walking questions?

To lose 1lb/week you simply need a 500 kcal/day deficit. You can achieve that by reducing how many calories you eat, increasing how much you exercise, or some combination of the two. So yes, it's possible to lose weight walking, doing pilates, or sitting on the couch.

You absolutely can lose weight while walking. Here is my take on when people say that you can't lose weight while walking. When I was 15 I had an eating disorder (well, I had it for a decade, but I'm focusing in on this time period) and I had a relapse. In july I was 140lbs give or take at about 5'4. I was about a size 5 or 7. I was eating roughly 1300 calories a day and I was walking a good deal. I would walk when I was stressed, so I walked a lot. By early september I was up to two walks a day, that were anywhere from 60-90 minutes in length. I wasn't power walking, I was listening to my music and just walking, maybe 3.0-3.2mph range. In early september I was 124lbs and I was about a size 1.

^^ This is absolutely an unhealthy extreme but it illustrates my point. It was also the one time in my life (eating disordered or not) that I had slim, very toned legs. I reached this weight once more when I was 22 but wasn't nearly as trim as I was then.

If you are moving your body for at least 30 minutes and its something you enjoy enough to keep doing and not give up, it's a good workout for you and it will be effective long-term.

Just be careful you don't over estimate the calorie burn for your walk and eat back more than you burn- for example some people go for a walk and burn 200 cals then stop off on way home for a latte and scone- 400 cals.

I will keep it short1 Walking is the most natural thing a human can do to stay fit. If you are not in love with your body like body builders or hate your body like dieters then for general exercise it is the best exercise for people who just want to stay fit and healthy. In recent studies over 80% of the people who walk 6 days a week for 30 plus minutes a day were found to be healthier and were within their normal weight range. As far as weight loss it all depends on the following simple formula: Calories ingested minus calories burned. If you burn more calories than you eat each day barring no real health problems then you will lose weight over time. Walking is also a great way to get mind rest when you can walk outside and see nature. It is especially nice in the spring time.

Walking burns calories. It doesn't burn as many as more intense exercise, of course. On the other hand, there's evidence that walking at a moderate speed doesn't increase appetite the way that more intense exercise does.

bwogilvie wrote: »

Walking burns calories. It doesn't burn as many as more intense exercise, of course. On the other hand, there's evidence that walking at a moderate speed doesn't increase appetite the way that more intense exercise does.

This is my experience. Sure it takes me twice as long to get 5 miles in per day, but I'm not ravenous like after my runs (which I do twice a week, but I'm "prepared" calorie wise for those ).

As far as strength training, OP, it sounds like you're looking for something floor/body weight based. Calisthenics (aka body weight training) can be a great fitness tool for that, if you're not inclined to lift weights. Again, it will probably not give the calorie burn of heavy lifting, but it's useful for fitness/strength gains if you do a progressive program that increases difficulty of moves and incorporates dynamic movements.

Overall, do whatever level of activity you like. Just adjust your intake to create an appropriate deficit for weight loss (250-500 calories reduction should do it just fine).

Great forum. I ran for 30 years. Through 4 pregnancies, full time job and all else life throws at you. Now at 55, I power walk. Very brisk pace for 60-75 minutes. It is what our bodies were meant to do, walk. Losing weight works doing any kind of exercise you enjoy. Calories in/calories out. Walking tones the body and clears the mind.