Walking is a great place to start losing weight!

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bigguyreed
bigguyreed Posts: 64 Member
in Getting Started
When I started a few years ago trying to drop some weight. I started walking with a friend and years later I'm down 35lbs to 40lbs. The friend was a seasoned walker and didn't let me slow my pace. I see that person as a good friend who didn't let me make excuses to not walk many days. Now I've gotten back to the gym. It all started with those first steps walking. Walking is a good start for anyone, just to get you moving. :)

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  • hypodonthaveme
    hypodonthaveme Posts: 215 Member
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    I agree. Anything you do is better than sitting on the couch eating your life away. The smallest steps have lead to great successes
  • markdanby35
    markdanby35 Posts: 1 Member
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    Walking is the best start.On diet and exercise from yesterday.Walked 2 miles yesterday and today.Feeling better.Need to lose 56lbs (a must)
  • MoveitlikeManda
    MoveitlikeManda Posts: 846 Member
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    agree completely, today I did a walk'out exercise video and have just got back from 65min walk.
    meaning iv done over 11,000 steps and walked over 5miles.

    anyone just starting to walk should come over to the "gentle august steps" post on the motivation and support page, its encouraging to keep you going everyday without being a competition like some of the other step posts
  • screamingnoodle
    screamingnoodle Posts: 26 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I love walking to lose weight! I've been getting in the habit of walking nearly 5 miles every other day. However, I have a really hard time walking on treadmills! I just can't seem to keep much balance!
    My fitbit is a huge help for tracking how far I go; but pretty much any fitness tracker helps if that is a concern of yours! (It eventually was with me, because I walk during a certain time frame and was unsure how far and how much I walked when all was said and done!
  • MoveitlikeManda
    MoveitlikeManda Posts: 846 Member
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    screamingnoodle wrote: »
    I love walking to lose weight! I've been getting in the habit of walking nearly 5 miles every other day. However, I have a really hard time walking on treadmills! I just can't seem to keep much balance!
    My fitbit is a huge help for tracking how far I go; but pretty much any fitness tracker helps!

    I use map my walk to track my daily walk as I dont have an activity tracker like a fitbit
  • MaureenRefior
    MaureenRefior Posts: 21 Member
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    Agreed. I started walking on the treadmill three months ago. At first, I could only manage 20 minutes at 2.7 mph; now I'm up to 30 minutes at 3.7 mph with a 3% - 4% incline (depending on the day). I also do 30 minutes on the elliptical now, but it all started with taking those first steps. Great post!
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    The American Heart Association agrees with you: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/Walking/Walking-101_UCM_461766_Article.jsp#.V6C5Gv5lDmE
  • CasperNaegle
    CasperNaegle Posts: 936 Member
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    Anything that gets you motivated and on a path to being more fit is a good thing.. congrats on your journey.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    If your goal is to lose weight and have good cardiovascular health then walking is really all you'll ever need. Once you get trimmer and can do more activity though you might find yourself wanting more.
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
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    I totally agree. I am convinced the miles of walking I did when I lost the first 70 pounds where what got me to a place where I could progress to running and weight lifting without any pain or injury. I still walk at least an hour a day - even on days I run 5 or 6 miles.
  • snerggly
    snerggly Posts: 112 Member
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    Thank you for an encouraging post. A lot of out there are reading content that says we have to kill ourselves at the gym 6 days a week or become a marathon runner. I worked out 6 days a week and still am fat and I sweat, really push myself. I know several people in their 60's who have lost 40 to 50 pounds just walking 7 days a week for an hour and doing weight training twice a week. I am thinking of doing that myself.
  • BabyBungadin72
    BabyBungadin72 Posts: 71 Member
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    I agree. I lost 45lbs in a year with walking.
  • jennyvalentine4
    jennyvalentine4 Posts: 15 Member
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    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    If your goal is to lose weight and have good cardiovascular health then walking is really all you'll ever need. Once you get trimmer and can do more activity though you might find yourself wanting more.

    This is my goal right here. To lose weight walking so that I can do more. I want to use weights and build more muscle but I need to lose a bit and work on muscles in my hips and back before i can start lifting weights. Taking Drs advice strictly for now as I don't need to be in any more pain. :)
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I think people misinterpret walking as somehow not strenuous because our leg muscles are naturally so much stronger than any other muscle (due to the fact that we walk to get around).

    If you think about it though moving a ~150-250 pound object a mile is actually a huge amount of energy and that is essentially what you are doing when you walk a mile. Walking an hour can easily burn 500 calories and as a result if all you do to change your lifestyle is walk an hour each day you can definitely see changes overtime just from that.

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