Many people struggle to find an effective exercise routine and watch the scale stubbornly refuse to budge. Kathleen Hart, a Mindset & Weight Loss Coach, intimately understands this challenge. After losing 55 pounds on three separate occasions and maintaining that loss for over three years, Kathleen has garnered a following of nearly 100,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, lil Piece of Hart, by sharing practical and sustainable weight loss strategies. Her primary method? Walking 10,000 steps daily-a simple habit that helped her drop from 200 pounds to 138 pounds.
The Power of Walking
Walking might seem too basic to be truly effective, but Kathleen insists it's "probably the best exercise you can do for weight loss." She explains that consistently achieving her daily step count was "literally the exact key" to her repeated success in losing over 55 pounds. A significant advantage of walking, as Kathleen emphasizes, is that, unlike many other exercises, it "does not feel like exercise." It’s enjoyable and offers incredible benefits for the body.
Walking as an Alternative to Traditional Workouts
If traditional workouts make you cringe, you're not alone. "I hate exercising. There you go, I said it," Kathleen admits. She doesn't enjoy home workout videos or going to the gym. Walking provides a perfect alternative because it's fun and doesn't feel like a chore.
Accessibility and Low Impact
One major advantage of walking is its accessibility. "Anyone can do it, all ages, and it is a low impact workout," Kathleen emphasizes. It doesn't put stress on your joints or knees while still burning calories. Since most people can walk for long distances and periods, it's an exercise option that doesn't require special skills or equipment.
Targeting Belly Fat and Boosting Metabolism
Looking to target stubborn belly fat? Walking might be your answer. "Walking can reduce belly fat because regular walking can help your body's response to insulin, which is where you hold your belly fat," Kathleen shares from personal experience. Plus, it boosts your metabolism, which helps with overall weight loss.
Read also: Discover Kathleen's story of love and freedom
Mental and Physical Health Benefits
The benefits of daily walks extend far beyond just losing pounds. Kathleen explains that regular walking "has the power to lower your blood sugar," reducing your overall diabetes risk. It also helps lower blood pressure and aids in healthy digestion. Additionally, walking strengthens your bones and muscles by maintaining range of motion and improving blood flow.
Mental Health Improvement
Physical transformation isn't the only benefit of daily walks. "Walking is awesome for your mental health," Kathleen stresses. It modifies your nervous system and can actually decrease feelings of anger and stress hormone production. Taking time for yourself during walks provides valuable "me time" that many of us overlook.
Vitamin D from Sunshine
Taking your walks outdoors provides an additional benefit: natural vitamin D from sunshine. "I'm right in the sun, as you can see me squinting. This is so good for you," Kathleen says enthusiastically. This natural vitamin source contributes to better overall health and can improve your mood.
Improved Sleep and Stress Relief
Establishing a walking routine creates positive ripple effects throughout your life. Kathleen points out that "by walking and getting more steps and getting your vitamin D and improving your digestion, you are going to get better sleep." Walking also serves as an effective stress reliever by modifying your nervous system to release anger.
Starting a Walking Routine
For beginners, Kathleen recommends starting slow: "See how many steps you're walking right now every single day, and just make an improvement a little bit each day." There's no need to jump from 2,000 to 10,000 steps immediately. "It doesn't have to go from 2,000 steps a day all the way up to 10,000 steps in one day," Kathleen emphasizes.
Read also: Inspiring weight loss story: Danica Hart
Using Fitness Trackers
Using a fitness tracker can significantly boost motivation. "Fitbits are a great place to start if you're just trying to track your steps," Kathleen advises, though she's since upgraded to an Apple Watch.
Increasing the Challenge
Once you've established a walking routine, it's time to increase the challenge. Kathleen suggests walking faster: "Push yourself just a little bit faster. Start off slow if you need to and then increase how fast you're walking." For treadmill users, she recommends a structured workout: start with a 2-3 minute slow warmup, then alternate between fast walking (one minute) and medium pace (one minute) for 20-25 minutes, followed by a 2-3 minute cooldown.
