Walking for weight loss?

[mistermike40]

Ten years ago - when I was a just a kid of 50 - my weight had crept up to the 200 lb mark... that was a serious red flag for me. Over that spring/summer/fall I stopped eating carbs at night and began walking, 20-30 minutes at a time. Some nights twice, some nights three times. I augmented that with light weight training 3x a week. That year I lost almost 30 lb and felt great.

Over the past decade my weight has crept back to almost two bills... might be time to start the routine again.

 

[brewer12345]

My wife bakes all our bread using whole wheat flour. I can't remember the last time I've seen a white slice on our table.

I bought a sack of specialty very high gluten white four for blending and so forth. I hadn't played with anything like this before so I made a test batch of bread with nothing but this very hard white flour. The kids were not really sure what to do with the poofy white bread. All they see is whole grain.

 

[tb001]

IMO, walking will work if you do enough of it and aren’t increasing your food to compensate or as a reward. 5 miles of walking is ~500 calories. Keep everything else the same and that’s about a pound a week, if you do it daily.

But diet matters a LOT and most people tend to eat their activity calories and undermine their efforts. IF and low carb can work wonders if you’re eating a lot of carbs and having big meals. Eliminating carbs and cutting your eating to a few hours/day usually cuts your calories a fair bit.

So short answer, track your calories and know when you’re at the limit and walk 10k steps per day.

 

[Sunny]

Walking is great for you. My wife is a nurse and you’d be surprised how many people she has convinced to walk and many reduced their blood pressure and many other good benefits.

To your specific question, I’ve found using a Fitbit or Apple Watch to gamify walking helps, but even more so doing something while walking. A new path, mall, whatever, but also some hobby (geocaching, disc golf, bird watching, etc.)

Additionally there is one proven fitness activity to help weight loss, resistance training. Either lift weights 2-3 times a week or do body weight fitness or haul a bunch of mulch around gardening or whatever. It miraculously helps with the plateaus and has an impact on your metabolism.

Also for weight loss some have hit on it...it really is mostly diet. Weight loss comes from taking in fewer calories than you burn, it really is as simple as that. MyFitnessPal helped me but there are a ton of other calculators out there to get your maintenance weight and your calories for weight loss (no more than 1 to 1.5 lbs a week).

Another thing from my wife, if you never eat an empty calorie you won’t have to count calories. Meaning, eat real food, not junk food. Some will say to cut out sugar or bread, but only if that is a permanent change for you that doesn’t make you depressed. If your maintenance caloric intake is 2400 calories and you eat 2000 calories of twinkies daily, you will still lose weight (but obviously suffer other consequences).

I still log my food into myfitnesspal, partly to make sure I get enough protein which is hard for me for some reason, but also now out of habit. I could probably go away from it now that I’ve learned I can have two of these 80 calorie chicken bratwurst in small hot dog buns instead of one real bratwurst in a bigger bun that was too much bun anyway and still come out ahead (I like bulky substantive food over high calorie foods now). Or that Popcorn is almost a free food if you don’t load it down with butter. Or pork and chicken/turkey have a lot less calories than many cuts of beef.

 

[Poopycat]

Walking will help you lose weight. Yes, you will want to cut down on your calories too, but walking is a great low-impact exercise that can help you get in shape and lose weight, especially if you walk up hills and/or do intermittent run/walk or fast walk/slow walk.

Since the middle of March, walking has been my only form of exercise because the gyms and indoor tennis clubs shut down. I’m still too nervous to return to either. And I have been able to lose 10 lb+ per month. I’m down 110 lbs since last October. Now that I’m working again, I don’t have time to do as much walking as I had before, but I still try to walk 5 or 6 times a week. I just have to settle for 4-5 miles per day instead of 7-8 miles per day so I’m sure my rate of loss will slow.

But do start walking!

