Can you lose weight just by walking?

StirFriedGiblets

I'm such a lazy bum, I hate exercise (or at least the exercises I've tried - weight lifting, bodyrocktv, 30DS, zumba, jogging, gym, etc) APART FROM walking! Is it possible to lose weight by eating 1060 calories a day and walking? I want to lose 13 more pounds then I've reached my goal weight. I know the more of the same exercise you do the more acclimatised you are to it so would I have to keep upping how long I walk for? I want to lose 13 pounds by July. Hopefully.

Thanks for any help guys!

_hi_hat3r_

You dont even have to walk in fact you can sit on your behind all day and still lose a ton of weight.....its all about your diet. Key to everything.

StirFriedGiblets

You dont even have to walk in fact you can sit on your behind all day and still lose a ton of weight.....its all about your diet. Key to everything.

I have a feeling my diet won't cut it really, if people saw it they'd have a fit. No vegetables or fruits. :indifferent: I wouldn't class it as healthy but I have little control of it because I don't buy the food.

Unknown

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gatorginger

I walk 4 times a week for about 30 minutes and I have lost 18 pounds since Feb 27, 2012 so yes you can lose weight by only walking and watching your calories. I'm not the healthiest eater either so you can do it but you have to stay within your calorie range. I started out at 1000 and just recently increased to 1100 and lost more weight when I increase my calories and I plan to keep increasing them til I get to a healthier number and my maintenance level

madmickie

Of course you can lose weight by walking - as it uses up calories. If you create a calorie deficit then over time you will lose weight. The more the deficit the quicker you will lose weight. Any activity will increase the deficit but eating less calories will increase the deficit more effectively. Much easier to lose weight by controlling your intake rather than increasing your output.

BTW You have complete control of what goes into your mouth! If not, you better learn before you go to university!

StirFriedGiblets

Too bad I can't see your diet diary. The main reason you should eat fruits and vegetables is for nutrition and (filling) fiber. If you don't eat veggies and fruit, you should take some type of fiber supplement and a multi-vitamin.

When one begins to eat less than the body is used to, the body will fight back by slowing your metabolism. Exercise fights that tendency somewhat. That's why you should walk for exercise. Walking is great. Most of my exercise comes from walking.

I've made my food diary public, although I'm pretty embarrassed by the state of it lol. If you are still wanting to have a look at it

mandylooo

You dont even have to walk in fact you can sit on your behind all day and still lose a ton of weight.....its all about your diet. Key to everything.

I have a feeling my diet won't cut it really, if people saw it they'd have a fit. No vegetables or fruits. :indifferent: I wouldn't class it as healthy but I have little control of it because I don't buy the food.

Doesn't matter what you eat for weight loss, just how much of it. You need to eat fewer calories than your body actually needs.

Walking will help weight loss, but you'll need to control your calories too. That would be enough if you're not bothered about general health and just want to lose weight.

StirFriedGiblets

Of course you can lose weight by walking - as it uses up calories. If you create a calorie deficit then over time you will lose weight. The more the deficit the quicker you will lose weight. Any activity will increase the deficit but eating less calories will increase the deficit more effectively. Much easier to lose weight by controlling your intake rather than increasing your output.

BTW You have complete control of what goes into your mouth! If not, you better learn before you go to university!

I am going fully catered when I go to university and I am planning to pick the vegetarian options, it just means I won't be able to accurately log my calories - something I'm anxious about - as canteen food doesn't come with it's own nutritional labels :laugh:

When I don't eat the food my mam buys she thinks I'm starving myself :frown: so I just eat what she gives me now so she doesn't harass me.

StirFriedGiblets

I walk 4 times a week for about 30 minutes and I have lost 18 pounds since Feb 27, 2012 so yes you can lose weight by only walking and watching your calories. I'm not the healthiest eater either so you can do it but you have to stay within your calorie range. I started out at 1000 and just recently increased to 1100 and lost more weight when I increase my calories and I plan to keep increasing them til I get to a healthier number and my maintenance level

Oh that's great news I'll bare that in mind!

