Walking for weight loss

[Exchme]

Losing weight is easy, I've done it dozens of times.

As others have said, weight loss is due to eating less. Reshaping your body so you get positive self reinforcement for continued good behavior is the main benefit of exercise.

But you'll never outrun your mouth, so you have to start there.

 

[misanman]

My practice is to walk 3 miles every morning, but I also need to pay attention to my calorie intake. I don't believe exercise alone is enough to control weight if you eat more than you expend.

 

[VanWinkle]

Walking for me seems to be good for stamina. I walk 3 times per week for 30 minutes and include 5-10 minutes of stairs prior to the walking. This is not a great weight loss regime, but it does make it easier to breathe and complete physical activities. I need to lose 20 lbs myself, but my SO is a great cook and loves dessert. Not blaming her, just stating it hard to lose weight in those conditions.

VW

 

[Aerides]

One more thing to the OP:

I don't want you to think anyone is discouraging walking, and not even as a part of your overall health improvement and "weight" loss goals. If you're currently inactive, absolutely start adding a daily stroll to your plan. Then upgrade it to a brisk walk over time.

Then add other activities, particularly those that help build lean mass (we all will lose several pounds of muscle every decade after 50 and it's an effort even to keep even). Look to add activity throughout your day, not just in one burst then back to the couch.

And don't just look at calories indiscriminately. Protein heavy foods will do far better to support new activity than empty sugary ones.

 

[MRG]

Yes. DW and I lost a combined 120 pounds by walking and changing our diet. As most have said diet is the primary method. We used Myfitnesspal and ate a standard American diet.

During my weight loss I had a twenty pound loss where everything lined up perfectly, sixteen pounds were from diet and four from exercise.

 

[athena53]

<snip>
Then add other activities, particularly those that help build lean mass (we all will lose several pounds of muscle every decade after 50 and it's an effort even to keep even). Look to add activity throughout your day, not just in one burst then back to the couch.

A note on adding muscle mass: you may not notice weight loss if you add muscle; a pound of muscle takes up less space than a pound of fat so your weight may stay the same but you'll be more "compact". Earlier this year the young tech doing my mammogram asked what I did to build such great shoulder muscles. I'm 68. It made my day! (I use a TRX, a very portable set of bands that lets you use your own body weight for resistance- plenty of free TRX workouts on YouTube).

My FitBit "nags" me to get off the couch- if it's been an hour and I haven't done 250 steps it vibrates lightly and I usually get up and jog or pace to get to 250.

 

[caninelover]

Agree with the others - exercise (including walking) is great for health but not enough to lose weight unless combined with changes in diet.

I am down 11 pounds in about 2 months of making the following changes to my diet:
1. Cut out all added sugar - mainly for me this is drinking black coffee in the mornings instead of adding half and half and sugar as I had done for years. I've also eliminated desserts (unless we're out celebrating an occasion - then I enjoy a few bites).
2. Drastically cut back on bread and pasta. We used to have a weekly pasta night that we replaced with lean meat and veggies. I try and eat salads for lunch instead of sandwiches, and I go bun-less for our grilled burgers and just plop the thing onto a bed of greens.
3. I actually added some full fat dairy back into my diet - specifically full fat cottage cheese vs the low fat variety. I scoop some onto my lunch salad and feel more full and satisfied.
4. I try to eat more eggs and avacados.

I also spin 4-5 times a week for exercise, and don't eat breakfast. I don't start eating anything until 11 am and stop eating everything at 7 pm.

The weight still seems to be drifting downwards with these simple changes and I hope to lose 5 more pounds.

 

[COcheesehead]

Agree with the others - exercise (including walking) is great for health but not enough to lose weight unless combined with changes in diet.

I am down 11 pounds in about 2 months of making the following changes to my diet:
1. Cut out all added sugar - mainly for me this is drinking black coffee in the mornings instead of adding half and half and sugar as I had done for years. I've also eliminated desserts (unless we're out celebrating an occasion - then I enjoy a few bites).
2. Drastically cut back on bread and pasta. We used to have a weekly pasta night that we replaced with lean meat and veggies. I try and eat salads for lunch instead of sandwiches, and I go bun-less for our grilled burgers and just plop the thing onto a bed of greens.
3. I actually added some full fat dairy back into my diet - specifically full fat cottage cheese vs the low fat variety. I scoop some onto my lunch salad and feel more full and satisfied.
4. I try to eat more eggs and avacados.

