Walking is underrated for weight maintenance and weight loss! My experience....

[Anonymous]

It’s personal preference how much exercise, calorie restriction, and length of time one wants to engage in to lose weight or get to a certain level of fitness.

I started walking every day earlier this spring and, as of today, have lost 10 pounds. I’m in my forties.

Walking has been a great “gateway drug” that’s helped me be more mindful of what I eat as well. I haven’t severely restricted my diet, but I pay attention now, and that has helped.

Even if walking only burns 100 calories, if those calories are in deficit, one will lose weight. I told myself that I wanted to be at a deficit, no matter how small, and no matter how long it took to lose.

Now that I’m building the habit, I’m slowly adding and have started doing yoga once a week.

It’s a process - good luck to everyone on this fitness journey we’re all on!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.

Not OP, but you're wrong here. Firstly, a 45 minute brisk walk burns far more than 100 calories. I wear a polar heart rate monitor occasionally to check that my apple watch workout data is accurate. When I do a 45 min brisk walk, I burn 300-400 calories, depending on how many hills I hit. Of course, this number varies, based on the individual, but, 45 minutes of brisk walking absolutely is a workout and I find that this is almost like a dirty secret that many fitness obsessed people pretend is not true. Any PPs who are overweight and unhappy with how they look and feel - ignore the people who want to neg you for walking. Get up and do it, and you will never regret it. At all. If 45 minutes feels daunting, start with 10-15. Add 5 more minutes every few days and you will be so surprised at how quickly your walking stamina will increase.

Do some reading about NEAT movement. For many people who do have a tendency toward overeating, intense workout can lead to more overeating and also more sedentary time after the workout, thus significantly lowering the overall calorie burn in a day. If you stick to less strenuous "exercise" you are likely to be able to better control calorie consumption. The caveat - this will not get you a hard, lean body. One does need to lift weights for that, but walking is a great place to start and is more beneficial to your longevity than any intense exercise program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.

Not OP, but you're wrong here. Firstly, a 45 minute brisk walk burns far more than 100 calories. I wear a polar heart rate monitor occasionally to check that my apple watch workout data is accurate. When I do a 45 min brisk walk, I burn 300-400 calories, depending on how many hills I hit. Of course, this number varies, based on the individual, but, 45 minutes of brisk walking absolutely is a workout and I find that this is almost like a dirty secret that many fitness obsessed people pretend is not true. Any PPs who are overweight and unhappy with how they look and feel - ignore the people who want to neg you for walking. Get up and do it, and you will never regret it. At all. If 45 minutes feels daunting, start with 10-15. Add 5 more minutes every few days and you will be so surprised at how quickly your walking stamina will increase.

Do some reading about NEAT movement. For many people who do have a tendency toward overeating, intense workout can lead to more overeating and also more sedentary time after the workout, thus significantly lowering the overall calorie burn in a day. If you stick to less strenuous "exercise" you are likely to be able to better control calorie consumption. The caveat - this will not get you a hard, lean body. One does need to lift weights for that, but walking is a great place to start and is more beneficial to your longevity than any intense exercise program.

I agree with everything you have here, except the very last underlined part. Depending on your age, there is good science to support the need for some intensity to support longevity. Without getting into VO2Max and goofy watch calculators, just about anybody studying longevity projections suggests some sort of intense cardio exercise. If joints are a concern (which is an entirely different debate), a well fitting bike is a great solution that. Including a stationary bike.

And walking is 100% a gateway. I started my fitness journey walking during COVID. I can now run close to a 5:30/mile at 42, and I am most suited to longer distances on both a bike and running. I am in the best physical condition of my life. It all started by just walking around my neighborhood in NoVa.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.

