Has anyone had success with walking for exercise?
Sassenach1017
Posts: 42 Member
I was wondering if anyone out there, has had a successful weight loss with walking? I started walking at the beginning of June, it is my main form of exercise. I was planning on incorporating some running. I have been faithful using my fitbit, and trying to get 10,000 step a day. I would love to see some before and after weight loss pics.
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I hike daily and have been for years but to lose weight you need to be in a caloric deficit. Walking is for heath and well being. It took me 20 years to figure that out, you can not out exercise over eating.0
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I'd also love to see some success stories from walkers. I can't run because of a back problem, but walking seems to work well. Doing 10,000 - 15,000 steps a day, all outdoors, some moderate hills. (Also using Fitbit Surge) Really enjoying it and losing some lbs, so far, but I haven't been doing it very long. Like to see how it has worked out long term for others.0
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The majority of my aerobic activity was from walking, probably more than 90%, and I lost 100 lbs. I started out at a moderate speed of 3.0 mph, and I worked my way up to very, very brisk walking between 4.0 and 4.5 mph. I feel the main reason I did lose though was that I sustained a caloric deficit with very few exceptions for holidays and special occasions. There are photos on my profile page along with a listing of my weight loss.0
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Yes! I started my diet March 1, went on the elliptical everyday until it got warm enough to walk and now I walk at least 10,000 steps a day. Usually more like 13k (stopped using the elliptical altogether, unless it's too hot out). I'm down 115 lbs as of today-eating 1200 calories. I'm 5'8 and 28 years old. Here's my before and after.
SW: 299
CW: 185
GW: 160
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power walking has been my cardio training for the last thirty years. walking is great for us.0
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My total weight loss is 130 pounds. I've completed one marathon and half marathons in 10 states. I lost most of my weight by walking and have gone back to doing walking just recently. I like walking because I can do it daily without needing much recovery time. When I run I need a day (or two off) to recover from it. On a typical day, I walk 20 minutes to a bus stop on the way to work (it isn't the closest bus stop to my house) take 2-3 ten-minute walks during work breaks and then walk another 20 minutes home from the bus stop. If my work schedule doesn't correspond with the bus schedule, I walk a few blocks away from the bus terminal and catch the bus on its route rather than at the transfer center. Typically the walking amounts to 4-6 miles a day. It works out better for me than going to a gym because I incorporate the exercise into my day. I spend 70-90 minutes walking. Forty of those minutes are getting to/from work and add about 30 minutes to my total commute. In exchange for adding 30 minutes to my commute, I avoid 20 minutes of getting to a gym another 20 minutes of getting home from a gym and an hour of drooling on a treadmill while wishing I wasn't at the gym.0
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I used to walk like 15 km a day. Insane , Isn't it? But I lost like 45 lbs in first three months but of course you need to create some caloric deficit in your diet as well.0
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I've lost 16 more pounds since this was taken, but this before and during needs a bit of explanation. The before isn't really a true before. I weigh about 190 there. I was 210 when I started on MFP. That 190 is without exercise, though.
I'm 163 in the during picture, and that's with a lot of walking and some strength training. But mostly walking. I've now started running, but still primarily walk every day.
The bathing suit bottom in the picture? It's too loose now.
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I lost my first 6-7 lbs by speed walking and it helps!0
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Calorie deficit and walking about 4 miles on a treadmill at 10% incline 5 days a week has worked for me. I am down 10lbs with 10 more to go. It may not be a quick fix but i am in it for.the long haul. Good luck0
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I've lost 130 pounds. I started out by walking. I could hardly walk 1/2 a mile without feeling like I was gonna fall over. !/2 a mile then turned into one mile and 1 mile turned into 3 miles a day. I have 50-60 more pounds to go but I will get there.
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I work for an orthopedic surgeon and every day he tells people that walking is good for the heart but bad for the knees. While it provides a cardio burn, it does nothing for strengthening your legs. You'd be better off on a bike or an elliptical.0
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I work for an orthopedic surgeon and every day he tells people that walking is good for the heart but bad for the knees. While it provides a cardio burn, it does nothing for strengthening your legs. You'd be better off on a bike or an elliptical.
Oh my fricken stars! Are you kidding me? We've been walking on two feet for millions of years and now we have to ride a bike or use a elliptical because of some supposed expert. Not buying it.
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I have. I'm down 95-ish lbs and walking is pretty much all I do.
Pics since you asked.
P.S. I'm five foot nine.0 -
I would encourage you to walk (I love it for more than physical exercise - it's one way to think, breathe, connect with the outside world and if a friend comes along, you can maintain a conversation). BUT I would also encourage you to not eat back any calories you spend from walking AND I would also encourage you to mix things up a little bit with light weight training - if you can. I used to only walk as I dislike running, but lately I have added some weight training (push ups, body squats, etc). and that has made a great difference in how I feel in both muscles and metabolically. Good luck!0
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shizmcnally wrote: »Yes! I started my diet March 1, went on the elliptical everyday until it got warm enough to walk and now I walk at least 10,000 steps a day. Usually more like 13k (stopped using the elliptical altogether, unless it's too hot out). I'm down 115 lbs as of today-eating 1200 calories. I'm 5'8 and 28 years old. Here's my before and after.
SW: 299
CW: 185
GW: 160
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You were pretty before, but you graduated to gorgeous! Great job!0
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queenliz99 wrote: »I work for an orthopedic surgeon and every day he tells people that walking is good for the heart but bad for the knees. While it provides a cardio burn, it does nothing for strengthening your legs. You'd be better off on a bike or an elliptical.
Oh my fricken stars! Are you kidding me? We've been walking on two feet for millions of years and now we have to ride a bike or use a elliptical because of some supposed expert. Not buying it.
