is walking enough?

mummma
mummma Posts: 402 Member
in Getting Started
to lose weight.... is walking enough exercise?
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Replies

  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    maybe not lol
  • KaysKidz
    KaysKidz Posts: 208 Member
    It's all I've done to this point, but I'm only a month in. Well, that and dance around the house, clean, jump on the trampoline etc...just generally get your body moving. Is it enough to be toned? I doubt it. But it's a great starting point. I do plan on adding some weights, but right now my focus is getting this weight off my joints so I can move easier. Then I will focus on building some muscle. I don't want a skinny flabby look. I want to be toned. :) I want to look good out of my clothes as well as in them. ;) LOL
  • holliebevineau
    holliebevineau Posts: 441 Member
    I was enough in the beginning. That was because befors that I was doing nothing. Now I need to run or do some other type of cardio that will keep my HR elevated for the whole workout. Or try lifting. I like cardio but lifting heavy seems to work for lots of people. Good luck.
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    It's all I've done to this point, but I'm only a month in. Well, that and dance around the house, clean, jump on the trampoline etc...just generally get your body moving. Is it enough to be toned? I doubt it. But it's a great starting point. I do plan on adding some weights, but right now my focus is getting this weight off my joints so I can move easier. Then I will focus on building some muscle. I don't want a skinny flabby look. I want to be toned. :) I want to look good out of my clothes as well as in them. ;) LOL

    thankyou for replying :) im not thinking about toning just yet. so much weight to lose i just feel like i need to start somewhere. im aiming for 30 mins of walking everyday before starting couch to 5k. i just wanted toi know if walking is enough to lose weight? brisk walk i suppose, have to get the heart rate up
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    I was enough in the beginning. That was because befors that I was doing nothing. Now I need to run or do some other type of cardio that will keep my HR elevated for the whole workout. Or try lifting. I like cardio but lifting heavy seems to work for lots of people. Good luck.

    thankyou :) id love to try lifting! i want to lose a fair few pounds first tho before i squeeze my fat *kitten* in through the gym door :laugh:

    my youngest wil start full time schooling in september so maybe i'll work towards then! x
  • Alexandra_S
    Alexandra_S Posts: 41 Member
    As I know it can be enough but your heart rate is crucial. You will only burn fat at the certain rate. So get a hrm and a personal trainer for a start to help you.
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    ahh i wish i could afford a personal trainer :( im a single mum to 3 children under the age of 7. so theres not much room in the budget for that. maybe one day. i'll definitely look into the heart rate monitor. my mum gave me a treadmill and that does heart rate too... maybe ill use that for now?

    thanks for your reply :)
  • F00LofaT00K
    F00LofaT00K Posts: 688 Member
    As long as walking causes you to be in a caloric deficit, then yes. You can lose weight without any exercise if you are in a caloric deficit. If you want to look leaner as you lose weight, eat at only a slight deficit (about 15% fewer calories than your body needs) and lift some weights.
  • La_Mema
    La_Mema Posts: 9 Member
    Walking is better than doing nothing!! Don't underestimate the power in walking. Long walks, up hills, trekking through the park, with some great music, running errands instead of driving there, and sometimes just to clear your head when you are thinking too much about not getting enough exercise. Don't knock it. It is always my go to exercise when I physically have nothing to give, and was my first choice of exercise when i started losing weight many, many years ago.
  • KaysKidz
    KaysKidz Posts: 208 Member
    A Sunday stroll does not burn as many calories as a brisk walk. But that Sunday stroll still burns more calories then sitting on the couch. So yes, walking alone will help you lose weight, as long as you are eating at a deficit. Heck, you can lose weight and not move a muscle if you eat at a deficit, but I wouldn't advise it. ;)
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    As long as walking causes you to be in a caloric deficit, then yes. You can lose weight without any exercise if you are in a caloric deficit. If you want to look leaner as you lose weight, eat at only a slight deficit (about 15% fewer calories than your body needs) and lift some weights.

    thanks :)

    i do have a set of hand weights. i was hoping that if i spent some time walking id build myself up to starting 30 day shred, which incorporates light weights.

    such a beginner :P
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    Walking is better than doing nothing!! Don't underestimate the power in walking. Long walks, up hills, trekking through the park, with some great music, running errands instead of driving there, and sometimes just to clear your head when you are thinking too much about not getting enough exercise. Don't knock it. It is always my go to exercise when I physically have nothing to give, and was my first choice of exercise when i started losing weight many, many years ago.

