anyone find success with 10k steps a day?

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  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,186 Member
    I got myself a fitbit and compete with friends lot for the 7 day running total, work week challenge and weekend challenge. Simply having it has made me more active throughout the day and stick to moving around.

    In addition to burning more calories through the day, I get a good amount of peace of mind as I like to make daily strolls through nice trails.

    Since starting (and in addition to reduced eating) I have lost roughly 18 pounds since January. I had done the math a while ago and found about 1/3 of that has been from extra walking.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    @Christine_72 it took me all day! I didn't run any timekeeper on my phone because I knew it would chew up the battery. And we took our time stopping for food, etc. At the end of the day Fitbit said 514 active minutes which is about 8.5 hours. We started in SF at Chrissy field, went up thru Russian Hill & Pacific Heights, crossed the GG bridge on foot, went on into Sausalito by trail, caught the ferry back & walked along the waterfront. I was 3k short when we left the city. I finished up at home after dinner. It was fun but I couldn't do it everyday. hahaha
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    I take 10-12k steps a day. My highest was 25k steps. My legs felt like jello when I did that amount, though.
  • mrsloganlife
    mrsloganlife Posts: 158 Member
    scolaris wrote: »
    Today I walked 53289 steps (22 miles).... shocking! I did it for my 53rd birthday. I may not be ABLE to walk tomorrow LOL

    OK I walked over 22,000 steps one day and I was exhausted for the next 36 hours. 53k steps someone would have had to send out a search party for me because my legs would have stopped working lol. Amazing accomplishment! I also have the exact same Fitbit, color and all :)

    To the OP, I take on average 7k steps a day. I actually adjusted my Fitbit step goals to help keep me motivated. I started at 5k and once I can meet it for 14 days consistently (weekends and day trips for business are tough) I up the goal. I view 10k as a special accomplishment, but nothing that will break my motivation if I don't hit it. Being active has helped me lose over 26 pounds so far...just need to get back into running 3-4 times a week because when I was doing that the weight was sliding off!
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    31,000 is my record, and I did it just once last year. I must have been on some sort of caffeine high that day! :lol:
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
    I get 14-18k most days which is the bulk of my exercise. I use Fitbit to track my steps and calories burned.

    Works for me.
  • Sonyavdg
    Sonyavdg Posts: 17 Member
    I find that the extra calories I get from doing 10,000 - 13,000 steps a day makes a big difference to how satisfied I can feel while maintaining a deficit. For me it is the difference between about 1200 and 1600 calories which makes a huge difference to satiety
  • andysport1
    andysport1 Posts: 588 Member
    Hi, walking 10,000 steps for an overweight person will help but you won't really see much change, however if whilst out walking you think 1 x 100 cal biscuit equals 1 mile and gradually do a deal with yourself that for every 100 cals over yesterday you'll walk those off after the original 10k you'll soon stop indulging. We started walking an hour after dinner either half hour or to make up to 10k whichever was the longest, it stopped us snacking, gave us more motivation to lose and gave us time to chat.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    I did drive to my neighborhood school for subbing today I'm ashamed to admit! LOL But I feel pretty good overall. My previous high number was 36k or so, but on a rugged hike day. This was pretty easy on the feet. My husband said it felt kind of like he felt post marathons.
    Getting back to the OP: I think of walking as my main workout. It's the thing I do day in and day out without needing to change clothes completely or shower after that boosts my TDEE and allows me to lose weight more easily than if I just sat on the couch reading novels. I also get a mental boost that helps with anxiety and focus issues which can derail any diet plan if left unchecked. But human machines were designed for several kinds of work and to completely overhaul your fitness you will want to add a few other items to your routine. We are designed to go fast in short bursts. I use Zumba, take some quick wind sprints or just time myself climbing hills for this. We are also designed to lift heavy things and I lift free weights and take a yoga class for that. Walking for me has been the 'gateway drug' to a more full blown fitness habit, if you will. Hahaha
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    edited May 2016
    I have had a fitbit for over 3 years.
    My New Year's resolution for 2014 was to get 20K every day. Accomplished, and have averaged 20K ever since. Highest I have gotten was a 32k three times. Scolaris, kudos to you getting 53K, I know what it would take to do that. I am 64 so I probably will never see that many steps in one day.

    OP losing weight is about eating less calories than you burn. Walking is great exercise and good for your health, but unless you are eating at a calorie deficit you won't lose weight. Walking/hiking up and down mountain trails is burning more calories though. I live in country and it is very hilly. I go for walks in our woods on the trails up and down the hills. An hour walk gives me the equivalent of 33 staircases, so I imagine you would burn more calories.
  • caammph
    caammph Posts: 105 Member
    brb_2013 wrote: »
    My steps are usually just a result of living my life, not exercise. So my doctor advised me not to think of 10k steps of daily activities as "exercise", so I personally think unless your steps include at least 30 total minutes of a nicely elevated heart rate you'll perhaps see slow results. That's been my experience. I'm starting 3-4 days of actual exercise per week now and seeing if that helps move things along.

    I agree with this, when I first got my Fitbit, I didn't change my lifestyle at all for the first few days, I wanted to get an idea of what my normal daily living provided in terms of a step count. I was averaging close to 10,000 steps a day, so I adjusted my goal upward. My Fitbit also tracks the number of "active minutes" so I kind of use that as a guide, for example, yesterday I had 155 active minutes and I consider that to be my exercise time. So while I walked 21,878 steps yesterday, I am only really counting about 14,000 of those as exercise because that's the number of steps I took during my active minutes.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
    I use my active minutes as a gauge too!
    And, I was walking 10k+/- as a fat person! :-(

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