Adding Almonds to Her Walking Routine Helped This Grandmother Lose 178 Pounds!
The crunchy snack can help you lose four times more weight
Women across the country are turning to a free and simple way to lose weight with astonishing results. What is it? Walking! Whether they’re strapping on sneakers and setting off for a hike or sneaking in steps on a treadmill while catching up on their favorite shows, readers tell us that walking has radically improved their health. Just ask Debbie Rondinelli—walking helped her lose a whopping 178 pounds. And there’s a simple snack for weight loss that she added to her routine that’s study-proven to fire up fat burning even more. If you’re ready to walk your way healthy, keep reading for Debbie’s inspiring story and tips to get the best results possible.
Why almonds for weight loss work well with walking
While any healthy diet helps walkers optimize results, a surprise food provides an especially huge boost: nuts. During one Journal of Research in Medical Sciences study published in 2014, dieters who walked 30 minutes daily and enjoyed two fat-rich snacks lost four times more weight if they snacked on almonds.
Woman's World Answers
Why? Turns out, both nuts and walking have a powerful ability to improve blood sugar—and together they’re, well, magic! The duo “works as well as some prescription medications,” reveals How Not to Diet author and plant nutrition expert Michael Greger, MD. He notes that as chronically high sugar comes down, so do levels of the hormone insulin—a factor that makes cravings disappear, fat storage slow and “enhances fat loss when you’re walking and even when you’re doing nothing.”
Debbie’s turning point
“At this point, gastric bypass is really your only hope,” said the doctor, concern on her face. She was reading Debbie Rondinelli’s latest tests, which showed dangerously high blood pressure and cholesterol, full-blown diabetes and a fatty liver—all getting worse in a hurry. “Your body can’t support your current weight much longer.” She handed her a surgeon’s card. The Connecticut grandmother took it, her heart beating faster. No surgery, she thought. No way.
But when Debbie opened her mouth to ask for other options, all that came out was a defeated sigh. After all, what else was she going to do? She’d tried every pill and plan out there, and yet she was still carrying 325 pounds. She was always tired, achy, often sad. “You don’t have to decide today,” the doctor added. “But do it soon, or it may be too late.”
After dinner with husband Massimo, Debbie reluctantly typed ‘gastric bypass’ in her laptop. Article after article confirmed the procedure could be a miracle for some. But folks who didn’t change their eating habits lost little weight or even gained. That’ll be me, she thought with despair.
Debbie tried to eat less with some success. Yet she was at a low point when Massimo’s supervisor, Jen, asked the couple to join Weight Watchers with her. Debbie had already failed at the program. “We’re too busy,” she fibbed. Jen emailed Debbie again. “It’s your boss. I have to say yes,” she told Massimo. But even as she agreed, she was thinking: I won’t last a month.
Debbie started walking for weight loss
They went to a meeting and Debbie was soon trying to re-create her fast-food lifestyle while sticking to her new “points” budget. As she tested smoothies and veggie burgers, she noticed her spirits lift a bit. But she still battled hunger and cravings; she’d heard it was a side effect of too-high blood sugar. She also heard walking burns blood sugar. If I move a little, it could help. I can at least try to get to the mailbox and back.
Though it was only 50 feet, she had to stop and rest along the way. But when she flopped back to the couch, she was proud of herself. So she walked to her mailbox again the next day and the next. Feeling a bit stronger, she challenged herself to go farther. “Today, I’ll walk to the street sign,” she said. And after a couple more days, “I’ll walk to the house next door.” The exertion left her sweaty, out of breath and…content. After two weeks, she was down from 297 pounds to 284. Could it be working?
Debbie kept at it, and two months in, she felt ready to attempt the mile-long loop around her neighborhood. She set out, focused on putting one foot in front of the other, even as she began to huff and puff. She’d made it halfway when a car stopped ahead of her. “Are you okay? Can I give you a ride?” asked her neighbor. Debbie smiled and waved. “I’m just out for a walk. I’m great!” And she was. Once barely able to go 50 feet, that day she managed 5,280 feet! She smiled and smiled.
Why Debbie started eating almonds for weight loss
Could things get any better? Yep! At a meeting not long after, the topic of nuts and seeds came up. “They’re a great source of good fat and fiber that help steady blood sugar. Mix them with carbs, and carbs can’t spike your blood sugar so much,” the leader explained. It might help with my diabetes, thought Debbie, who began adding options like almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds as snacks or atop salads and oatmeal. She’d even sprinkle ’em in wrap sandwiches. I love the crunch and I feel satisfied longer, she realized. Little did she know, scientists had discovered that nut eaters are actually able to walk off fat faster. Though unaware, Debbie marveled at how nicely the scale was moving. By the nine-month mark, she weighed in at 100 pounds lighter. Her Weight Watchers group erupted with applause.
Debbie walked off 178 pounds!
Did her progress slow at times? Sure. She hung in there, paid attention to her body and made little tweaks to get on track again. That’s how she eventually realized eating more nuts and other plant foods made her feel stronger. As she shifted to vegetarian eating, her endurance and energy grew; she was able to walk 3, 4, even 5 miles at once. She walked faster, added some strength training and yoga, even jogged a bit. Before she knew it, Debbie had dropped 178 pounds.
“In the end, I did have surgery—but it was only to remove excess skin that had become uncomfortable,” she says. Doctor appointments got a lot happier. “As other people my age were being put on meds, I was coming off mine. My body completely healed itself. All my obesity-related diseases are gone!” Now a WW leader herself, Debbie is 61 and still relies on nuts to keep her blood sugar steady. “And I still walk every day,” she reveals. “Sometimes I listen to podcasts, but often I just count my blessings. I am blessed beyond measure!”
Meals with almonds for weight loss to supercharge results
Adding 1–2 servings of almonds or any nut/seed each day can help balance blood sugar and amp your walking results no matter what healthy diet you choose. We’ve got fun ideas to inspire you here. Find more at BlueDiamond.com. Want to follow Debbie’s lead? Aim to make nuts part of a plan built around moderate portions of mostly plant-based foods. And to find out more about the plan she used, visit WeightWatchers.com.
Banana-nut smoothie
Blitz frozen chunks of 1 small ripe banana, 3⁄4 cup almond milk, 1–2 Tbs. almond butter, 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla and cinnamon to taste.
Mini jeweled salad
In jar, shake chopped greens, pomegranate seeds, sliced almonds, red onion, optional regular or plant-based feta and 2 Tbs. olive-oil vinaigrette.
Spicy almond salsa
Blitz 3⁄4 cup roasted almonds, 15 oz. crushed tomatoes, 1⁄4 cup olive oil, 1 garlic clove, and cayenne and salt to taste. Enjoy as dip or pasta sauce.
So-easy almond cookies
This treat whips up with just 4 ingredients! Makes 12 servings.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup natural almond butter
- 1 egg
- 1⁄2 cup sugar or Swerve sugar substitute
- Pinch of salt
Instructions:
- Combine all ingredients. Roll into 24 balls.
- Place 2″ apart on a lined sheet; flatten each with the bottom of a glass.
- Bake at 350ºF until set, about 10 min.
- Cool on a rack.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
