Walking on incline vs. level

Good for you about committing to the gym. As far as walking on the treadmill. Walking fast with no incline is good. Walking fast with an incline is better, as long as you do not hang on for dear life like some people do. I have seen people on treadmills with the incline high and there are hanging on to the top of the machine...if you look there are not walking at an incline, but walking on a flat due to their angle I hope this is helpful

What app are you referring to?

I believe she means this one, MFP.

I have heard great things about this app, just started two days ago. I will admit, I don't workout regularly.I just bought a gym membership and plan on going regularly now. As far as cardio, I usually do a brisk walk on the treadmill at 4.0 mph at a level (no incline). Usually for about 30 minutes. I prefer the treadmill over the elliptical/bike. Is it better to walk on an incline vs. level for calorie loss?

Unless you switch to running, there is a limit of how hard you can work when walking level on a treadmill. And even a brisk walk is still a relatively low-intensity activity. That may be sufficient for now to get you to a training threshold, but it is likely you will outgrow that as your fitness level improves.

So then you have a choice, if you want to stay on the treadmill. You can either start running or start walking on an incline (or you can do both).

The incline can add significantly to the intensity of the workout, which then increases calories burned.

There are two "keys to success" when incline walking:

1. Don't use handrail support. It can take a couple of sessions to feel comfortable walking "free", but it is worth the effort to learn. Handrail support can offset the intensity of the workout by a significant amount. There' is no point walking up a steep incline if handrail support offsets half the effort.

2. Slower and steeper is better. Because of the biomechanics of walking, it is more difficult to sustain a higher walking speed at incline--you are more likely to have to stop because of localized muscle fatigue.
For the most part, walking at 2.8-3.5 mph at an incline of 8-12% will be more effective and comfortable than trying to walk 4.0 mph or faster at a lower incline.