I can lose weight by just walking, right?

jenilla1

Lose weight by just walking? Nope. A calorie deficit leads to losing weight. Exercise is for fitness and other health benefits. Exercise can only help you lose weight if it creates a calorie deficit that you are not eating back and then some.

For example, when I trained for my first marathon years ago, I didn't lose an ounce of weight. In fact, I gained 2 pounds. This is because although I burned calories running hundreds of miles over the months, I ate them all back and then some, so I basically maintained. I wasn't paying attention to my eating habits at all. The next time I trained, I watched my calories to be sure I stayed at a deficit, and magically, I lost weight.

Walking won't help you lose weight unless you combine it with watching your calories. It's excellent exercise, though! I love to hike myself. Do it! If you are asking if walking is just as good as other forms of exercise, well, that's personal preference really. Depends on your fitness goals. Any exercise combined with a calorie deficit should work for basic weight loss and improved health.

:flowerforyou:

2_young_2B_old

That is a great idea! I wish I had trails or at least weather that permitted me to walk outside. Instead I walk on a treadmill and watch movies on my kindle.

Jacole18

Walking is an awesome exercise!!

supplemama

I also hula hoop every day for 30 minutes....

You hula hoop? I can't hula hoop to save my life! That is talent! Have you worn your HRM while you hula hoop? if so, how many calories do you burn?

So far it's been a little over 200 calories for 30 minutes of hula hooping. And it's not continuous hooping; I drop it a lot. I just pick it up and keep going!

saustin201

I lost 25 pound by walking 3-5 miles per day, cutting back on calories and cutting out pop.

You can do it. It's a long journey. Good luck. You'll do great!

Helloitsdan

If you are overweight, walking is optimal.

supplemama

Yes you can lose weight by walking! I currently walk 7-8 miles a day at 5mph. I burn A LOT of calories, particularly during my 5 mile evening walk (768 calories). I have lost 11 pounds this month alone, and I feel great.

how do u find time to walk this long? I do good to find 20 mins.

I decided that I was just going to do it. My daily exercise schedule:

Morning Walk: 2 miles, 24 minutes (620am-644am)
Afternoon Walk: 1 mile, 12 minutes (530-542pm) this one is optional; I don't always do this one
Evening Walk: 5 miles, 60 minutes (830-9:30pm)

I also hula hoop every day for 30 minutes, sometimes before my evening walk, sometimes after. And I do strength training at the gym for 30 minutes 3 times a week. I am married with a very helpful husband (he tends to cook/grill in the summers so that's one less thing I have to do) and my kids are older (my sons are 17 and 14) so I have way more free time than a mom with younger children. For work I teach, so even though I have scads of free time now that it's summer, I set up my walking schedule so I could still do it once the school year resumes (I teach 930-4).

I think you are doing an awesome job!! This really motivates me to walk more!

Thank you dear

Gapwedge01

Nm

saustin201

This is why I don't do these forums. How the hell you gonna tell me what my 260lb self was doing? Calorie burn is dependent on fitness level and entirely dependent on that person.

Twits on here trying e-smack somebody over the head with "facts"
Completely ridiculkous!!!

There is always a know-it-all on here that thinks they know better than your fitbit. Ignore these people. If you weigh more, you'll burn more.

Enigmatica

I lost over 90 pounds with walking as my only real exercise. But it isn't just a matter of walking - the point is to walk *enough* to maintain a good calorie deficit. The more weight I lost the longer and faster I could (and had to) walk in order to keep losing weight.

I started out walking 30 minutes at barely 3 mph. I was 220 pounds, had plantar fasciitis in both feet, and a knee that's missing a ligament, so 1.5 miles was quite an effort at the time. Every week or two I'd add a bit more distance, then a bit more speed. Within a few months I was walking 4 miles @ 3.5 mph, and kept improving.

As I lost weight, felt better, and was encouraged by my progress I started walking both morning and night, and that really accelerated my results. Towards the end of that 90 pound loss I was walking as much as 90 mins in the morning and another 90 mins at night. yes, 3 HOURS a day. But I enjoyed it and it worked wonders for me both physically and mentally.

Now, after 4 years of being a dedicated walker, I've started jogging within the past year. I can burn more calories in less time jogging, and I've been intrigued with pushing myself more, but that doesn't mean that walking isn't just as effective for weight loss. Just be prepared to put the time into it and walk as briskly as you can. And make sure you keep the calorie deficit you need to lose the pounds.

