Ack!! My doc said walking is useless!!??

walkergirl64 · January 2017

I love to walk and am feeling discouraged. My new family doctor said walking is essentially useless for losing weight and only weight-lifting is going to help me reach my goals. He is a highly respected doc in our area and so I took what he said to heart and feel discouraged now because I have loved walking for years. I have started weight training 3 times a week, but still want to walk for cardio and because otherwise I would never get outside.
What do you guys think? Does walking help you with weight loss or not?

Hornsby · January 2017

Your doctor is wrong. A calorie deficit is what is needed to lose weight. Walking can absolutely help one achieve a calorie deficit.

pixilated1 · January 2017

Pfft. What Hornsby already said is correct. My Dr is pleased with my walking plan & my weight though she also recommends strength training. Get a new Dr.

highlightshadow · January 2017

Walking is movement, movement is beneficial ... maybe not towards the sharp end when you want a lot of fitness but to say its useless is a bit much

PennWalker · January 2017

I lost 36 pounds in 4.5 months. The only exercise I did was walk. The weight loss and walking changed my high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and body weight to normal.

I would change doctors.

mrmarkharding · January 2017

He is right if you don't hit your ideal heart rate when walking. If you walk at a normal pace and your heart rate stays the same, it is useless.Do some research before changing doctors as some of these people have said.

Hornsby · January 2017

mrmarkharding wrote: »

He is right if you don't hit your ideal heart rate when walking. If you walk at a normal pace and your heart rate stays the same, it is useless.Do some research before changing doctors as some of these people have said.

Simply not true.

PennWalker · January 2017

mrmarkharding wrote: »

He is right if you don't hit your ideal heart rate when walking. If you walk at a normal pace and your heart rate stays the same, it is useless.Do some research before changing doctors as some of these people have said.

Not so and my weight loss is proof. I walked before and after mild illness and didn't raise my heart rate that much.

Here's an article about raising your heart rate and exercise. It quotes various doctors.

http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/the-truth-about-heart-rate-and-exercise#2

Excerpt:

4. TRUE OR FALSE: Moderate exercise promotes weight loss more effectively than vigorous exercise.

FALSE. Weight loss is a matter of simple arithmetic: To shed pounds, you must burn more calories than you consume. And when it comes to burning calories, the greater the exertion, the greater the rate at which calories are burned.

Working out at about 60% to 75% of your maximum heart rate (the so-called "fat-burning zone") burns fewer calories than working out at 75% to 85% of your maximum heart rate (the so-called "aerobic" or "cardio" zone).

But caloric burn depends on a workout's duration as well as its intensity -- and it's easier to work out longer when exercising at a lower intensity.

neldabg · January 2017

I lost my first couple pounds with walking and running as my primary form of exercise and I lost the last couple pounds with just walking as my primary form of exercise. I also love to walk. As long as you eat less than you burn, you'll keep losing weight. The strength training is indeed good, but walking does allow for extra burns that will help increase your deficit for weight loss. Also, even *if* it were true somehow that walking does not help with weight loss, if it is a form of activity that makes you happy or keeps stress away, it is not something to give up.
I'm surprised your doctor actually said that. Even if this doctor is well respected, you don't have to take EVERYTHING he says to heart. You'll find plenty of other well respected doctors who would disagree with him.

dianastevers · January 2017

I've read over and over again that you can't exercise off a bad diet...I'm hoping that's what your doc meant. To suggest walking is "useless" for losing weight might be technically true in that context (I wonder how far you have to walk to burn off a Big Mac? LOL). But the benefits to walking as part of an overall fitness program are irrefutable.

jvcjim · January 2017

mrmarkharding wrote: »

He is right if you don't hit your ideal heart rate when walking. If you walk at a normal pace and your heart rate stays the same, it is useless.Do some research before changing doctors as some of these people have said.

nonsense. Activity is good for you regardless. i'm down 132 pounds through just CICO and walking. now i can stand longer and have a much better range of motion in my joints and my OA does not bother me as much. Ideal heart rate is meaningful if you are training for competitive activities, not if you are just losing weight and becoming more healthy. no need to change doctors just tell them they are wrong. advocate for yourself when you go to the doctors... they are not omniscient beings and they are often closed minded when dealing with obese people.

besides (let the flames begin) walking is weightlifting and strengthens your core, legs and glutes as well as your arms.

