Weightloss by Walking ?

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  • Macstraw
    Macstraw Posts: 896 Member
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    Weighty loss is accomplished by a calorie deficit. Period. Exercise is not necessary. However, I believe that exercise has benefits that make it very worthwhile. Personally, I walk and I really enjoy it. Weight loss is not my only goal, overall health and well-being is, so for me, exercise is important. So, walking doesn't help you lose weight, it does help you feel better and an added benefit is eating back some of those calories.

    It WILL help you lose weight if you don't eat back all of the calories you burned because your calorie deficit will be greater. That said, you do need to make sure you are eating enough to fuel your body. Read the threads on BMR & TDEE, then you can make a plan for how much you want/need to eat to make sure your body is getting enough fuel for the exercise you're doing. Track your exercise & track your food, being aware of the macros. Look at what you're doing as being for overall health, weight loss is an ancillary benefit - the bottom lione is to be the healthiest you can be........
  • Ladyiianae
    Ladyiianae Posts: 271 Member
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    Yes you can totally do it!
  • futuresize8
    futuresize8 Posts: 476 Member
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    I love walking. The last time I was successful at losing weight was when I was walking 5 miles a day (took just a smidge over an hour) five days a week.

    Now I do a recumbent bike because it's indoors and I can do it rain or shine, or when it's dark out. (My 'hood isn't safe to walk in the dark.) But I still throw some walking in there when it's nice out.

    You can do this!! I know that people say "You can lose weight without exercising." You sure can. But you can't tone without exercising. :)
  • DMUND
    DMUND Posts: 299 Member
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    By eating healthy, and walking (30-60min a night, every night) will this work with weightloss?

    So I was just wondering, if I spend the next 4 months focusing on eating healthy, and clean, and incorperating dailey walking (I also do a manual labour job) will this help me lose some weight?

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    What he said!
  • RMElliott2
    RMElliott2 Posts: 5
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    It takes both diet and exercise. The walking is a great way to get exercise and is much easier on the joints than running. Spend some money and get some GOOD walking shoes. Running shoes and walking shoes are not built the same. Start off with short distances and a moderate pace and work your way up to the longer distances and a faster pace. Set of goal of walking a 5K. Finishing the your first 5K is a real motivator. Good luck and have fun!
  • mineboy
    mineboy Posts: 2,478 Member
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    walking does work,

    you must get your heart rate up, Power Walking worked well for me.............when i was losing weight i walk around 50 kms(30 miles) AWEEK, and at 7 kms per hour (4.5MPH) it does work..
  • VorJoshigan
    VorJoshigan Posts: 1,106 Member
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    You have to start somewhere. With regard to exercise, walking is a great place to start. I highly recommend that you not stop there though.

    However, I agree with the others that diet is more critical for weightloss than exercise - especially in the early stages.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    Yes. As you begin to lose weight, it will become increasingly easier to move your body, and you'll no doubt start incorporating other exercises, like short runs, air squats, lunges, push-ups etc. Eventually, if you keep going, you'll become a fitness enthusiast and be doing all sorts of things you didn't even think possible.

    The absolute best starting point is walking: do it for an hour a day while getting your caloric intake under control. If you can walk for up to an hour a day, you'll be stunned by your results in two months.

    This is the best advice. I am so glad Spartan_Maker wrote something similar to me a few months ago because I've lost 83 pounds since June 2012 just by walking. Of course I watch what I eat but I haven't started any strength training or running or all the DVDs you read about here, because of injuries that need to heal. I just walked every day for over an hour on different types of terrain and at different speeds.
  • 0xbalthamosx0
    0xbalthamosx0 Posts: 154 Member
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    I have such an obsession with long walks! yes yes! ITs worked for me :D
  • aa62579
    aa62579 Posts: 57
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    Check out the Leslie Sansone group on here. It's a walking based DVD that also brings in things like side steps, knee lifts, kicks, kick backs, weights, resistance bands, etc. Some workouts are more beginner, others include jogging.
  • patsnyder89
    patsnyder89 Posts: 93
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    Weighty loss is accomplished by a calorie deficit. Period. Exercise is not necessary. However, I believe that exercise has benefits that make it very worthwhile. Personally, I walk and I really enjoy it. Weight loss is not my only goal, overall health and well-being is, so for me, exercise is important. So, walking doesn't help you lose weight, it does help you feel better and an added benefit is eating back some of those calories.

