I can lose weight by just walking, right?

13

Replies

  • Kim_S_G
    Kim_S_G Posts: 120 Member
    Yes, you can lose weight by just walking.

    I found some research that you might be interested in reading.

    http://www.thatsfit.com/2009/08/19/why-is-walking-so-good-for-weight-loss/
  • MeMyCatsandI
    MeMyCatsandI Posts: 704 Member
    I also hula hoop every day for 30 minutes....

    You hula hoop? I can't hula hoop to save my life! That is talent! Have you worn your HRM while you hula hoop? if so, how many calories do you burn?
  • BarbaraC47
    BarbaraC47 Posts: 175 Member
    I'm in a place where walking is all I can do, so for now that's where I am starting. I might do other things when my body shape is a little more 'acceptable'....
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    I lost my first 25 lbs just walking, so have at it, and ENJOY:drinker:
    At some point I needed more intensity, and you might as well.
    Worry about that later.
    And I still take my walks - LOVE IT!
  • misslouisiana
    misslouisiana Posts: 37 Member
    I lost 50lbs walking 5 - 8 miles a day at a leasurely pace - It took two years. It's great exercise!

    WOW Thats amazing!
  • misslouisiana
    misslouisiana Posts: 37 Member
    I know many people that have lost weight from walking and watching what they eat. I plan on walking after I have my baby to lose the baby weight. It is also easier if you have joint problems. I can't run due to knee injuries.
  • zaithyr
    zaithyr Posts: 482 Member
    Most of my exercise consists of walking. My leg muscles are way more toned than they were two months ago and I've lost 3 inches in my thigh measurement alone! Yes, diet helps with fat loss, but diet alone won't help build and tone muscle which helps with your physique more than fat loss in itself. Activity is good for your health, and if you are doing it in a way you enjoy, it's good for the soul too!!
  • misslouisiana
    misslouisiana Posts: 37 Member
    But is walking enough? Right now it's what makes me happy and gets me off the couch. Opinons?

    Do whatever you enjoy. Walking is enough.

    But it's 80% about your diet, anyway. That's the key.

    --P

    Exactly! Diet is key!
  • schustc
    schustc Posts: 428 Member
    no more so than by not walking and eating less. walking and cardio does nothing more than if you were to just eat less.

    huh???

    Im not clear what you are trying to say. Eating a calorie deficit coupled with cardio leads to weight loss in my limited experience, more effectivley so than diet OR exercise alone
    incorrect. In every study i've seen on the subject, cardio + diet when compared to diet alone get similar weight loss results. there is no benefit fat loss weight to cardio exercise.

    This is illogical. Doing cardio and burning say an extra 300 to 500 calories a day while dieting will get u an extra. 1/2 to 1 pound loss per week. Food intake being equal. So YES cardio or any activity that increases calories out as long as your aren't increasing calories in will result in deficit and assist weight loss
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    no more so than by not walking and eating less. walking and cardio does nothing more than if you were to just eat less.
    Exercise is ALWAYS better than no exercise when it comes to optimal health.
    Now, if a person's goals are low, and all they desire is mere weight loss, then skip the exercise.
    Just diet your way from fat to skinny fat.
    I like to set my goals high. I want to be fit, strong and be play tennis, hike and generally enjoy a host of other wonderful benefits that come with exercise.
    To even bring this up speaks volumes.
    Success and achievement is not only a habit but a choice.
    And so too is mediocrity.
  • Bobby_Clerici
    Bobby_Clerici Posts: 1,828 Member
    no more so than by not walking and eating less. walking and cardio does nothing more than if you were to just eat less.

    Nonsense.
    great. can you explain to me how doing 200 calories burned worth of walking will give improved fat loss compared to not doing walking and eating 200 calories less?
    Sure, those too lazy to exercise are generally too lazy to stick to a diet.
    They excel at making excuses and wasting time arguing the point instead of taking a nice walk to increase strength, endurance and overall well being.
    Such people are to be pitied.
    Anyway, good luck with your "goals".
  • jessicak0614
    jessicak0614 Posts: 42 Member
    I think walking is great. Quite honestly, I lost over 20 pounds back in 2008 just by cutting out all meat except fish. I ended up gaining it all back plus some when I started eating meat again. Now I'm eating healthier and walking at least 4-5 days a week and have begun to do some weights. So far I've lost 15lbs and have another 20 to lose.
  • CharisSunny
    CharisSunny Posts: 276 Member
    <----walked for 32 mins today, burned 390 cals. Walking is quite effective.


    Edited for spelling error
    No, you did not. Unless you were going at over 190BPM heartrate.
    This is why I don't do these forums. How the hell you gonna tell me what my 260lb self was doing? Calorie burn is dependent on fitness level and entirely dependent on that person.

    Twits on here trying e-smack somebody over the head with "facts"
    Completely ridiculkous!!!
  • Gallen67
    Gallen67 Posts: 5
    <----walked for 32 mins today, burned 390 cals. Walking is quite effective.


    Edited for spelling error
    No, you did not. Unless you were going at over 190BPM heartrate.


