Can walking make a difference?? Help!

MissFlab2Fab2014

Ok this is not first time on a website like MFP or on MFP... I am pretty new to the concept of weight loss because I didn't really think about it until really the moment my 3yr old daughter said (grabbing my tummy while dressing) "Mommy do you have a baby?" and I said :" No I do not have a baby in there..." and she said "Mommy are you fat?" That about broke my heart! >>>Skip forward>>>>>

I am not really at a point where I can push myself yet physically. I think I am pretty weak both mentally and physically... and if I try to rush into any work out, running, jogging etc. I burn out quickly... Now that doesn't mean I won't continue to try it. Repetition leads to routine and I get that... My question is " Can walking.. say 30 minutes a day... help at all towards a goal." now If I do that I am not expecting amazing results within 3-6 months... and I know I will have to cut junk food, soda and a majority of my coffee... and cut off my fast food intake entirely... but will this do me any good?

Ninkyou

Yes, it can and will.

I started out walking 2 miles, so about 45 mins or so, in June. I'm now hiking 6 miles in forests and varied terrain :P
I went from complete sedentary too. It definitely helped my physically. Plus, it allows me to eat more calories too.... so win-win.

Mr_Knight

My question is " Can walking.. say 30 minutes a day... help at all towards a goal."

30 minutes is better than nothing - absolutely, yes, and a great starting point - but realistically, it's not enough to make a difference.

Bump it to a solid hour a day - 3 miles a day - and then it'll start to add up to something meaningful.

init2fitit

Can walking.. say 30 minutes a day... help at all towards a goal." now If I do that I am not expecting amazing results within 3-6 months... and I know I will have to cut junk food, soda and a majority of my coffee... and cut off my fast food intake entirely... but will this do me any good?

Honestly, people can lose weight without working out at all so 30 minutes to the cause, in my opinion is great.

But why would you need to cut junk food, soda, coffee and fast food? Now if these are foods that you know you can't have moderately, I understand. I no longer buy 12 packs of soda because I will drink the whole thing in one sitting however if someone offers me a cup, I don't often turn it down.

I think that you should learn to eat these foods in moderation to help you gain a better relationship with food. Plus cutting out things sometimes leads to binges, which doesn't help anything...

jenilla1

I think it's a great start. I started out hiking beautiful trails, which eventually led to me feeling the impulse to run. So I walked-jogged for a while (because I couldn't keep up for long) and now I run non-stop cross-country for miles and miles. You have to start somewhere. Even if all you ever do is walk, it's so good for you. It probably won't make a difference in weight loss unless you are also eating at a deficit, but it should really help with energy and stress and just overall health. :drinker:

jennifer_a00

Yes! After a summer of inactivity, I wanted to start exercising, but I had hurt my foot and there wasn't much I could do. I've been walking for about 50 minutes a day for the last month. I have noticed a difference in my endurance levels, and overall well being. I am also starting to notice some good shape changes more recently. It's a great way to get outside and feel better!

nena49659

I started out walking because that was the ONLY thing my doctor wanted me to do. When I first started walking, I was out of breath and feeling it just walking around the block! When that started getting too comfortable, I added on a few more blocks. You'd be amazed at how quickly your body says, "More, more, more!"

annenhie

Walking is a great exercise. Most of the weight I lost is through walking/hiking. You can build up the stamina to do other exercises like running later on if you just keep on the walk. Try to do 10k steps per day if you can. Even the little steps you do around the house counts so should not be too difficult.

cenafan

Losing weight is about calories in and calories out. Focus on your diet. Adding any cardio will give calories to consume and will help your heart (and entire body). I lost my first 50 pounds just walking and counting calories. I've added in a lot heavier cardio and weight training now (along with yoga) to start toning and building more muscle. I really think the intital walking helped build up my cardivascular health to allow me to now do the heavier workouts.

lucystacy71

I started out walking, and at first I could only go 10 minutes at a time. As I kept at it, I was able to walk more and I've even added biking and jogging to my days now. It's really been working for me so far.

JaxDemon

It certainly does. I walk around 2 miles to work and do a lot of walking at work and sometimes will walk home as well. It's better than sitting around doing nothing.

