Walking as form of exercise??

VonCezca

Has anyone here lost a lot of pounds through walking??
Is it effective? And how long did take you?

angie007az

Has anyone here lost a lot of pounds through walking??
Is it effective? And how long did take you?

I walk 5 miles every day. Prior to February 2014 I walked 2 miles per day. Keep moving, it works.

suttercm

I've lost 60 lbs with walking as my exercise. Keep in mind that you still have to keep at a calorie deficit, but walking will get you through. It took me about 8 months to loose the weight. I walk a minimum of 5 miles per day at a pace of about 3.5 mph.

sfbaumgarten

I lost 70+ pounds in a year without doing any exercise. You don't need exercise to lose weight, but walking definitely wouldn't hurt!

Serah87

I walk 6 miles 6 days a week, I have lost a few pounds. :bigsmile:

AtmaKing

Weightloss Starts in the Kitchen!

That being said, any extra activity can only help.

thatgirlkellib

as a person who didnt exercise, walking was very effective for me ....and it got me were I can build endurance for my now HIIT workouts I lost my first 30lbs with diet and walking about 3-4 miles each day / 3-4 per week and I wore sweats every day to well sweat more and burn more fat.

gabylewis22

Has anyone here lost a lot of pounds through walking??
Is it effective? And how long did take you?

My main way of exercising is walking. I've lost 3 stone in 6 months. So yes, I'd say it's pretty damn effective. Try make it a power walk though, not a gentle stroll. You have to feel like your exercising.

Ftw37

I've done 10,000 daily steps minimum for about a year. It has helped me lose some weight.

worldofme

I used the walking at home DVDs because I have 3 young children with me during any exercise. I lost 60+ pounds. When I started incorporating high impact stuff and strength training I injured myself. I went through physical therapy but lost my mojo and gained 50 pounds back :-(. I am now back to using my walking DVDs and feeling much better (although I am pissed that I have to lose this 50 again!). Walking is a great form of exercise. Try to walk at a pace that will increase your cardiovascular strength as well.

loubidy

Yes. That's what I did last time I lost weight, this time however I enjoy being more active.

As long as you reduce your calorie intake to below your output you will lose weight.

I strongly recommend a heart rate monitor to get accurate calorie burns. Personally I like the polar ft7 but there are cheaper alternatives such as the ft4.

JoeMO

For the first five months walking/hiking was my only form of exercise. I'm now trying to incorporate some other forms, but I still love to walk/hike. Go for it!! Joe MO

m23prime

Yep...10000 minimum steps a day for 399 days--plus a modest calorie deficit for most of 'em....

That was good for more than 100 pounds and some self-esteem here!

Good luck!

lacroyx

It's all I did when I began a few years ago. I still do it now to.

SueInAz

Weight loss is about 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. Anyone can lose or maintain a healthy weight with zero exercise let alone with the addition of regular walking.

LianaG1115

Has anyone here lost a lot of pounds through walking??
Is it effective? And how long did take you?

YES!!! It was the beginning of my journey, it got my *kitten* off the couch and moving!! I lost my first 50 lbs that way!! It was a gradual start from 15 minutes, to 30, to an hour, to 3 miles to 5 miles to the gym with a trainer! Pace yourself, don't give up and just push yourself to the limit, turn around and come back!! Just keep pushing and challenging yourself everyday and don't give up!!

gaylebodine

Walking is my favorite exercise, and slowly getting back to it. Wanted a no-excuses exercise that would also connect me to the outside world/nature. Thanks for this thread!

Maqneta

I'm almost down 35 pounds by strictly walking every day for 35-40 minutes with my dog.

BusyBirdMommy

Oh, I hope so! LOL

My theory is that walking will burn calories a whole lot faster than sitting on my buttocks! And because I don't have the best joints anymore, walking is even more "inviting" as an exercise. I hope that with less weight on my joints (somewhere down the line) and a bit more muscle - that I will be able to step it up a bit and try some light jogging.

My guess is that everyone is different. If you are pretty healthy and used to exercise, then walking may not have as much of an impact. But if you've been sedentary for a while (like myself), then walking is a step forward (pun intended! LOL). :-)

bennettinfinity

I lost my weight primarily through hiking/walking (though as others have stated, you need to maintain a caloric deficit as well).

I'm up to between 250 - 300 miles / month averaging about 3.5 mph...

My RHR is down between 45-55 bpm and my Dr. is weening my off of blood pressure meds.

I think it's safe to say that walking *can* be a good form of exercise, but I'd recommend mixing it up with resistance training etc. (if/when you're ready) for best results.

Rmenifield

leslie sansone walk away the pounds is a great way to walk and lose weight ..sold at wallmart ..target costco etc...

mtruitt01

I love walking. Right now I have heel pain so I have to limit it, and take days off. I used to hike up a local hill daily. It is paved, with two ways to go--steep or leisurely climb. I'd go steep and it would take about an hour to get up and down. Lots of people would walk it 6-6, and I'd see many people with their canine friends.
It gave me a tight butt and thighs, which I still have, and I don't walk it four times a week like I used to!
My arms are flubbed out though (sigh)
I'd put in my earphones and listen to TED Talks,
or else enjoy the birds, the wind, or whatever sounds were around.
good for the soul

KD0BIK

Yep, I spent much of 2013 and early 2014 walking at least 5 miles a day (10,000 steps) tracked via my Fitbit and lost 50 pounds. Yes walking works along with managing my diet via MFP.

Good luck!

getitamb

Yep. When I cant get to the gym I up my steps on my pedomter. So far so good. Sometimes that's the only cardio I can do.

mtruitt01

I'm almost down 35 pounds by strictly walking every day for 35-40 minutes with my dog.

I'll bet your dog is happier too : D

SrMaggalicious

I had to walk as a form of exercise for 4 weeks post-op, and I lost plenty of weight. But remember, the calories still matter, as well!

gmoneycole

I walk, run, do elliptical, circuit train, weight train...I guess my point is mix it up and keep it interesting and you'll lose weight. Manage the diet too! It's an all around healthy lifestyle thing you should be looking for!

You can walk your *kitten* off if you manage your diet and are dedicated to walking and keep after it!

Good luck!

ZBuffBod

Yes, it's doable. Take a look at this success story (link) and a quote from how he got there! Good luck.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1339501-140lb-down-i-ve-reached-my-initial-goal-with-pictures

BEGINNING QUOTE
[/quote]
All I've done is walk and calorie count. I use a FitBit and when I started, I built myself up to five miles/day and now I normally manage between eight and ten miles/day at an average speed of around 4.4mph.

I always eat a large percentage of my exercise back.

I didn't change what I ate at all, I still eat all the rubbish like pizza once a week, fish and chips on a friday and on a thursday I visit my aged mother who cooks me a full meal. It's only recently I've started added more healthy options in.

If I'd had to dramatically change what I ate, I wouldn't have managed it.

This has taken around a year - Here's a plot from the 'weight diary' app on my phone. As can be seen, I've only broken the trend three times, christmas, new year and when I had a long weekend away in February with my wife.

[/quote] END QUOTE

Oops! The quote didn't quite work. So let me try to fix it manually!

Nanpoodle

Walking is a great form of exercise, esp. if you walk fast. I only walk 2 miles a day with my 2 standard poodles.

sisterlilbunny

I love taking a quick 20-30 minute walk over lunch. It keeps my day from being so droll and I get my hind end moving. I've lost a bit too.

ZBuffBod

. :embarassed: