Walking or jogging?

bluestar188 · July 2015

Has anyone lost most of their weight by just jogging or walking long distances and if so how many miles?

DuckReconMajor · July 2015

Neither should be your primary focus for weight loss. Do the one you will stick to and that you enjoy and will make you feel better in the long term. I started out jogging, slowed to a walk when i got tired but when I do that after a bit of walking I get bored and start jogging again. Now when I go out I jog quickly and go to a slower pace when I get tired.

cwolfman13 · July 2015

Your weight loss is going to be more attributable to your diet.

I cycle about 80 miles per week and lift a few days per week...walk my dog 3 miles or so 3-4 days per week...do a little hiking and swimming on occasion. I have lost weight, maintained weight, and gained weight doing all of that...the difference between the three weight management objectives was not my exercise...it was my consumption.

Exercise in general is very good for you and has the added benefit of increasing your body's calorie requisites which in turn gives you more calories so that you can lose weight without eating like a bird...but really, you should choose exercise that you simply enjoy doing not because it's going to burn XXX calories.

Wrap you head around fitness for the sake of fitness. Diet for weight control; fitness for the sake of fitness.

chriscolh · July 2015

Ditto on what cwolfman13 said. When I started putting on weight, I started running to get rid of it. Didn't work. Neither did cross training, spinning, "booty-camp", swimming, walking... At one point, I was working out 6 times a week, sometimes twice a day. I got stronger, more flexible, had more endurance, and set a PR for my 5K, but didn't lose weight. That only happened when I started tracking my calorie intake and limiting what I put in my mouth. It took me a while to realize that fitness (at least, how I define fitness - which is for me my strength and ability to move) and weight loss are different. Not that there isn't a connection at all. I can work out harder when I eat the right foods, and the calories I burn working out will help with fat loss, but I can't depend on exercise for weight loss any more than I can depend on what I eat to make my muscles stronger.

Work out to be strong, but diet determines weight.

Good luck in your journey!

skysiebaby · July 2015

I lost 3 stone over 3 years purely by running/jogging 3 times a week (totalling between 12-19 miles), without changing any eating habits, and went from a UK size 14 to an 8-10. Obviously I was burning off more than I was eating but this wasn't my focus at the time. Over the last 18 months I have put on 14lb since I stalled on regular exercise but addressing it this time around with less running (just don't have the same motivation!) and more of a calorie deficit through food intake. So it worked for me, but all you're ultimately doing is creating a larger deficit which you can also do by eating less. Hope this helps.

belgerian · July 2015

First and foremost a calorie deficit is what causes weight loss not exercise, this just enables us to create a deficit easier and even a larger deficit depending on our diet.

Now myself

I actually started out on the Elliptical at the gym, then became inspired to hit the treadmill (saw a guy larger than me on it running for at least 45 min, said self if he can do it than you can.) Then I became inspired to hit the pavement (on my way home saw a mom running uphill pushing a baby carriage, said self if she can do that surely you can). long story short running and and most importantly eating at a deficit (because this is what causes us to burn fat and muscle) is what has enabled me to loose about 60 lbs. Currently still running and doing strong lifts. Currently I run anywhere to 6-8 miles 3-4 times a week. I also attempt to stay around 2000-3000 calories a a day. So I am normally in a small calorie deficit on average.

DuckReconMajor · July 2015

skysiebaby wrote: »

I lost 3 stone over 3 years purely by running/jogging 3 times a week (totalling between 12-19 miles), without changing any eating habits, and went from a UK size 14 to an 8-10. Obviously I was burning off more than I was eating but this wasn't my focus at the time. Over the last 18 months I have put on 14lb since I stalled on regular exercise but addressing it this time around with less running (just don't have the same motivation!) and more of a calorie deficit through food intake. So it worked for me, but all you're ultimately doing is creating a larger deficit which you can also do by eating less. Hope this helps.

Did it take effort to not eat more once you started burning the calories? It did for me.

cwolfman13 wrote: »

XXX calories.

ooh, sexy

brynnsmom · July 2015

Walking is my primary form of exercise. I use a treadmill, speed varying from 4.3-4.8 miles/hour at a slight incline. Minimum 5 miles at a time, at least 6 days per week.

skysiebaby · July 2015

DuckReconMajor wrote: »

skysiebaby wrote: »

I lost 3 stone over 3 years purely by running/jogging 3 times a week (totalling between 12-19 miles), without changing any eating habits, and went from a UK size 14 to an 8-10. Obviously I was burning off more than I was eating but this wasn't my focus at the time. Over the last 18 months I have put on 14lb since I stalled on regular exercise but addressing it this time around with less running (just don't have the same motivation!) and more of a calorie deficit through food intake. So it worked for me, but all you're ultimately doing is creating a larger deficit which you can also do by eating less. Hope this helps.

