Walk It Off. Just Walk It Off.

So, walking may not give me that perfectly toned body that'll land me a spot on the next Baywatch episode, but.... What's that? Baywatch has been off the air for years? DANG IT! Everything I've been aspiring towards. I always dreamed of running alongside The Hoff on the beach.

My mother told me that she read an article that stated, "If you walk 1100 steps per day, you will not gain any weight in your first trimester of pregnancy". So, imagine if you're NOT pregnant and you walk that many steps per day.

I currently walk approximately 2000 steps per day. Some friends of mine found a course, drove it in their car and discovered it was 2 miles long. Another wore a pedometer, which measured approximately 2000 steps on this journey. So we make the journey five days a week together (It's always good to have a workout buddy to keep you motivated). On top of that we all push strollers loaded down with kids. That gives some extra resistance.

CURRENT WEIGHT: 161 lb. Yes, I've lost a total of 4 lb. in spite of being pregnant and that's only from better food choices and the supplements I talked about early on.

Just this last week I started the walking regimen. I picked up an issue of Woman's World off the grocery store newsstand because the main article said, "Walk off 20 lbs by March". HELLO!

Here are the tips they give:

1. "Just by bundling up and heading outside on a cold day, your body burns extra calories by trying to keep itself warm".

2. Walking with snow shoes in the snow or walking in the sand will burn up to 500 calories in a single hour.

3. If you simply walk 15 minutes briskly and then do muscle toning for 15 minutes, you'll eat 517 calories fewer than those who just walked or just did strength training.

4. Using walking poles (can be purchased on E-bay for approx. $50) will help you burn 50% more calories per walk.

5. Using a treadmill with an incline or trying a walking workout DVD indoors occasionally will cause you to use different muscles than regular walking, hence a boost in your calorie burn.

6. Interval walking. It means speed up your walking for a few minutes, then slow down. This tricks your body into thinking you're going full tilt and it has been shown in studies to burn three times more fat than nonstop high-intensity exercise!

And finally - walking just plain makes you want to eat healthier. I crave apples and Subway sandwiches and water when I work out. When I don't, it's junk food all the way. Lots of sweets, etc.

Now get out there and walk!