Will just walking help me lose weight

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  • MrsBingley
    MrsBingley Posts: 145
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    Yes, it will.

    But.

    I would recommend adding some kind of strength training, even if it is just 15 min of calisthenics 3x a week, if you can possibly manage it.

    Walking (like any cardio) will burn fat, but with it, a bit of muscle (if you are in a calorie deficit). That is unavoidable. Strength training, combined with adequate protein will help you maintain more of it.

    I agree that exercise needs to be fun if you are going to stick with it. I mosly walk and play DDR with my kids for cardio. Sometimes I go roller skating or swimming with the family too. Besides hitting the elliptical on my lunch break at work sometimes, I don't do any cardio that I find boring. Weightlifting is the "chore" lol. It's getting better though.
  • rabblerabble
    rabblerabble Posts: 471 Member
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    My mother turned 80 this year. For many many years her main exercise has been walking around her neighborhood on a daily basis and she is quite fit.
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    I am 51yo, 5'4", and now weigh 198.8lbs. I started MFP in March 2013 weighing 232lbs (yes, I have lost approx 35lbs), primarily b/c I log my food (keeping my cals to sedentary TDEE-20%) and walking daily. I walk at least once a day, 2-3 miles, some times twice a day, morning and night. I have recently started going on 5-6mile hikes on Saturday.

    Walking WORKS!!!
  • Topsking2010
    Topsking2010 Posts: 2,245 Member
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    Checkout The Walking Site. It's an excellent website for walking

    By the way I just did a walking marathon this past Sunday.
  • karireyn
    karireyn Posts: 8 Member
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    I lost 8 pounds in 4 weeks by cutting my calories down to 1200-1300 and walking at 4.0 on the treadmill for 30 minutes with a 5 minutes cool down. I'm 5'4" and 140. The biggest thing was that I didn't eat back any of the calories I burned working out and still don't. I don't feel like I need them. It takes a week or so for my body to adjust to not having massive amounts of food. But after that first week I find 1200-1300 calories is perfect.
  • comalua1
    comalua1 Posts: 80
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    I know there are programs out there to "walk off the weight". It sure it better than doing nothing! I too dislike exercise for the sake of exercise. I walk to work and back (a mile each way) most days and though the weight isn't flying off, it is going down and I am slimming/toning up.


    My mom used the leslie sansone dvds. think that's how you spell it.
  • svsl0928
    svsl0928 Posts: 205 Member
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    Yes, walking is great. Try the Leslie Sansone walking DVDs. As you progress, add some hand weights.
  • comalua1
    comalua1 Posts: 80
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    Checkout The Walking Site. It's an excellent website for walking

    By the way I just did a walking marathon this past Sunday.

    there are walking marathons??? show me!!!
  • NancyN795
    NancyN795 Posts: 1,134 Member
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    I understand the anxiety issues, too. My main criteria for exercise is "non-humiliating", with humiliation being defined as "witnessed by anyone who is not a supportive family member or friend." So, no gym for me. Walking can be a fine exercise, you just want to make sure to get your heart rate up.

    However, I thought I'd chime in with what has worked for me so far. I didn't want to do walking because at times the weather where I live (somewhat rural Colorado) sometimes does not favor walking outdoors. Plus, some forced walking recently (the floods took out our driveway) seemed to correlate with a resurgence of some pretty painful plantar fasciitis, which hadn't given me trouble in a long while (this was months after I'd started exercising). Anyway, last January I got myself a Nintendo Wii (used, off Craig's List), balance board and software. I started with the basic Wii Fit software, aiming for a minimum of 30 minutes of aerobic exercise a day. I gradually added more programs and for about 6 months I was doing 1 hour of the Gold's Gym Dance Workout program every day. At this point, I'm finding it doesn't raise my heart rate enough, so I'm switching to Zumba for the Wii. I never in a million years would have expected an exercise program to work for me, but this is actually working well. I enjoy it and I burn enough calories to lose weight without starving. I've never danced, but I'm enjoying the dance programs in the privacy of my own home, where nobody can see how bad I am. Using a video game is a lot different than exercising to a DVD. It's more flexible and gives feedback when you're doing it right.

    Anyway, that is what has worked for me.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    Checkout The Walking Site. It's an excellent website for walking

    By the way I just did a walking marathon this past Sunday.

    there are walking marathons??? show me!!!

    I second this ^^^^^ curious ;)
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,785 Member
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    Walking is excellent exercise. My friend had open heart surgery and during her rehab they told her the best thing she can do is walk. So I say walk away. Remember everyone on here has things they like best, but you have to do what you can do and feel comfortable with. Enjoy it.
  • 1ZenGirl
    1ZenGirl Posts: 432 Member
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    Yes, walking can help with weight loss. It burns calories, and improves mood. It can also help maintain muscle while you lose fat.

    But it is important to remember that it is a calorie deficit that causes fat loss. The extra calories burned from exercise can make keeping a deficit easier, but the deficit is still the important part.

    You should begin to feel a difference soon after you start walking regularly. But, weight loss is different. How soon and how much of a difference you see can depend on many things.

    How sedentary were you before you started walking? Going from very sedentary to active can cause water weight gain at first, and perhaps even some increase in muscle. Water and muscle contribute to weight, so even though you may be losing fat, you might not see it as soon on the scale.

    How intensely are you walking? A fast pace burns more calories than a slow pace. Hills burn more than level. Pumping your arms burns more than letting them swing naturally.

    30 min a day, 3 days a week is the recommendation for health. This is the minimum amount with data to support increased heart and vascular health. But more is good. And more burns more calories.

    Best advice-change your intensity!
  • hayleymiles2012
    hayleymiles2012 Posts: 3 Member
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    Hi,

    I am a firm believer in walking. I walk around 5.2 miles in 1 hour and 6 minutes. According to RunKeeper I burn around 550 calories. Sometimes I run and burn more. I started at 167 and now I am at 138. I feel great and so energized. Keep it up. Don't think about it, JUST DO IT!! You will love the rewards. It will take some time to see results but YOU WILL!! :)
  • EvyMetal
    EvyMetal Posts: 19
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    When I first started MFP walking was all I could do and I have continued that as I have lost. I have been logging in every day since January 6, 2012 and have lost 78 lbs. Let me add that I also count my calories and have completely cut sugar out of my diet. Walking has saved my life but I am ready to do some additional work to create better muscle tone. Anything that gets your heart rate up and gets you moving is good.

    Date is wrong - January 6, 2013 - coming up on one year using MFP.
  • fkbourne
    fkbourne Posts: 13 Member
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    The one thing I noticed in your post that it seems no one touched on is that you said you want to "tone up". Just as long as you realize that the only thing you're going to be toning by walking is your legs. Core and upper body strength excercises should be added for all over toning. But, exercise is exercise so walking is good.

    That is not true if you use good form, keep abs pulled in etc you actually tone more than your legs, if you add weights while walking you can tone arms. everyone here thinks you have to go to extremes to lose weight but the truth of the matter you can keep it simple and work your way up to doing more challenging things when you and your body are ready. Losing weight can be overwhelming, take it one small step at a time, eventually you will meet your goals.

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