Did it take effort to not eat more once you started burning the calories? It did for me.

Strangely running has always the opposite effect on me, I naturally don't feel like I need to eat more which also obviously helped long term for weight loss/maintenance. Now I've incorporated weight training...completely different story lol.

bluestar188 · July 2015

I'm already in a low carb diet.. I know im losing weight but I also want that extra boost with exercise .. I sprained my knee like a week ago doing a Jillian Michaels workout lol.. Silly me.. But has anyone had a dramatic weight loss by walking or jogging ?

heybales · July 2015

It'll backfire on you. Short term or at least long term.

The side effect of a good exercise routine is actually water weight gain.

You want dramatic weight loss and don't care that it's muscle mass - then by all means take an extreme deficit and only jog.
That should lose some unneeded muscle mass in upper body.

Reread the posts above - you seem to have the wrong concept of exercise.

Why would you expend all that effort just to burn a few more calories - when it's so much easier to abuse your body by just eating even less.

peaceout_aly · July 2015

You have to pair it with eating properly as well. Eating at a deficit is what is going to make you lose weight. Running will help you gain a further deficit, as well as strength and some toning, but alone it will probably not make you lose all that much. I eat at a deficit and jog 2 miles per day, along with other work-outs.

MamaBirdBoss · July 2015

Lose weight in the kitchen. I can't jog anymore, but that burns more calories per minute and per unit of distance.

tesemarie · July 2015

I started my fitness change at the beginning of March. I stayed strictly to what MFP told me was my proper calorie intake to lose 2 lbs a week (maintaining that deficit, like others said, is key!) I started walking. I started with 2 miles 3-4 times a week. It was honestly tough. I couldn't have imagined running at all. As my body adjusted and got better at that, I would try to jog for as long as I could (sometimes just 20- 30 seconds at a time) and then walk again. Now, 4 months later, I am up to 4-5+ miles at a time 5-6 times a week. I do the same thing-- jog for 2 mins or so, then walk then jog again (my own couch to 5k style). This is essentially the only exercise I do (other than chase my 2 little kids around

bluestar188 · July 2015

Thank u tesemarie

Calibandawg · July 2015

I had the opportunity to watch a person on a metabolic cart who was walking at 3.5 mph; when she switched to jogging at the same pace her metabolic rate went down. Jogging is more efficient than fast walking. Problem is, walking at 3.5 mph is really uncomfortable and not realistic. I find that jogging takes less time than walking and gives me a better cardiovascular effect. Walking takes longer and makes my feet sore for how long it takes.

MamaBirdBoss · July 2015

Calibandawg wrote: »

I had the opportunity to watch a person on a metabolic cart who was walking at 3.5 mph; when she switched to jogging at the same pace her metabolic rate went down. Jogging is more efficient than fast walking. Problem is, walking at 3.5 mph is really uncomfortable and not realistic. I find that jogging takes less time than walking and gives me a better cardiovascular effect. Walking takes longer and makes my feet sore for how long it takes.

EXTREMELY fast race-walking is better than jogging, but slow jogging is better than moderate walking.

tesemarie · July 2015

Eek! Just noticed that somehow my response was cut short! I was just going to add that my interval jogging/ walking has aided in helping me lose 36 lbs in 4 months... It's helped my body but mostly my mind

. Do the exercise that you are going to enjoy and keep doing!

galprincess · July 2015

Running has helped with my fitness and helping me look leaner alongside good eating

tracymcdonald4358 · July 2015

I have had much success with run 2 minutes walk 2 minutes but at a fast pase. I also watch my carbs and strength train
Doing different things keeps you from getting bored and also keeps your body guessing

heybales · July 2015

Calibandawg wrote: »

I had the opportunity to watch a person on a metabolic cart who was walking at 3.5 mph; when she switched to jogging at the same pace her metabolic rate went down. Jogging is more efficient than fast walking. Problem is, walking at 3.5 mph is really uncomfortable and not realistic. I find that jogging takes less time than walking and gives me a better cardiovascular effect. Walking takes longer and makes my feet sore for how long it takes.

Perhaps for you 3.5 is harder - but for vast majority - that actually happens to be the most efficient speed.

Meaning least calorie burn by a tad.

http://www.exrx.net/Aerobic/WalkCalExp.html

Very true on benefits to moving to running though.
Eventually walking just isn't going to cause as good workout, especially as weight is lost, because most people can only walk so fast, and can't compensate for lost weight.

Walking or jogging?

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