Treadmill only and weight loss - does it work?

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KatSmith86
KatSmith86 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm completely a novice so appreciate any advice!

I am currently tracking what I'm eating, aiming for about 1200 cals a day (eating under that most days not by starving myself just that I don't eat alot). Wanting to loose about 8kgs.

I am doing about 10 min walk at about 6km speed and 10 min jog at 8km speed, on odd days I'll do 5 x 1 min sprints at 12km in place of 10 min jog. All at 0 incline. I currently don't do any other form of exercise. Is this enough for weight loss??

I don't mind my walk/jog, but find other 28 min type workouts boring and hard to get through (probably because I can't do half of the activities and I feel deflated). I don't have a gym membership.
Thanks in advance!

Replies

  • Silentpadna
    Silentpadna Posts: 1,306 Member
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    If 1200 puts you at a deficit you will lose weight, with or without exercise.

    How much depends on how much deficit you have. Height? Weight? Age? Activity level?
  • ruqayyahsmum
    ruqayyahsmum Posts: 1,514 Member
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    Weight loss occurs when you take in less calories than you burn

    What's an appropriate calorie goal and rate off loss depends on your current weight and height. The less you have to lose the slower it should be

    How are you measuring your food intake? Are you weighing all solids and measuring all liquids with measuring cups?

    Exercise is for fitness. If your exercising you should eat back a portion of those calories ( map estimates and the machine estimates tend to be overinflated )

    My main form of exercise is hiking, walking, running and on bad weather days the treadmill and weights in my front room
  • okohjacinda
    okohjacinda Posts: 329 Member
    edited September 2017
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    Diet (eating in a deficit)=weight loss
    How you look (fit, skinny fat, muscular, athletic)= how much and what types of exercise you do

    If you eat less you will lose regardless, the treadmill will add very little to that. The only good thing the treadmill is really doing is shaping your lower body (to a certain extent) like the muscles in your calves, your ankles...mostly just the leg groups. It does push in the sides of your stomach and back a little (if you're doing incline that is) but strength training is really going to help with sculpting your body.

    I have mostly worked out on the treadmill (at an incline) for the past three months and three small differences: calves are smaller and toned, sides of stomach are more in, and back rolls are diminishing.

    But it probably has more to do with eating less than me being on the treadmill. Cardio is not really about sculpting so much is its about adding a slight burn and that only lasts for so long because the more you lose the less you burn. Only strength training will increase your burn.

    So eventually I am going to be doing lots more strength training along with intense cardio besides the treadmill.

    I also don't have a gym membership (and don't think its necessary especially if you have a busy schedule or like working out alone). The only thing I have is a treadmill and dumbbells but I plan on getting barbells, more dumbbells and a step platform.
  • cheryldumais
    cheryldumais Posts: 1,907 Member
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    I've lost 88 pounds doing nothing but walking. It helps. I find getting some kind of exercise seems to reduce my stress and lower my appetite. As for the calories it burns... probably not that big of a deal but there are so many other benefits it is worth every step.
  • happyauntie2015
    happyauntie2015 Posts: 282 Member
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    Exercise for health and calories in vs out for weight loss. If walking is what you enjoy definitely keep with it
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    KatSmith86 wrote: »
    I'm completely a novice so appreciate any advice!
    I am currently tracking what I'm eating, aiming for about 1200 cals a day (eating under that most days not by starving myself just that I don't eat alot). Wanting to loose about 8kgs.

    1200 is a DEFAULT minimum before exercise. If you are sedentary and either petite or elderly,.....then 1200 is appropriate for you. If you are not these things, then your weekly goal is too high.

    1200 is a minimum to help ensure women meet nutritional requirements. Do you want to be healthy?

