holidays that has you wondering how you will manage yet another year of holiday parties and the inevitable New Year's resolution that follows. Losing weight is difficult. Add the challenge of the end-of-the-year parties and the thought can be downright scary!

Planning a few strategies now will save you weeks or even months of agonizing next year. Here's some healthy ideas to get you started down the right path:

Plan ahead. Understand that holiday parties are "high risk" situations for everyone. Decide in advance what options will work best for you.

Here are some "maintenance" methods that have been successful for others:

1. Eat something before you leave for the party. A salad or a serving of soup is nutritious and will curb your appetite later. Since you are not famished you will not be as likely to over-eat at the party.

2. If you are going to drink alcohol, alternate between your favorite cocktail and a low calorie drink or water.

3. Stand far away from the food table while socializing so you will not be tempted.

4. Use a small plate and fill it partially full only once. Survey the food and decide what you want the most instead of sampling each item.

5. Mingle, mingle, mingle! Enjoy the people and conversations you are going to have.

6. If you do blow it, don't beat yourself up! Remember it takes 3500 calories to create one pound. It does not mean you have to repeat the process tomorrow. It does not mean you have lost control and should give up!

7. Increase your walk by 1/4 mi. (5 minutes) for the next week to burn some extra calories.

Remember: The only time you fail is the last time you try! Weight Management is a life-long commitment to a healthier lifestyle. The payoff is greater than the sacrifice.

Best wishes for a safe and happy holiday season,
Denise Williams, CLC

Denisew@lifestylesols.com