Naaer

Walking is terrific exercise...It is considered cardiovascular, so it IS good for your heart...You'll probably maintain with thirty minutes a day, but sixty minutes SHOULD help you lose...If you are sedentary, doing ANY exercise will help, and you'll feel better, too...


Reaan:happy:

JustMeee333

Most of my exercise has come from walking. I started at an hour a day, now vary from 1-2+ hours.

Any walking you can do will be brilliant, and you can always build up from there. Good luck.

Woodlore

Oh yes, I've lost four stone (56lbs) in three years, mostly through walking. My diet hasn't changed very much at all.

I do 2.5 miles every weekday lunchtime, come rain or shine, and about 15 to 20 miles over the weekend, if I am at home. And go on walking holidays too.

It gets easier and easier the more you do it and 30 minutes a day will help, any exercise is better than none.

FF

bunnybutler29

Starting out walking is great. Try to push yourself to see what your limits would be. Keep at that limit for a while and when you feel stronger mentally and physically try to beat the time and distance. Starting low with walking a few days a week it will help set a small goal and routine that you can stick to. You will be amazed at how you will start to try new things/more things after that. The hardest part is starting. Just put one foot in front of the other and start. As you know on MFP this is a great place to find people in the same situation and looking for or giving motivation. GL and if you want you can add me I try to log daily and have an open diary. (:

JDHINAZ

Yes. In February, I started out walking a couple miles, works my way up in speed and distance. These days, I jog 3.5 miles 3-4 days a week and jog with some very minimal walking 6.5 miles at least one day on the weekends. I try to do another day on the weekends, but ultimately I listen to my body to tell me if I need to rest.

I suggest picking a route, and then keep doing it, working on speed.

Also, go to a running store and get fit for good shoes (even if your using them for walking.) They will fit you in the right pair for you. Expect to have to do some walking while there. They will want to watch you walk and check your gait and foot strike. They may cost a bit more, but it makes all the difference.

teamAmelia

Yes! I did that in January and February. I didn't completely cut out fast food bc that's all that I ate. I only walked, never ran. I started walking on 1/12 and my last weigh-in around that time was on 2/27. So, in those 47 days, I lost 12 pounds and walked 89 miles.

On 1/14, I weighed in at 230
on 1/27, 225
2/2 - 222
2/27 - 218

I also was able to wear a pair of size 14 dress pants that had been sitting in my closet, never worn, for years. I normally wear an 18! Forget the weight loss. THAT was the most exciting thing for me!!!

And, even if you don't lose as much weight as you're expecting, your body could still use the exercise, so if you can find the time, do it. Good luck!

notdieting

Yes, it's a great start. Once you get accustomed to it, you will be able to up your speed and distance gradually and maybe that walk will turn into a jog or a run or maybe it will just give you enough stamina to consider other forms of exercise.

Anything is better than nothing at all hon.

Same goes for your food....make changes slowly if you feel it's more likely to make you stick to it. Cut portions down a spoonful at a time, change high fat stuff for similar lower fat options...'light' versions or swapping frying for grilling or steaming.

This is how I did things and before I knew it, I actually stopped craving for the high fat stuff. Not all of it. I'd still commit murder for a Big Mac and fries now and then but generally, I have lost the taste for fat.

Perfect example (and I KNOW how much this will gross some people out) I used to absolutely love what I called a 'pig fat curry'. I wasn't even trying to kid myself it was healthy, hence the name. It basically consisted of 1lb of the fattiest belly pork I could find, fried in garlic butter, smothered in curry sauce and plonked on top of about three quarters of a pound of white rice. Add a whole bottle of wine and I was in my element!

A couple of weeks back, I was having a scheduled 'treat meal'. We were away on holiday, had behaved all week and decided on one night out, at a restaurant, with 'no holds barred'. My starter consisted of belly pork and black pudding, cooked French style and served beautifully. Quantity-wise, there was a piece of belly pork about 3 cubic cm's and a slice of black pudding the size of a silver dollar. I cut the pork into two bites, that's how little there was and although that first bite was truly devine and set my mouth literally running, the second bite was a little 'claggy', just a tad too greasy and oily.

So there you go. Have been on this journey for five months, lost 41lbs and have gone from gorging down a pound (!!!!) of fat to barely being able to cope with an ounce (if that!)

