Walking for weight loss?

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Rosesandhealth
Rosesandhealth Posts: 12 Member
in Getting Started
Does anyone walk regularly and achieve weightloss? I'm a full time student struggling to lose a few extra pounds. Tips?
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  • catgb56
    catgb56 Posts: 13 Member
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    We walk almost every night, for about 45 minutes, in the neighborhood; longer when we hit the trails in the woods. Always take the pooch with us. Weight and inches are coming off slowly but it does work. Need to walk at a decent pace if possible.
  • CoachJen71
    CoachJen71 Posts: 1,200 Member
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    It worked for me. :)
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    Walking is great exercise.

    Sketchy neighborhood or bad weather? Take your "walk" indoors. There are walking style workouts on YouTube.....look for Leslie Sansone or Jessica Smith.
  • IVMay
    IVMay Posts: 442 Member
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    Walking for a considerable period is brilliant for losing weight and keeping in good health. Big park optional but preferential for a bit of 'peace' and solace in an otherwise busy life :)
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    edited April 2017
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    Most of my exercise is walking or hiking and I've had good results. My only tip is to find an enjoyable place and time to walk. A lot of people find outdoor walking more fun than indoor. ETA: Dress properly, eat enough snacks so you have energy and aren't hungry, and stay hydrated.

    There are also a lot of other fun and convenient activities that are good exercise, like dancing.
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    edited April 2017
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    I live by a national park and love love walking and hiking it's my primary method of exercise.

    It might be hard to lose weight by just walking unless you are creating a deficit in calories. It can be done if you are not replacing the calories burned though.

  • DietPrada
    DietPrada Posts: 1,171 Member
    edited April 2017
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    Weight loss is entirely due to what you stick in your mouth. If you eat less calories than your body uses you will lose weight. Having said that, walking or any form of activity will make you use more calories in your day, allowing you to possibly eat a bit more and still lose weight. But walking and still eating too much will not result in any weight loss.
  • debbiebondklein
    debbiebondklein Posts: 158 Member
    edited April 2017
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    I have just started doing weight loss videos, doing walking.
  • KosmosKitten
    KosmosKitten Posts: 10,476 Member
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    I walk and read alongside monitoring what I eat and how much.

    However, back when I lived in Japan and was doing the same thing, I lost 40lbs relatively easy doing the same thing and walking 5 days a week for about 2 hours each day. I didn't monitor my dietary choices as much as I do now, but still created the deficit needed.

    So it can be done, but what most others have said is correct: you really have to monitor and accurately (to the best of your ability) log you foods/drinks. :)
  • JohnnyPenso
    JohnnyPenso Posts: 412 Member
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    I routinely walk 6000 steps or more a day according to my phone and I do a lot of heavy lifting, stair climbing, squatting etc. at work. I only lost weight when I counted calories and was in a consistent deficit. Just for perspective, a 160lb person would have to walk more than 40 miles to lose 1 lb. 800 miles to lose 20 lbs. And that's 40 miles more than you are already walking right now.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Walking is the only exercise i do, you can burn quite a few calories plodding along at a brisk pace. Obviously i still count calories, as without watching what i eat all the walking in the world wouldnt save me.
  • omakase619
    omakase619 Posts: 226 Member
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    Someone on here lost like 80+ lbs just by walking and diet. I was really amazed by the progress she made and how her body looked like she strength trained but didn't do any other form of exercise
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    omakase619 wrote: »
    Someone on here lost like 80+ lbs just by walking and diet. I was really amazed by the progress she made and how her body looked like she strength trained but didn't do any other form of exercise

    Do you remember her name @omakase619 ? I would love to read her story.
  • Findingmyself086
    Findingmyself086 Posts: 21 Member
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    I have lost 40+ by walking daily(try my best to get anywhere between 12,000-20,000 steps), I drink tons of water and log daily...i say it works, yet we are all different :)
  • RedfootDaddy
    RedfootDaddy Posts: 274 Member
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    I hate myself for it, but I take the stairs instead of elevators or escalators when I can. Gets those step counts in. Take advantage of downtime between classes, even ten minutes of brisk walking can make a difference. Take a lap of the library (make it look like you need to find a book, no one will look at you twice). I remember when I was in school I walked *everywhere*.
  • trim_the_fat
    trim_the_fat Posts: 4 Member
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    Walking doesn't burn many calories, but it's definitely a mood-booster, and it's much easier to make good decisions (like eating a healthy dinner) when you're feeling happy. I agree with the previous post saying weight loss is primarily controlled by what you eat.

    I recommend finding something interesting to listen to and trying to build a sustainable habit. In my opinion it's much better to have a reliable habit of a pleasant 15 minute walk every day than to go on 2 hour walks you don't enjoy whenever you can force yourself. Once you have the small habit in place, you can choose to build on it by walking longer, or gradually turning your walk into a run.

    I personally make it a habit to go on a walk/easy jog for a half hour in the morning, and then walk around my office complex for another half hour or so at lunch. I listen to audiobooks. It ends up being like 150-200 calories per day for me (5'0", 105 lb) which is great for an activity where you're basically exercising, reading, and de-stressing at the same time.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
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    Yes! I lost 80+ pound mainly walking (and watching what I eat).

    I figured once I reached my goal walking wouldn't be enough would have to join a gym. However, between my home workouts and my walking, I'm maintaining my weight just fine.

    Walking on a beautiful trail or a track with some good music in my ears clears my head and makes me feel great.

    I do a variety of walks. Sometimes it's a consistent moderate pace (active rest days), a good, fast power walk for continuous miles and my heart rate gets up there and now that I'm really fit I sometimes do walking/running intervals.

    Leslie Sansone videos are also great and I have a huge collection.

    I also walk my puppy about a half mile 3 - 4 times a day, but I don't count that as a workout.

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