StirFriedGiblets

Doesn't matter what you eat for weight loss, just how much of it. You need to eat fewer calories than your body actually needs.

Walking will help weight loss, but you'll need to control your calories too. That would be enough if you're not bothered about general health and just want to lose weight.

How much fewer do I have to eat? My BMR is 1327 calories.

Janlyn51

I started walking July 2011 and counting my calories and have lost 18lbs. So hang in there, but I think you may need more calories. Not enough will put you in a stand-still. :flowerforyou:

sibitalic

You can definitely lose weight by walking. Two years ago I walked every day 45-60 minutes a day and lost 9 pounds in 4 weeks!

myfitnessnmhoy

You dont even have to walk in fact you can sit on your behind all day and still lose a ton of weight.....its all about your diet. Key to everything.

I have a feeling my diet won't cut it really, if people saw it they'd have a fit. No vegetables or fruits. :indifferent: I wouldn't class it as healthy but I have little control of it because I don't buy the food.

- You work out to become fit - to improve your healthy muscle mass, increase cardiovascular capacity and stamina, and to become a healthier person.

- You eat balanced healthy meals and drink lots of water to feed your body what it needs to maintain proper operation, process food efficiently, etc.

- You reduce calories so you are taking in fewer calories than you are burning to lose weight. For each 3,500 calorie deficit you successfully create, you lose one pound of body weight. Note that I did NOT say "fat", I said "body weight", which may or may not be mostly fat depending on how well you do at the first two.

The three are interrelated but separate tasks. You can lose weight doing anything or nothing at all if you make sure you are eating fewer calories than you are burning on a daily basis. You won't be any healthier if it's all junk food and you don't exercise, but you can lose weight.

wellbert

Anything that creates a calorie deficit contributes to weight loss. Walking isn't a very speedy way to burn, and you won't really get in shape doing it. But you can lose weight.

SashaJaneJ

Yes you can lose weight by walking. I have lost 148 pounds by walking and watching my calorie intake.

GAsoulstar

I have lost about 13 pounds from just walking. The main thing that has helped me is eating more fruits and vegetables. I think having a good workout routine and eating a balance meal is very important. Some people are able to lose weight quicker than others, but I feel a balance between working out and eating right is very important. Everything you do in life starts with your confidence. I wish you nothing but the best.

Chairless

As an active dog owner i typically walk him at least 3 hours a day and always carry my fitbit with me.

This is the report from last week.



So i would lean towards yes, walking is excellent exercise, wether you can get into great shape doing it just depends on where you are walking.

myfitnessnmhoy

Walking isn't a very speedy way to burn, and you won't really get in shape doing it. But you can lose weight.

It depends on what shape you're in, and how briskly you walk. When I weighed 280+, walking was about the only exercise I could contemplate, and I found that carrying all that weight on a brisk 3-mile daily walk (brisk enough to make me sweat profusely) was an excellent workout.

Now that I'm down closer to 210, it's hard for me to keep walking intensely enough to have a meaningful workout. But at this point, I can jog or ride my bike.

Walking is a GREAT starter exercise for someone starting to get fit and/or lose weight. It requires almost no equipment, absolutely no special facilities, and is still very good exercise.

Ralphrabbit

Your diet is not that bad but could do with some tweaking. If your Mum sees you making healthy choices & eating well I am sure she will be fine with you looking well. If you get a diet sheet from your GP & follow that it will really help & reassure her too.
You have a choice as to what to put in your mouth & even the veggie options when catered can be poor food choices. I suggest you take up cooking & take a short course in healthy nutrition & cooking to help you eat well when you move away to college.
Walking is a great way to lose weight & I am sure you can find some slopes up north to push you just a bit harder......
Keep at it & friend me if you would like.

hallie_b

I can't run until my knees are better but, walking has been great for me and I have lost weight. If I go from the house I try to get in a few good hills and if I go to the gym I do 3 miles @ 3.7 mph with a 10 incline. I'm short (5'1")so I don't have a long gait and this is a pretty good walk based workout.

mandylooo

Doesn't matter what you eat for weight loss, just how much of it. You need to eat fewer calories than your body actually needs.

