Walking and weight loss
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I walked and dieted away 150lbs. Walking helped a bunch, but maintaining a deficit doesn't require exercise. I just prefer to eat more, so keep walking so that I can have more than 1200 cals a day.10
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My mum attends a local slimming class. This week the leader said that walking does not help u lose weight, no.matter how far or how fast you Walk!
I, personally can't agree with this. My main exercise is walking. I walk 5-7km most days at a fast pace.
According to map my walk...I burn anything between 270-400 kcal on those walks.
How can that not help with weight loss? If I don't walk ...for various reasons...I don't see as much weightt loss that week.
CICO seems lost on this lady!
Maybe I'm wrong....what do.ye think ???
Walking and exercise in general may or may not help with weight loss...it still comes down to being in a calorie deficit. A lot of people pick up exercise and still don't lose weight because they compensate with more food whether conscious of that or not. I see it all of the time at my gym...people have the exercise part down, but not the food part.7 -
The class leader was probably speaking from an efficiency perspective. There's no doubt that any activity is better than zero activity but in terms of bang for your buck, walking won't do enough to offset poor diet choices nor act as a substitute for a more vigorous activity in otherwise capable individuals.
In other words, don't count on walks alone to lose pounds.9 -
My mum attends a local slimming class. This week the leader said that walking does not help u lose weight, no.matter how far or how fast you Walk!
I'd ask what the brand of slimming class is? Best in mind that in most branded slimming systems they're promoting their own system, and factoring in calories expended in walking may not fit with the model.
I'd also question how the leader is trained, many systems essentially script everything so the leader may not have any real understanding of the physiological factors.3 -
I chalk these sentiments up to ego - another variant of "It cannot be this easy". You also have to consider that this person lives based on clientele, so if people can lose weight simply by walking this is a very real threat to their income.
Any activity will aid a caloric deficit. Walking may not be as an efficient use of time in comparison to running, but the risk of injury is minimal.9 -
OP, it comes down to this. Your mother's leader is wrong. Weight loss will always come down to calories in vs calories out but even if walking isn't as hoity toity an exercise as crossfit or weight lifting or hiit whatever, you're still doing more than sitting on the couch watching tv.
I've lost 120 lbs with walking as my only form of exercise. (It sucks I hate strength training but so be it.) How'd I do it? I logged my calories in best I could and used a fitbit best it/I could for calories out. And I ate every last exercise calorie I could get away with while still losing because hell if I'm gonna live on 1200 calories a day.
<----who longs for the days she burned more calories while walking. DAMN LOSING ALL THAT WEIGHT!!!
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While I agree that just walking is unlikely to produce the dramatic results that most people are wanting when they want to lose weight, "just" 140 calories is nothing to sneeze at.
It's the equivalent of a glass of wine with dinner or a couple of slices from most loaves of bread. Given that slow weight gain caused by just a small excess of calories each day is a problem for many people, "just walking" could help address that (assuming one didn't just eat more to offset the walking).
Even for people who aren't losing weight, just *not gaining* could be a benefit.9 -
janejellyroll wrote: »While I agree that just walking is unlikely to produce the dramatic results that most people are wanting when they want to lose weight, "just" 140 calories is nothing to sneeze at.
Well, that's a matter of opinion. And my opinion is that by comparison, that hour is a complete waste of time compared to not drinking that can of coke or glass of wine with dinner. To the original poster, maybe it's a whole different matter - maybe she REALLY wants that glass of wine or whatever. But I would personally just skip it and do something else with my hour.
Again, this is my opinion on the context of weight loss only. I walk a pretty good amount daily (5+ miles). I just don't do it for the purposes of weight loss as I feel that for that purpose it's a waste of time. These days I walk to clear my head and keep my heart in decent shape.
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janejellyroll wrote: »While I agree that just walking is unlikely to produce the dramatic results that most people are wanting when they want to lose weight, "just" 140 calories is nothing to sneeze at.
Well, that's a matter of opinion. And my opinion is that by comparison, that hour is a complete waste of time compared to not drinking that can of coke or glass of wine with dinner. To the original poster, maybe it's a whole different matter - maybe she REALLY wants that glass of wine or whatever. But I would personally just skip it and do something else with my hour.
Again, this is my opinion on the context of weight loss only. I walk a pretty good amount daily (5+ miles). I just don't do it for the purposes of weight loss as I feel that for that purpose it's a waste of time. These days I walk to clear my head and keep my heart in decent shape.
If someone preferred to skip the glass of wine and spend the hour instead watching television or doing volunteer work or whatever they liked doing, I don't think that's a problem. But for the average person, I think even relatively modest increases in TDEE can help make a difference.
I might feel differently if I hated walking, but the fact that I enjoy it it probably coloring my opinion here. My daily lunch walk "pays" for my evening glass of wine and that seems like a pretty good arrangement for me. This is the context of maintaining my weight. I agree that for people who are losing weight, a calorie deficit is needed to produce the results they want and that creating a deficit that will sustain significant weight loss would be pretty challenging with just walking.7 -
Why not both? Walking AND the glass of wine? At the same time. 9
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janejellyroll wrote: »I might feel differently if I hated walking, but the fact that I enjoy it it probably coloring my opinion here. My daily lunch walk "pays" for my evening glass of wine and that seems like a pretty good arrangement for me.
