Will i lose weight walking?

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Lifestyle_change_get_fit
Lifestyle_change_get_fit Posts: 30 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
hi fitnesspals!

I have recently switch from going to the gym to walking the lakes & parks near my home. Last week i walked 5-6 miles each day and this week i have been walking 3-4 miles each day.... so my question is " Can i lose weight from walking"?
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Replies

  • josiereside
    josiereside Posts: 720 Member
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    If your diet is on par you should continue to lose. Walking still burns calories.
  • dyburke
    dyburke Posts: 7
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    It greatly depends on how far, often and how vigorously you walk. Walking does not burn that many calories and the margins between that and your diet would most likely be very thin so I wouldn't expect you to lose much weight if any at all. It would greatly improve your chances of weight loss if you just kick that walk up to a light jog. I suggest you plot out a few runs you like and calculate how many calories you would burn on those when walking vs. light jog vs. vigorous jog. Once you have a good idea of how many calories you can burn doing it then you can add that to the deficit you create with your diet and possibly see some nice weight loss.

    In any case, good luck on your jogs! :)
  • maroonmango211
    maroonmango211 Posts: 908 Member
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    You certainly can but like mentioned it depends on your speed and intensity. If you power walk at a steady fast pace you can burn just as much as jogging or running with less impact on your joints (at least I can, based on 1 month with the HRM comparing). Time your walks to see how fast you manage the distance, make sure you are working up a sweat, and still keep a close eye on what you are eating.
  • JosieRawr
    JosieRawr Posts: 788 Member
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    You can lose weight even by doing no exercise and as long as you are consuming less than your BMR. Long walks are great, low impact and typically peaceful(i.m.o) It may not burn as many calories as the gym(depending on the intensity n length of the visits) but as long as you stay aware of what you are consuming, you can still lose weight.
  • KaidaKantri
    KaidaKantri Posts: 401
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    You can. I used to eat a LOT in high school. I also walked around a lot. It was the only exercise I got, and I kept all the weight off from just walking around as much as I did.
  • paintlisapurple
    paintlisapurple Posts: 982 Member
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    That was a very interesting question. I had to look it up for myself! :flowerforyou:
    http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/walking-for-exercise
  • Keiko385
    Keiko385 Posts: 514 Member
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    I walk and walk and walk, then the dogs need a walk if you can keep yourself going at a good clip and get your heart rate up you will burn calories, not as fast as running but it works. Plug in some headphones, strap on a HRM and enjoy the scenery
  • weefreemen
    weefreemen Posts: 652 Member
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    My exercise consists of mainly walking and yes, you can definitely lose weight and tone up by walking, now by walking I mean a good brisk rate, not a stroll. To reach a cardio workout you must increase heart rate and break a sweat. I walk at 8.5 kph (5mph) which is a very brisk rate, 3 times a week I also do hill climbing. Climbing a 10% incline hill will double your calorie burn. For me walking at 5 mph is the same as jogging at 5 mph, but the speed is important.

    For every 1% of grade, you increase your calories burned by about 12% or about 10 more calories per mile for a 150 pound person.

    By the time you are at 10% grade, you are burning over twice as many calories per mile.
  • Dragonldy69
    Dragonldy69 Posts: 368 Member
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    I use a video and walk about 30 min 3 times aweek..Leslie Sansone Walk at Home says walking is the best way to loose weight along with your diet.. I enjoy walking with her and the girls on the video.. http://www.walkathome.com/about/leslie-sansone/ this is alittle about her and there are videos to try just click on the work try it on the page.. They are a good workout and fun..
    Hope you enjoy them ..
    Kathy
  • mlfowler
    mlfowler Posts: 15
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    Yes, yes, yes! I've lost 50 pounds by staying within my calorie limits and walking every day! I walk fast enough to get a good sweat but I'm not jogging it's definetly a walk :)
  • Spartan_Maker
    Spartan_Maker Posts: 683 Member
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    In a word: Yes. I lost 100 lbs. walking at 3.0 mph for an hour each day (which is really nothing more than traipsing) along with strength training. The vast majority of burned calories came from the walking. Of course, you have to maintain a calorie deficit -- needless to say.
  • EileenT72
    EileenT72 Posts: 15 Member
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    I have lost 42 pounds since May by counting calories and WALKING. Yes, you sure will.
  • TexanThom
    TexanThom Posts: 778
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    YES!!! I have lost 65 lbs. doing nothing but walking. The fastest I go is 2.7 mph. Watch your calorie intake and move, you will lose weight.

    edit: dropped an r.
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
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    You will lose weight by walking if your diet is under control.

    It depends what you want out of it - do you just want to lose weight? Then walking is sufficient.

    You will not, however, get much stronger or much fitter unless you include higher intensity cardio and strength training in your routine.
  • SavCal71
    SavCal71 Posts: 350 Member
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    As long as you're not overeating in a major way .... yes. Many people are successful walking to lose weight.
  • cfrock
    cfrock Posts: 37
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    You can lose weight but your fitness levels will probably stop improving over time as your muscles get used to the same walk. You'd have to vary length and/or intensity after awhile.
  • Pink_Tina
    Pink_Tina Posts: 164
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    Walking does not burn that many calories and the margins between that and your diet would most likely be very thin so I wouldn't expect you to lose much weight if any at all.

    In my experience, this is false. Depending on your starting weight (bigger people burn more than healthier people) and starting athletic ability, you can burn lots of calories just from walking. Because I'm over 200 lbs, yesterday, I burned 626 calories from walking 50 minutes at 4.5 mph. I know this because I was wearing my HRM at the time. Also, days where I don't go so fast, I still burn about 350 calories for going 3.0mph for 30 minutes -- again wearing an HRM.

    Weightloss can be done with just walking as long as you don't go over your calorie goal, but that's pretty much like any workout really. I say that just plain walking is great exercise for people, especially for those just starting out. :flowerforyou:
  • vypeters
    vypeters Posts: 475 Member
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    80% of weight loss is what you eat. OK, I'm not sure of the exact percentages, I doubt anyone is, but weight loss is primarily achieved by managing your food intake. Anything that burns calories will contribute.

    I mostly walked when I lost my weight, graduating to hiking then to mountain hiking. The mountain hikes have done great for my leg muscles, but my upper body is in serious need of help. Working on that now.
  • jadedone
    jadedone Posts: 2,449 Member
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    Walking is great. Just pick up the pace sometimes and hit the hills to make it more challenging. :)
  • chezileigh
    chezileigh Posts: 255
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    Walking is a good way to burn calories, and depending on the distance you cover, you can actually burn quite a lot, but obviously it just takes longer to cover that distance than if you were running. What it won't do is make massive improvements to your cardiovascular fitness, so your body's ability to deliver oxygen to peripheral tissues in order to maintain submaximal exercise for longer. However, just by losing weight you are making things easier on your heart and lungs anyway. It depends what your goals are I think. If all you're interested in is burning more energy than you're taking in, walking can be very useful, plus it's relatively low impact on your joints etc. and can also be a good stress reliever.

    Good luck :)

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