I also spin 4-5 times a week for exercise, and don't eat breakfast. I don't start eating anything until 11 am and stop eating everything at 7 pm.

The weight still seems to be drifting downwards with these simple changes and I hope to lose 5 more pounds.

Yes, one of the easiest ways to cut carbs is just don’t eat white foods: pasta, bread, chips, potatoes, crackers, bananas.

 

[caninelover]

Yes, one of the easiest ways to cut carbs is just don’t eat white foods: pasta, bread, chips, potatoes, crackers, bananas.

Yes it really is, though it hurts as I love bread and SO really, really loves pasta. But we've discussed and he's been steadily losing weight the past 2 months that we made these changes, so he's still onboard with it!

Though - I am making a Christmas Day lasagna for us to enjoy but that falls under our special occasion exemption

 

[Ian S]

DH and I have a route that covers 5.6 miles in an area of the country that allows us to walk this route virtually every day - it's rare to have inclement weather that interferes. We average just under 3.5 mph and the route has a total elevation increase (and decrease) of about 550 feet. Food-wise, I use moderation with virtually everything cut somewhat in amount consumed except for alcohol which I've halved. Some years back when I was still working and not exercising as consistently, I hit my peak weight of 195 lbs. Today at 70 y.o., my weight stays consistently in the 160's except for a recent dip to the low 150's due to my achalasia that made it hard to eat (POEM procedure last summer alleviated that problem for now.) With my height at 6 ft, and no swings in weight, this seems to work for me. BP and A1C are normal as is cholesterol (taking the smallest dose possible for a statin.) I also take the smallest dose possible for metoprolol not for my BP but to keep me free of PVCs (a type of heart beat skips) that I'm prone to.

 

[bobbyr]

I walk to Wendy's for a Frosty three days a week!

 

[rkser]

Best weight loss strategy for me was/is intermittent fasting.

+1+1

 

[DektolMan]

I've lost 40lbs & DW has lost 30+. We don't have a scale in the house, use an app, or count carbs. We have an annual physical & our doctor was shocked.


What we did was walk 2-3 miles a day and really change our diet. We cut down on carbs and sugar which seems to be in everything. We finish dinner around 6pm and no snacking or eating till breakfast at 7am. We eat more oatmeal, more fresh fruit and vegetables. We eat organic when we can, eliminated anything with high fructose corn syrup.



I have found that reducing sugar has stopped hunger pains and the urge to eat. My appetite is less and we both have more energy than before. It is really a lifestyle change for us. Do we have a cheat day once in awhile, absolutely!

 

[Sondari]

Weight loss

I learned this year that exercise is more effective in maintaining a weight loss than in starting it. It really is 85% about the food in the first few months. I have lost 30 so far by following the psychology-based plan set up by a program that starts with N and ends with M (didn’t want to say it outright because advertisers will find me!). No foods are forbidden, which keeps the cravings down to zero and keeps the sustainability high. My key is simply to be deliberate about my food choices, rather than random. And I continued to lose weight during Thanksgiving and Christmas. No fasting, just conscious choices.

 

[imnontrad]

A friend convinced to me to join a Run the Year challenge in 2021 - yes, run, or walk, 2,021 miles in the year. But some people set a more modest goal and walk/run 1,000, 500 etc miles.
This motivated me and I actually finished Christmas Eve! For me, it has not resulted in any weight loss (I think that's due to my Portugal/Spain vacation) BUT my LDL cholesterol went from 150 down to 111 and I consider that to be a huge win.
(yes, signed up for 2022 - runtheedge.com)

 

[Navigator]

I lost 50 lbs during COVID by eating about 1,000 calories a day in 5 small meals or snacks. I tried to eat balanced meals and not cut out fat or carbs, as this causes me to start craving them. I also walked about 8,000 steps a day, which initially helped with weight loss. However, I found my body adjusted to the calories burned during walking and now I need to continue walking 4 miles a day to keep the weight off. The first week of the diet was hard, but after that it became a routine.

 

[gooddog]

Diet is 80% of weight loss, the other 20% being exercise. That said, walking a few miles a day is a great idea. Make sure you have very good shoes before taking that up. Light weights a few times a week also helps with numerous issues - bone loss, muscle density, blood pressure, glucose level, and so on. Exercise bands are very good also, and easy to transport.

