Is it true that walking a lot only maintains weight loss and does not actually help the person lose weight?

[Anonymous]

I do admit that I eat fast food like 3 times every other week and I take public transportation which leaves me with no choice but to walk most of the time If I want to save time or money

I walk a lot and even my mom tells me that I walk a lot

I need to lose weight so I need to change my diet but I heard that some people do not consider walking exercise

But I'm unemployed so a gym is definitely not the answer and I don't get unemployment checks because I never worked full time

[dogbert444]

It's really simple maths. Eat 3,500 calories and it's the equivalent of putting on about 1lb in weight. There are a lot of "depends", like metabolic rate, your weight at the time etc.

Medium pace walking burns 120 calories in 1/2 hour. So 3 sessions EXTRA of 1/2 hour each week will lose 360 cals extra, or about 1/10lb. In 10 weeks thats 1lb. Not much. But over a year, it's 5lbs, and it is more likely to stay off than weight loss from fad or crash diets, which don't work long term.

Every time you walk fast for, say, 1/2 hour, stop or slow right down after 15 mins for 1-2 mins. Your body will "learn" to keep burning cals at the same rate as fast walking in anticipation of the next bit of fast walking. After a few weeks, it will have learned to keep burning cals at the same rate for up to 1/2 hour after you stop walking, "just in case" you decide to do more!

Biggest weight loss comes from a change in eating habits, NOT a diet!!

1. 3 meals a day, but plate NOT piled high.
2. Use low fat, low sugar products always.
3. Avoid fresh fruit juice. Looks healthy? It's full of fructose, fruit sugar.
4. Balance the types of food, carbs, protein, fruit and veg, dairy, fats.
5. Allow yourself 2 "treats" each day both 100 cals or less.
6. Use whole wheat products like pasta, bread etc.

There are many more aspects to losing weight and KEEPING IT OFF.

And don't skip meals!!

[Asker]

That's what I meant by diet

[Asker]

I meant eating

[Asker]

Thanks for the advice
I never skip meals on purpose

[dogbert444]

Always welcome. I think you will get there! It takes time!

[dogbert444]

Thanks for MHG! I hope it's going OK!

[aficionado]

Yes, this is certainly true to an extent. I was overweight a few years back. I tried walking, even jogging for several hours day, but it didn't help. Of course, I used to consume quit a lot of fast food and stuff.

Then, I resorted to a low calorie, low sugar diet, which helped me shed a lot of weight, although I never indulged in any kind of physical exercise.

So yeah, a proper, low calorie diet is essential to 'lose' weight, whereas walking can help to maintain the weight. Of course, following a diet plan AND indulging in some walking, is the best way to speed up results!

[Asker]

I run across the street a lot does that count lol

[Asker]

Also I forgot to add that the fast food eating is not an ongoing thing. it's like every 2 months that I eat fast food not once a month

And I need to weigh myself but the gnc that had the scale and bmi measure at the mall is gone

[aficionado]

Why don't you buy a digital weighing scale? I have one, which I use to regularly keep track of my weight. And since my height does not change at my age, I use a mobile app to calculate my BMI.

It's ok to eat fast food occasionally. But if you want to lose weight, you need to create a calorie deficit in your body.

[Asker]

I don't have a job

[Anonymous]

Walking is definitely exercise, walking a mile at a 4mile per hour pace is 139kcal burnt, so to lose weight you need to burn 3500 kcal to lose a pound so if you say walked 3 mile a day, so 420 kcal a day, 7 days a week is around 2900kcal so every week and two days you could lose a pound presuming that you are eating just maintenance kcal and not more otherwise you won't lose anything