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yardprincess wrote: »I would encourage you to walk (I love it for more than physical exercise - it's one way to think, breathe, connect with the outside world and if a friend comes along, you can maintain a conversation). BUT I would also encourage you to not eat back any calories you spend from walking AND I would also encourage you to mix things up a little bit with light weight training - if you can. I used to only walk as I dislike running, but lately I have added some weight training (push ups, body squats, etc). and that has made a great difference in how I feel in both muscles and metabolically. Good luck!
Not eat back any calories from walking? Do you mean this for someone who doesn't eat at a calorie deficit?0 -
yardprincess wrote: »I would encourage you to walk (I love it for more than physical exercise - it's one way to think, breathe, connect with the outside world and if a friend comes along, you can maintain a conversation). BUT I would also encourage you to not eat back any calories you spend from walking AND I would also encourage you to mix things up a little bit with light weight training - if you can. I used to only walk as I dislike running, but lately I have added some weight training (push ups, body squats, etc). and that has made a great difference in how I feel in both muscles and metabolically. Good luck!
I have to disagree with not eating walking calories back. The only exercise I do is walking, I do between 20,000-30,000 steps everyday, which equals around 15-20kms (10-12 miles). This bumps my TDEE up significantly, and allows me to eat a lot more than I could if I didn't walk.
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ruthtruman wrote: »You were pretty before, but you graduated to gorgeous! Great job!
Aw thank you so much!
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Sassenach1017 wrote: »I was planning on incorporating some running. I have been faithful using my fitbit, and trying to get 10,000 step a day. I would love to see some before and after weight loss pics.
My initial loss of around 15 pounds was all just moderated calories and no less than 10k steps each day tracking with a Fitbit. The key is consistency for a few months and logging EVERYTHING that goes in.
I did end up getting back to the gym when I felt comfortable enough and wanted to start training for sports.
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I've had 7 foot and ankle surgeries over the past 8 years and have crawled my way back to health by walking, yoga and dancing (sometimes through considerable pain). At my last check-in with my foot surgeon last month when I had a temporary set-back because of a bone spur growing beyween my ankle bones (which he was able to alieviate with a cortisone shot) I told him I had averaged over 5 miles a day walking since June 2 since buying a Fitbit. Hearing this, he took both of my hands in his and told me "NEVER stop walking; use every ounce of determination and courage to keep walking because it is the key to managing diabetes.....the saddest part of my practice is when I have to amputate toes and feet because of this disease. I don't want to ever have to take off your feet, so keep up the great work you've begun." I've lost about 20 pounds since spring with doing 5+ miles a day each and every day. I've had to power walk inside about 7 different malls this summer on a rotation basis because it's so hot here in Phoenix. I've also been religiously tracking every bite I eat; my daily calories averages about 1650 but I've had days where I have eaten more than 2500. The walking helps mitigate the damage done by the occasional high calorie days. I also try to make most of my calories high quality nutritious calories.0
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ruthtruman wrote: »I've had 7 foot and ankle surgeries over the past 8 years and have crawled my way back to health by walking, yoga and dancing (sometimes through considerable pain). At my last check-in with my foot surgeon last month when I had a temporary set-back because of a bone spur growing beyween my ankle bones (which he was able to alieviate with a cortisone shot) I told him I had averaged over 5 miles a day walking since June 2 since buying a Fitbit. Hearing this, he took both of my hands in his and told me "NEVER stop walking; use every ounce of determination and courage to keep walking because it is the key to managing diabetes.....the saddest part of my practice is when I have to amputate toes and feet because of this disease. I don't want to ever have to take off your feet, so keep up the great work you've begun." I've lost about 20 pounds since spring with doing 5+ miles a day each and every day. I've had to power walk inside about 7 different malls this summer on a rotation basis because it's so hot here in Phoenix. I've also been religiously tracking every bite I eat; my daily calories averages about 1650 but I've had days where I have eaten more than 2500. The walking helps mitigate the damage done by the occasional high calorie days. I also try to make most of my calories high quality nutritious calories.
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Walking has been my main source of cardio since I started incorporating fitness into my life.
I started off barely being able to walk a 1/2 mile without huffing and puffing, but I kept going and going and going and eventually built up my stamina and endurance.
Now I walk daily. Walking has been a crucial part of my 80 pound loss and maintaining it for almost 2.5 years.
Walking energizes me, doesn't hurt, I don't need any recovery time and most importantly I look forward to it and I love my results!
I get in around 25 - 30 exercise miles in per week (not including daily steps).
I walk outdoors on a track or trail and I enjoy walking in intervals which includes fast walking for a mile, walking at a normal pace for a mile and repeat 2 or 3 times. I also do Leslie Sansone dvd's at home.
Edited to add: I also lift weights, do exercise videos and use my Pilates Reformer, but I mainly walk for exercise.
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Thank you guys so much!!!
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Sassenach1017 wrote: »I was wondering if anyone out there, has had a successful weight loss with walking? I started walking at the beginning of Jusne, it is my main form of exercise. I was planning on incorporating some running. I have been faithful using my fitbit, and trying to get 10,000 step a day. I would love to see some before and after weight loss pics.
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Yes, ma'am. Down 21lbs in 3 months from walking around my neighborhood block. Took me 15 min to do a full circle and now I'm down to about 12-13 min. I also walk more briskly and pump my arms for a full power walk for 45 min, 4-5 days a week and I eat clean 80% of the time. I'm also going to incorporate strength training 3 days a week. I don't have any before/afters right now but in 9 months I'll post in the success stories/update this thread. It can be done and it's a lot easier on the joints.0
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