Lose weight by walking?

spyro88

Hello, I am wondering whether people think it's possible to lose weight just by walking combined with a healthier diet (I was eating a lot of fast food and takeaways before and am making big improvements here). I am quite overweight at the moment, actually just into the bottom of the 'obese' category on BMI

So, if I walk round my local park for say 45 minutes each day (including some hills) and use my fitbit to record steps, do you think that this would help, or is the only way to join a gym??

sunnybeaches105

It will certainly help burn calories. I will tell you though, in my experience, you need to focus on the calories in (how much you eat) side of the equation more than the calories out side (calories expenditure). Tidying up your diet (eating more protein and cutting back on calorie dense foods) and starting an exercise program are both good steps forward though.

tech_kitten

Walking is great for your health, especially if you don't have any other exercise program. You still need to watch your calories though.

BrianSharpe

What you eat doesn't matter that much (in terms of weight loss) if you're still eating at a caloric surplus, yes......you could (at least theoretically) get fat eating nothing but broccoli, an awful lot of broccoli..

The weight loss will happen as a result of eating at a caloric deficit. You can lose weight without exercising but exercise (and walking is great) may help you acheive that caloric deficit and will also help improve your cardiovascular health......a win-win.

jhudson892

I only walk and monitor my calories and diet via MFP. I have lost 33 pounds with 10 more to go. It has been at a slow rate but I have not gained anything back. I don't go to the gym and pretty much walk at home watching TV but it works for me.
GOOD LUCK

markrgeary1

Based on our data from last year 80% of the weight DW and I lost was due to diet, 20% walking. So if you want to lose 20% more and feel great doing it, Go!

Seriously I feel 20 years younger. Our first walk last year was a single 48 minute mile. Today it takes 14 minutes.

witchy_wife

Replace "healthier diet" with "accurately logging my foods on MFP and staying within my limits" and you have a sure fire way to lose weight!

Walking is great, I do it a lot. Sometimes for exercise (a bit speedy) and sometimes just for enjoyment (spend a while walking a few miles with the kids around the countryside yesterday). It's all good, it gets you moving, it burns calories, is easy on the joints and you get fresh air. Enjoy it and good luck with your weight loss journey

minniestar55

Walk (exercise) for health...benefits heart, lungs, muscles, bones, mental health. Control your calories for weight loss...take in less than you burn.

Jerrypeoples

spyro88 wrote: »

Hello, I am wondering whether people think it's possible to lose weight just by walking combined with a healthier diet (I was eating a lot of fast food and takeaways before and am making big improvements here). I am quite overweight at the moment, actually just into the bottom of the 'obese' category on BMI

So, if I walk round my local park for say 45 minutes each day (including some hills) and use my fitbit to record steps, do you think that this would help, or is the only way to join a gym??

any movement is better than being still. 45 minutes is a good start. do that for a while then slowly increase it in increments you are comfortable with 5 or 15 minutes.

as other have said be sure to watch what you eat and account for everything. when you dont log food because you dont want to be over your goal you are only cheating yourself.

i have seen it said before and it bears repeating, you cannot outwork bad eating habits

CindyFooWho

I think there are different levels of walking. I think you can get a decent workout by walking if you push yourself. No leisurely stroll. Put on your workout clothes and walk as far and as fast as you can. Get sweaty and a little out of breath. Like running, speed and endurance will vary and will improve based upon your fitness level. But make sure you exert yourself; only YOU will know when that happens.

Elise4270

Walking is great exercise no matter the terrain or pace. When you are ready, you can make it more challenging/entertaining by including hills.

Keep it up! And keep making better food choices! As long as you are moving, you are burning calories.

I love long slow walks. So therapeutic.

OdditiesAbound

I've lost 32 lbs since April and the vast majority of my exercising has been walking. I was suuuper sedentary at the start of this, all day desk job, videogames/reading being my main for-fun hobbies.

So I started off trying to hit over 5k steps on my fitbit every day, and 10k steps 3 days a week. Which most people probably wouldn't consider exercise but for me it was a lot of extra moving compared to what I did before. I'm now up to 10k steps 5-6 days a week, and on days I don't hit 10k I still try to commit to hitting 5k.

The bulk of weightloss like everyone saying though will be from a calorie deficit. The walking is more for general health purposes and a little extra daily calorie burn to make it easier to eat a little more and stay in my deficit.

Because I'm heavier, the fitbit adjustment sometimes gives me a LOT of calories for my longer walks, I usually eat back 60% of them and have been staying at my 2 lbs a week goal so I guess that's about right for me but others say fitbit actually underestimates for them and they can eat back 100% of them and others say they can only eat back a third of what fitbit says, so you'll have to kind of experiment and adjust it on the fly until you figure out how the fitbit adjustment matches up to you.

rldeclercq4

I'll echo what others have said as a way to lend my support. I've lost over 100 lbs since the calendar flipped to 2016. In my very unscientific estimation 90% of that is due to eating less, having a regimented daily calorie goal between 1200-1500/day and sticking to that daily (well, 95% of the time). The other 10% has to do with burning fat by building muscle from weight training and calorie burn from running 3x week.

Want to lose weight? Eat less. Want to lose weight a little faster? Eat less and exercise more.

jessef593

If you're in a caloric deficit. Then yes. Do I think that's all you should do. No.

