Hiking became an important part of getting fitter and losing weight for me. When I started, I weighed about 240 lb (109 kg). Over time, I reached about 170 lb (77 kg).
I did not begin with difficult mountain hikes. I started by walking approximately 5 km on relatively flat trails about three times a week. I timed some of my walks, tracked my progress, and gradually moved on to longer and more challenging hikes.
A personal experience: What follows is what helped me. Weight management is individual, and factors such as health conditions, medications, sleep, stress, and nutrition can all play a role. If you are making major changes to your activity level or diet, particularly if you have a medical condition, consider speaking with a health professional or registered dietitian.
My Before and After
How I Got Started
For me, consistency was more important than trying to do too much too soon. Walking was a manageable starting point, and as my fitness improved I gradually added hills, longer distances, and more challenging hikes.
- Start easy. If you have not been active for a while, begin with shorter, relatively flat walks and build from there.
- Increase gradually. Add distance, elevation, or pace a little at a time rather than increasing everything at once.
- Track your activity. Distance, time, route, and frequency can help you see progress. I have used MapMyFitness to record my workouts.
- Find activities you actually enjoy. Hiking worked for me because I wanted to keep doing it.
- Consider a hiking or walking partner. Having someone else involved can make it easier to stay consistent.
- Add strength training. Stronger legs, core, and upper body can improve both general fitness and hiking ability.
- Allow time for recovery. Rest, sleep, and easier days are part of improving fitness.
For someone looking for a relatively easy walk at Buntzen Lake, the Energy Trail can be a good place to start.
Eating Habits That Helped Me
Exercise was only part of the equation for me. I also became much more aware of what I was eating and drinking.
Some of the habits I found useful were:
- Making water my main drink.
- Cutting back substantially on sugary drinks.
- Eating more vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and protein-rich foods.
- Choosing foods that helped me feel satisfied rather than simply eating the lowest-calorie option available.
- Keeping nutritious snacks available when I knew I would be hungry.
- Eating nuts and nut butters in reasonable portions. They can be filling, but they are also energy-dense.
- Cooking at home more often and eating restaurant meals less frequently.
- Using herbs, spices, mustard, lemon, and hot sauce to add flavour without relying heavily on rich sauces.
- Reading nutrition labels rather than assuming that a product labelled “low fat” or “healthy” is necessarily a better choice.
- Being aware of portion size, particularly with calorie-dense foods.
- Limiting alcohol.
Cutting Back on Added Sugar
One of the biggest changes for me was reducing the amount of sugar I was drinking and eating. Sugary beverages are particularly easy to consume without feeling very full.
Foods and drinks I became more conscious of included:
- soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages;
- sweetened coffee drinks;
- fruit juice;
- candy and chocolate;
- cookies, cakes, pastries, and doughnuts;
- syrups, jams, and sweet spreads;
- sweetened breakfast cereals;
- ice cream and other desserts; and
- sauces and condiments that contain substantial added sugar.
This does not mean that every food containing sugar needs to be eliminated. For me, the bigger improvement came from recognizing the foods and drinks that contributed a lot of sugar and calories without adding much nutritional value.
Motivation and Consistency
The difficult part was not knowing that exercise and healthier eating were useful. The difficult part was sticking with them.
I found that setting small challenges worked better than thinking only about the final goal.
One example was sweetened coffee drinks. Rather than telling myself I could never have one again, I challenged myself to go without them for one month. One month eventually became three. Reaching that small goal gave me confidence that I could change other habits as well.
A challenge does not have to involve food. It could be:
- walking 1, 2, or 3 km every day;
- completing three walks each week for a month;
- gradually improving your walking pace;
- trying a new trail;
- adding regular strength training; or
- reducing the amount of time spent sitting.
Tracking Progress
I found it motivating to record my walks and hikes and watch my fitness improve. If you choose to track body weight as well, use a consistent approach. Body weight naturally fluctuates from day to day, so the overall trend is more useful than any single measurement.
Progress can also show up in other ways: walking farther, climbing hills more comfortably, recovering faster, sleeping better, or simply having more energy.
What I Learned
The biggest lesson for me was that I did not need to begin as a strong hiker. I needed to begin with something I could actually sustain.
A 5 km walk eventually became longer walks. Longer walks became hikes. The hikes became more challenging, and the improvements in fitness gave me more confidence to keep going.
Hiking was not a quick fix. It became part of my lifestyle, and that made the difference.
Current Canadian guidance: Adults are encouraged to accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week and include regular muscle-strengthening activity. Canada’s Food Guide emphasizes vegetables and fruit, whole grains, protein foods, water, and limiting highly processed foods and sugary drinks.