Walking will help weight loss, but you'll need to control your calories too. That would be enough if you're not bothered about general health and just want to lose weight.

How much fewer do I have to eat? My BMR is 1327 calories.

How do you know your BMR is 1327? Is that from MFP?
MFP uses BMR x 1.2 as the amount of calories to lose 1lb a week for a sedentary lifestyle. This builds in a 500 calories deficit for normal activity. If you exercise, you add those calories on to what you eat.

So if you're BMR is really 1327

1327 x 1.2 = 1592 + exercise calories to lose a lb a week, or 250 calories on top of that to lose 0.5lb/week.

Sounds quite high (though not definitely wrong) , so you should check whether that number really is your BMR

ETA: There are much better explanations than this ^^^^ out there - do a search on "exercise calories"

blondejester

my friend lost a bunch of weight years ago by just walking a mile or so every day but keep in mind, you can't eat junk food, walk and then expect to lose weight! gotta keep the diet up

krm0789

Absolutely. My freshman year of college I lost 30 lbs with the same crappy diet (read: french fries, all day, every day) just by walking around an hour a day several times per week

bluefox9er

I tried to lose weight by just 'walking'..and it didn't really work...but no harm done, walking is good cardio vascular exercise and when coupled with good eating habits, only good things will happen. exercise is not a replacement for good food habits though. if you want weight loss, then combined with good eating habits, add in some walking, bike riding,swimming or any cardio exercise that will raise your heart rate a little..results are dramatic!!

_hi_hat3r_

You dont even have to walk in fact you can sit on your behind all day and still lose a ton of weight.....its all about your diet. Key to everything.

I have a feeling my diet won't cut it really, if people saw it they'd have a fit. No vegetables or fruits. :indifferent: I wouldn't class it as healthy but I have little control of it because I don't buy the food.

As long as you eat at a calorie deficit it doesn't matter what you eat.

Montanarush

You can definitely lose weight walking. Pick up the pace, increase the time or distance. The last time I went on a diet, I lost 40-50 lbs. ONLY walking. I eventually started lifting and riding my bike, etc. You can do it!

FitForLife81

Yes you can I would say you need to eat more. I wouldnt net less than 1200 and really I started losing more weight at 1500 calories than I did at 1200?!!

thegeordielass

I am going fully catered when I go to university and I am planning to pick the vegetarian options, it just means I won't be able to accurately log my calories - something I'm anxious about - as canteen food doesn't come with it's own nutritional labels :laugh:

When I don't eat the food my mam buys she thinks I'm starving myself :frown: so I just eat what she gives me now so she doesn't harass me.

Just make sure you don't snack on chocolate or crisps a lot between your meals at uni. And vegetarian options may not always be healthier then other ones so don't assume. I bet you spend half your time eating pub lunches anyway, lol. It's almost inevitable. It's much easier to cook for yourself though to make sure you get healthy, good tasting food. You just have to make time for it. I'm a picky eater/have dietary issues so no way could I have gone catered.

Your diary doesn't look too bad to me. I'm not a 'clean' eater either. I prefer to eat 'normal' foods in smaller quantities then living off purely fruit/veg which I'd never be able to maintain. I see you have the same thing for hot choc as me - the weight watchers one and options ones are quite nice and fewer cals. Maybe try replacing some of those choc bars for fruit?

_hi_hat3r_

You may want to bump your cals up a little bit by adding more protein and good fats.

crimsoncat

If you want to really get a good idea of how much good your walking is doing you, I recommend getting something that can time you and catch your speed. I know I have "runkeeper" on my iphone. It's great because it'll tell me how fast and how far I walked. Makes it much easier to plug the exercise back into myfittnesspal.

Also, my mother lost about 10 pounds walking the dog every day twice a day. She had a much better nsv though. When she started walking she could barely keep up a very slow pace for 15 min. By the time I came home for spring break she was walking upwards of 6 miles daily (just with the dog) at a moderate pace without breaking a sweat. Even if she never lost a pound, I think we can all agree that she was doing way better healthwise.