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Better for losing weight ?

fiveohmike
fiveohmike Posts: 1,297 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
Hey Guys,

So right now my routine consists of walking 40 minutes a day at 120 heart rate....on my HRM my burn is about 350 calories. 3 days a week I add in 20 minutes of Strength training.

Now I am a big guy, but have looked into starting the C25K program to get my fatass running.

What do you think is better overall exercise, running or walking? If I finish the program and am able to run solid for 30 minutes you think I would be able to lose more weight?

Right now with my exercise and diet goals I am eating my TDEE - 20% cut target (3114).

Mike

Replies

  • ilovesparkle
    ilovesparkle Posts: 127 Member
    I was always told walking was better for the body than running. Have you tried HIIT? That gets a lot of burn without consistent running. When I HIIT, I do about 5 mins walking, 1 min running when first starting out. As you progress, the runs get longer than the walks. It spikes the heart rate, then cools, then spikes again. Almost all my trainers have recommended this.
  • kaji13
    kaji13 Posts: 172 Member
    I was always told walking was better for the body than running. Have you tried HIIT? That gets a lot of burn without consistent running. When I HIIT, I do about 5 mins walking, 1 min running when first starting out. As you progress, the runs get longer than the walks. It spikes the heart rate, then cools, then spikes again. Almost all my trainers have recommended this.

    This is essentially what the c25k program is, from what I can tell. I just started week 1 myself :smile:
  • ilovesparkle
    ilovesparkle Posts: 127 Member
    Ah, I've never heard of it, so I just go by the HIIT :)

    But I might look into it now...
  • kaji13
    kaji13 Posts: 172 Member
    Ah, I've never heard of it, so I just go by the HIIT :)

    But I might look into it now...

    I have this printed on my fridge at home! http://cnycap.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Couch-to-5k.pdf
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
    I was just reading yesterday that you can burn just as much walking as running with less risk of injury. Even though I would love to re-experience the cross country runs I did in my teens, I would not go near them till I lost all my weight, and got professional advice. I don't want to wreck my knees so I can't walk.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I was doing a LOT of walking, fast speeds, inclines, using hand weights. Then I started doing C25K. It's better for weight loss. I get bigger burns. Is it harder on your body? Sure. But inclines while walking aren't great either LOL. Will you lose more weight running? Maybe, maybe not. I personally eat back my exercise calories. I have been doing better with weight loss since running, but not by a big amount. What has changed more rapidly is my body shape. Running has been doing more for the removal of fat than walking did.

    I still walk too, but I'm enjoying the results of my running so far!
  • twinmom_112002
    twinmom_112002 Posts: 739 Member
    Mile by mile you burn the same amount of calories whether you walk or you run. The difference comes in the amount of time it takes you to burn those calories.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    Mile by mile you burn the same amount of calories whether you walk or you run. The difference comes in the amount of time it takes you to burn those calories.

    Does not hold true for me. I will burn more calories in less time running than I would walking. Perhaps this applies to people more fit than I LOL.
  • ilovesparkle
    ilovesparkle Posts: 127 Member
    Ah, I've never heard of it, so I just go by the HIIT :)

    But I might look into it now...

    I have this printed on my fridge at home! http://cnycap.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Couch-to-5k.pdf

    Printed and totally going to do!
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    weight loss is about diet, not about exercise. Eat right and you'll lose weight. If you can't/won't eat right, then cardio can provide a bit of a "buffer zone". In this case, it doesn't matter what cardio you do, only how many cals you burn.

    weight loss = eating right
    fat loss = eating right + heavy lifting
  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
    Mile by mile you burn the same amount of calories whether you walk or you run. The difference comes in the amount of time it takes you to burn those calories.

    Completely false. The total calories burned are often similar b/c the longer period spent walking causes the calorie burn to include more of your bodies BMR calories. But the net calories burned (i.e., exercise calories minus your BMR) are significantly higher for running. Furthermore, running causes more of an EPOC.
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
    It seems to depend on the speed

    A runner and a fast walker, both at a speed of 12 minutes per mile or 5 miles per hour, achieve the exact same 8 MET. Their calories per mile and calories per hour are identical.

    Walkers burn fewer calories per mile at slower speeds than 5 mph

    http://walking.about.com/od/calorie1/a/calorieswalkrun.htm
This discussion has been closed.

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