Walking to Lose Weight

@Lara, I usually walk outside. I can't stand to be cooped up when I don't need to.

@MrsSmith, I actually started taking ACV pills about 2 weeks ago.

I walk everyday and am on an elliptical 2-3 days a week. I do need to eat cleaner and I need to stop drinking pop (my downfall)

Just try to eat healthier, and don't starve yourself. Cutting calories is always a good idea when trying to lose weight, but don't go overboard and make yourself sick. Good luck!

Whenever I hit a plateau I usually stay there unless I completely change my workout, what seems to work for me is circuit training

-Interval walk (2 minutes at a regular pace, 3 minutes at a faster pace, etc.).

-Add wrist/ankle weights.

-A few days a week, try to switch up your routine so you don't plateau. Resistance training or a barre class would be good.

-Eat clean. No processed foods and try to cut out sugar.

Generally speaking I agree with GymRat. In this care I would disagree with ankle weights. It's very hard on your joints. Weight should be carried as close to your trunk as possible. I. E. Get a weighted vest.

Weight loss is substantially more connected to a calorie deficit and mindful eating on a consistent basis.

Working out at all isn't require.

But.

Big. Fat. But.

Working out is good for your heart, your bone density and general life improvement and wellness.

And 'working out' should include some sort of resistance /strength training. AND cardiovascular work.

Walking is fine. At some point you will probably need to up either the intensity or duration though.

Some light abs during or after your walk! During would be like standing crunches, obliques! Good luck! I LOVE walking

FH and I are cutting out carbs this summer.

Yes, once again I agree with Jo.

I backpack and you always want your heaviest items closest to your core. You can carry surprising amounts up a mountain like this. When I wear steel-toes for work I feel like I'm just dragging my butt along all day (and no mountain!). So you could try a well fitting backpack and carry your water plus some extra things -- or heck go grocery shopping for a couple items and walk back with weight!!!

Nutrition is super important as well. I also like myfitnesspal -- it helps you to figure out where you're at. The only thing though is that you have to properly measure your food to input into mfp otherwise it's not accurate.

Walking won't get your heart rate up enough. Now that you are up to walking 3 miles, try running for a bit in the beginning. Slowly integrate it. Running sucks, but if you do it enough you'll start to get used to it. I always dread running every day, but then remind myself that it's 20 minutes out of my day. Also, adding weights to your arms and legs can actually be pretty harmful to your muscles and tendons, as can any type of "toning" clothing (those shoes from skechers, for example). And if anything, you're going to just tone your muscles, and not lose weight. I'd run before ever using them.

People are right about the eating adjustment. In order to actually shrink your body mass you need to lose fat, not just strengthen muscle. Try making a list of what you eat for a few days, and then review it. You can make adjustments with two approaches, depending on what works for you. 1) Cut out types of foods (sugar, fat, etc.) 2) Be very strict about caloric intake.

In college, I purposely lost 30 pounds in about 3 months. That's a lot, in hindsight, and I should have been eating more in relation to the amount I was exercising. But you can do it without getting out of control. A lot of websites can help you figure out how many calories you can eat in order to lose X pounds per week. This option was always easier for me, because I could still eat my favorite foods, but in moderation. I've managed to keep the weight off, whereas diets before that I cut types of foods out didn't last very long.

Let me clear and repeat myself. Walking is fine. Lots of people drop tons of weight walking.

At some point though you will 'plateau'. So either intensity or duration needs to be increased.

But it's a perfectly acceptable method of getting out there and doing something.

I don't think anyone should be under the illusion that you're going to be a fit athlete from walking 3 miles a day.

But it's not an invalid method of 'exercise'. It still counts.

They suck so much to do, but I would add some hill repeats to your workouts. You find a nearby hill- jog up it and walk back down as many times as you can. It works core and glutes the best.

Before I had my son I lost 90 pounds and outside of working 40 hours a week on my feet, constantly moving, just adding the walking (3ish miles 4 times a week) was the only extra exercise I needed. In terms of diet, I cut out soda completely and only drank water and coffee for a really long time. Not that coffee (at least the way I drink it) was healthy, but, it does make my world go round...

Once the weight started coming off I realized I needed to tone that flabby skin and threw in some extra exercise in my home.

Are you lifting?

I agree with Jo. That's why I started jogging, also my body was ready for it. That helped me through the last 50lbs.

If you're limited on time, tabata/HIIT workouts will give you great results! There's a ton of apps/YouTube videos now. (8Fit is one of my faves.) You can get an effective workout in in just 15-30 minutes. You'll slim down and become a lot stronger.

@GymRat, I don't lift regularly.

I'm not expecting dramatic results from walking. It was just an add-on that I was hoping would help. I also portion out my food when preparing my meals.

I guess as a follow-up question... Is it too late to lose weight/tone up before my September wedding? Given that I will amp up my workout routine.