Walking and eating burns more calories?

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lolo32015
lolo32015 Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
Okay so I was told if you walk and eat at the same time you will burn twice as much calories as you eat so I just want to know is that true or is it myth? Someone else told me not to do that but, to eat then walk but wouldn't that be the same thing?

Someone please help me out!
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Replies

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    I can't imagine that is true, but it is one of the goofiest dieting tips I have ever heard FWIW.
  • elphie754
    elphie754 Posts: 7,574 Member
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    Why on earth would you walk while eating?
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    If you eat and walk at the same time, you will burn more calories than if you ate and stood still because all activity burns calories. So some activity is going to burn more than no activity. But you aren't going to burn twice as many calories as you eat just because you are walking while eating. I mean, at some point the calories out would meet 2x calories in but you'd likely have to make a point of doing that on purpose. It's not just an automatic thing. (I hope my babbling makes sense.)
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    Methinks someone is punking you... they just want to see you do it.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Perhaps what they meant was, calories burned chewing food (this is not a whole lot). It's likely that walking burns more calories than the act of chewing food.....maybe you even double it. Still, this is not enough calories to worry about.

    So relax, and enjoy your food. Savor every bite.

    I would have to walk really fast (and eat really slowly) to burn off a piece of cheesecake while walking.
  • GoGoMary4
    GoGoMary4 Posts: 33 Member
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    I wouldn't walk and eat at the same time. A few reasons is you might eat faster and eat more than you want to. Also there is a safety issue, falling with a fork in your mouth is not worth it. Walking after eating is the one I would go with.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    I guess you get more done as in eating and getting some steps in... Who in the world wants to eat their food while walking and walking where?

    I guess I could walk in place while tanning and eat my snack at the same time. This would be a time saver and burn sweat and calories all at the same time... Who knew...

  • segacs
    segacs Posts: 4,599 Member
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    Walking and eating is a good way to spill food on your shirt.
  • lolo32015
    lolo32015 Posts: 11
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    Just to let you guys know I dont mean like big meals like if I have like a sandwich or chips cookies something like that.. I wouldn't take fork and a plate down the street
  • PeachyCarol
    PeachyCarol Posts: 8,029 Member
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    segacs wrote: »
    Walking and eating is a good way to spill food on your shirt.

    Truth. I have very limited multitasking abilities. This is of the sort I wouldn't like to try.

  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
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    I like to carry a small snack baggie of nuts (1 oz) or blueberries (2-3 oz). And while digestion and chewing and such does burn calories, you would do that anyway either before or after the exercise. There is no multiplicative effect or metabolism-boosting magic that I'm aware of in walking while eating. You're basically just multitasking, but you would do both tasks anyway in the course of your day, so the net exertion would be the same either way.
  • SteampunkSongbird
    SteampunkSongbird Posts: 826 Member
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    If I ate while walking at a decent pace, I'd feel really nauseous! :s
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
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    segacs wrote: »
    Walking and eating is a good way to spill food on your shirt.
    Also a good way to get digestive issues
  • I_Will_End_You
    I_Will_End_You Posts: 4,397 Member
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    If you eat and walk at the same time, you'll burn more calories than just eating. But if you eat, and then take a walk afterward, you'll burn more calories than if ate and sat on the couch and watched TV. So no, you eating and walking at the same time doesn't burn more calories specifically, but getting more activity in general does. I prefer to sit down and enjoy my meal, and get my activity in while I'm not eating.

    I can't believe I had to just type that. This is one of the worst dieting myths I've heard.
  • Cadori
    Cadori Posts: 4,810 Member
    edited March 2015
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    lolo32015 wrote: »
    Okay so I was told if you walk and eat at the same time you will burn twice as much calories as you eat so I just want to know is that true or is it myth? Someone else told me not to do that but, to eat then walk but wouldn't that be the same thing?

    Someone please help me out!

    So if you walked down the street eating an apple you would burn 150 calories and if you walked down that same street eating a snickers you would magically burn 500?

    Yeah...no.
  • GoGoMary4
    GoGoMary4 Posts: 33 Member
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    lolo32015 wrote: »
    Just to let you guys know I dont mean like big meals like if I have like a sandwich or chips cookies something like that.. I wouldn't take fork and a plate down the street
    My bad I thought you were talking about eating meals like walking around the kitchen or something. I don't think one would burn more calories. It is calories in calories out and if you walk the same pace eating/not eating you should burn the same calories.
  • Drewlssix
    Drewlssix Posts: 272 Member
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    elphie754 wrote: »
    Why on earth would you walk while eating?
    I ate a slice of pizza walking from the break room to my truck today. Doubt I burned the whole 340 calories doing it though, definitely not 680 calories burned as the myth claims.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited March 2015
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    I_Will_End_You wrote: »
    If you eat and walk at the same time, you'll burn more calories than just eating. But if you eat, and then take a walk afterward, you'll burn more calories than if ate and sat on the couch and watched TV. So no, you eating and walking at the same time doesn't burn more calories specifically, but getting more activity in general does. I prefer to sit down and enjoy my meal, and get my activity in while I'm not eating.

    I can't believe I had to just type that. This is one of the worst dieting myths I've heard.

    This^

    OP - let's math

    I weigh 150 pounds - Let's say I walk 1 mile at 3.5 MPH this burns approximately 78 calories and takes approximately 17 minutes. This is pretty fast for eating and walking at the same time.

    Do you think the act of chewing food while walking brings that total to 156 calories? Can't I just chew gum instead? >:)

    I don't eat anything for 17 minutes......
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    Let's just take a step back and think about this for a second...from, ya know...a common sense point of view...

    Hmmm.gif

    The answer is no...a 180 Lb person is going to burn in the neighborhood of 100 calories per mile walking...that's not going to change just because the someone was also eating.



  • Cortelli
    Cortelli Posts: 1,369 Member
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    lolo32015 wrote: »
    Just to let you guys know I dont mean like big meals like if I have like a sandwich or chips cookies something like that.. I wouldn't take fork and a plate down the street

    You really haven't lived until you've enjoyed rack of lamb and roasted asparagus while strolling around your neighborhood.

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