Will just walking help me lose weight

Walking is very good exercise...Here in the States they recommend doing thirty minutes a day of walking, most days of the week(five)...This amount should tone you...I'd increase to an hour to lose weight...Keep your caloric content at, about, 1200 calories, and you should lose weight....



Reaan:bigsmile:

I know there are programs out there to "walk off the weight". It sure it better than doing nothing! I too dislike exercise for the sake of exercise. I walk to work and back (a mile each way) most days and though the weight isn't flying off, it is going down and I am slimming/toning up.

When I was losing weight, I walked every day, and lost weight. I too had a 1200 calorie limit, and ate back my exercise calories. Once a week I would take a 4&1/2 mile walk (About an hour and a half), the rest, about a half hour to forty-five minutes. The more I exercised, the more I could eat. I also gave myself a cheat day every Friday, if, and only if, I lost weight. People are gonna tell you that 1200 calories is too low, and you shouldn't do a cheat day, but all I can say, is it worked for me. I am now enjoying maintenance.

Edited for spelling error.

Yes! I second the cheat day. I still eat what I like, just smaller amounts of some things, and larger amounts of others. But, I still have a cheat day where I just don't worry about going over some.

Joining a gym is out of the question because I have severe anxiety/confidence issues. I've tried home workouts before, but I get bored easily and can't focus so I just give up. I feel like the only exercise I can enjoy and commit to is walking.

I've decided I am going to start taking walks as many days a week as I can. I've heard that walking at a brisk pace burns calories, and I'm a fast walker so this shouldn't be a problem.

I understand this all too well, the anxiety issues.

I recommend just walking at your normal speed. Go for distance rather than speed. There is definitely a trade-off between how far versus how fast vs how long and I'm sure everyone has there own opinions on what works best for them. Maybe start off with 30 minutes a day and keep that going for a week; if that feels good you can up the daily time slowly. Make small changes, experiment with the variables, and see how you feel.

Make sure also to invest in a good pair of walking shoes! It makes all the difference.

Lastly, stay safe! If you walk were there are stray dogs or where pets tend to get loose (like in my area), you might want to get a whistle or a walking stick, something to help you in case you really get in trouble if they get aggressive. If you walk, at night make sure you wear light colored clothing to be visible, maybe even attach some small LEDS to yourself.

All the best!

Sounds about right. But I do log anyway. Whatever works! Congrats on your weight loss btw. Looking forward to maintenance.

You make a good point HollisGrant! Well a few. I will be walking outside more once it cools down a bit. The heat and humidity here in FL can be brutal! I am originally for MD, and am still not used to it. As for catching some rays and vit D, that sounds great except I burn after 30 minutes ...unless I plaster on sunscreen. And I am not one to wear the stuff.

walking is great, I have a desk job so try to go for a walk around the block at lunchtimes and find my afternoon far more productive if I do.

Walking definitely helps! I've lost my weight so far by eating 1500 calories a day, then doing Zumba a few times a week and walking a mile (sometimes two) about five to six times a week.

I have been walking at least 10,000 steps a day for the last three months (some days less, some days more but it evens out to 70,000 a week). It has helped me a lot. I have had trouble just like you with other work out routines and I just couldn't seem to stick to it but for some reason just telling myself that no matter what I would walk that much a day every day, even if I was sore and didn't feel good, even if I walked the whole thing slow, has helped me to basically develop a good habit and now if I don't do it I just don't feel right. I feel better, more energy every day and even though I am not dropping the pounds at a fast rate I am changing my shape and had to go buy a size I have not fit into for 2 years! I say every little bit counts and you have to start slow, we didn't put this weight on over night and its not coming off that way either. Good luck to you.

I meant to add that on some days if my schedule doesn't allow I just try to get up and move more to get my 10,000 steps, that had me one night walking around in large circles in my basement until I got all of them:) I also use a fitbit to track my steps/activity

Would 30 minutes of brisk walking most days a week be sufficient? How fast would I see results?

It's always better to be moving than not moving, of course, just understand that 30 minutes of walking will burn very few calories.

I started my exercise "life" by walking. I started by doing 30 minutes each and every day, but gradually increased it until I was walking 2 hours a day non-stop, and by that point I felt I NEEDED to do something else in addition to walking... specially as the cold wet nights of winter were coming.
I am naturally a shy person, and the thought of joining a gym was terrifying to me (especially as I was still very overweight) but one day I was walking past a gym and I walked in and asked to see around it... I did the same for each of the gyms along all my walking routes. But seeing some of the people in 2 of the 3 gyms were like me (very overweight) and friendly, I decided to take a trial membership out at one, just to get me through the winter... I would've kept going too, if I hadnt had a fall and torn a ligament while walking on a pebble beach! So I cancelled the gym, and started walking slowly again as soon as my physio allowed it.
This time last year I joined my current gym, and I started a couple of classes, swimming and lifting weights (my upper body is now starting to shape up a little now too), and I walk to and from the gym, and walk miles every weekend, and I still enjoy my walking

Anything is better than NOTHING. My opinion about a cheat day is this. Make it a cheat Meal. One meal per week. A whole day can set me off and then the next day I eat bad.

I follow Bob Harpers Skinny Rules. Google it. It is well worth it!

BestRegards!

Yes, walking can help with weight loss. It burns calories, and improves mood. It can also help maintain muscle while you lose fat.

But it is important to remember that it is a calorie deficit that causes fat loss. The extra calories burned from exercise can make keeping a deficit easier, but the deficit is still the important part.

You should begin to feel a difference soon after you start walking regularly. But, weight loss is different. How soon and how much of a difference you see can depend on many things.

How sedentary were you before you started walking? Going from very sedentary to active can cause water weight gain at first, and perhaps even some increase in muscle. Water and muscle contribute to weight, so even though you may be losing fat, you might not see it as soon on the scale.

How intensely are you walking? A fast pace burns more calories than a slow pace. Hills burn more than level. Pumping your arms burns more than letting them swing naturally.

30 min a day, 3 days a week is the recommendation for health. This is the minimum amount with data to support increased heart and vascular health. But more is good. And more burns more calories.

Walking is a great way to lose weight! In fact, I attribute a lot of my weight loss to the Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds: 5 mile walk dvd. You can view it on youtube. It's a fast, easy and effective workout - a big help when you want to walk but can't because of weather, nighttime or you're traveling. I just play the youtube video on my laptop or nook.