 

[meleana]

I can't seem to diet but I exercise- walking, OR indoor cycle, glider, isometric exercises with hand weights- at least an hour a day. I don't lose weight and I've given up.

 

[Choosehappy]

I also use intermittent fasting and a low carb/processed sugar diet. Reducing sugars takes weight off the middle, reduces bloating. Getting off sugar takes a good 3 weeks. &#55357;&#56862; I also count calories because no diet will work without restricting calories. I follow Dr. Becky Fitness guidelines for weight loss. She’s got some great free tips and a terrific book on intermittent fasting. https://drbeckyfitness.com/dr-beckys-0123-strategy/

 

[Theophrastus Bombastus]

If anyone has lost weight by walking and diet, can you please share your strategy?

What strategy are you looking for? Magic perhaps? There isn't any!

I stroll in nature (some would call it 'forest bathing') 2-4 hours a day - EVERYDAY (weather permitting), have decreased TV and computer time significantly, eat homemade meals, rarely dine out. I am down over 100# in the last two years and have been holding steady for months.

Yeah, it's easier said than done.

 

[CatinKS]

If you use a treadmill when it is unfavorable weather, I found setting the incline to 9 -12 degrees and walking at a slower pace burns as much calories as someone running on level ground at a much faster speed. Also, the incline cured a knee ligament issue I had for several years, as no knee brace required anymore.

 

[Retch The Grate]

Yeah I like incline work on our treadmill. I tend to do a mix of walking/jogging and running. I find the cardio really helps with weight loss BUT I have to be careful about consuming my way out of the calorie deficit as it makes me crave carb filled drinks (I like chocolate milk too much).

 

[chassis]

The operative word "diet" means to me the list of food items, and quantities thereof, consumed.

It's a way of life. Each person on the planet has a "diet" each day of their lives.

Diet is not a program, a plan, or a system. It's not temporary. It's a permanent way of living that should be one of the leading elements of a healthy lifestyle.

 

[aja8888]

I can't seem to diet but I exercise- walking, OR indoor cycle, glider, isometric exercises with hand weights- at least an hour a day. I don't lose weight and I've given up.

Meleana, no question, it's not easy to lose weight. I have done that a few times. When I was a long distance runner in my 30's, and I ran 5 to 7 miles per day and much longer on weekends, I could eat anything in any quantity and still be 5'11", 150 pounds. But, boy did I burn off the calories.

But now at 78 years old, I weigh about 200 pounds and if I don't walk 8,000 steps per day (no more running - two hip implants (thank you, running)), I start gaining weight.

It's really about eating the right things and exercising to your ability. Like said above, for normal folks, losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise.

 

[Bunker]

I enjoyed reading this thread's consistent, sensible comments. Seems we've turned a corner away from the crazy, unsustainable fad diets of the 80s into the 90s, and running miles while wearing a trash bag sweat suit before quitting..... and gaining all the weight back.


Changing one's dietary habits in a sustainable way, will achieve weight loss all on its own. Adding exercise is a bonus, and also brings its own set of benefits. In my early 50s, I shifted to calorie deficit to cut 25 lbs, and then hold in a calorie "maintenance" mode - somebody else mentioned that term, reference to "MyFitnessPal" website. That's what I use too.



Still enjoy doing a lot of cardio, running, and mild weight lifting (for tone/strength not body building), but walking, at a minimum, is a solid enhancement to the baseline strategy of a dietary life change. Don't forget the stretching, which is good to warm those muscles before a walk, and also brings mobility and flexibility benefits.


My Mom's a perfect example of the typical adult who never embraced fitness activity, so she has all sorts of aches & pains, couldn't touch her toes if her life depended on it. Chokes down a handful of pills every morning to mask the various symptoms of an in-active lifestyle.



My Dad, on the other hand, always a heavy, 250lb guy when I was growing up, transformed his dietary intake in his mid-60s with a guide program called "Fit for Life", along with modest exercise (walking, bike riding) and stretching/mobility. Results in 6-months, and within a year, his Doctor began weaning him off the litany of pills he'd been taking for decades. Mid to late 70s now, fit, active, looks great in a suit.



No fad diets and crazy stuff. Keep it simple, and consistent. It works.