 

[F4mandolin]

Ex runner, competitive into my late 30's. When in shape I was about 135-137 lbs. I'm now 175 (63 yrs). Even back then I had to work at not eating much. I walk about 8 miles a day now in "some" form. Yesterday it was golf (5 miles) in the morning and then 30 minutes uphill on the treadmill later. On non-golfing days its usually 5 miles in the morning and then the treadmill in the afternoon. I have always had terrible eating habits, running was the reason I ate well when younger.....just couldn't get my weight down eating crap (or very much of anything). If I just give up beer and candy I would lose 10lbs without any trouble. I'm also one of the people who can eat plenty of bread and still lose weight. I truly hate whole wheat bread....but don't like white bread either unless it's like French bread or something. I tend towards seedy breads. Walking works....biking works....etc etc. Find whatever it is you like doing the most (or hate the least). I have a tv in front of the treadmill...and since it's windy as hell here today I might just do a couple of treadmill walks. Actually been trying to talk myself into dropping at least 5 pounds.....I don't need to even stop the beer/junk food... just eat a bit less when I eat (I really do have huge portions). My wife hates exercise, but does it because she doesn't want to end up a bent over old lady like her mother. When she first started getting on the treadmill the Dr was shocked at how much her cholesterol and BP got better.....although my wife is pretty good with her eating habits. Thinking about getting rid of the treadmill and getting an ARC trainer. I used to use one when I was a gym member back in the US.....get a leg AND arm workout that way but they are expensive. No matter what method you want to use.....it's going to take a little effort and a change in habits....there are all kinds of ways to get to a result you want.

 

[Alan]

Always been a keen walker, same with my wife. We retired to a place where it is easy to do lots of walking and it is very hilly. We walk about 5 miles a day. Just got in from a 6 mile walk on the moor, sunny, 40 mph wind, exhilarating. Not sure how much it helps with the weight but we feel all the better for the amount of walking we do. The bilberries are out so we probably ate enough on route to replace any calories burned on this particular walk

Just had my annual blood work and check up this week. Everything normal including BP and cholesterol, I think the regular walking with associated elevated heart rate is a good contributor to our good health.

 

[braumeister]

IMO, walking will work if you do enough of it and aren’t increasing your food to compensate or as a reward. 5 miles of walking is ~500 calories. Keep everything else the same and that’s about a pound a week, if you do it daily.

This is a pretty decent rule of thumb -- about 100 calories per mile, assuming it's not just a slow amble but a good brisk pace. I think many people overestimate the number of calories they burn from exercise.

 

[jollystomper]

I agree with those who say walking alone will not do it, you have to combine it with healthier eating.

I am fortunate at 62 to not have any leg/knee issues, so I walk as much as I can, as fast as I can (I aim for a mile in 17 minutes or less). I have a fitbit, and 10K/steps a day I consider a bare minimum. I can easily do over 20K by adding activities such as golfing (where I walk the 18 hole course and use the push cart in a way to also get some upper body exercise in) or using a push mower. The gym is open again and very lightly attended, which makes it easy to stop in for an elliptical workout. COVID 19 shopping also helped, parking far away and walking in the large stores.

For diet, the biggest thing I watch is added sugar. I have a sweet tooth but I keep well below the daily sugar guidelines, which one can meet with just a single can of soda. I have stopped drinking sugared soda completely. I do drink the zero sugar soda, it tastes fine to me and better than the diet soda. I make pitchers of Arnold Palmer (ice tea and lemonade) using Erythritol - the one sweetener to me that tastes most like sugar but without any aftertaste. I try to snack as much as possible on fruits (my favorites being oranges, pineapples, strawberries, and bananas); I make my own smoothies with low sugar Gatorade, protein powder, and a mix of the above fruits than keep me from snacking for hours).


I'm not perfect, but I have cut way back on carbs. Instead of finishing off a large bag of chips in a single sitting, I will eat a small bowl of chips once a day. Instead of eating a 16 ounce bag of M&M peanuts several times a week, I'll eat a ounce every couple of days. I will also snack on dark chocolate and yogurt than has 5 grams or less of added sugar. Once a month I will treat myself to cookies. However, I do this snacking keeping an eye on the sugar intake guidelines, as well as how many calories I am burning in a day.

Spring through Fall I have more of a problem keeping weight on. It is winter that I need to pay attention to, and during winter I am much stricter with my diet and more regimented with my workouts.

 

[COcheesehead]

Count your carbs, you might be shocked. I found I was getting 70 grams of carbs in my protein shake alone. Blueberries, a banana and the protein powder = 70 grams. My doctor said stay under 150 a day. Candy is a no no. Yogurt with fruit, ain’t gonna happen. Chips, ha ha. Pasta and sauce, no way. Carbs add up quickly.
A palm full of cooked rice is almost 80 grams of carbs. Pay attention.