    Really? How do you know? Were you there? :grumble:

    Don't hate. That's a good work out.
  • ZoeyRobinson
    ZoeyRobinson Posts: 301
    I must be doing something wrong because I have been walking 5-10 miles a day for 6 months and haven't lost a pound. And I was walking at a 5 mph pace.
  • sjwhite7
    sjwhite7 Posts: 86 Member
    I have a trail that I have been walking for about a month and have continued to lose. I wanted a change and wanted more time outside to enjoy nature with my new found weight loss. Im still losing. My trail has lots of hills though. I have a fitbit that really helps me with tracking. I also just bought a new bike and I love it. It cost me about $160 and thats with a extra padded gel seat. It was a great investment! Move more, eat less seems to be a really great motto to live by. Good luck!
  • doubglass
    doubglass Posts: 314 Member
    Yes, Amazon and some of the other online companies hire seniors for seasonal work every fall. They are on their feet all day carrying light loads. They lose a lot of pounds. It is as simple as this: lower your daily calorie total with diet and exercise and you lose weight.
  • LovelyLibra79
    LovelyLibra79 Posts: 569 Member
    Yes you can..it's one of the easiest exercises out here!!!
  • RainxPain
    RainxPain Posts: 152
    Of course. I've lost all my weight by lowering my calories and simply walking.
  • batesss
    batesss Posts: 24
    no more so than by not walking and eating less. walking and cardio does nothing more than if you were to just eat less.

    It might not do anything extra for your weight loss, but being active does a lot more than just eating less.
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Lose weight by just walking? Nope. A calorie deficit leads to losing weight. Exercise is for fitness and other health benefits. Exercise can only help you lose weight if it creates a calorie deficit that you are not eating back and then some.

    For example, when I trained for my first marathon years ago, I didn't lose an ounce of weight. In fact, I gained 2 pounds. This is because although I burned calories running hundreds of miles over the months, I ate them all back and then some, so I basically maintained. I wasn't paying attention to my eating habits at all. The next time I trained, I watched my calories to be sure I stayed at a deficit, and magically, I lost weight.

    Walking won't help you lose weight unless you combine it with watching your calories. It's excellent exercise, though! I love to hike myself. Do it! If you are asking if walking is just as good as other forms of exercise, well, that's personal preference really. Depends on your fitness goals. Any exercise combined with a calorie deficit should work for basic weight loss and improved health.

    :flowerforyou:
  • 2_young_2B_old
    2_young_2B_old Posts: 90 Member
    That is a great idea! I wish I had trails or at least weather that permitted me to walk outside. Instead I walk on a treadmill and watch movies on my kindle.
  • Jacole18
    Jacole18 Posts: 716 Member
    Walking is an awesome exercise!! :)
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    I also hula hoop every day for 30 minutes....

    You hula hoop? I can't hula hoop to save my life! That is talent! Have you worn your HRM while you hula hoop? if so, how many calories do you burn?

    So far it's been a little over 200 calories for 30 minutes of hula hooping. And it's not continuous hooping; I drop it a lot. I just pick it up and keep going! :)
  • saustin201
    saustin201 Posts: 270 Member
    I lost 25 pound by walking 3-5 miles per day, cutting back on calories and cutting out pop.

    You can do it. It's a long journey. Good luck. You'll do great!
  • Helloitsdan
    Helloitsdan Posts: 5,564 Member
    If you are overweight, walking is optimal.
  • supplemama
    supplemama Posts: 1,956 Member
    Yes you can lose weight by walking! I currently walk 7-8 miles a day at 5mph. I burn A LOT of calories, particularly during my 5 mile evening walk (768 calories). I have lost 11 pounds this month alone, and I feel great.
    how do u find time to walk this long? I do good to find 20 mins.

    I decided that I was just going to do it. My daily exercise schedule:

    Morning Walk: 2 miles, 24 minutes (620am-644am)
    Afternoon Walk: 1 mile, 12 minutes (530-542pm) this one is optional; I don't always do this one
    Evening Walk: 5 miles, 60 minutes (830-9:30pm)

    I also hula hoop every day for 30 minutes, sometimes before my evening walk, sometimes after. And I do strength training at the gym for 30 minutes 3 times a week. I am married with a very helpful husband (he tends to cook/grill in the summers so that's one less thing I have to do) and my kids are older (my sons are 17 and 14) so I have way more free time than a mom with younger children. For work I teach, so even though I have scads of free time now that it's summer, I set up my walking schedule so I could still do it once the school year resumes (I teach 930-4).
    I think you are doing an awesome job!! This really motivates me to walk more!

    Thank you dear :)
  • Gapwedge01
    Gapwedge01 Posts: 494
    Nm
  • saustin201
    saustin201 Posts: 270 Member
    This is why I don't do these forums. How the hell you gonna tell me what my 260lb self was doing? Calorie burn is dependent on fitness level and entirely dependent on that person.

    Twits on here trying e-smack somebody over the head with "facts"
    Completely ridiculkous!!!

    There is always a know-it-all on here that thinks they know better than your fitbit. Ignore these people. If you weigh more, you'll burn more.
  • Enigmatica
    Enigmatica Posts: 879 Member
    I lost over 90 pounds with walking as my only real exercise. But it isn't just a matter of walking - the point is to walk *enough* to maintain a good calorie deficit. The more weight I lost the longer and faster I could (and had to) walk in order to keep losing weight.

    I started out walking 30 minutes at barely 3 mph. I was 220 pounds, had plantar fasciitis in both feet, and a knee that's missing a ligament, so 1.5 miles was quite an effort at the time. Every week or two I'd add a bit more distance, then a bit more speed. Within a few months I was walking 4 miles @ 3.5 mph, and kept improving.

    As I lost weight, felt better, and was encouraged by my progress I started walking both morning and night, and that really accelerated my results. Towards the end of that 90 pound loss I was walking as much as 90 mins in the morning and another 90 mins at night. yes, 3 HOURS a day. But I enjoyed it and it worked wonders for me both physically and mentally.

    Now, after 4 years of being a dedicated walker, I've started jogging within the past year. I can burn more calories in less time jogging, and I've been intrigued with pushing myself more, but that doesn't mean that walking isn't just as effective for weight loss. Just be prepared to put the time into it and walk as briskly as you can. And make sure you keep the calorie deficit you need to lose the pounds.
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