Your stamina will change with exercise and your taste will change with food....just take baby steps and they'll soon turn to strides. Good luck xx

Edited: OH MY GOD. Just calorie counted my pig fat curry meal....3,200 calories......more than two days food for me now!!!:embarassed:

DymonNdaRgh40

Yes! Walking is one of my favorite easy workouts. I get a chance to get outside, catch some vitamin D and clear my head. It's the cheapest workout around. Just put some comfortable tennis shoes on and go!

Stage14

Walking is a great way to start an exercise routine. My husband has had great success walking 4 or 5 mornings a week. However, if you're looking for weight loss, changing your diet will have a bigger impact than your physical activity. You don't have to cut things out completely, unless you feel that you need to do so in order to avoid temptation. Just track your food and make sure you're eating a calorie deficit and you'll lose weight.

Francl27

I mostly walk for exercise still. I walk 3-5 miles a day (without counting the random steps I take during the day). Watching what you eat is still the most important, but even 30 minutes a day will burn 100 calories or something.

littlemom1983

In a word, yes. If you are ever diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease, the doctors will tell you, until you are sick of hearing it, "Walk 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week, and it does not even have to be all at one time. Break it up into two 15 minute walks. Walk fast enough to breathe hard, but not so hard you cannot have a conversation." It exercises your heart, which is a very important muscle. Don't cut out all your favorite junk foods, though. Just have them less frequently, and in moderation.

MeanderingMammal

My question is " Can walking.. say 30 minutes a day... help at all towards a goal."

Yes it will, setting yourself the goal of a 30 minute walk will help you with the discipline of training and it will start to have an effect. You'll probably find that you'll get used to it fairly quickly, so you'll feel the need to then challenge yourself a bit more.

If 30 minutes is a challenge now, then you have a target to aim for, and once you can do it start to try to stretch the distance that you do in the time, or increase the time a little at a time.

Coupled with watching what you're eating then you should see some results fairly readily.

ashandstuff

OP,

standiing is better than sitting. walking is better than standing. running is better than walking. You may need to take baby steps to work up to a good pace of walking but you know what, don't stress over it.

Get outside! Walk around! (or just use a treadmill, that works too. It can just be boring. :] )

Walking is a GREAT way to introduce your body to exercise.

I say go for it! You will find that after a while you can go farther and walk faster, which means that you are getting healthier!

louisegibbs85

My main source of exercise is walking other then that I use a air Walker which is practically walking in one spot ...., its worked for me!

Lleldiranne

Walking is a great exercise, especially for someone just starting out. 30 minutes a day is a good start, too.

As you get stronger, make sure you increase your effort (i.e. walk faster). You should feel kind of tired by the end of your walk - not so much that you can't do anything else the rest of the day, but enough that you asked your body to do a bit more than it's used to or what's easy. You want to get your heart rate up, which means you will be breathing heavier. A good rule of thumb is if you could carry on an easy conversation, you're not doing enough. If you can only get one word out between gasps, you're pushing too hard. Somewhere in between there is going to be the best exertion.

And don't forget, if you put your 3 year old in a stroller and push her for the 30 minutes, you're increasing your effort and she'll probably have a great time!

ETA: also remember that, while walking is great for exercise and fitness, weight loss requires a calorie deficit, so make sure to track what you eat and stay at a reasonable level!

Teenalove912

I like the power walking tapes. The burn up a sweat and give you extra calories to eat in the process. I'm using the Leslie Sansone . Her voice can be a little annoying but, boy I do get a good work out.

grrrlface

My main form of exercise! I walk 5+ miles a day.

Start off with 30 minutes at a steady pace and build up. Walking is a quick build up too so you'll be able to add more and more quite quickly.

It's such an enjoyable way to exercise!

melissaondesko

It is a great start, you will lose weight doing it. I would advise as you lose weight, to look into doing some resistance training to maintain lean body mass (muscle). You will lose weight walking, you will change your body strength training.

ArtsyBunny

Walking is a great way to get fit. I've actually been walking for several years now, but it wasn't until I started eating healthier and tracking my calories that I started to lose weight. I did feel a lot better in general after I started walking. And now I walk about a 1/2 hour to an hour every day along with a half hour to an hour of another exercise.

I still eat a lot of the same foods I did before. Just in smaller portions, with lots of vegatables and fruit, or less often.

guessrs

Yes., huge. I started out walking. My dad walks and loses pounds.