IS WALKING ENOUGH?

akf2000

Excellent thread! I'm also 'only' walking. I get off 3 tube stops early and walk 5km home, Mon - Fri and 7km on the weekend. It's all about making a great iPod playlist and listening to new albums, it's my favourite time of the day and I look forward to it.

AdAstra47

Finding the right diet for your particular body type & metabolism is much more important than exercising. Don't get me wrong, exercise is good for you, and personally I get antsy if I go for several days without a walk. But I have lost 65 lb now, and all the exercise I get is from housework, singing, playing musical instruments, and taking the cat for 20-30 minute walks once or twice a week. So, not exactly a strenuous & strict regimen.

I'd say, as long as you're doing *something* to keep from being a complete couch potato, you're fine. If you feel like you're not losing enough, adjust your diet, not your exercise. Which doesn't even necessarily mean eating fewer calories. It may mean eating fewer carbs and more protein, or eating smaller meals more often during the day. The big thing is just finding whatever diet works for your particular metabolism.

JipsyJudy

Walking is awesome! I've walked off 30 pounds in a year and a half. My ticker says only 12, because I started dieting and walking long before I started MFP. Someone here suggested sit ups, but be careful with that as it can hurt your back. There are other things you can do at home. I do partial push ups off kitchen counter and half knees bends repeatedly during the day. You can do five or ten at a time and see how many sets you can manage over the course of a day. I also have 5 pound dumbells that I use the same way. I do 5 or 10 arm exercises at a time and try to do that 5 times during each day. There are a number of web sites that have illustrations of exercises you can do at home with no equipment at all.

maryjay51

i got my start walking and you are way ahead of me on that then i was back then. keep walking . some day you will find you want to walk faster or jog some. just listen to your body and try to challenge yourself now and then. i used to time myself on how long it took to get to a designated area and then i would try to beat that time.

if you have health insurance , alot of them pay partial, or all ,for a gym membership. you should look in to it if you havent already .. in the mean time keep doing what you are doing. you are on the right track!!

Missensitivity

yes I fine that walking, is enough to reach one's goal, but I also feel that lite weighs will help built muscle, and muscle really help burn calories

ElizBald

Yes, walking is plenty enough. You might like to buy Trekiing poles and use them. I got mine at Walmart for twenty bucks. According to studies at the Cooper Institute they will increase the benefits of your workout by twenty percent. This gives your arms a mild workout and increases your stability. How to instructions are available on YouTube.
Also, in a fifty plus year study at Harvard, alumni who walked two (2) miles a day were the ones who lived longest and healthiest.
So, I'd recommend trying for two miles a day and occasionally, on the weekend or a day off, going for a longer walk in a special place.
I like to walk near water and in the mountains myself. We only have hills near here but there are some very pretty walks around various small lakes.
I'm in the process of recovering from cancer, chemo, radiation therapy and BMT. During treatment, under the supervision of a specialist, I began trying to eat nutrient dense foods and exercise as much as I could. I still was in very poor condition after the transplant. But this past weekend I managed two one-and-a-half mile walks. I've also lost over twenty pounds and am pretty proud of myself on all accounts. So a little bit every day can really add up to a lot of improvement over the long haul. Good luck and keep trying.

songofserenity81

Walking is a fantastic natural and free way of helping one's weight loss journey. I tend to walk 6 miles in 90 minutes at least 5 days a week when I am able. Gradually building up speed will ensure that you can still get your heartrate going. I am starting to intersperse small stints of jogging in my walk now, jogging between 3 streetlight walking 2 jog 3 etc. I also got a cheap hydrobackpack so can keep myself hydrated while also carrying some extra weight . Can you find yourself a walking buddy? that way your not limited to daytime walks.

vim_n_vigor

It is an excellent, low impact workout. As you continue and lose weight and get stronger, you can also add - for free, in your home - push-ups, jumping jacks, crunches, squates, etc.

