Walking to lose weight?
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And eventually, it can become, "Do I really just want to go to the supermarket 7 minutes walk from here, when I can go to the one half an hour away?"
Yesterday, I walked for 2 hours to get some canned mild green chilis, but that's also because there's only one place I know of where I can consistently find them with kosher certification and that's downtown at St. Lawrence Market... Took the subway home, tho.8 -
you lose weight in the kitchen.
you gain fitness by working out.1 -
So we can agree that walking isn't much, but it still counts for something? Or conversely, that it's better than nothing but pales in comparison to most other exercises?
However we choose to emphasize its pros and cons, that's a balanced viewpoint. Elsewhere on MFP, I've seen people get really angry when others suggest that walking isn't really "excellent" exercise. Facts are facts, though. Walking is a low-effort exercise with comparatively little benefit. It's still worth incorporating into one's daily routine though, as background activity. And for a select few (people with serious joint issues, for example), it might be more appropriate than more vigorous exercise.
If you choose to walk as exercise, it's important to maintain a brisk pace. Or perhaps increase the intensity by going up hills or stairs, or by carrying some extra weight (sandbags, heavy backpacks, whatever). Most people who walk for exercise stay at a leisurely pace, which means that they quickly reach the point of diminishing cardio and fat-burning returns.
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I lost 23 lbs walking in about 3.5 months. I started with 5000 steps and went up to 15000-20000 in less than a month clocking in anywhere between 4-6 miles a day .But I did mindful eating. My calorie goal for day was 1200 (age/weight/activity level - everything matters). But I was lot less hungry after I started to walk on daily and always craved for healthy food. So even after eating tummy full, I still would have about 300-500 calories left. I know you need to have minimum amount of calories. But I couldn't get in more . That was my limit. I was full ! My fitness pal helped me show how much less food I could survive on and how much extra I was eating. I never starved. That's the point.
Carbs / fatty / sugar would make me want to throw up. Not that I didn't eat them at all. What and how I ate was what mattered. my sugar craving was satisfied by eating just 1 single dates. Carbs craving by a spoon or 2 of rice. I would feel satisfied and I didn't have to eat more. But I would gorge in healthy stuff. Just couldn't get enough.
So walking alone wouldn't help. A planned healthy diet combined with calorie burning definitely works wonders.1 -
Walking has helped me a lot. I have been walking 2-3 miles at lunch and then about 5 days a week I do another 3-5 miles after work or in the evening. My lunch walk is flat, but my evening walks are full of hills. Not only has this helped me stay within the caloric deficit easier (because I have less time to eat lol) but it's a great stress reliever for me to be in nature. It has also given me something to do with my boyfriend besides decide what is for dinner, and we get to spend an hour or two together talking about our days. It's also great for your heart and low impact for chronic pain sufferers like myself.
So there is no magical formula of how much you have to walk to lose weight, but it can be a really helpful tool for meeting your weight loss goals.9 -
I do think walking is worth it - especially for those of us who are fat and/or old and/or a bit broken and can't go legging it around like the young'uns do. I was actually surprised by the number of comments here along the lines of its barely worth it. Its certainly worth it for your health if you can't do anything else (for whatever reason) and the more efffort it takes (distance, speed, incline) the better. Like with all exercise, we have to be careful about if/how we reflect this in our diets.10
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@OooohToast I was also very surprised to see people saying its barely worth it.7
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AwesomeOpossum74 wrote: »Burn more calories than you eat to lose weight. My 20 minute *brisk* walk/jog burned most of my 320 breakfast calories. I get to "start over" my calorie allotment for the day.
Yeah, that is crazy. Unless you are relatively young, a male, and morbidly obese walking 4mph, you aren't going to get anywhere near that kind of calorie burn. You might want to check the accuracy of whatever calculator you're using. Assuming a pace of 3.5-4mph, the average person will burn 9 calories per minute.1 -
sflano1783 wrote: »Hi all just a quick question how much walking per day do I need to walk to lose weight??
Without further information on your stats, and calorie intake and how much you are walking no one could tell you.
As others have said you lose weight when you burn more calories than you take in. If you are maintaing your weight currently, start walking every day and keep your calorie intake the same you may slowly lose weight. If you lower your calorie intake and start walking you may lose a bit faster. If you walk but increase your calorie intake you probably will not lose any weight.
I would not expect high calorie burns from walking. Maybe 60-200 calories per mile depending on your size and walking speed.
If you are just starting out with exercise walking can be great. Increase your steps/time/distance gradually.
Beyond weight loss I walk for stress management and to get places. I am in better overall shape from being more active no matter my weight. I can walk anywhere with no special equipment.
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I walk about 1.5 miles a day with my dog and while it doesn't pack a super high calorie burn, the health benefits have been startling.
