IS WALKING ENOUGH?

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HAS ANYONE ELSE LOST THEIR WEIGHT JUST BY WALKING? IT IS THE ONLY EXERCISE I HAVE AVAILABLE REALLY, AS THE GYM IS TOO EXPENSIVE.
I TRY TO WALK AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK, FOR 2 HOURS EACH TIME, IS IT ENOUGH THOUGH, OR SHOULD I BE PUSHING MYSELF MORE? I HAVE OVER 100LB TO LOSE.

:explode:
:grumble:
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Replies

  • Kutazabuton
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    The more you walk the more stamina you will gain! Start adding more fruits and veggies to your diet and cut back on some of your portions and start sucking down the water. I would suggest you make water your drink of choice for everything thing. If you do not like water then add Crystal Lite to it and go that route. But I think your walking is working, it just takes time and you have to be patient with yourself. :wink:
  • musttry123
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    KEEP up the good work !!! Walking is better than sitting on the couch !! You can DO IT !! WOW .... 2 hours each time you walk ? thats awesome !! I use music w/ headphones and sing along... makes the time fly... :wink:
  • neenaj33
    neenaj33 Posts: 347 Member
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    Walking is plenty....the most important factor is your diet. Get that in check and you will be a losing maaaccchhhiiiiinnne!
  • easuess
    easuess Posts: 53 Member
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    My mom reached her goal weight when she started walking daily & eating right. So, yes it's enough, and it's good for you. Stick with it. :happy: 2 hours is fantastic!
  • Marley112586
    Marley112586 Posts: 168 Member
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    Walking is wonderful. I started out walking for the first couple of months. Its easy on the joints and it gets you moving! When I was ready for move of a challenge I got Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. Which is only $10 at Walmart. But walking is great by itself too.
  • hwjssc
    hwjssc Posts: 194 Member
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    All I can do is walk tooo..I have a hernaited disk in my back.. If I can not walk out side I walk in frnt of TV...Good luck:)
  • Hellbent_Heidi
    Hellbent_Heidi Posts: 3,669 Member
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    Eventually you might need/want to step it up a little bit, but walking is a great way to do cardio. Losing weight is mostly diet anway, but any time you're moving your body, you're doing yourself good! As your stamina builds up and the weight starts to drop, you can always aim to pick up speed (maybe adding in sprints or light jogging eventually), or maybe use those little hand held weights to help work the upper body more. You can absolutely be successful without joining a gym.

    Best of luck to you!
  • alisons7598
    alisons7598 Posts: 162 Member
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    I have lost over 100 pounds and walking was a huge part of it! Walking dvd's are great too. I can't afford a gym membership ( not too mention at the start I couldn't even move well enough to attemp a workout at the gym) so it has all been done at home so yes it can work! 2 hours each time is HUGE! Keep up the great work!
  • Sassi50
    Sassi50 Posts: 67 Member
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    Don't know if anyone remembers Susan Powters (Stop the Insanity-lady) from the 1990's, but when she began her weight loss efforts she was happy to get off of the couch and walk down her driveway!!!!!
    Moving is moving.....the more you do the more you'll be able to do. And there is a lot that you can do without needing a gym....use park bench to stretch and do push ups, do calf raises on the curb, walk up and down hills for more resistance. Nature is a great place to work out and your lungs will thank you!!!!!
  • msmithevv
    msmithevv Posts: 58 Member
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    Moving is what counts. You will be running before you know it!
  • bklyngirl71
    bklyngirl71 Posts: 381 Member
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    a friend of our lost 65 lbs. the only excercise she did was walking
  • neff_burgz91
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    Yes! I started MFP 14 days ago and have lost 7lbs so far! The only exercise I have done is walking, and having been staying around/under my calorie goals.
    Started the 30 Day Shred last night though! :)
  • NettyIOM
    NettyIOM Posts: 44 Member
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    Walking is so good for you! Keep up the good work! :flowerforyou:
  • WannaBeSlimJim2
    WannaBeSlimJim2 Posts: 39 Member
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    Wowee...two hours! I'd give yourself a huge two thumbs up on that!!! I started out by walking everyday, from 30-45 min and I dropped 23 pounds. So don't under estimate the results. I think it's a great way to ween your body into this new lifestyle, allowing for adjustment, and avoiding any kind of injury. Certainly when you feel comfortable, or want to challenge yourself, you can alway play later. And there will be a point, you may have to, to get more desired results. But again, what you are doing...is already WICKED and will show you your effort. If not happy with the numbers on the scale...TAKE MEASUREMENTS...you don't believe it until you do it; they disappear very quietly and you tend not to notice.

