If you have a few pounds to lose (or even a lot) an occasional W.O.W. day can really help and you’ll find the three simple steps below.
According to this weight loss program creator, Donald Norfolk, you can easily lose one to three pounds every single day you do it (I usually lose around a pound) and it’s also great to get back on track after a bad day of overeating like the day after Thanksgiving when you wish you hadn’t indulged quite so much…..
W.O.W. stands for Walking, Oranges and water. Here’s what you do.
Walking
Whenever you have a W.O.W. day, simply put on your walking shoes and walk as far and as fast as you are able.
The aim is to walk for a minimum of 3 hours during the day though it does not have to be 3 straight hours. (If you are unable to walk for 3 hours at the start build up your fitness gradually so that you are able to do it.)
This part of the regime means that you are best to do your W.O.W. days at the weekend when you have more time. Take a hike in the countryside or at the beach to really enjoy your walk. Get a friend to join you on your weight loss mission and have a great day out.
You will use around 400 calories for every hour you walk and you will raise your metabolism too.
If you’re not a country walk kind of girl, do my shopping version. Spend the day shopping in a big city or huge mall. Walking around all day will work wonders for your figure if not your wallet!
Oranges
Whenever you are hungry eat an orange. On W.O.W. days eat nothing but oranges all day.
This means you should not do the program more than one day at a time in a row as oranges don’t give you all the nutrients you need.
It is a kind of semi-fast where oranges will stop you feeling too light headed and give you some energy for walking.
The official W.O.W. program [1] says that you should eat the fruit whole including the peel to get maximum benefit as it has at least twice as much Vitamin C as the pulp but I have never been able to make myself eat the peel. Maybe you can though.
Water
Drink water to help check your craving for food and keep you well hydrated on your walk.
When you get hunger pangs, first drink a glass of water. That may be enough to keep hunger in check for a while. only when you are still hungry after half an hour or so, eat an orange. That way you won’t need quite so many oranges and you can keep your calorie consumption for the day very low.
More Info
Who should not do this? Donald says you should not try this regime if you suffer from diabetes or hypoglycemia. If you have medical problems like high blood pressure, coronary disease or are hugely overweight (or even if there is any doubt about your heath) check with your doctor first.
How Often? The ideal accord to Donald is to follow the plan no more than one day a week until you reach your ideal weight. That would be my recommendation too. If you want to avoid loose skin problems never lose weight too quickly – about a pound a week is ideal.
[1] I learned about W.O.W. from an old book published 25 years ago called “Farewell to Fatigue” (pages 6 – 9), by Donald Norfolk. It’s now out of print though last time I looked there were still copies hanging around here on Amazon US and here on Amazon UK for next to nothing. It’s full of great tips if you’re feeling tired all the time.
