Fat -v- Muscle.. At what point..
 

Hi again

I've read plenty that when we start exercising we build muscle and that muscle weighs more than fat but looks smaller, hence the fact that we can lose inches before we lose pounds..

What I need to know please is how long does it take before we start to lose the pounds??

Not that I'm impatient or anything .. :(

But after three and a half weeks or walking for a minimum of 30-40 mins a day I would like to see a reduction in the scales as well as in the inches.

How many weeks do i have to wait?

Fi :)

Walking alone doesn't build alot of muscle (unless your climbing mountains hiking 20 miles up hills or something else really intense). Are you cutting back on food intake also?

I have been running every other day and weight training and I haven't had a 3 week stall in the scale yet. You might need to either add more activity or cut back on calories.

Also, one thing to consider is when we exercise, our muscles also tend to retain a bit more water. So you could be retaining water. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water and also look at your calorie intake.

Walking burns around 100 calories a mile. Let's say you're doing 2 miles a day. That's 200 calories. Three and a half weeks, 24 days, 4800 calories, one pound and some ounces.

Walking is great but if you're looking to lose pounds you may want to pay attention to the calories you're taking in as well.

Hi Eleanor, just wanted to say I started off with walking and actually did see scale movement right away. Sorry. So yes, I would make sure your calories aren't exceeding 1500-1600 or so (on avg), that you are consuming at least 64 oz of water each day, and let's look at the walk. Is this a normal walk or a stroll? Or do you really feel your heart beating from it? Unfortunately, some regular walking doesn't really get into creating body change - you've really got to get your heart beating, get a little sweat going, maybe choose some hilly areas, basically just make it feel like a real workout to get results. Apologies if you are doing all that, but it's just worth mentioning in case you are at a more comfortable pace right now.

I'm certainly walking at a decent pace and by the time I've done about 20 minutes my heart is definitely beating faster and I am sweating a bit too. I can't go too mad with the walking though cos once I arrive at work I'm on a reception dealing with Clients, so I don't want to look like I've done a workout.

I'm increasing the amount of water I drink, see if that helps, though I don't really like the stuff but will try anything.

If you have a hard time getting water in, try flavored waters to start with. Aslo, can you leave a bit earlier and take time in the restroom to freshen up a bit, so that you can give it more of a push?

I lost when I first started walking too, but I was already eating healthier by that time.

Well, water isn't your friend either if you are working at reception! :)

Can you add in another 20 minutes after you are at home and have changed into workout clothes, where you could really push it?