    thankyou :) you make it sound great!
  • tralaf
    tralaf Posts: 10
    I enjoy walking, and when the weather is nice I get out regularly. Also, I have found some Leslie Sansone videos on youtube that are a walk based workout that keep your heart rate up great. I love them, since I have a lot of weight to lose I do one of them pretty much every day. I don't like to do high impact stuff, because I don't want to ruin my joints being as large as I am. I find these workouts don't leave my joints sore at all, but my muscles get good and tired.
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    A Sunday stroll does not burn as many calories as a brisk walk. But that Sunday stroll still burns more calories then sitting on the couch. So yes, walking alone will help you lose weight, as long as you are eating at a deficit. Heck, you can lose weight and not move a muscle if you eat at a deficit, but I wouldn't advise it. ;)

    haha. you are right. i wanna move my *kitten* i dont just wanna eat less
  • allana1111
    allana1111 Posts: 390 Member
    moving in general is better than nothing! but lifting Is amazing.. I personally enjoy lifting much more than cardio, though I do both
  • ValeriePlz
    ValeriePlz Posts: 517 Member
    For losing weight, walking is enough. Calories in versus calories out. However, it takes a lot longer to burn by walking than by other exercises, so be prepared!

    Once you are looking to tone and build muscle, you would have to add in resistance, heavy lifting, etc.
  • nimmu87
    nimmu87 Posts: 11 Member
    I think this will help you:

    http://blog.fittothefinish.com/2013/04/tell-me-again-walking-does-not-work/

    Nirupama
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    lifting - noted! ill definitely look into being taught by a proper trainer about lifting at the gym in September when i have more time and the kiddos are at school
  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
    Calorie deficit to lose weight.
    Exercise for health.

    If you don't keep track of your calories, it's all too easy to eat away the extra calories burned by exercise.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,562 Member
    I do a ton of walking at work (I'll easily hit 10-13,000 steps) that most days I end up using that as my only form of activity
  • Kr1ptonite
    Kr1ptonite Posts: 789 Member
    I lost pretty much all my weight walking. It was on a treadmill. Use a fast pace and put up the incline.
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    I think this will help you:

    http://blog.fittothefinish.com/2013/04/tell-me-again-walking-does-not-work/

    Nirupama

    thankyou x
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    Calorie deficit to lose weight.
    Exercise for health.

    If you don't keep track of your calories, it's all too easy to eat away the extra calories burned by exercise.

    thanks. im loggin every single morsel ! im motivated and i dont want to cheat myself. its a long journey but im on it til the end x
  • asciiqwerty
    asciiqwerty Posts: 565 Member
    weight loss is all about calorie deficit, you can get all or some or none of that from exerise it's up to you

    if your goal is fitness too, then some excercise is better than nothing

    me, i plan my weight loss using hte mfp method and log my exercise calories for "extra credit" otherwise known as treats

    good luck with your journey
  • knra_grl
    knra_grl Posts: 1,566 Member
    Calorie deficit to lose weight.
    Exercise for health.

    If you don't keep track of your calories, it's all too easy to eat away the extra calories burned by exercise.

    This - and I have mostly walked since January and dropped 25 so far so it does help. The comment about getting your heart rate up is true, so if you can at least walk where there are some challenging hills. You can also find workouts online using just your own body weight and dumb bells or resistant bands - strength training will really help - build your muscles your body will burn the calories more efficiently. Try fitnessblender or check out youtube for some workouts that require none or very little as far as equipment - you won't be sorry :flowerforyou:
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    Of course it's enough. Weight loss is simple - calories in, calories out. If you want to go to the gym or out on the track and burn 1000 calories, that's just more calories you can eat back and still lose weight. Walking will burn less calories, so you won't be able to eat as much over your daily limit, but you can still lose weight. Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Eat at a deficit and you'll lose. Exercise is for your health. It's great to do it in any way you can, but it's not necessary for weight loss. Your body will look better with exercise, especially lifting, but once again it's not necessary for weight loss.
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    I lost pretty much all my weight walking. It was on a treadmill. Use a fast pace and put up the incline.

    you lost all that weight!! wow. what an inspiration! my treadmill doesnt do incline, but my mums does. its a big fancy gym type machine that i have access to weekdays when shes at work and the kids are at school so i will go for the incline walks then! starting tommorrow x
  • Follow_me
    Follow_me Posts: 6,120 Member
    to lose weight.... is walking enough exercise?

    This is pretty simple mummma. Walking burns calories.

    If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. See...?
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    Of course it's enough. Weight loss is simple - calories in, calories out. If you want to go to the gym or out on the track and burn 1000 calories, that's just more calories you can eat back and still lose weight. Walking will burn less calories, so you won't be able to eat as much over your daily limit, but you can still lose weight. Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Eat at a deficit and you'll lose. Exercise is for your health. It's great to do it in any way you can, but it's not necessary for weight loss. Your body will look better with exercise, especially lifting, but once again it's not necessary for weight loss.

    thanks :)
  • mummma
    mummma Posts: 402 Member
    to lose weight.... is walking enough exercise?

    This is pretty simple mummma. Walking burns calories.

    If you burn more calories than you take in, you lose weight. See...?

    i see ;) x

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