treadmill and weightloss

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starrlight23
starrlight23 Posts: 105 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Have any of you had any luck using a treadmill for exercise to help in losing weight? I was walking on the treadmill for 60 minutes a day 6 days a week at 3.5 speed and changing the incline periodically. I was doing this for a month with changing my eating habits and lost nothing. I am wondering if the treadmill is a waste or is it just me. I don't want to keep wasting my time with it if its not going to do anything.

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  • xraychick77
    xraychick77 Posts: 1,775 Member
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    not at what you are doing..after a while your body adapts and gets really efficient at what it does..in your case walking so much and so frequently.

    in order to lose weight you need to change things up every few months. there is no need to really exercise hard everyday. for you i'd try HIIT..high intensity interval training. google it.

    i have a friend who is just like, but she wont listen or change anything because she is afraid of whatever..not losing or gaining because 'its what did work for me'. drives me crazy...
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
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    for me weightlifting and diet are by far the best to lose weight.
  • MarieNevada
    MarieNevada Posts: 395 Member
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    weight loss is 80% nutrition so if you didnt lose any weight for a month, i'd look at your diet first. and yes, treadmills are effective if you get your heartrate up. look at your exertion level. if you can talk normally, you're not working hard enough. talking should be an effort. i walked when i first started, then switched to the eliptical. 3.5 is not walking very fast so maybe bump your speed up a bit. or try the eliptical. just make sure that your heartrate is elevated to 60 to 80% of max. (quick formula, take 220 minus your age and don't let your heart rate go above that)
  • Hanna82
    Hanna82 Posts: 138 Member
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    i personally feel that the treadmill is the least effective exercise machine. the cross trainer elliptical, regular elliptical, biking (whether stationary or biking outside) and hiking were the most effective for me. do things that require you to use all different parts of your body. things like biking and hiking require you to balance and use micro muscles that really tone and help build up your body. the treadmill was the last thing i always did as a cool down to my work out. it's good to try new things if something isn't working for you and it's always good to change up your routine. good luck.
  • Just_Bethy
    Just_Bethy Posts: 272
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    I walk 3-5 miles on my treadmill every day and it has helped me lose 48lbs in 6 months..but I also eat right and go to Curves and Zumba..I swam with my kids all summer as well...I use the treadmill as part of my workout/diet lifestyle change rather than just that..(I also use 3lb weights and move my arms all the time while walking ..this doubles my calorie burn according to my heart rate monitor)
  • CavewomanCoby
    CavewomanCoby Posts: 253 Member
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    Getting your body moving - whether it be running/jogging/walking is excellent at stripping off body fat. And from what I understand, part of the process is your body adjusting to the transition and working hard to maintain it. However, like anything your body will fall into a routine where doing the same exercises won't have the same effect - your body has already made adjustments.

    My advice for cardio would be to invest in a heart rate monitor and keep your heart rate at a fat burning level (regardless of the exercise) - that in conjunction with an appropriate calorie defecit should guarantee results.

    If not, there may be something else at play - consider changing your diet.
  • wickedcricket
    wickedcricket Posts: 1,246 Member
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    it's not a waste of time, it's still exercise, good for your heart, toning etc. But yeah, you're gonna have to increase your speed, incline & resistance, add weight training or something.
    Have u tried the 30 day shred? add that to your walks, if that doesn't work- I'd see a dr.

    Personally, I don't care about weight loss as much as fitness. If I am healthy but still thick (fat) by society standards, I'll be fine with that. Enough skinny *****es on this planet now if you ask me
  • kellicruz1978
    kellicruz1978 Posts: 170 Member
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    My guess is that even though you can go for a long time, you are not working out at a high enough intensity. So try cutting your time and increasing your intensity. Try bursts of jogging...more inclines..etc. Also...DO NOT HOLD ON TO IT! A lot of people get into the habit of holding onto the sides and that really kills the burn. Oh, and you can try adding some light weights while you are on the treadmill.... do shoulder presses, curls, triceps etc. Punches with no weights are great too.
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
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    Treadmill is fine, walking and running are great weight bearing exercises, they help build bone strength, which colds also be a reason you didn't lose, if your bone density increased (if your bones were weak to begin with) they would weigh more. That's why I prefer running to most other cardio exercises, ellipticals and stationary bikes aren't weight bearing, and can have negative effects on bone strength.

    I remember watching a tv show with a guy who was obsessed with cycling, and rode a bike or stationary bike for something ridiculous like 10 hours a day, and he couldn't even walk properly because of the damage to his bones and joints from no weight bearing exercise.
  • meredithd13
    meredithd13 Posts: 53
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    i have just started the 30 day shred (am on day 4). i do a lot of regular exercise (cycling, tennis, running and yoga), but the 30DS really woke my body up. it's only 20 mins a day, but you work a tonne of different muscles and you sweat! heart rate goes up and you get stronger in the process.

    other than that - i read recently that women tend to focus on their lower bodies and forget to do upper body work. the treadmill is classic for this. you definitely should be using hand weights on the treadmill. it will make a big difference.

    and as others have said, you need to vary your exercise, and increase the intesity. it should always be hard, not like a stroll outside. you should be sweating and out of breath.

    and interval training - go fast, recover, go fsat, recover. etc.
  • thepinkpandaprincess
    thepinkpandaprincess Posts: 47 Member
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    I've lost weight from walking on the treadmill but you have to keep increasing the intensity of the workout maybe exercise longer or increase the speed. If you don't your body will plateau and get used to your workout and you won't progress.
  • jfinnivan
    jfinnivan Posts: 360 Member
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    Kick the incline up to 5 degrees or more, and walk as fast as you can without breaking into a run (unless you want to run). Also, like others have said, your food intake influences weight loss far more than exercise.
  • iuangina
    iuangina Posts: 691 Member
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    You need to change it up a little bit. Try to add some jogging or different exercises. Your body get very efficient at doing the same thing over and over again. Do you feel your heartrate increasing when you walk at that speed? When I walk at less than 4.0, I don't feel like I'm working hard enough. HRM would be a great investment so you can actually see how much you need to increase your intensity. Also, add some weight training. Cardio burns calories while you're working out. If you build muscle through weight training, you will burn more calories throughout the day.

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