Not OP, but you're wrong here. Firstly, a 45 minute brisk walk burns far more than 100 calories. I wear a polar heart rate monitor occasionally to check that my apple watch workout data is accurate. When I do a 45 min brisk walk, I burn 300-400 calories, depending on how many hills I hit. Of course, this number varies, based on the individual, but, 45 minutes of brisk walking absolutely is a workout and I find that this is almost like a dirty secret that many fitness obsessed people pretend is not true. Any PPs who are overweight and unhappy with how they look and feel - ignore the people who want to neg you for walking. Get up and do it, and you will never regret it. At all. If 45 minutes feels daunting, start with 10-15. Add 5 more minutes every few days and you will be so surprised at how quickly your walking stamina will increase.

Do some reading about NEAT movement. For many people who do have a tendency toward overeating, intense workout can lead to more overeating and also more sedentary time after the workout, thus significantly lowering the overall calorie burn in a day. If you stick to less strenuous "exercise" you are likely to be able to better control calorie consumption. The caveat - this will not get you a hard, lean body. One does need to lift weights for that, but walking is a great place to start and is more beneficial to your longevity than any intense exercise program.

I am the PP to whom you are responding. Not sure how you have concluded that I am negging walking, as I said pretty clearly that I walk significantly more than OP (normally 1.5-2.5h a day). I very much realize and appreciate the benefits of walking. My reaction was mostly to the OP calling on people to drop the gym and go walking. What I am saying is that you should do both. Weightlifting is hugely beneficial, and particularly so for women as they age. I never do any HIIT, as I dont like to abuse my body, just old school heavy lifting. And, if anything, that suppresses my appetite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.

Not OP, but you're wrong here. Firstly, a 45 minute brisk walk burns far more than 100 calories. I wear a polar heart rate monitor occasionally to check that my apple watch workout data is accurate. When I do a 45 min brisk walk, I burn 300-400 calories, depending on how many hills I hit. Of course, this number varies, based on the individual, but, 45 minutes of brisk walking absolutely is a workout and I find that this is almost like a dirty secret that many fitness obsessed people pretend is not true. Any PPs who are overweight and unhappy with how they look and feel - ignore the people who want to neg you for walking. Get up and do it, and you will never regret it. At all. If 45 minutes feels daunting, start with 10-15. Add 5 more minutes every few days and you will be so surprised at how quickly your walking stamina will increase.

Do some reading about NEAT movement. For many people who do have a tendency toward overeating, intense workout can lead to more overeating and also more sedentary time after the workout, thus significantly lowering the overall calorie burn in a day. If you stick to less strenuous "exercise" you are likely to be able to better control calorie consumption. The caveat - this will not get you a hard, lean body. One does need to lift weights for that, but walking is a great place to start and is more beneficial to your longevity than any intense exercise program.

I agree with everything you have here, except the very last underlined part. Depending on your age, there is good science to support the need for some intensity to support longevity. Without getting into VO2Max and goofy watch calculators, just about anybody studying longevity projections suggests some sort of intense cardio exercise. If joints are a concern (which is an entirely different debate), a well fitting bike is a great solution that. Including a stationary bike.

And walking is 100% a gateway. I started my fitness journey walking during COVID. I can now run close to a 5:30/mile at 42, and I am most suited to longer distances on both a bike and running. I am in the best physical condition of my life. It all started by just walking around my neighborhood in NoVa.

OP here. To each their own but I believe high intensity exercise can be damaging. I don't think you have to do an hour of intense workout to get a fitness benefit. My resting heart rate is high 50s. Prior to becoming a consistently daily walker my resting rate was high 60s low 70s. When I walk four miles at a good fast pace my heart rate goes into the 80s and low 90s. A 3-4 mile walk is my weekend length. I only do just over 2 miles during the weekday. So many people I know say they can't get gym, don't have tome or money for a membership. I think everyone should just lace up their shoes and walk. Everyone can spare 30 min minimum. Walking also significantly reduces risk of osteoporosis and hip fracture. I like the example the person above gave as it being a gateway. In the past couple years i have gotten into mat pilates. I do these at home, not as consistently as I'd like. I do see the general attitude with some people as being an old person activity. And I agree a 2 mile walk burns more than 100 cals. But more importantly walking drops blood sugars fast, better than any drug on the market like metformin etc.