MaiLinna

I'm wondering this as well. I have a Fitbit and I keep everything set to sedentary because I usually spend the day in my small apartment playing games or cleaning. But now I do a lot more grocery shopping, and I walk to 3 different stores all the time. Just today I walked over 14k steps, over 6 miles, and according to my Fitbit and MFP, I burned 500 calories.

Did I actually? Someone else told me that walking doesn't actually burn calories.

firef1y72

MaiLinna wrote: »

I'm wondering this as well. I have a Fitbit and I keep everything set to sedentary because I usually spend the day in my small apartment playing games or cleaning. But now I do a lot more grocery shopping, and I walk to 3 different stores all the time. Just today I walked over 14k steps, over 6 miles, and according to my Fitbit and MFP, I burned 500 calories.

Did I actually? Someone else told me that walking doesn't actually burn calories.

Of course walking burns calories, it takes energy/fuel to move anything (including your body) from one place to another and we get our fuel from the food we eat, that we conveniently measure in Calories. If I sit on my bum all day I'd only burn around 1800 Calories a day, but by moving my 200lb body around all day, taking 25000 steps I burn >3000 in a day.

PixelPuff

MaiLinna wrote: »

I'm wondering this as well. I have a Fitbit and I keep everything set to sedentary because I usually spend the day in my small apartment playing games or cleaning. But now I do a lot more grocery shopping, and I walk to 3 different stores all the time. Just today I walked over 14k steps, over 6 miles, and according to my Fitbit and MFP, I burned 500 calories.

Did I actually? Someone else told me that walking doesn't actually burn calories.

Walking definitely burns calories. It is movement, energy expenditure. Think of it this way... If walking didn't burn calories, people who were bedridden wouldn't need their diet watched so hard for them to stay healthy. Having a desk job vs a job with movement wouldn't be much different.

Just because it isn't as active as running around doesn't mean walking does nothing. n___n

riceiscarb

MaiLinna wrote: »

I'm wondering this as well. I have a Fitbit and I keep everything set to sedentary because I usually spend the day in my small apartment playing games or cleaning. But now I do a lot more grocery shopping, and I walk to 3 different stores all the time. Just today I walked over 14k steps, over 6 miles, and according to my Fitbit and MFP, I burned 500 calories.

Did I actually? Someone else told me that walking doesn't actually burn calories.

Walking sure burns calories. even breathing burn calories. your body requires/burns calories at all time, just at a different rate.
for example, during my workout rest day, i do slow cardio, walking for an hour on a threadmill, and that would burn around 300-ish calories.

with fitbit and any other trackers, they are great for metrics, but not entirely 100% accurate. i would say give and take 10-30% margin of error depending on the activity. i use fitbit blaze myself.

MaiLinna

I'm not really a calorie eater-backer, and some days I gotta make sure I hit 1200 because I got too into work and forgot to eat, but it's those other days where sometimes I'll just snack with my boyfriend all day and I'll easily eat like 1700-1800 calories, and being so sedentary most days really screws me up.

samilicious01

spyro88 wrote: »

Hello, I am wondering whether people think it's possible to lose weight just by walking combined with a healthier diet (I was eating a lot of fast food and takeaways before and am making big improvements here). I am quite overweight at the moment, actually just into the bottom of the 'obese' category on BMI

So, if I walk round my local park for say 45 minutes each day (including some hills) and use my fitbit to record steps, do you think that this would help, or is the only way to join a gym??

Walking is fine, I know someone who hates the gym and has lost loads of weight by walking and controlling her food intake. I'm the opposite and love the gym but I include walking as part of my steady state cardio routines. Crack on and make it happen.

Ws2016

Take in fewer calories than you burn, and burn more through walking, and yes you will lose weight. You'll also have an exercise routine that can go anywhere.

jrline

You can be very successful losing weight by walking and tracking what you eat. Good Luck on your journey

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snowflake930

Walking is good exercise.
You lose weight by eating less calories than you burn. Staying @ your calorie allotment, is crucial for losing weight. Unless you eat less calories than you burn, you will not lose weight.

fattynomore78

I walk 5 miles everyday during the week I'm usually gone around 2 hours before I come into work and I've dropped 2 pounds and I go up and down hills it can be done

ericatoday

Honestly being overweight or obese just a calorie deficit will help you lose weight pretty easily as long as youre logging correctly and keeping at it. Walking will just be helping. Any activity you do will aid in weight loss but you dont actually need to walk or go to the gym. But walking outdoors is good for your body amd your mind so its a great start.

MaiLinna

ericatoday wrote: »

Honestly being overweight or obese just a calorie deficit will help you lose weight pretty easily as long as youre logging correctly and keeping at it. Walking will just be helping. Any activity you do will aid in weight loss but you dont actually need to walk or go to the gym. But walking outdoors is good for your body amd your mind so its a great start.

What if I'm not overweight? I hover near 130lbs right now, but my body still doesn't look quite right, so I'm going to try and drop another 10 lbs. I've always looked most normal when I was 115-120 lbs. I have a fairly small frame I think, and I've never had a chest. I struggle to fit into an A cup for Pete's sake. But as of now, my stomach sticks out much more than my breasts, and it just doesn't look aesthetically correct.

Unknown

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