Hello all! I am needing some motivation to continue with walking for weight loss. I tried to start running again, but it was too much jarring on my knees. I stopped running and started walking. I find that my walking is giving me quite a workout, even more so than running. I lost weight years ago from running, but I've never done so with just walking. I'm looking for some motivation and proof that I CAN lose weight with just walking and no running!

Could people please post their weight loss successes from walking (whether you are at goal or not), listing how often, how fast & how far you walked, where you walked (track, treadmill, hills, trails, etc) and what eating plans you followed. Also, any tips you have for really getting a good workout!

Thanks in advance and good luck to all!

Hey Olivia...(excellent name by the way, I'm also an Olivia )

I started at 176 pounds and walked it down to 130

I walked for about 50-80 mins most days just around my suburb (and the one adjoining) at a very very fast clip. I'd usually cover 6-8kms. It's mostly flat but there are a few large hills involved.

I didn't follow any eating plan...just ate healthy with majority veges/fruit, grains and legumes...oh and tonnes of low-fat dairy but not a whole lot of meats.

It took about 9 months to get to that weight so slow and steady won my race!

Livi

Hi Olivia627! I'm following the Whole Foods Diet & have lost about 6 pounds in two weeks. I've just started reshaping my eating & exercise habits, so I'm pleased to be in the minus column even if it's only a little bit. I'm walking nearly 2 miles in thirty minutes (3.5 mph or about 16 minutes per mile) once daily on a well traveled road. In another couple of weeks I want to start walking twice a day at least three days a week. Best wishes with your goals. I'm sure you'll get lots of great advice.

Hey Olivia, when I first started losing weight, the only exercise I got was from walking. I walked for about an hour a day at a moderate pace (about 3.5 mph) I was (and am) a calorie counter. I'd say I lost my first 50 pounds or so while just walking for exercise.

me!!! I'm a walker..... I've lost 45 lbs following WW Flex Points and using walking for exercise. Usually 3.5 miles day (about an hour to an hour and 10 minutes), M-F, then 5.25 on Sunday (Saturdays off). I've been slacking following WW for the past month or two, and the weight has been up and down the same 3 lbs but if not for walking, I'm sure it would be worse. I would love to run but for me, the knees can't handle it, neither can my ankles for that matter. I would like to lose another 45 lbs within the next year, I'm sure I'll use walking for maintenance for the rest of my life or as long as I'm up on my own two feet.

Hi

So far I've lost 39 pounds. I walk approx. 60-80 minutes per day; sometimes more on weekends. No diet, just eating healthful foods... lots of fresh fruits and veggies, smaller portions of meat, etc. NO "junk" and very few processed foods.

2/25/06 I recieved my pedometer in the mail and strapped it on right away. On that day, I weighed 172 pounds. Since then, walking has been my main form of exercise, and I'm down 17 pounds! I'm a calorie counter, just trying to eat as healthy as I can. Everything in moderation is my motto

Wow, thanks everyone! I am trying to tweak my own eating plan: high in fruits & veggies, whole foods, fish & lean meats; no junk, sugars, processed foods, etc. It's not hard for me, because I love to eat that way anyway.

I love walking and you guys really inspire me to continue. That is why I posted this thread. Thanks so much for the encouragement and motivation!

Oh, and Olivia is my daughter's name! But thanks! I love it too! We call her Livie too, Livi!

Hope

Hi Hope

Since you love walking, let me invite you to come over to the Coast to Coast Challenge thread, sign up and join us on our walk from Hopedale MA to Seattle WA. We are almost to the WA state line actually but we still have to get BACK some way (haven't decided exactly on a route just yet). We would love to have you join in!!! And anyone else too who is reading this... it's FUN!

I was losing weight just walking. I started out just walking 1 mile every day. But I was wanting to run, because walking...well...it takes longer. On a busy schedule, I wanted to run and move on to something else. I also had the problem with jarring the knees though. So I purchased a couple knee supports in the pharmacy section at Wal*Mart and wear those when running. It helps to take some pressure off the knees. A very good pair of running shoes with some good heal stabilization is also a must. But if you just want to stay with walking and have the time to invest, it can help you lose weight just as much as running.

I lost 100 pounds in a year with an hour of walking a day and calorie counting. (I averaged around 1400 calories a day). Since then I have added weight training to continue to lose as well as tone. I walked with my dog on city streets and around parks and on bike trails....I moved around to keep things interesting.