[Anonymous]

I used to walk everywhere because I didn’t have a car and I remained overweight. Walking has no weight loss\maintenance benefits for me. I need more cardio intensity to burn calories and get my heart rate up. I hate walking and would never recommend it for weight loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you are primarily thin due to genetics.

As a fellow thin person I completely agree. I have a sister and she favors my father and is very heavy. I favor my mother and don’t gain weight. I don’t watch my eating. My sister does and she’s exercise more than me and eats way less than me and is still overweight. She would survive a famine, I would be dead in a month.

[Anonymous]

Everyone should do the exercise they like (so they keep doing it) and eat the amount of calories they need to maintain their desired weight. You don’t have to lift heavy and eat 130 grams of protein a day to be a healthy person.

If walking didn’t “work” for you, it’s because you were eating more than you needed to eat every day. It’s silly to to blame the walking. Or suggest that OP find some other exercise. Or say it’s genetics.

But walking, of course, isn’t a magical fix to someone’s overeating problem.

[Anonymous]

Completely agree! My mood is especially different when I walk vs when I don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s personal preference how much exercise, calorie restriction, and length of time one wants to engage in to lose weight or get to a certain level of fitness.

I started walking every day earlier this spring and, as of today, have lost 10 pounds. I’m in my forties.

Walking has been a great “gateway drug” that’s helped me be more mindful of what I eat as well. I haven’t severely restricted my diet, but I pay attention now, and that has helped.

Even if walking only burns 100 calories, if those calories are in deficit, one will lose weight. I told myself that I wanted to be at a deficit, no matter how small, and no matter how long it took to lose.

Now that I’m building the habit, I’m slowly adding and have started doing yoga once a week.

It’s a process - good luck to everyone on this fitness journey we’re all on!

I'm in my early 60s and logged a lot of 10K steps/daily for a couple of decades. Alas, an injury, hitting menopause, and some family challenges threw me off that routine and I was fairly dormant for at least 18 months. I gained nearly 25 pounds over the course of two years - was probably 5ish pounds overweight when that started. This spring I started to kick up my steps again and be more mindful of my consumption. I've lost 15ish and have another 15 to go, but even losing 10 more would still be a victory for me.

Love any suggested weight routines from folks here. I do not have access to a gym, so need to do at home.

Ditto PP - good luck to everyone on your fitness journey!

[Anonymous]

I walk for living. I also do incline on treadmill and walk some more. I outran the sporty guys in my class when I was in elementary.
It gave me stamina, but it did nothing to my weight and my chubby belly has always been there.
I cannot eat any carbs, starch, sugar. It all goes to my belly (not even butt).
I can out-walk and outran most of my slimmer friends. What works for me is walking, weights, fasting, and eating protein and vegetable only. What really works is when I lose my appetite after fasting and simply stop eating.
But even fruit does me in. Not berries though.
I got my first bananas in early 90s and the stomach ache, diarrhea and bloating I got on a trip, still haunts me.
My two skinny friend ate just as many bananas and didn't blink an eye.
We are all different. I love walking, but it does nothing much to my weight. I'm also a person who put on 50 pounds with my two pregnancies and had no milk for the kids.
I blame the generation of people before me who needed fat to stay alive and warm in the north, were used to eating mostly meat and vegetables (farmers), and could not handle the sugar, starch, carbs and other crap available to us now. I also have hard time getting nutrients out of food. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is no reason to not do both, walking and lifting. I walk significantly more than you, but it is just the way I live my life. I do not even consider it exercise unless I am hiking a mountain. Lifting is what I consider my actual workout. Also 45 minutes of walking would do nothing for your figure if you had a natural tendency to overeat. Your walk burns maybe 100 calories.