 

[Momcpa]

I've been walking 3 - 5 miles almost daily for the last few years. I think it keeps my weight stable. But if I want to take off a pound or two, I can't usually do that by walking alone. I have to pay attention to my food intake. I don't eat breakfast. I have a huge salad with some protein on it and cottage cheese for lunch after 1 p.m. 5 or 6 days a week. We are done with our evening meal by 7 p.m. That includes dessert or a small candy bar if I choose to have it. Walking and eating this way keeps my weight pretty consistent. According to "the charts" I could probably still stand to lose up to 5 pounds, but I'm content with my energy and activity levels where I am right now. Good luck........Get walking.

 

[mystang52]

According to "the charts" I could probably still stand to lose up to 5 pounds, but I'm content with my energy and activity levels where I am right now. Good luck........Get walking.

I think this is a good "mental" aspect to losing weight. When I first decided, years ago, to get healthier I didn't focus on an exact number for weight loss. I started exercising and cutting back on food, and figured the "weight would take care of itself." Any weight that I lost would have me in better health than before so i wasn't concerned about an exact number. I ended up taking off more than I thought I would.
Still, I too should probably lose another 5 to 10 pounds according to the charts. But that would be a number I couldn't reasonably maintain, so I don't give it another thought. For those consistently overweight, this can be a good mental hurdle; don't aim for a specific number that might define "failure" if you don't achieve it. Any weight lost for good is good weight loss.

 

[braumeister]

The simplest weight loss device is a full length mirror. It can be very motivational.

 

[Nemo2]

The simplest weight loss device is a full length mirror. It can be very motivational.

Especially if you carry it while walking.

 

[eytonxav]

When I was diagnosed with diabetes 12 years ago and was significantly over weight, I walked 3 miles every day for 3 months and went from 215 to 175 lbs. During that time, I also cut back on snacks and pizza. My A1C also dropped like a rock. Never underestimate the benefits of walking!

 

[vafoodie]

OP here. Starting IF today and heading to the store to pick up low carb fare. Thanks for the inspo!

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

OP, tons of good advice here.

My story: I'm 62 and my weight this morning at 142 is close to what it was when I was running 40+ miles per week 25 years ago when I was running marathons. I try to walk every day (I sometimes will run but not usually). So far this summer (since mid-May) I am averaging 3.9 miles/day and about 15K steps overall (so lots of steps in addition to the walking - mostly because of a bunch of outdoor projects/yard work). For whatever reason I am tracking my activities while off from teaching this summer.
[p.s. While my weight is close to what it was 25 years ago, in no way am I the same athlete - no where near the endurance, aerobic capability, muscle mass, etc. That is just the way it is.]

Gaining or losing weight is a question of calories in vs calories out. Calories out by walling, running, hiking, biking, swimming, log splitting, gardening, whatevering is just a question of calorie per minute burn. What is nice about walking is that it provides other benefits besides calorie burn. For me, it is an opportunity to listen to some of my favorite podcasts or simply an opportunity to listen to the birds and other sounds of the countryside.

On the intake side, the goal here is to make the calories count. I was 175+ five or so years ago, and besides the walking and other outdoor activities, the best thing I did was to start to track caloric intake. You will be shocked as to what ends up being calories without much value vs calories that satisfy your hunger. I found I didn't have to starve myself or skip meals or any thing else drastic. Hint: Eliminate carbs and simple sugars! In my case, I used a fitbit and the fitbit app and the next thing I knew the pounds were coming off. While I no longer track food quantity and calories, I do track my weight and if I started gaining #'s the first thing I would do is to go back to weighing food and tracking it.

Good luck with this. A couple/few more things, it won't be linear so don't go crazy if your weight loss goes in stages. Weigh yourself at the same time every day, preferably in the morning when you get up (I find my weight varies by a few pounds easily during the day due to water weight and food in my system.)

