Walk Talk Series

Day 18 – Hats and Cravings

Getting to know you
Are people along your walking route recognizing you now that you have been walking for 18 days? Give a friendly nod or hello to other walkers and runners. If you workout on a treadmill in a gym, greet the other exercisers. You are part of a new community.

Hats
Don’t leave home without your hat. It protects the top of your head from the sun, can shade your eyes, and insulates your head to keep you warm in cool weather. Walk topless? Never!

Billed Caps: Great for most weather, the bill helps shade your eyes. Available cheap anywhere. Personalize with your favorite team, Shoe Company, walking club patch, or wild colors and patterns. Hats made of CoolMax and Supplex can also wick sweat away. You can find hats with reflective patterns or strips for night walking.

Knit/Fleece Caps: In cold weather, a knit cap keeps both head and ears warm. It is also hard for the wind to blow off your head. I have a polar fleece cap with a small bill that is great for winter.

Boonie Hat: The military has some good ideas for head coverings, and the boonie hat is versatile for many weather conditions. They are crushable, stuffable, can be waterproofed. The Tilley hat is a nicer variation.

Visor: Shades your eyes but lets the top of your head see the sun. Many styles have a built-in sweatband.

Hat Accessories

Ear Band: My ears get painfully cold at temps under 60F, so I never leave the house without a fleece ear band. It can also be used as a neck gaiter to keep your neck warm.

Sweatband: Keep the sweat out of your eyes.

Hat Leash: One clip goes on the

 

Today’s Walk 

  • 25-45 minute walk at a comfortable pace, concentrating on your walking form
  • Warm up with 5 minutes at a very easy pace
  • Find a safe spot with a wall or pole to do a 5 minute easy stretching routine
  • Now resume your walk at a comfortable pace
  • End with 5 minutes of gentle stretching

Advanced walkers: Recovery/health Walk

When to do the Health Walk

May be done daily, or used as a recovery day for those alternating with other walking workouts.

Benefits

Builds long-term health and well-being. Medical studies have shown an association with walking 30-60 minutes daily with reduced risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, gall bladder disease. It is also associated with increased longevity and decreased risk of hip fracture in those over 60.

Health Walk Workout

  • Start at an easy pace for 5-10 minutes
  • Stop and do a stretching and flexibility routine for 5 minutes
  • Continue, walking at a pace that brings your heart rate up to 50-60% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) This is a comfortable pace where you can carry on a full conversation comfortably although you may be breathing harder than usual.
  • Walk for 30-60 minutes.
  • End with 5 minutes of gentle stretching and flexibility exercises.

Exercise: Do you abdominal exercise today.

Conquer Cravings!

The way you respond to food cravings just might make or break your success at weight loss and maintenance. Veering off from your eating plan occasionally will not be earth-shattering, but if you make a habit of giving in to your eating impulses, your moments of weakness will certainly catch up with you. The good news is, if you remember these tips you just might be able to conquer those pesky cravings.
1. It will pass. Believe it or not, you can simply wait out a craving. Sometimes we may even mistake a craving for actual hunger. Playing the waiting game will help you distinguish between the two. If you still want something 20 minutes later, chances are you really are hungry. If you allow yourself a little time to take a pause before giving in, you may find the craving will disappear altogether. Get your mind on something else: take a walk, write in your journal, play a game. You may be pleasantly surprised to find time has passed and the craving has subsided.
2. Drink up. A glass of water, that is. While some suggest this is another method of “stalling” like the wait-it-out method above, you may find that drinking water satisfies your craving in and of itself. Sometimes we can mistake dehydration for hunger or cravings. Your body is telling you that you need something, and you assume it’s food… take a chance and sip some H20, it may be just what you need.
3. Give in... Just a little. The bad thing about cravings is that when we give into them, we are giving in to an impulse. When you act impulsively you have lost some control. Which means you probably lose control of how much you eat, too. Take a moment to think about what you are doing. Try putting some mindful eating techniques to use. If you decide to satisfy your craving, just do it on a smaller scale. Never allow yourself to sit down with an entire carton of ice cream or a whole bag of chips. Take out a serving and put the rest away. Better still, purchase small portions to begin with. You will probably find that the first few bites actually squelch the craving anyway. Then, if the food is not already in your hands, you probably won’t go back for more.
4. Keep it real. You’re a smart cookie. If you really want a chocolate chip cookie, that reduced fat fig bar is just not going to do the trick. Don’t try to fool yourself. That’s right, go for the “bad” choice. Remember “all things in moderation.” Allow yourself to indulge in what you really want (just watch your portion size!) and you will not feel deprived. If you do not grant yourself this allowance, you are more likely to eat that fig bar and the chocolate chip cookie, because the former didn’t really satisfy your craving.