I'm with you. I truly love my daily walk and look forward to it every day. It's how I basically resolve the things in my crazy, stressful life. I think it's a fantastic habit, and wouldn't give it up for any reason. I would go mad otherwise, probably
I lost the bulk of my weight on diet alone, after researching that exercise is basically a really poor way to lose weight. My walking habit came later, after accidentally discovering that it was a great way to think over my day. It also did wonders for my resting heart rate - going from the mid-to-high 60's to low 50's.
I think everyone agrees that it exercise helps in minuscule ways for weight loss. I just don't feel that's where its prime benefits lie. People ALWAYS seem to overestimate the good exercise is doing towards their waistlines - but are quick to ignore how much damage their diets are doing. Worse, many people feel that they can simply make up the difference by walking an extra couple of miles when all it's really buying them is half of that can of Pepsi. It's probably not worth it, it was probably never worth it.
All that said, I'm still going to walk for my own sanity's sake Everything else is secondary. 4 -
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Thanks for all the replies. I was taken back when my mum said it to me.
I mean, my Mum has 2 stone to lose to get a healthy bmi , has high blood pressure and high cholesterol. ... I've been encouraging her to take up walking.... not anything too strenuous to start with ....maybe 2 miles a day and work it up. She's only in her mid 60s so I'd love her her get her cholesterol and bp under control.
She's made some great dietry changes lately, which will help hugely, but I feel walking would be an added benefit ....and for the leader to say this.....it just baffles me !!
I'll keep encouraging her and I'll keep doing what I'm doing too... I am at the stage where I need to add something else in....like strength training and / or circuit classes.... but walking has helped me get to this stage....by aiding weight loss and building stamina.... and ill always continue it .4 -
janejellyroll wrote: »I might feel differently if I hated walking, but the fact that I enjoy it it probably coloring my opinion here. My daily lunch walk "pays" for my evening glass of wine and that seems like a pretty good arrangement for me.
I'm with you. I truly love my daily walk and look forward to it every day. It's how I basically resolve the things in my crazy, stressful life. I think it's a fantastic habit, and wouldn't give it up for any reason. I would go mad otherwise, probably
I lost the bulk of my weight on diet alone, after researching that exercise is basically a really poor way to lose weight. My walking habit came later, after accidentally discovering that it was a great way to think over my day. It also did wonders for my resting heart rate - going from the mid-to-high 60's to low 50's.
I think everyone agrees that it exercise helps in minuscule ways for weight loss. I just don't feel that's where its prime benefits lie. People ALWAYS seem to overestimate the good exercise is doing towards their waistlines - but are quick to ignore how much damage their diets are doing. Worse, many people feel that they can simply make up the difference by walking an extra couple of miles when all it's really buying them is half of that can of Pepsi. It's probably not worth it, it was probably never worth it.
All that said, I'm still going to walk for my own sanity's sake Everything else is secondary.
Yes, if someone was only going to do *one thing* for weight loss, I would always recommend focusing on diet first. It's just too hard for your average person looking to lose weight to do enough exercise to create a meaningful deficit if they aren't also focusing on limiting the amount of calories they're eating.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »
LOL I don't even drink but I've got the eating while walking thing down to a science.2 -
Also to be fair, not everyone uses that 100 cals for wine. It's easy for people who can eat 1800 cals and lose weight at a nice clip to say 100 cals is no big deal. But some of us get poverty-level calories due to our height and gender, and that hundred some odd calories from a brisk walk can be the deciding factor for being able to eat reasonably well and still have a deficit. As someone who originally had a 1350 cal goal to lose half a lb per week, increasing my NEAT by adding a good amount of walking to get my goal up over 1500cals was on many days the difference between success and failure for me.
That's not to say I didn't occasionally use those cals for wine though
OP didn't say all you need to do to lose weight is walk. She said her mom was told walking isn't helpful for weight loss. And that is simply not true. It can help, assuming you have your calories in line.17 -
My mum attends a local slimming class. This week the leader said that walking does not help u lose weight, no.matter how far or how fast you Walk!
I, personally can't agree with this. My main exercise is walking. I walk 5-7km most days at a fast pace.
According to map my walk...I burn anything between 270-400 kcal on those walks.
How can that not help with weight loss? If I don't walk ...for various reasons...I don't see as much weightt loss that week.
CICO seems lost on this lady!
Maybe I'm wrong....what do.ye think ???
I haven't seen anyone advance what seems like the simplest explanation.
The slimming class leader in all likelihood derives income from leading the slimming class. If the students grasp that walking and calorie counting while eating normal food - both of which are free and simple - can lead to successful weight loss, why would anyone need a slimming class?
Maybe I'm just a cynic. 11 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »My mum attends a local slimming class. This week the leader said that walking does not help u lose weight, no.matter how far or how fast you Walk!
I, personally can't agree with this. My main exercise is walking. I walk 5-7km most days at a fast pace.
According to map my walk...I burn anything between 270-400 kcal on those walks.
How can that not help with weight loss? If I don't walk ...for various reasons...I don't see as much weightt loss that week.
CICO seems lost on this lady!
Maybe I'm wrong....what do.ye think ???
Walking and exercise in general may or may not help with weight loss...it still comes down to being in a calorie deficit. A lot of people pick up exercise and still don't lose weight because they compensate with more food whether conscious of that or not. I see it all of the time at my gym...people have the exercise part down, but not the food part.
^Truth. I've been going to the same gym for over 2 1/2 years. I see plenty of "regulars" in there who lift/do cardio several times a week and they never look any different. Exercise can help create the calorie deficit, but the old saying that "you can't out-train a bad diet" is true.3 -
Timely research review about walking, even though it is more directed toward cardiovascular health than weight loss: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3098122/1
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