Not OP, but you're wrong here. Firstly, a 45 minute brisk walk burns far more than 100 calories. I wear a polar heart rate monitor occasionally to check that my apple watch workout data is accurate. When I do a 45 min brisk walk, I burn 300-400 calories, depending on how many hills I hit. Of course, this number varies, based on the individual, but, 45 minutes of brisk walking absolutely is a workout and I find that this is almost like a dirty secret that many fitness obsessed people pretend is not true. Any PPs who are overweight and unhappy with how they look and feel - ignore the people who want to neg you for walking. Get up and do it, and you will never regret it. At all. If 45 minutes feels daunting, start with 10-15. Add 5 more minutes every few days and you will be so surprised at how quickly your walking stamina will increase.

Do some reading about NEAT movement. For many people who do have a tendency toward overeating, intense workout can lead to more overeating and also more sedentary time after the workout, thus significantly lowering the overall calorie burn in a day. If you stick to less strenuous "exercise" you are likely to be able to better control calorie consumption. The caveat - this will not get you a hard, lean body. One does need to lift weights for that, but walking is a great place to start and is more beneficial to your longevity than any intense exercise program.

I agree with everything you have here, except the very last underlined part. Depending on your age, there is good science to support the need for some intensity to support longevity. Without getting into VO2Max and goofy watch calculators, just about anybody studying longevity projections suggests some sort of intense cardio exercise. If joints are a concern (which is an entirely different debate), a well fitting bike is a great solution that. Including a stationary bike.

And walking is 100% a gateway. I started my fitness journey walking during COVID. I can now run close to a 5:30/mile at 42, and I am most suited to longer distances on both a bike and running. I am in the best physical condition of my life. It all started by just walking around my neighborhood in NoVa.

OP here. To each their own but I believe high intensity exercise can be damaging. I don't think you have to do an hour of intense workout to get a fitness benefit. My resting heart rate is high 50s. Prior to becoming a consistently daily walker my resting rate was high 60s low 70s. When I walk four miles at a good fast pace my heart rate goes into the 80s and low 90s. A 3-4 mile walk is my weekend length. I only do just over 2 miles during the weekday. So many people I know say they can't get gym, don't have tome or money for a membership. I think everyone should just lace up their shoes and walk. Everyone can spare 30 min minimum. Walking also significantly reduces risk of osteoporosis and hip fracture. I like the example the person above gave as it being a gateway. In the past couple years i have gotten into mat pilates. I do these at home, not as consistently as I'd like. I do see the general attitude with some people as being an old person activity. And I agree a 2 mile walk burns more than 100 cals. But more importantly walking drops blood sugars fast, better than any drug on the market like metformin etc.

I'm a huge fan of walking for exercise, I get a lot of benefit and enjoyment from it. With that said, you're not getting your heart rate up enough. And as someone who is borderline osteo myself I know that you're not stressing your bones enough to make any significant improvement to your bones - I know this based on your 80-90 heart rate. You need to increase your pace, and incorporate intervals of jogging or sprinting during your walks. Again, big fan of walking but try to at least consider that you might need to tweak your current walking regimen.

[Anonymous]

I'm a runner, but at various times, I've switched to walking (ex., during pregnancy or when I have a minor injury). I can definitely see the benefits, though I'm not sure it would help me keep weight off forever.

[Anonymous]

The human body is evolutionarily optimized for walking. It's how our ancestors avoided starvation. Not walking is betraying your nature, like a bird refusing to fly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to walk everywhere because I didn’t have a car and I remained overweight. Walking has no weight loss\maintenance benefits for me. I need more cardio intensity to burn calories and get my heart rate up. I hate walking and would never recommend it for weight loss.

I sometimes wonder if walking is one of those activities that makes fat people very healthy on the inside. Fat people who exercise regularly and eat decently tend to be as healthy, if not as thin, as thin people. I think walking moves the needle on the scale for some, but I bet it’s mostly interior work for most.