Walking every day but your weight remains unchanged? Don't assume you haven't tried hard enough – you might be falling into common traps that are silently undermining your weight loss journey without you even realizing it.
Dr. Chau Thi Anh, Head of the Nutrition Department at Xuyen A General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, said that walking is a good habit for cardiovascular health and joints. However, to "burn" excess fat, walking alone is sometimes not enough. If you exercise regularly but your weight hasn't improved, you may be facing the following four common "bottlenecks":
The calorie paradox: Eating more than you burn
This is the most common mistake. Walking for an hour typically burns only about 200-300 calories, equivalent to a bowl of rice or a small pastry. However, many people have the mindset of "since I've already exercised, I can compensate by eating more," which negates their weight loss efforts.
Therefore, pay attention to the glycemic index of foods. Prioritizing slow-absorbing carbohydrates such as whole grains and green vegetables will help keep insulin levels stable, limit fat accumulation, and encourage the body to burn excess fat instead of sugar.
The tendency to overeat after walking for about an hour results in calorie intake exceeding calorie expenditure. ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE: PH CREATED FROM GM
The intensity of walking wasn't enough
Walking at a leisurely pace is great for your mental health, but to lose weight, your body needs to reach its "fat-burning heart rate zone." Maintaining a consistent pace day after day can easily lead your body into an "adaptation" state, thus consuming less energy.
The solution is to increase the intensity by walking briskly or using interval walking (3 minutes fast – 2 minutes slow). When you notice your breathing is faster but you can still talk (but not sing), that's when your body is in its fat-burning zone.
Muscle mass deficiency
As we age, muscle mass naturally tends to decline, leading to a slower basal metabolic rate (BMR). Meanwhile, walking alone doesn't significantly build muscle. Many people make the mistake of focusing solely on cardio, including walking, while neglecting strength training exercises.
Therefore, you should incorporate more light resistance exercises or focus on core and leg muscles. As muscle mass increases, the body will expend more energy, even at rest.