UsedToBeHusky

I've lost most of my weight walking, but as you lose, I would suggest exploring some other types of exercise. Also, eventually, you will want to incorporate some strength training, but I would wait until you have dropped a good portion of your body weight. My weight loss slowed down when I started strength training. But I love it! I'm very toned now, and my body feels great, so eventually, you might want to take a look at it.

sgirl29

Walking is an excellent form of cardio exercise. As long as you’re moving your burning calories. Walking is a great start!

chrissym78

Walking is good! After you lose part of your weight you may feel like increaing to intervals of walking and jogging. You can get lots of dvds and hand weights for not much investment too. As I lost and felt like doing more I added strength training and running. Just listen to your body. If you stop losing with walking only, add something new and adjust you intake. Best wishes to you!

formersec

HAS ANYONE ELSE LOST THEIR WEIGHT JUST BY WALKING? IT IS THE ONLY EXERCISE I HAVE AVAILABLE REALLY, AS THE GYM IS TOO EXPENSIVE.
I TRY TO WALK AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK, FOR 2 HOURS EACH TIME, IS IT ENOUGH THOUGH, OR SHOULD I BE PUSHING MYSELF MORE? I HAVE OVER 100LB TO LOSE.

:explode:
:grumble:

I lost 50+ pounds before MFP and 13 pounds with MFP primarily by walking. I have heart problems and other health issues that prevent me from doing anything more strenuous. I refuse to feel guilty or frustrated that I can't do more. We should do only what we can and not be concerned that someone else is doing the latest extreme intense insanity exercise. IMHO this is not a competition.

PAnn1

I lost over 80# by changing my eating habits and walking. I walked 7 days a week for several months before taking a day off. I have kept the weight off for over 4 years now and I still try to walk 5-6 days a week. I also walk with Leslie Sansone's DVD's..I will tell you this..Eventually you will need to incorporate some kind of strength training, not neccessarily heavy weigh training. I found that altho I always felt I had a lot of strength, that diminished as I dropped a substantial amount of weight. Leslie Sanson incorporates the use of light weights and therabands (stretchy bands) in her workouts. It's your choice to use them or not. Best wishes to you on your journey :flowerforyou:

BernieMBurke

Yes, walking is enough on the exercise side. I dropped 90 lbs in 10 months by almost exclusively walking. I do have the advantage of being a guy (we usually lose easier). Also, I kept pushing myself to go faster. At first I could only go about 3 MPH. By the end I could go over 4 MPH. I know I had to take a shower after walking at my pace.

However, you must know that this will never end. I had a lot of variables come up in my life and I put back on about 45 lbs. I'm back and starting the walking again. Fortunately, I already know what I need to do to be successful. This is my 3rd week of walking and I'm seeing good results already.

Now for the bad part. Exercise alone won't do it. You have what I call the big four: 1) food, 2) exercise, 3) water, and 4) sleep.

Food is pretty obvious. Still, you need to log everything that goes in your mouth. Also, get a food scale if you don't have one. They are not that expensive and they are a real eye-opener with regards to how much of something you're really eating (called portion control). One thing I track is sodium. Don't get me wrong, I love salt. Still, it is amazing how much salt is in everything. You're body will retain fluid to balance out how much sodium is in your system (I'm not a doctor). That fluid is weight on the scale.

Exercise we've already discussed.

Water is something your body needs. MFP recommends you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. I don't have any disagreement with that. Water helps with hunger control for a little while and is good for you.

Sleep is the one that gets overlooked the most. Try to get 7 - 8 hours every night (at the same general time if possible). Your body is still burning calories even when you are sleeping. Also, you're not eating at that time, so it's a win-win.

Good luck on your journey!

Bernie

littlemisscrazygirl

I don't think it really matters what kind of exercise you do as long as you get your heart rate up some!

Danielle_Star

WOW walking 2hrs a day is a reward within itself. If you want to start trying to add strength training I would suggest purchasing a resistance band. It's an easy and inexpensive way to build muslce in your arms. Cost is less than $10. Keep up the good work!

Ashley121205

I've lost about 70 pounds total and the first 50 was just by doing walking videos :bigsmile:

You don't always need to do workouts that are hard on your body. Just keep walking and eating well :drinker:

daisydieter

Check out mapmyrun.com... free account. You can enter in your stats.... map out a route in your neighborhood... then time your walk to give you both an idea of calories burned as well as see your progress. You'll find that if you stick to it, that you'll be picking up speed and distance. And you may be like me... reach a point in your fitness that you start jogging.