 

[rkser]

My story in losing weight -

- Intermittent Fasting - 18/6

1) I miss breakfast, just black coffee, no sugar, no cream (one gets used to it soon)

2) Lunch my main meal is at 1 & Dinner before 7, healthy snacks around 4. i.e Fast except water between 7PM to 1PM next day, eating window is between 1 & 7.
Mantra is to eat what you want(Less Carbs though) but cut down the number of times you eat. This works because the fattening hormone Insulin is reduced & unknowingly the Calories also come down .

3) Lost 1 pound a week

4) I tried to cut the carbs to around 100 gms a day

5) Write down what I eat in MyFitnessPal, I know a chore but I had to do it .
Read somewhere that in order to decrease your speed, need to first measure what your speed is.

6) Walk a few miles most days of the week.

There is a current ongoing thread on Intermittent Fasting on this Forum, & a lot of info on YOUTUBE if you are interested.

Reducing CONSUMPTION & TIMES YOU EAT is 80% part in reducing weight, exercise, walking etc help to bump your Basal Metabolic Rate etc which is the other 20%

Good Luck, you will get there.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Calories in < calories out

 

[Nemo2]

Push aways are effective.

 

[LOL!]

If walking helps one to eat less, then it's a good thing. I've always been physically active, but got a sports watch recently and now the darn thing is telling me all sorts of things.

I'm walking / running in the dark around 10 pm at night with a head lamp. One sees maybe one other person and lots of animals by their eyes strongly reflecting back the light from the head lamp: foxes, possums, raccoons, skunks, cats, rats, toads, frogs, spiders whatever, as well as moon, stars, and planets. I feel safer at night than I have during day and it is much cooler.

I have found that I need to eat more or I will lose too much weight. That makes my wife mad, but so be it.

 

[Navigator]

I've posted this before in 2015 I was 230 and had tachycardia. PCP said it would go away if I lost weight. So lose it. This is what worked for me and DW.

I dropped 70 pounds using a free app Myfitnesspal. It's a calorie counter and you can integrate other exercise applications to it. During a twenty pound loss my exercise counted for 4 pounds!

Food is the issue not exercise. Sure exercise is great for you and it makes me feel better too. If you want to feel good exercise, to lose weight become educated about diet.

+1

 

[becca]

I am 67 and at a normal weight. I walk 5 miles almost every day and find it keeps my weight stable. If I slack off on the walking I will gain a few pounds and have to cut back on eating for a few days and resume my walking routine.

 

[sengsational]

For me, exercise was simply working up an appetite


I need simplicity, or it doesn't work. So two rules. Zero refined carbs (no grains, no added sugar). Eat once per day. That's it. At dinner, I eat like a pig, no limit. I also drink beer a couple times a week. I'm sure it would be healthier without it, and I sleep much better without it, but it's something that makes a meal better. It breaks the no added sugar rule, kind of (maltose) and it's made with grain. But I don't gain an ounce, and when I'm naturally more active, a drop a little.

 

[Rianne]

Basic Metabolic Rate is underestimated. Exercise is important for overall health but you don't have to be an athlete or overachiever to maintain a good weight.


"2) Most of the energy you burn is from your resting metabolism

There are three main ways your body burns energy each day: 1) the basal metabolism — energy used for your body's basic functioning while at rest; 2) the energy used to break down food (also known as the thermic effect of food); and 3) the energy used in physical activity.
As we explored in a feature, one very underappreciated fact about the body is that your resting metabolism accounts for a huge amount of the total calories you burn each day. Physical activity, on the other hand, accounts for a tiny part of your total energy expenditure — about 10 to 30 percent (unless you're a professional athlete or have a highly physically demanding job). Digesting food accounts for about 10 percent."


This also important to note:


"He pointed to the National Weight Control Registry, a study that has parsed the traits, habits, and behaviors of adults who have lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for a minimum of one year — as an example of how they do that. The registry currently has more than 10,000 members enrolled in the study, and these folks respond to annual questionnaires about how they've managed to keep their weight down.
The people who have had success in losing weight have a few things in common: They weigh themselves at least once a week. They exercise regularly at varying degrees of intensity, with the most common exercise being walking. They restrict their calorie intake, stay away from high-fat foods, and watch their portion sizes. They also tend to eat breakfast."

Calories in calories out is not the case. It's so individual and specific to the person.


All from the Vox article:


https://getpocket.com/explore/item/...-metabolism-here-are-9-facts-to-clear-that-up