Hey, please move this topic if it's the wrong category, I'm new with this forum.
So here's my question...
I am walking 25/30 minutes EVERYDAY (that means 7 days a week), and I see the weight lose but it's very slow. I started this "walk program" something like 1 month ago and I have just lost 7 pounds.
I eat well. Walking is my only exercice for now.
Soooo can you help me improve my weight lost?! I don't want to walk 2h each day.
7 lbs in a month is a healthy weight loss rate. Any more than 2 lbs per month is really faster than most bodies can go safely and sustainably. Sometimes, if you start at a higher weight, you can go faster, but 7 lbs a month is great.
However, if you want to increase your calorie burn, you might consider adding in some strength training. Building muscles will help rev your metabolism, so you'll burn more calories all day long, even when you're at rest.
Maybe I'm missing something here but I thought 1-2 lbs a week was a good weight loss? That would make 7 pounds lost at the end of the month still a good weight loss? Just wondering and trying to get my 30 posts in...
you should be aware that women don't really bulk up when they lift weights, it just tends to make them look more toned. I mean, if thats your concern. 7 pounds is pretty good, the amount you can safely lose does vary depending on how much you need to lose, but 7 pounds a month would add up pretty quickly! I would say really whatever exercise you're comfortable doing is a good thing, so if walking is all you're comfortable with right now, cool beans. I do find for myself that trying new types of exercise helps keep things interesting, so you might think about what other things might be fun to try if walking starts getting a little monotonous. Maybe try riding a bike, or check out some exercise dvds from the library and see if any tickle your fancy. I think the most important thing is just to get moving rather than doing any particular type of exercise, unless you have specific fitness goals you are working towards.
Women don't have the biological necessities to "bulk up" with weights (basically, we're missing the hormones to do so...women with big huge muscles like bodybuilders are either getting extra hormones or having a hormone imbalance issue). So lifting weights won't make you get bigger. It'll just make you "tighter", look better at your goal weight, stronger, and more efficient at burning the calories you eat.
I would suggest walking uphill more and add some lunges to your walks. Also, it's a good idea to put on a backpack that has some add weight to it (I use sand), which will make you burn more calories. I'll also piggy-back on what the others said: lifting weights will make you burn more calories at rest. You won't bulk up. If you're worried, don't make the weights super heavy.
Oh, but your intro says you're a guy, so you do have the necessary hormones to build muscle. That being said, you still won't get much bigger without seriously dedicating yourself to lifting, having a very clean diet, etc. You can get the benefits of lifting without getting big and bulky!
I agree with the other posters that adding a little strength training to your exercise regimen is good on several levels -- helps to build lean muscle and also helps to stabilize your joints for the other aerobic activities you may like to do.
That said, if you want to increase your calorie burn during your 30 minute walking sessions, another option is to increase the intensity of your walk. You can do that by either walking on an incline or by increasing the speed. You don't say whether you are walking outside or inside on a treadmill, but either would work. You could consider adding intervals -- a few minutes walking at a steeper incline, then back to flat. Or speed intervals -- throwing in a few minutes of faster walking or jogging. Just keep it to a level where you feel comfortable. You can also simply go longer to burn more calories, but increasing the intensity of your walk will burn more calories in the same amount of time.
darn, that makes me feel bad. Ive been working out everyday for two weeks, doing an hour of cardio , supposedly burning 550 calories a day and i only lost 1 and a half pounds...whats wrong with me?
I walk daily minimum 45 minutes a day (quite quickly since i am always running late!) and have done for years- makes no difference to my weight, i gain, i lose, whatever. What i put in my mouth has a way bigger impact. Incidentally, it doesn't seem to improve my cardio health too much either. I have found for me there is absolutely a link between something that makes me SWEAT and weight loss. I mean if you are very out of shape it might make more of a difference but i would recommend doing something that gets your heart rate up more. Or if walking is a challange enough for you, just try and walk faster! Make some distance or time goals for your walks and/or get some handweights to carry on your walk. Good for you though! 7lbs is definitely a good start!
What I found challenging when walking got too easy was stair climbing. Short walk, tons of stairs, and a little walk right after. By walking after the stair climbing I found my heart rate was higher than just the walking alone.
I'm still new to this, but I go for 3-4 days a week -- between an hour and hour and half (rarely hit the hour and half now, mostly somewhere in between) and more if I feel like it. But that time includes some strength training.
If you're concerned maybe you could ask a local trainer/doctor about how you could strength train without bulking up? Even if there's a small fee, if you can afford it, and then are able to strength train and burn more cals, it sounds like it would be worth it.
Last edited by chickiegirl; 06-29-2009 at 07:25 PM.
Is my "exercice" OK? What should I add?