    Keep it up, you are doing incredible!
  • finnsgma
    finnsgma Posts: 55 Member
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    YES!!! Walking is one of the best exercises as there is little strain/impact. Try to walk fast and also try to find places to walk where there are hills/inclines. That will add to the calorie and fat burn. I lost 75 pounds several years ago by eating 1500 calories a day and walking 30 minutes a day. Granted, I was in my 20's at the time but it worked!
  • AntWrig
    AntWrig Posts: 2,273 Member
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    HAS ANYONE ELSE LOST THEIR WEIGHT JUST BY WALKING? IT IS THE ONLY EXERCISE I HAVE AVAILABLE REALLY, AS THE GYM IS TOO EXPENSIVE.
    I TRY TO WALK AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK, FOR 2 HOURS EACH TIME, IS IT ENOUGH THOUGH, OR SHOULD I BE PUSHING MYSELF MORE? I HAVE OVER 100LB TO LOSE.

    :explode:
    :grumble:
    I am a big advocate of walking. I use to walk up to 5 days a week, because I just love being outside. However, there was a big problem. I was burning calories at 300-350 a walk. You times that by 5, and I was in a deep deficit. So, I reduced to 1x a week now.
  • billgiersberg
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    I would suggest that walking is enough for you at this time. However, don't fool yourself into thinking you can "eat back" extra calories because you walked. The number of calories you might burn from the walking is probably not as great as you think it is. Just add the walking calories to your caloric deficit for each day. Eating them back will stall your weight loss. Weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise according to Tom Venuto in "The Body Fat Solution." The important thing is to maintain a caloric deficit of -500 calories a day from your BMR to lose 1 pound a week. Walking will urge your body not to burn the muscle but rather burn the fat. As you lose weight, increase the pace of your walk to brisk. Increase that to jog as your weight loss become safe for your knees. The important thing is not the walking but rather your diet.
  • iwaskiwcindy
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    Walking is the best remedy as far as my doctor is concerned. Keep walking then add a few sit-ups to it. I can't do a proper sit up so I sit on the edge of the couch and I bend over as far as I can to reach my toes. I can now do 60 sit-ups that way and I have am now down a pant size and lost 7 lbs., so it's the inches that are coming off faster than the weight. Keep up the good work and if you feel discouraged write I'll do my best to keep encouraging you.
    Cindy
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
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    HAS ANYONE ELSE LOST THEIR WEIGHT JUST BY WALKING? IT IS THE ONLY EXERCISE I HAVE AVAILABLE REALLY, AS THE GYM IS TOO EXPENSIVE.
    I TRY TO WALK AT LEAST 3 TIMES A WEEK, FOR 2 HOURS EACH TIME, IS IT ENOUGH THOUGH, OR SHOULD I BE PUSHING MYSELF MORE? I HAVE OVER 100LB TO LOSE.

    :explode:
    :grumble:

    Yes. It absolutely is enough. When I first started losing weight after my second son, I lost 30 lbs doing nothing but walking (and that was only 30 minutes per day) and eating right. It's all about getting your heart rate elevated. Keep up the great work!
  • JanetLM73
    JanetLM73 Posts: 1,277 Member
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    I think so as well, I love going on long walks with the ipod, time flies and it's great to clear your head.