My anxiety is better, as is my overall stress level. I find that I have more energy and I rest better at night. It's nice to get out and put the headphones in and listen to music or a podcast and have that time for myself. Between losing 20ish pounds and walking my cholesterol (LDL) has gone from "borderline" to "low" and my liver tests went from being about twice normal limits to being "normal". I can feel an increase in my stamina. I now outwalk my 11 year old dog (hey, I know he's old but a year ago he could outwalk me significantly). My joints feel better and I feel good about being active 6 or 7 days a week. My blood sugar is within the pre-diabetic range (and any diabetic friends know that this isn't exactly an "easy" accomplishment).
I've spent the past 6 weeks walking. I started with 3 times a week, then 4, then 6, and now I walk almost every day. At first I was quite winded walking a mile. Now I do 1.5 with ease. I'm about ready to trade in 3 of my walks for elliptical workouts. I'm having a hard time keeping my heart rate up with my dog stopping for a tinkle every quarter mile (it seriously gets me really off pace) so I think doing more focused workouts 3 times a week is a good goal (for now).
Listen, the most important thing is to pick an activity that you enjoy, fits within your lifestyle/schedule/budget, and is sustainable. It is no use signing up for CrossFit and then doing it twice a week because you hate it. Or trying to run and injuring your leg. Or joining a gym that is out of your budget and then being stressed about it. If walking is the right fit, then it is the right fit. End of story.11 -
I walked 3 miles a day every day for the month of January for a challenge. I felt a very small difference in my clothes but nothing significant. I wasn’t counting calories. I didn’t gain weight so I guess that was a plus.1
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don't knock walking...walking is a very good starter exercise if you are new to exercise and you can challenge yourself every day to walk farther and faster and get your stamina up. there will come a time it is no longer challenging and you can move into something a bit more intense and keep going from there..... also walking at least 30 mins 5 times per week is recommended by the Diabetes Association.7
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10k steps would do it. But very time consuming. Once you build endurance try to run. Walking burns more fat than running. And it's best to do it first thing mornings on an empty stomach.7
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I can walk, but I can't run and I can't descend stairs due to a permanent knee injury and moderate arthritis in both knees. My right right knee only straightens to about 165 degrees. However, I do have full bending range and very little pain. So walking is my main form of cardio exercise. I can go up stairs just fine, but going down more than 8-10 individual stairs is perilous as I have to go down sideways. I also can't run.
Don't say walking it isn't good exercise! As I continue to lose weight, I hope to find other suitable exercises that can do such as swimming, elliptical, or biking (real or stationary).
I haven't tried any lower body strength training yet. I know squats are out. Right now, I can barely get off the ground without pulling myself up and I can't kneel at all--that is VERY painful. I'm hoping to get with a trainer or PT soon to see what all I can do, but for now it's walking.4 -
I like using a treadmill. I can use the incline feature and I can use it regardless of the weather.
I do at least 10,000 steps per day.
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What I have accomplished in the past 12 months of “just” walking and keeping to my calories.
1. Lost 55 lbs (10 more to go)
2. Off reflux meds
3. Off all meds for type 2 (last A1C check was 5.0)
4. Resting heart rate went from 85 to 60 bpm
5. Improved mood
6. Less stress and anxiety
7. I can do a 4 mph pace for 60 min with hills.12 -
dukeingram wrote: »10k steps would do it. But very time consuming. Once you build endurance try to run. Walking burns more fat than running. And it's best to do it first thing mornings on an empty stomach.
Maybe acutely, but not really over a 24hr period.
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longkathleenann9291 wrote: »What I have accomplished in the past 12 months of “just” walking and keeping to my calories.
1. Lost 55 lbs (10 more to go)
2. Off reflux meds
3. Off all meds for type 2 (last A1C check was 5.0)
4. Resting heart rate went from 85 to 60 bpm
5. Improved mood
6. Less stress and anxiety
7. I can do a 4 mph pace for 60 min with hills.
That is awesome!1 -
Eat less, move more. Walking definitely falls under the category of moving more, unless you replace running with walking. It takes effort moving your body, even slowly. Any extra movement a person does above what they normally do is helpful and beneficial. However, anybody telling you that walking will make the weight just fall off is not correct (had one doctor tell me this). Diet first, exercise second by a factor of 10 of how effective it is at weight loss.1
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longkathleenann9291 wrote: »What I have accomplished in the past 12 months of “just” walking and keeping to my calories.
1. Lost 55 lbs (10 more to go)
2. Off reflux meds
3. Off all meds for type 2 (last A1C check was 5.0)
4. Resting heart rate went from 85 to 60 bpm
5. Improved mood
6. Less stress and anxiety
7. I can do a 4 mph pace for 60 min with hills.
Brilliant I'm walking slowly about 5500 steps a day for medical reasons and I was wondering if I'd ever be able to 'exercise'. I already am4
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