Finding Your Sweet Spot
Through trial and error, Kathleen discovered her personal step goal: "I aim to get about 10,000 steps every day and I feel like that is my sweet spot." This target allows her flexibility with her diet while still making progress toward her goals. "That helps me have a little bit of wiggle room with my diet and still be able to crush my goals," Kathleen explains. She shares that she's currently down to 138 pounds from her starting weight of 200 pounds after having her daughter.
Additional Weight Loss Strategies
Kathleen Hart also highlights several other strategies that contributed to her weight loss success, which she refers to as pillars.
Diet and Low-Carb Alternatives
Kathleen emphasizes the importance of diet, recommending a low-carb approach. "Food is where you're going to see the most results. Whether that's macro counting, following a meal plan, or following a specific diet plan like me, like with low-carb food, it is what's going to move the scale faster." She focuses on finding low-carb alternatives to sustain her weight loss journey and maintain it over the years.
Read also: Diet and Training of Kevin Hart
Hydration
Kathleen stresses the importance of hydration, aiming for 120 ounces of water per day. "If I'm not drinking my water, I am snacky. I am feeling blah and just sluggish, and I can feel it. I can feel it in my body. It's so good to hydrate not only all of your organs but all of your cells. It helps with your digestion." She also suggests adding electrolytes to enhance hydration.
Sleep Hygiene
"If you're not getting the weight loss results that you want and you're not getting good sleep, great sleep, look into that," Kathleen advises. She emphasizes the importance of sleep hygiene, such as taking a shower at night with eucalyptus essential oil and reading before bed to create a relaxing nighttime routine.
Intermittent Fasting
Kathleen found intermittent fasting helpful, fitting her calories and daily macros into a smaller window.
Weight Training
Weight training was a major game-changer for her. She uses the app Train, which provides a personal trainer. "I got the results that I was looking for because I was ready. If I had tried to push this, which I did in the past, I wouldn't have gotten the results that I wanted. It didn't ever work out. I always felt like I was pushing it, and I was never fully on board with it. Therefore, I didn't stick with it. Now I'm loving it. I work out five days a week. I love it. Every single day that I work out, I feel so accomplished. I don't hate it anymore."
Mindset
Kathleen advised those on a weight loss journey to prioritize drinking water when they wake up. She said: "Drinking water first thing in the morning kick-starts your metabolism. When your metabolism is burning fat, you are losing weight."It supports your digestion because when everything is moving in your body, it helps to lose weight. You are ditching all of the toxins which are sitting inside."The YouTuber explained that drinking enough water in the morning helps to prevent dehydration later in the day. What's more, it encourages individuals to meet their daily water intake goals.Drinking enough water also prevents sugar cravings from creeping in throughout the day, as often people confuse thirst for hunger.
As for diet, the slimmer revealed that she only eats meals or snacks that contain protein, sharing that this change has dramatically affected her results.She stated: "Protein keeps you fuller for longer as it takes your body the longest to break down protein. It helps to stabilise your blood sugar and supports muscle retention whilst you are losing weight. Easy foods to incorporate into your meals are Greek yoghurt, chicken, eggs, tofu and fish."
As well as prioritising protein, Kathleen focused on her immune health. She explained that if you do not feel well or up to sticking to your weight loss plan, you are more likely to fall off track.Slimmers are advised to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they consume and increase the amount of protein. Bioactive nutrients - which provide health benefits beyond the basic nutritional value of the product - can be found in all sorts of fruits and vegetables, including apples, berries and oranges.Aside from adequate hydration and a healthy diet, slimmers should ensure they are getting a sufficient amount of sleep.Kathleen said: "When you are not getting quality sleep, you are not going to have quality weight loss. Even if everything else is perfect, you are not going to get the results that you are capable of."When you are sleep deprived, it is harder to make healthy choices and your hunger hormone can go into overdrive.
Embracing the Journey
Weight loss isn't a quick fix, as Kathleen candidly shares: "There's no magic weight loss pill. There's no like apple cider vinegar drink that you can drink that'll just make you drop pounds." Instead, she encourages readers to "start enjoying the journey and the whole thing will change for you." Walking provides a sustainable approach that can become an enjoyable part of your daily life rather than another dreaded obligation. "Losing weight is a journey," Kathleen reminds us, and her impressive weight loss proves that simple, consistent habits can create dramatic transformations.