Is walking enough to lose weight?

Hi guys. I hate workouts, I really do. I have a Wii and I even bought Fitness Games but I end up really tired and giving up on them. I don't know maybe I'm not pushing it that hard just yet but I love walking and so I was wondering if walking at least 4-6 miles per day would help me lose weight instead. Anyone here in the same boat as me?

Yes, walking will help lose weight. Over time, you may need to increase either your speed or your distance to continue losing though.

walking is awesome!!! there are some good "walk to lose" dvd's and cd's out there too.

good luck and enjoy your walks!
JoJo

I've been walking this past month and have lost 8 pounds.

Definitely! On the days I don't gym, I walk. I power walk pushing my daughter in her pram uphill till I am literally sweating. I power walk with pram to get my shopping and pack it all in a rucksack on my back. I power walk with ankle weights on or weights in a backpack. Everything is a workout and there are sooooo many ways for you to increase your calorie burn with walking. I think just so long as you are sweating or out of breath then you are doing something right.

Exercising won't MAKE you lose weight. All it's going to do is burn calories and improve you cardiovascularly. If you want to lose weight, you need to make a caloric deficit of some kind. If you walk enough to burn 300 calories, and then eat 300 calories back after your walk, you aren't going to see much in the way of weight loss.

Dieting is enough to lose weight.

This isn't entirely true... MFP works out your calorie intake with a deficit so that if you exercise you should be eating back those exercise calories to keep yourself at the minimum calorie intake MFP has set for you.

YES! Just don't over do it. Because if you do, you will be discouraged and not keep it up. That is what my husband does. He busts his butt, ends up sore and in pain so he doesn't continue.

I started walking on my treadmill on 12/8 for 30 minutes at a very slow pace, no incline, and was burning around 200 calories. I now walk quickly on the treadmill for 40 minutes, with lots of incline, and burn over 400 calories. I have gradually increased the speed and incline to get to this point.

It is now 3/3 and with watching my calorie intake and trying to eat healthier and I have lost 24 lbs! I still have a way to go, but it is a lifestyle change NOT a diet.

Slow and steady wins the race!

Walking is a fantastic cardiovascular work out. Aim for at least an hour 3-5 days a week, and try to go as fast as you can. You shouldn't be able to carry on a conversation (just like if you were working out at the gym) and should sweat, be out of breath, etc. Remember to stretch after wards. You will probably want to increase distance or even add ankle weights or walking poles to add a challenge once you have been doing it for a while. Also, good shoes are a must or you will end up with shin splints, etc.

Great advice!

Hi,
Walking is good, if you keep up a good pace- 3.5 MPH or higher for a good caloric burn.

I see some others have recommended walk to lose DVDs- look for Leslie Sansone DVDs, they are based on walking but add other simple steps like kicks and knee raises to intensify and use more muscles than simple walking. They are easy for everyone, some women I work with and I do them at the office sometimes- and we are not all gym rats.

Good Luck!

You can lose weight by only walking but you will lose weight faster if you include strength training. Muscle burns calories even when you are sitting still.

I don't agree with walking until you can't hold a conversation, are out of breath and sweating. That's definitely not going to make you want to exercise more. If you're aiming for an hour, walk 30 minutes twice a day instead of all at once. I power walk 15 minutes in the morning and move around the house when doing house work and that has been enough for me.

Working out in slow increments multiple times throughout the day is better than doing one big tiring work out once a day.