Dawn French is proof that walking is enough to lose weight. Alongside a calorie deficit (which Dawn called ‘joyless low-cal eating’), she previously shared that despite setting out to drop just ‘a few stone’, ‘lots more walking’ led to her losing a huge seven and a half stone in a matter of ‘weeks’.
But her decision to lose weight was about more than just being a little healthier; it was required in order for her to have surgery following a cancer scare in 2014, when she was 56. ‘I was diagnosed with uterine cancer and my womb was removed,’ she explained on her blog at the time. ‘When it was time for my hysterectomy, the doc told me that if I could lose some weight before the op, they would be able to do it via “key-hole”, and I would recover in three weeks or so.’
She went on to call her weight loss strategy ‘unexciting, yet effective’, adding that ‘eating less’ and ‘exercising more’ were the top two methods.
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Dawn French, 2023
Refreshingly, changing her appearance was never a motivation. ‘I’ve never disliked myself, and my weight has had nothing to do with my self-esteem,’ she added on her blog. ‘I still refuse to dislike my old body.’
In a more recent interview with The Times, cited by the Independent, she pushed back against praise that implied her previous body was somehow inferior. She said, ‘Lots of people do it and say, “Oh, you look so much better – now you look well.” And I think, “F*** off! Don’t judge that other person who I loved.”’
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Dawn French, 2017
Her body-positive outlook is something we should all embrace, but that doesn’t mean you can’t aim to lose weight if you’re keen to feel fitter – and Dawn’s experience is a welcome reminder that punishing HIIT workouts and endless hours on the treadmill aren’t the only route to success.
In fact, one study found intense exercise often leads to less weight loss than expected because people naturally compensate by eating more or moving less later in the day, while sustainable activities like walking are easier to stick with over the long term.
PT Samantha McGowan concurs: ‘When it comes to walking for weight loss, it’s all about energy balance. You need to be in a calorie deficit – burning more calories than you eat. An increase in any movement will help with this, but walking is an accessible and sustainable starting point for many people since it doesn’t require any kit or skill and is low impact.’
And Dawn’s not the only star to have reaped the rewards of upping her step count. Clare Balding, Rebel Wilson and Adele have all credited walking for contributing to their weight loss journeys. A daily stroll might go further than you think.
A quick caveat: sustainable weight loss isn’t driven by exercise or nutrition alone. Movement helps preserve muscle, support metabolic health and improve how your body uses energy, but what you eat still matters – as Dawn says, her weight loss came from walking and a calorie deficit, combined. The most effective approach combines smart training with nourishing, realistic nutrition habits you can maintain long-term.
One of our most frequently asked questions here at Women’s Health? How to build muscle and burn fat at the same time. So, we asked superstar trainer Oyinda Okunowo exactly how to do it. In this 4-week plan – created exclusively for Women’s Health COLLECTIVE members – you’ll get the workouts and nutrition guidance needed to help you on your way to better body composition. Tap the link below to unlock 14 days of free access to Oyinda’s plan and start training today.
As Women’s Health UK’s fitness director and a qualified Pilates and yoga instructor, Bridie Wilkins has been passionately reporting on exercise, health and nutrition since the start of her decade-long career in journalism.
After earning a first-class degree in journalism and NCTJ accreditation, she secured her first role at Look Magazine, where she launched the magazine’s health and fitness column, Look Fit, before going on to become Health and Fitness writer at HELLO!
Since, she has written for Stylist, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Elle, The Metro, Runner’s World and Red. Today, she oversees all fitness content across Women’s Health online and in print, spearheading leading cross-platform franchises, such as ‘Fit At Any Age’, which showcases the women proving that age is no barrier to exercise.
She has also represented the brand on BBC Radio London, plus various podcasts and Substacks – all with the aim to encourage more women to exercise and show them how. Outside of work, find her trying the latest Pilates studio, testing her VO2 max for fun (TY, Oura), or posting workouts on Instagram.