OH... and losing weight is the same formula... you take in, burn, or a combination of the two, less calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. How you get to that deficit depends on what works best for you. I can do the combo of diet and exercise but I have two friends who lost weight. One lost it by simply changing diet... another by keeping diet but added a very brisk walk to routine. it took them each close to 18 months but each lost about 40-50lbs.

Kristiehaines

I'm another who has lost over a hundred pounds and I started out by walking! Walking is enough to get you started and as the weight drops you'll be able to do more and more! Good luck!

PunkyRachel

Walking is great, I've know people who lost weight just from walking. I like to change it up and walk in different parts of town, to get different resistance. I also get bored easily walking the same place all the time. lol

jrich1

Just getting up and doing something is most important

ViSabbi

I lost 25 pounds in the past just by doing that and cutting on carbs. It's absolutely doable but remember that it's an habit you have to take and maintain otherwise the weight will come back eventually. It's all about lifestyle changes. you can do it!

mlindahl

Absolutely! Are you walking at a brisk pace to get your cardio up? each step not only burns calories but tones and releases endorphins so you can Walk happy!

kappyblu

Of course it is! Take it from someone who has even more weight than you to lose. That is how I have done it so far. You may want to incorporate some different moves in your walking however. Try the Leslie Sansone walk at home dvds. You can get them on Netflix (not instant) or see some on youtube. But the ones on youtube are just bits and pieces and don't have the slow walk in the beginning or the cooldown at the end. The dvds help to add other movements in your walking routine that work your other muscles. Believe me, she will have you sweating like crazy!! Plus, you can do them in your own home. I imagine that once you get closer to your ideal weight, you will want to do more...but for now, walking is something our bodies are meant to do.

Think about the girl who started this journey..the girl who had the courage to say "Yes, I can!" Don't let her down. Remember how she felt when she made that decision to have a healthy life. You go girl!!! Keep walking....never give up...never surrender! :happy:

akf2000

so many people here mentioning DVDs/ Videos, how are you carrying all this audio/visual stuff with you on the walk? :bigsmile:

AntWrig

This thread makes me proud.

steffihoney

Everyone has been right and I don't need to repeat any of what was said. Move, move, move!! It gets the heart rate going and the fat burning. I had back surgery 6 weeks ago. The only thing I can do is walk. I am trying for 2 1/2 hours a day, 5-6 days at least. I have lost 9 lbs and I have only been walking and staying under my calories. It does work and hopefully soon I can go back to running. You might eventually get to running and that would burn even more calories.

And you said that all you have available is walking. You could always buy some weights to start out with, like 5 lbs and 8 lbs and then eventually go up. I am sure you could find a good program or something online to help you get started. Just a suggestion, but I have a full set of weights in my basement. Who needs a gym to workout?!

You can do it!! Motivation and movement!!!

steffihoney

Absolutely! Are you walking at a brisk pace to get your cardio up? each step not only burns calories but tones and releases endorphins so you can Walk happy!

So true!!! I feel awesome when I walk. Some feel good music adds to the happiness! lol

rainbowbuggy

Walking is one of the best exercises for fat burning. I started my weight loss with walking. I still try to walk every week weather permitting. The aerobic and strength training can be added later for stamina and body sculpting. Good luck!

This is great! Good sound advice!

EuroDriver12

your diet is about 75% of your results! make sure you get enough sleep! n keep walking at a fast pace... u dont want to be just strolling along walking a dog or something... walk as if you are 2min late for work and you are trying to make it in the office before anyone notices!

with those 3 thigns YES you will loose your weight...

when i cut i have a proper nutirtion plan, 6 meals a day, every single one weight to a gram, train/weightligt for 1.5hrs n cardio 60+min... my cardio is high incline at 3.9mph but in ur case as you got 100+lbs to loose walking fast will be enough to get your heart rate up!

good luck! and i repeat, WATCH YOUR DIET! no "diet" pops, no pizzas, no burgers, no donuts, non of that crap.... eat clean and you will shred weight so fast that it will motivate you to keep going and stay away from that stuff