MeMyCatsandI

I must be doing something wrong because I have been walking 5-10 miles a day for 6 months and haven't lost a pound. And I was walking at a 5 mph pace.

You're probably lying to yourself about your intake. Or not tracking it well enough.If you were walking that far and that fast without making up the calories with extra food, you certainly would have lost weight.

D446

Wow, I cannot believe some people! Walking is GREAT for you! I am NOT obese, I am NOT overweight (according to BMI ) and my main form of exercise is walking (I have terrible knees). Let me tell you, I get a workout when I walk. I walk at 4-4.5 mph, and I sweat, I puff, my muscles are sometimes even sore. And you wanna tell me that Ian wasting an hour of my day?! Get real. Walking WILL keep the muscle tone in your legs, especially if you walk up hill. It is beneficial not only for your fitness and health, but good for the mind too. You WILL lose weight walking!

jasonbrenner1

Increase water intake and reduce sugar carbs.

kwest_4_fitness

Walking, along with diet changes and Zumba, have helped me lose 80 lbs (down to 164 from 244). I would suggest changing up your walks from time to time, varying the length and intensity as well as the terrain if possible. This will help you avoid "postman syndrome", which happens when your muscles get used to the same movement and duration every day and will simply adapt, causing the weight loss to plateau. I've see a lot of mailmen with great calves and big ol' bellies!

cindys0417

Yes...walking is good exercise...I have lost 50 lbs in 6 months with walking. I use the leslie sanstone walking tapes and get them free on you tube. A couple good ones are : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45wkl9Rs-MI (AND) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&v=G8b4P57jNsQ&NR=1.....

Good Luck!

bsharrah

Wow. Some of these responses just amaze me.

Walking does very little in terms of burning calories, and weight loss is simply calories in versus calories out. These people stating they lost all this weight walking are being a bit misleading, or very naive. They lost weight because they ate at a calorie deficit, nothing more.

If I eat at a calorie deficit while sitting on my butt playing video games, I am going to lose weight. I can even tell you I lost weight playing video games. But it wasn't playing video games that CAUSED the weight loss, anymore than it was the walking that caused theirs.

Not saying don't bother walking. Moving around is great and if it makes you feel good, go for it. But walking alone will not result in any identifiable weight loss. I think the progress made by so many who posted on this thread is commendable, and you should be very proud of your accomplishments, but be cautious. If you don't know what actually caused your weight loss, and attribute it to something else, you may find yourself putting it back on in the future.

SchizJophrenic

I am too poor to join a gym, so I utilise what I have around me.
I have started biking as my main form of transport (will only use car if it is a destination AGES away). I walk my dog around the river near by (can easily do 4-6km and not notice it), and sometimes I go for runs with a friend to motivate me. I am not a runner, so I started the "ease into 10km" app, and it is awesome. If you are motivated enough some home DVDs are good. Am day 5 of Jillian Michaels' 30 day shred, and I am loving it. Don't need much space for it either.

Just remember it is not all about exercise, it is what you are eating too!

NatWillBeSkinny

yea u can i lived close to my kids school and even walkking upstairs made my back ache and when i moved house it now takes me 80 mins get school and back and after a year i can totally feel the diffrence especially on my back

Yogi_Carl

no more so than by not walking and eating less. walking and cardio does nothing more than if you were to just eat less.

huh???

Im not clear what you are trying to say. Eating a calorie deficit coupled with cardio leads to weight loss in my limited experience, more effectivley so than diet OR exercise alone

incorrect. In every study i've seen on the subject, cardio + diet when compared to diet alone get similar weight loss results. there is no benefit fat loss weight to cardio exercise.

True - but going out for a walk, run, bike ride, swim, yoga, workout, whatever also raises mood and motivation compared to dieting alone - so go ahead and walk and your results will be better and hold the weight off for longer.

Yogi_Carl

<----walked for 32 mins today, burned 390 cals. Walking is quite effective.


Edited for spelling error

No, you did not. Unless you were going at over 190BPM heartrate.

Really? How do you know? Were you there? :grumble:
Don't hate. That's a good work out.

I agree - only this morning I brisk-walked to work and burned 370 calories in 24 minutes - so the above is a good workout! I don't know where the 190bpm is coming from!