Reaverie · January 2017

Walking has always been my go to exercise and it has always worked for me. That's why it's what I am starting with this time as well until I can build up my stamina to handle other plans. Eating less and walking can help. Now, I don't think a slow, leisurely snail like pace where you stop to smell the flowers is going to help, but an average walk with intermediate brisk walking thrown in will get your heart pumping. If your muscles hurt, you are working them out. My butt, stomach, and legs have been killing me since I started.

snowflake954 · January 2017

I walk alot+ alot of other things like swimming, acqua-gym, yoga and gym stuff. Lifting is a good idea, and doesn't mean you have to give up walking. You might try speeding up your pace, or walking farther. Many lose weight without exercise, but for overall health--I'd exercise. As for your doctor, it seems like a strange comment to make because alot of people on MFP have lost weigh just walking. Perhaps you took it out of context? Walking cannot hurt your weight loss--so go.

Annie_01 · January 2017

I walk..a lot. I don't do it for the calorie burn per se but it keeps me out of the "sedentary zone".

It is also beneficial for mobility. I am 64 y/o so mobility is high on my list for fitness. I don't want to be one of those little old ladies that has to use a walker/cane and can barely make it across my living room floor.

I try to get in a least 10,000 steps per day to make sure that I keep active. I also am doing a training program designed to walk a 1/2 marathon. It will eventually lead me to a 13 mile walk. The thought of that...is a bit terrifying! I push myself on some of these walks and I assure you that my heart rate goes up. I vary the speed between a 3.0 and a 4.0. The terrain also varies...inclines and declines.

If it was me...I wouldn't let a doctor or anyone else regardless of their credentials take away anything that I love to do...unless they could PROVE to me it was harmful to my health.

As far as how many calories walking burns...IDK...it has never really mattered to me. What is more important to me is the health benefits and the fact that it will help with future mobility issues.

candythorns · January 2017

Walking does help with weight loss. It just takes longer cause obviously 10 minutes of walking doesnt burn what 10 minutes of running does. But if you walk all day...! There was a story on a guy who stood for a full month, exception was sleeping. And he lost 5 lbs.

coffeethencardio · January 2017

Hi walkergirl 64! *waves* When I started out all I did was walk the first 6 months at a pace my body could handle along with my dietary changes and I dropped 48 pounds in the first 6 months. I did eventually reach a place where just walking wasn't enough and I plateaued. At that point I increased my walking speed and incline level and I added in strength training. I am now down 77 pounds and I'm focusing on getting my macros where they need to be so I can drop the last 10 pounds. My point is, do what works for you. Take what your doc said as a flippant comment and just keep moving. Don't let him discourage you. Keep going. Good luck !

jgnatca · January 2017

I took an invaluable course on living with chronic conditions that is licensed by Stanford and when it comes to long standing conditions (like obesity) it is your daily observation and experience that is more valuable than expert advice.

You are living in your skin 24/7. Trust your senses and do those things that help you feel better.

I disagree with the posters who suggest dumping the well respected doctor for his senseless advice.

I suggest you keep walking and on the odd visits to the doctors office tell him so. (After you have weighed in and had your blood pressure taken.) Nothing speaks louder than results. This is what I do with my own doctor.

It's odd. My twenty minute walk earns me about a hundred calories. One cookie. But it seems I am better able to control my overall calories and I feel a load lot better when I exercise daily. My heart rate has dropped a lot now that I have a stronger heart.

iluvnufoods · January 2017

I had a doctor say the same thing to me, once. Then I lost 40 lbs a few years ago by walking and tracking my food intake. Your doctor is WRONG! Weight loss is about balancing calories in a way that leaves you at a deficit so that your body is forced to use sources other than food for energy.

I found another doctor what respected my abilities. I can't run, I can't swim, and I can't do any kind of cardio that causes my body to move too fast due to my medical condition. Walking was literally one of the few things I could do consistently and it has always helped me in some way. A good doctor will recognize your limitations and respect them.

Just keep walking, just keep walking, just keep walking, walking, walking.

amusedmonkey · January 2017

mrmarkharding wrote: »

He is right if you don't hit your ideal heart rate when walking. If you walk at a normal pace and your heart rate stays the same, it is useless.Do some research before changing doctors as some of these people have said.

Not correct. I do have some high heart rate workouts, but the bulk of my extra calories comes from walking at a heart rate that is considered in the "recovery zone". I'm talking a basic slowish pace that is faster than strolling but not fast enough to breathe faster. I have lost a lot doing just that, and I don't lift.

Your doctor is not right. Any meaningful increase in activity regardless where it's coming from can make achieving a calorie deficit easier.

mjd571 · January 2017

Walking not only burns calories it also boosts seratonin which helps to keep you upbeat and motivated. I always find that after a walk my ability to have a great day is always in focus. My mind often seems to think deeper thoughts during my walk and I come up with so many ways to better my life. Keep walking!

Ack!! My doc said walking is useless!!??

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