Anyone lose weight from walking alone?

DecemberPsalm
DecemberPsalm Posts: 97 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
After almost a year of inactivity I'm just starting to exercise again, and the one activity I don't get burned out on is also the most basic: Walking!

I'm 5'6 and 250 lbs, so for me, walking at a brisk pace (3.0-3.5 mph) can really get my heart rate up, especially on uneven/hilly terrain. I plan to take a couple 2 mile-ish walks per week. And then a couple times a week I already walk half a mile to the grocery store and walk back with a backpack of groceries, which definitely makes me winded and I "feel the burn".

But years ago I used to be a gym rat and would do high intensity cardio all the time. Comparatively I feel like walking is not real exercise. I know that's not true, so I thought it would be interesting to ask if any fellow MFP's have lost weight from good ol' walking.

Replies

  • Polishprinsezz
    Polishprinsezz Posts: 249 Member
    you are about my height and starting weight and i walk as my main form of exercise. i enjoy it i am seeing great progress. i will wear my toddler on my back to boost my difficulty.
  • DecemberPsalm
    DecemberPsalm Posts: 97 Member
    That is amazing, and congrats on your weight loss! Glad to know someone else has seen results from walking.
  • gpeach1
    gpeach1 Posts: 13 Member
    Congrats on the six pounds so far. After my second child lost over 50 pounds in 4 months walking 4 miles a day during the week doing weight watchers.

    Walking is a real exercise at any pace. But as long as you push yourself so your heart rate is up then it is cardio. Plus walking is great because you can do it longer burning more calories than hopping on a machine that you can only do for 15 minutes.
  • Lilly_the_Hillbilly
    Lilly_the_Hillbilly Posts: 914 Member
    I've lost 16 kilos from watching my calories and pretty much just walking at a brisk pace. I was a dancer as a child, a rower in college and a runner before I got pregnant and gained weight from that. I'm now at my pre pregnancy weight.

    It can be done.
  • meganhertz
    meganhertz Posts: 8 Member
    While I don't just walk, its a great way to get started. At 5'5" and 245, its hard on me to run too much, so I've been mostly walking, doing the elliptical, and the bike at the gym. Boyfriend and I went on a 4.8 mile walk this morning and it burned 700 calories! Definitely doable :)
  • PunkyRachel
    PunkyRachel Posts: 1,959 Member
    I do mostly walking, with a little Zumba here and there (not consistent with it). I do not walk on treadmills though, I walk outside with my music playing in my ears. I've lost over 80 lbs so far, I started out walking about 15-20 minutes, now I'm walking 1-2 hours straight. I try to push myself when I walk, today I climbed up and down as many hilly roads as possible in my part of town, my fitbit logged 46 floor during my hour walk up and down hills. I've also been using my water bottle as a weight and do arm exercises while I walk.
  • DecemberPsalm
    DecemberPsalm Posts: 97 Member
    Goodness, I think I really not-so-subconsciously wanted to read replies just like these!!! Totally helped motivate me, thanks! :)
  • NoWayButUp
    NoWayButUp Posts: 2 Member
    The key for me is to find hills - a lots of them. I have a route that starts off with half a mile of flat terrain and then leads into a huge hill. At the top of the hill I turn and walk alongside it and it has half a dozen smaller rolling hills that give me a challenge but don't completely wear me out. The whole route is only about 4 miles (takes me and my dog an hour), but it's a nice change from just walking in circles on a track.
  • AuntieIly
    AuntieIly Posts: 7 Member
    I'm actually about to start walking again...I lost quite a bit before Xmas walking back and forth to classes every day, but have piled it back on now I'm sedentary again. A brisk walk is excellent exercise, and much kinder to your joints than jogging.

    I really miss my daily power walk. My problem is that while I enjoy it, if I don't feel like there's a real purpose to the walking, like, if I'm not actually going anywhere, then I won't do it! :-/ Lazy beggar, I am!

    But, yeah, definitely try it, you'll be surprised how much good it'll do.
  • skerdeman
    skerdeman Posts: 2 Member
    This is a great post. Totally motivated me not to give up. I am so worn out after work walking is all I have energy for. Had stopped because it didn't seem like real exercise. Started again yesterday. Thanks

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