IS WALKING ENOUGH?

Finding the right diet for your particular body type & metabolism is much more important than exercising. Don't get me wrong, exercise is good for you, and personally I get antsy if I go for several days without a walk. But I have lost 65 lb now, and all the exercise I get is from housework, singing, playing musical instruments, and taking the cat for 20-30 minute walks once or twice a week. So, not exactly a strenuous & strict regimen.

I'd say, as long as you're doing *something* to keep from being a complete couch potato, you're fine. If you feel like you're not losing enough, adjust your diet, not your exercise. Which doesn't even necessarily mean eating fewer calories. It may mean eating fewer carbs and more protein, or eating smaller meals more often during the day. The big thing is just finding whatever diet works for your particular metabolism.

i got my start walking and you are way ahead of me on that then i was back then. keep walking . some day you will find you want to walk faster or jog some. just listen to your body and try to challenge yourself now and then. i used to time myself on how long it took to get to a designated area and then i would try to beat that time.

if you have health insurance , alot of them pay partial, or all ,for a gym membership. you should look in to it if you havent already .. in the mean time keep doing what you are doing. you are on the right track!!

Yes, walking is plenty enough. You might like to buy Trekiing poles and use them. I got mine at Walmart for twenty bucks. According to studies at the Cooper Institute they will increase the benefits of your workout by twenty percent. This gives your arms a mild workout and increases your stability. How to instructions are available on YouTube.
Also, in a fifty plus year study at Harvard, alumni who walked two (2) miles a day were the ones who lived longest and healthiest.
So, I'd recommend trying for two miles a day and occasionally, on the weekend or a day off, going for a longer walk in a special place.
I like to walk near water and in the mountains myself. We only have hills near here but there are some very pretty walks around various small lakes.
I'm in the process of recovering from cancer, chemo, radiation therapy and BMT. During treatment, under the supervision of a specialist, I began trying to eat nutrient dense foods and exercise as much as I could. I still was in very poor condition after the transplant. But this past weekend I managed two one-and-a-half mile walks. I've also lost over twenty pounds and am pretty proud of myself on all accounts. So a little bit every day can really add up to a lot of improvement over the long haul. Good luck and keep trying.

It is an excellent, low impact workout. As you continue and lose weight and get stronger, you can also add - for free, in your home - push-ups, jumping jacks, crunches, squates, etc.

Walking is an excellent form of cardio exercise. As long as you’re moving your burning calories. Walking is a great start!

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.

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I lost 50+ pounds before MFP and 13 pounds with MFP primarily by walking. I have heart problems and other health issues that prevent me from doing anything more strenuous. I refuse to feel guilty or frustrated that I can't do more. We should do only what we can and not be concerned that someone else is doing the latest extreme intense insanity exercise. IMHO this is not a competition.

Yes, walking is enough on the exercise side. I dropped 90 lbs in 10 months by almost exclusively walking. I do have the advantage of being a guy (we usually lose easier). Also, I kept pushing myself to go faster. At first I could only go about 3 MPH. By the end I could go over 4 MPH. I know I had to take a shower after walking at my pace.

However, you must know that this will never end. I had a lot of variables come up in my life and I put back on about 45 lbs. I'm back and starting the walking again. Fortunately, I already know what I need to do to be successful. This is my 3rd week of walking and I'm seeing good results already.

Now for the bad part. Exercise alone won't do it. You have what I call the big four: 1) food, 2) exercise, 3) water, and 4) sleep.

Food is pretty obvious. Still, you need to log everything that goes in your mouth. Also, get a food scale if you don't have one. They are not that expensive and they are a real eye-opener with regards to how much of something you're really eating (called portion control). One thing I track is sodium. Don't get me wrong, I love salt. Still, it is amazing how much salt is in everything. You're body will retain fluid to balance out how much sodium is in your system (I'm not a doctor). That fluid is weight on the scale.

Exercise we've already discussed.

Water is something your body needs. MFP recommends you drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. I don't have any disagreement with that. Water helps with hunger control for a little while and is good for you.

Sleep is the one that gets overlooked the most. Try to get 7 - 8 hours every night (at the same general time if possible). Your body is still burning calories even when you are sleeping. Also, you're not eating at that time, so it's a win-win.

Good luck on your journey!

Bernie

WOW walking 2hrs a day is a reward within itself. If you want to start trying to add strength training I would suggest purchasing a resistance band. It's an easy and inexpensive way to build muslce in your arms. Cost is less than $10. Keep up the good work!

Check out mapmyrun.com... free account. You can enter in your stats.... map out a route in your neighborhood... then time your walk to give you both an idea of calories burned as well as see your progress. You'll find that if you stick to it, that you'll be picking up speed and distance. And you may be like me... reach a point in your fitness that you start jogging.

OH... and losing weight is the same formula... you take in, burn, or a combination of the two, less calories than your body needs to maintain its current weight. How you get to that deficit depends on what works best for you. I can do the combo of diet and exercise but I have two friends who lost weight. One lost it by simply changing diet... another by keeping diet but added a very brisk walk to routine. it took them each close to 18 months but each lost about 40-50lbs.

Walking is great, I've know people who lost weight just from walking. I like to change it up and walk in different parts of town, to get different resistance. I also get bored easily walking the same place all the time. lol

I lost 25 pounds in the past just by doing that and cutting on carbs. It's absolutely doable but remember that it's an habit you have to take and maintain otherwise the weight will come back eventually. It's all about lifestyle changes. you can do it!

Of course it is! Take it from someone who has even more weight than you to lose. That is how I have done it so far. You may want to incorporate some different moves in your walking however. Try the Leslie Sansone walk at home dvds. You can get them on Netflix (not instant) or see some on youtube. But the ones on youtube are just bits and pieces and don't have the slow walk in the beginning or the cooldown at the end. The dvds help to add other movements in your walking routine that work your other muscles. Believe me, she will have you sweating like crazy!! Plus, you can do them in your own home. I imagine that once you get closer to your ideal weight, you will want to do more...but for now, walking is something our bodies are meant to do.

Think about the girl who started this journey..the girl who had the courage to say "Yes, I can!" Don't let her down. Remember how she felt when she made that decision to have a healthy life. You go girl!!! Keep walking....never give up...never surrender! :happy:

This thread makes me proud.

Absolutely! Are you walking at a brisk pace to get your cardio up? each step not only burns calories but tones and releases endorphins so you can Walk happy!

So true!!! I feel awesome when I walk. Some feel good music adds to the happiness! lol

your diet is about 75% of your results! make sure you get enough sleep! n keep walking at a fast pace... u dont want to be just strolling along walking a dog or something... walk as if you are 2min late for work and you are trying to make it in the office before anyone notices!

with those 3 thigns YES you will loose your weight...

when i cut i have a proper nutirtion plan, 6 meals a day, every single one weight to a gram, train/weightligt for 1.5hrs n cardio 60+min... my cardio is high incline at 3.9mph but in ur case as you got 100+lbs to loose walking fast will be enough to get your heart rate up!

good luck! and i repeat, WATCH YOUR DIET! no "diet" pops, no pizzas, no burgers, no donuts, non of that crap.... eat clean and you will shred weight so fast that it will motivate you to keep going and stay away from that stuff