Eilidh Scammell, 36 from the Isle of Skye, made a promise at the beginning of 2017 to improve her fitness and general health. With the help of the challenge, boy did she overachieve!
I knew the goal needed to be realistic otherwise I'd never do it. After finding the challenge in February I thought it was reasonable enough for someone with a desk job to walk an average of 2.8m per day to reach the 1000 mile target. Since then My diet has changed dramatically since and my fitness has greatly improved.
At the end of January I walked over the Skye bridge for the first time and it was hard! I had to stop a few times to catch my breath, but I carried on and was extremely proud of my achievement. Now I can walk over the Skye Bridge at an average pace of 18 minutes per mile without getting out of breath.
I have never climbed a Munro [Scottish mountain over 3000ft high] but that goal seems more and more achievable each week. I hope to achieve this goal in 2018 and I've already chosen my Munro! I've aways wanted to walk the West Highland Way too but never thought it achievable. The thought is now a lot less daunting and hope to do it in the next couple of years. I feel so much fitter than I was. I now feel normal for the first time in my adult life.
Eilidh found walking worked when much else had failed.
Walking has helped me lose weight, and a lot of it! On Sunday the 5th of February I weighed myself for the first time that year. I was 22st 1.5lb, had a BMI of 50 and was a size 26/28. I made small gradual changes to my diet and lost half a stone in the first two weeks. Nearly nine months since my first weigh-in and I've lost 8st 3lbs. My BMI is now 31.3 and I'm a size 16. I have another 2st 12.5lbs to lose before I reach my target weight, but this is no longer a daunting prospect and I feel extremely positive about achieving it.
To help get my miles in I started walking in the evenings round my village. About three weeks later it dawned on me I was no longer eating my much-loved dark chocolate digestives in front of the telly as I was out walking instead. This got me thinking that maybe I could once more attempt to lose weight and possibly succeed this time! The #walk1000miles challenge helped kick start my weigh loss, and I don't think I would be where I am today without it!
I love the Facebook group – it's very encouraging and inspiring. People posting photographs of their walks makes me want to walk more and explore new places. It's also extremely useful for getting tips on anything walking related, whether it's equipment, routes, or apps.
My advice is to start small and be consistent. Just over a mile each evening round my village on level ground is how I started. Set yourself lots of small achievable goals. Don't dive in the deep end and attempt to climb a Munro if you can't even walk a mile without getting out of breath. Baby steps is the key to success in both fitness and weight loss.
In 2017 my challenge included all my walking, but next year I'd like to see if I can do it 'boots on' only, so any walk that does not have any other purpose to it. That will be a challenge and I can't wait!