    If you are struggling to meet 1200 calories then re-think your food choices. It's not "just" about filling foods. Sure 1 pound of broccoli would be a filling lunch for me (it has micronutrients and fiber)......but it's missing protein and fat. 2 very important MACROS.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1
  • Nykkismommy21
    Nykkismommy21 Posts: 224 Member
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    I am 38 yrs old , weighed 196 when i started mfp about a month and a half ago. I eat 1390 calories,walk 4 or 5 miles ,
    ( about an hour and a half) 5 x a week. I was working out to a dvd for two weeks straight ,for 20 minutes a day until I got a injury to my tailbone that threw me off.So my only exercise is walking( pushing two toddlers in a double stroller) i eat back some exercise calories. I have lost 15 lbs as of today. Walking is very much enough. I eat fruit all day long too. Watermelon and sugarfree jello are bomb snacks to snack on when I need something more, and it doesn't make me feel guilty if ive gone over my calories. It don't happen to often but still ,nice to be able to do that. In my opinion, walking is the bestest exercise, especially for a novice. Its free ,easy, low maintenance, and guarantees results!
  • KatSmith86
    KatSmith86 Posts: 7 Member
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    Silentpadna wrote: »
    If 1200 puts you at a deficit you will lose weight, with or without exercise.

    How much depends on how much deficit you have. Height? Weight? Age? Activity level?


    I'm about 5.1 and 62kg (136lbs), 31yrs. I've spent most of my adult life at around 55kg up until the last 2-3 yrs when life has been crazy busy (running around 5 afternoons after my daughter and spending full days indoors at dance eisteddfods) which has resulted in too much snacking and little by little the weight is being put on. I just want to shed the weight that has been creeping up on me for now (goal #1). Then yeah I would like to tone and know the treadmill won't do that, but that'll be step 2.
  • emailmehere1122
    emailmehere1122 Posts: 140 Member
    edited September 2017
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    A lady that's 31years old,5'1" tall and 136 lbs needs 1722 calories to maintain their weight. Cutting back to 1200 calories and exercising seems a little drastic to me...especially at your size and just starting out.When your weight loss stalls if you're short of your goal you will either have to cut more calories or exercise more. Being at the minimum calories from the beginning makes cutting more impossible

    Walking,jogging and sprinting are great exercise choices in my opinion. Your heart is a muscle and it needs exercising also.

    I would try averaging 1500 calories per day weekly,weighing and logging everything you eat and keep up your exercise program for a month and adjust from there until you reach your goals.

  • LiftHeavyThings27105
    LiftHeavyThings27105 Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited September 2017
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    Good evening! Based on the details that you provided, your BMR/TDEE (not from MFP) look like this:

    Basal Metabolic Rate: 1,269 calories per day
    Sedentary: 1,523 calories per day
    Light Exercise: 1,745 calories per day
    Moderate Exercise: 1,967 calories per day
    Heavy Exercise: 2,189 calories per day
    Athlete: 2,412 calories per day

    So, again, the above numbers are your TDEE (so, it accounts for exercise - so no need to eat 1/2 your exercises with these numbers) and the various "activity levels".

    The "Sedentary" and "Light Exercis" are all "activity multipliers" so you would need to find the multiplier that corresponds to you based on how active you are.

    And, these numbers are from the Mifflin-St. Jeor BMR Equation and should be considered nothing more than a "good starting point". You would have to play with these for a little bit of time to see how your body responds to see how accurate the above numbers are for YOU!

    Are you tracking all of your food and exercises in MyFitnessPal? If yes, what do your MFP numbers look like?

    1,200 calories a day is slightly below your BMR. I still would hesitate to suggest eating below your BMR. But, again, those numbers above are a starting point....may or may not accurately represent YOU.

    What are you currently eating? How is your body responding to that number? How is your energy? How much water do you drink a day?
  • KatSmith86
    KatSmith86 Posts: 7 Member
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    CWShultz27105 wrote: »
    What are you currently eating? How is your body responding to that number? How is your energy? How much water do you drink a day?

    Water - roughly between 1.6 - 3.2 litres a day (I have an 800ml bottle sitting on my desk at work and with the help of Ulla getting through 2 - 3 bottles)

    Food wise - well I don't generally eat breakfast. I've been trying for force myself to have some cut up fruits and might go alright for a week but then get back into old habits. So apart from trying to add in breakfast I haven't really changed the size of main meals, just choosing differently. Eggs, veggies, protein. Cutting back on breads, processed meats, takeout, high sugar foods.

    Energy - I'm feeling like I have more energy since I've been walking/jogging everyday. And sleeping a bit better too. Some days I hit a wall.

    I think I might find a PT/nutritionist just to help get me on the right track with foods and exercises that are going to work for me. And I'll look into the info you posted, thanks :).

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