Diet and walking, does it really make a difference?

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  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
    edited February 2017
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    I agree that if you increase your activity by walking more while keeping calorie intake the same, you absolutely can lose weight. I love to walk, and do a lot of walking over the course of a week. However, if you want to crunch the numbers, it doesn't actually burn the same per mile as running, and for me, neither burns 100 calories per mile. At least, according to the article below. At the bottom they give you formulas for NET calories burned walking or running a mile. For me, at 135 lbs, it's about 85 calories burned per mile of running, and 40 calories per mile walking. So when I go for walks or runs, these are the numbers I now use.

    https://www.google.com/amp/www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?amp
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    It's all about creating a calorie deficit.

    Walking can help you do that, and getting more activity in your day is always a good thing. I'm a big fan of walking. But if you don't have a handle on your food intake, all the walking in the world won't do anything for you.

    This.

    My main form of activity has been walking and I've lost a lot of weight. But you have to watch your diet too.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
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    crazyravr wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I'll never be a runner, maybe if i was in a hurry to get my exercise in, or in a rush to get from A to B i'd consider it, but until then walking suits me just fine, You can burn a ton of calories too :+1:

    You pretty much burn the same as running the same distance, you just do it slower. 5km walk vs 5km run/jog will roughly be the same thing. One will take 30min the other 1hour.

    For some of us the run will be only minutely slower than the walk :tongue:
    (working on it because it's fun and because of ego...)
  • SusanMFindlay
    SusanMFindlay Posts: 1,804 Member
    edited February 2017
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    lightenup2016 wrote: »
    I agree that if you increase your activity by walking more while keeping calorie intake the same, you absolutely can lose weight. I love to walk, and do a lot of walking over the course of a week. However, if you want to crunch the numbers, it doesn't actually burn the same per mile as running, and for me, neither burns 100 calories per mile. At least, according to the article below. At the bottom they give you formulas for NET calories burned walking or running a mile. For me, at 135 lbs, it's about 85 calories burned per mile of running, and 40 calories per mile walking. So when I go for walks or runs, these are the numbers I now use.

    https://www.google.com/amp/www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?amp

    Something is wrong with those numbers. The 85 calories/mile is a very reasonable estimate for a small person (and quite consistent with "about" 100 cals as a rough estimate; I think I even suggested she might be down around 80ish because she's so small). Running does not burn double the calories per mile compared to walking. It burns slightly more - but the difference would be more like 80 vs 100. I think they have their "per hour" and their "per mile" concepts mixed up.

    My weight loss - where almost all my physical activity has been walking-based - backs up my walking estimate.
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
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    RiiNaCHiiCK09 wrote: »
    Could just walking and diet help me lose my last 15 lbs? I know jogging would be better, but could walking be as effective for me as it has for my mom?

    If your calorie counting is accurate, and you are eating less than you burn, then yes, it's just as effective. But take a look at the differences, she's taller, so she can eat more and get away with more. For you to have a similar deficit as hers and stay above 1200 calories a day, you'll have to do more exercise than her. It's just a simple fact of her being taller/larger.

  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
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    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    lightenup2016 wrote: »
    I agree that if you increase your activity by walking more while keeping calorie intake the same, you absolutely can lose weight. I love to walk, and do a lot of walking over the course of a week. However, if you want to crunch the numbers, it doesn't actually burn the same per mile as running, and for me, neither burns 100 calories per mile. At least, according to the article below. At the bottom they give you formulas for NET calories burned walking or running a mile. For me, at 135 lbs, it's about 85 calories burned per mile of running, and 40 calories per mile walking. So when I go for walks or runs, these are the numbers I now use.

    https://www.google.com/amp/www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?amp

    Something is wrong with those numbers. The 85 calories/mile is a very reasonable estimate for a small person (and quite consistent with "about" 100 cals as a rough estimate; I think I even suggested she might be down around 80ish because she's so small). Running does not burn double the calories per mile compared to walking. It burns slightly more - but the difference would be more like 80 vs 100. I think they have their "per hour" and their "per mile" concepts mixed up.

    My weight loss - where almost all my physical activity has been walking-based - backs up my walking estimate.

    I think they're saying the difference is that with running you have to push your weight entirely off the ground, whereas with walking there's always one foot on the ground, so therefore, the effort and calorie burn for running is higher even per mile. Also, with these being net calories burned, the difference is more pronounced.

    I haven't really been able to calculate if the numbers work, but I figure I'll just stick with the lower numbers.

    OP--definitely keep walking or running if you enjoy it!
  • guessjr94
    guessjr94 Posts: 32 Member
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    I've lost 25 pounds in 8 weeks by just counting calories and walking on the treadmill
    RiiNaCHiiCK09 wrote: »
    So I've been told time and time again that for a person who weighs "more"(whatever more means),the first 20lbs is "easier" than the last 15 lbs for a smaller person.

