walking to lose weight and burn fat, does it work?

Yes, walking is great start!

I've lost 75 pounds walking (mainly eating less, though).

I think that if you are going to cut down significantly on calories, walking can keep your active and help with your metabolism (so you don't need to eat more to support the exercise).

I live down south so I walk outside in the morning. I don't think I could commit to an hour on a treadmill every day for the rest of my life. A good walk outside is another story.

It can help. Walking on an incline will definitely help firm and tone. All by itself, walking might not be enough to reach the level of cardio where the heartrate is elevated for a sustained length of time. But you can always increase the speed of the walking or incline. All you really need to do is create that calorie deficit between how many calories you take in and how many you burn up.

Walking will help improve your cardiovascular fitness, to a point. It will also help you to build some muscle on your legs, to a point. You will definitely burn some calories while doing it. It will not "firm your legs and body", only fat loss will accomplish what you're calling "firming" and that's reached by a calorie deficit and your body decides for itself which fat stores it's going to reduce first.

I say "to a point" above because while someone new to exercise will see some modest gains in those areas, there is only so much that walking can do over the long term to increase muscle mass and provide cardiovascular benefits. Also, as you lose weight, your body is working less to move you around so the gains stop and can even reverse as time goes on. Walking will, of course, always help you to burn more calories but that calorie burn will decrease as you become accustomed to that level of exertion.

I post all of this not as a discouragement but as a caveat. Walking is a great way to get started on an exercise program but depending on your long term goals, it will probably not be enough for long.

Yes, walking can definitely help, particularly well for fat burning. Not only will you burn more calories than at a sedentary state, but in low-intensity exercise such as walking, us when your body burns the most fat for fuel as opposed to other exercises (besides incredibly long endurance events, but even then your glycogen stores must be used up first, and not many of us do marathon-length or longer races haha!) Learning about this currently since I'm a nutrition major. I hope I could help!!

My mom lost 60 lbs in about 8 months in the late 90s eating at a reasonable deficit (not starving herself) and walking 6-8 miles a day. I've been walking 5-6 miles on average 5 times a week and eating at a calorie deficit (most days <.<), I've lost 14.8 lbs since October 6th.

I mostly walk. Outdoors in nice weather. Indoor track when not (or when I want a really fast walk). I also do the stationary bike.

I have definitely toned my legs (I am also trying to lose weight, but that doesn't seem to be your issue). If you do want to lose weight, you will need a calorie deficit. With all that said, strengthening exercises are a better bet for really good toning. Walking is a great cardio working and increases your stamina!

Just remember, unless you incorporate some exercise for your upper body and core, you won't get total toning. When I walk the indoor track, I punch the air in front of me. I punch the air above me. I keep my arms moving. You can get this toning in other ways, too.

Finally, if you want to burn fat, (not necessarily lose weight), keep your heartrate in the Fat Burning area. That would be 220 - (your age) * .60. Then the same, but times .70. That is the ideal fat burning heartrate. Not very intense.

Also, make sure to stretch!

yes I am a perfect example

Of course it will help. You won't build huge leg muscles by taking a little walk every day, but it's better than nothing.

Every little bit helps.