    Perfect advice, enough said
  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
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    Maybe I am the only nay-sayer-- feel free to disregard me-- but I have never found walking helped me lose weight, although it is pleasant and healthful thing to do. I also have knee issues, so I bought a very inexpensive stationary bike that I use every day. It always makes me sweat which I think is a strong indicator of burning calories (Someone will correct me if I'm wrong!). So walking, no sweat. Biking, sweat! I choose biking.
  • SarahBeth0625
    SarahBeth0625 Posts: 685 Member
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    I think it definitely can, but just know that over time, you can build up resistance to a particular exercise. I started power walking in 2000 and continued to up my speed and distance, and eventually I could walk 4 miles without breaking a sweat. That is where I was this past fall, when I decided I needed something more, so now I do the elliptical and feel more of a burn. My heart rate gets up, and I do burn more calories.

    It's all up to two things: your diet and calories -- if you exercise by walking, that is great exercise, so as long as you're not going over on your calories, you'd just want a slight defecit to lose weight.

    Good luck! :smile:
  • kylejh
    kylejh Posts: 221 Member
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    Walking is a great start! I suggest using a heart rate monitor with it, so you can make sure you are in the right zone for calorie & fat burning.

    Also, if you have knee trouble, join a gym and use the elliptical... totally low impact, and awesome cardio exercise. I started doing 45 mins a day on the elliptical when extremely out of shape and obese (with one bad knee and a very bad lower back) and didn't find it overly hard. I was completely red in the face when I finished, but that only lasted a couple of months.

    Good luck to you... this is easier than you think!!
  • RSD73
    RSD73 Posts: 18 Member
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    Yes! I did this. 28 lbs in 5 months. Walking and calorie counting!
  • Hughes79
    Hughes79 Posts: 14 Member
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    Its a great start. I'm sort of in the same boat. I had knee surgery 4 years ago and never hit the gym as much as I should, so my legs , mostly my feet and knees take the hit if I try to jog for log distances. My doctor suggested that running will never be a good idea in the long run, that cycling , elliptical and other non impact work will be better for me in the long run. She's talking of course not facing a knee/hip replacement when I'm in my 60's.
    I've used Endomondo, Nike+ and Runkeeper as tracking apps. All are good in their own ways. Endomondo, which I just started using, links and adds cardio to your fitnesspal, so it may be the winner.

    Keep up with the walking :)
  • FITFORT
    FITFORT Posts: 85
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    That's what I did in the beginning...strictly walking. In fact...in the beginning, only 10 minutes per day. I figured that anything was better than nothing. And I lost weight. But I agree with the others who say that focusing on the calories will do you more good right now. In the short term, be very diligent with good eating habits while you just make it a goal to move more.
  • AmandaMarie916
    AmandaMarie916 Posts: 75 Member
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    I find walking and counting the calories works for me. I walk 45 mins to an hour 3-5 days a week and those are the days I see most results.
  • Silvara_11
    Silvara_11 Posts: 133 Member
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    It worked for me when I started two years ago. I have lots of knee issues, have orthodontics and most gym based exercises end up hurting me, even when I've paid loads to a trainer.

    Invest in good shoes! I used MBTs because a lot of my walking was on city streets to/from work and MBTs protect your knees as they allow you to roll along.

    Now I've lost 25 lbs I do more strenuous hikes and have good light weight hiking shoes.

    You could also try yoga for some low impact cardio.

    Your plan is sound, it should work well if you stick to it.
  • MaryRegs
    MaryRegs Posts: 272 Member
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    Absolutely! I started at 275-and walked all last summer. Started incorporating my stationary bike and light weights and am currently 232. You can do it. This process is not a sprint to the end. It is a process-a lifestyle change, and I promise you that you will be rewarded with better health...and quickly! feel free to add me as a friend!

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