    I'm so sorry if that came out wrong or offensive, but let me get to my point.

    Before my son, I was 105 lbs. I am now 120 lbs. Oh and I'm 4' 11" if that helps with anything.

    Well, I just started counting calories and walking with my mom. She has lost 25 pounds from that, but she is 5' 4" and starting weight was 212 lbs.

    Could just walking and diet help me lose my last 15 lbs? I know jogging would be better, but could walking be as effective for me as it has for my mom?

  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    crazyravr wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I'll never be a runner, maybe if i was in a hurry to get my exercise in, or in a rush to get from A to B i'd consider it, but until then walking suits me just fine, You can burn a ton of calories too :+1:

    You pretty much burn the same as running the same distance, you just do it slower. 5km walk vs 5km run/jog will roughly be the same thing. One will take 30min the other 1hour.

    That's been my experience. When my arthritis is flaring, I don't manage to run as much. I can walk. I can keep my calorie burn consistent by keeping my mileage consistent.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    lightenup2016 wrote: »
    I agree that if you increase your activity by walking more while keeping calorie intake the same, you absolutely can lose weight. I love to walk, and do a lot of walking over the course of a week. However, if you want to crunch the numbers, it doesn't actually burn the same per mile as running, and for me, neither burns 100 calories per mile. At least, according to the article below. At the bottom they give you formulas for NET calories burned walking or running a mile. For me, at 135 lbs, it's about 85 calories burned per mile of running, and 40 calories per mile walking. So when I go for walks or runs, these are the numbers I now use.

    https://www.google.com/amp/www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?amp

    Something is wrong with those numbers. The 85 calories/mile is a very reasonable estimate for a small person (and quite consistent with "about" 100 cals as a rough estimate; I think I even suggested she might be down around 80ish because she's so small). Running does not burn double the calories per mile compared to walking. It burns slightly more - but the difference would be more like 80 vs 100. I think they have their "per hour" and their "per mile" concepts mixed up.

    My weight loss - where almost all my physical activity has been walking-based - backs up my walking estimate.

    I agree with you and my weight loss/TDEE from walking agrees with this. The runner's world numbers for walking have always been low, imo.

    Bear in mind that I run as well. I have a Fitbit and get a burn that's on order of what you're saying for each activity, and that's pretty consistent with the scale performance for me.

    The Runner's World numbers aren't.
  • lightenup2016
    lightenup2016 Posts: 1,055 Member
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    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    SusanMFindlay wrote: »
    lightenup2016 wrote: »
    I agree that if you increase your activity by walking more while keeping calorie intake the same, you absolutely can lose weight. I love to walk, and do a lot of walking over the course of a week. However, if you want to crunch the numbers, it doesn't actually burn the same per mile as running, and for me, neither burns 100 calories per mile. At least, according to the article below. At the bottom they give you formulas for NET calories burned walking or running a mile. For me, at 135 lbs, it's about 85 calories burned per mile of running, and 40 calories per mile walking. So when I go for walks or runs, these are the numbers I now use.

    https://www.google.com/amp/www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?amp

    Something is wrong with those numbers. The 85 calories/mile is a very reasonable estimate for a small person (and quite consistent with "about" 100 cals as a rough estimate; I think I even suggested she might be down around 80ish because she's so small). Running does not burn double the calories per mile compared to walking. It burns slightly more - but the difference would be more like 80 vs 100. I think they have their "per hour" and their "per mile" concepts mixed up.

    My weight loss - where almost all my physical activity has been walking-based - backs up my walking estimate.

    I agree with you and my weight loss/TDEE from walking agrees with this. The runner's world numbers for walking have always been low, imo.

    Bear in mind that I run as well. I have a Fitbit and get a burn that's on order of what you're saying for each activity, and that's pretty consistent with the scale performance for me.

    The Runner's World numbers aren't.

    That's an interesting thought--I guess it's in Runner's World's best interests to encourage running, not walking! :naughty:
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
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    People say we can rely on "diet alone" and I guess that is totally true if you like eating meager and mind blowingly low levels of food. That is how it is for a lot of people. This is why exercise helps a lot. If you are sedentary you will need to eat substantially less than if you are active. If you insert some kind of daily activity you will burn more and lose more in a shorter period of time than if you only cut calories.
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    suzc11 wrote: »
    I know this does nothing to address your question (the OPs above have done that) but KEEP WALKING WITH YOUR MOM. The benefit you'll get from being together, in the long, long run is priceless. Lost my mom 2 years ago, would love to walk with her now.

    I want to second this. Lost mine a couple years ago as well and would love to be able to even sit and talk with her now, let alone walk.
  • jennifer_417
    jennifer_417 Posts: 12,344 Member
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    Any activity that burn calories can help contribute to keeping a calorie deficit, and will cause weight loss.
  • vnb_208
    vnb_208 Posts: 1,359 Member
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    SURE DOES! -61lbs cal counting & mostly walking

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