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Not true, unless they are actively walking. And by that I mean walking a fast pace with those arms pumping. Walking can be hard on the knees and feet of those with issues already in their knees and feet.
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At the University of Melbourne's department of physiology, Dr Gordon Lynch studies the effect of exercise on our bodies. "Running and walking are both fantastic exercises and both are going to be great for our health," says Dr Lynch. ----------
Now there's one last area in this argument, where walking has the clear edge: injury.
"There's going to be much less injury associated with a low impact exercise such as walking, and that's why we can advocate walking for a lot of people, especially if they're overweight or have a cardiovascular condition, they're still going to get a lot of benefits from a brisk walk," says Dr Lynch.
The impact of running on your joints can be more than three times your body weight, every step is triple the impact of walking. You have to train your body to get used to the jarring. Ultimately that's the message, for walking or running — find your level, then build up slowly and the benefits will come, in weight loss and general health.
"Set your goals, set them small and work towards achieving those goals and getting a little bit further every week," says Kerryn.
So there you have it ... the old saying "you've got to walk before you run" is true. There are proven health benefits for both forms of exercise, but it's a matter of working out what's best for you.
Running is very hard on knees, ankles, and other joints. Hard impacts repeated about 1000 times per mile produce extreme stress on these joints. Good shoes can help, but many people can not run because of this stress on their joints. Walking produces far less stress, so people with knee or other joint problems should walk rather than run.
Walking is also good for runners who are recovering from a stress related injury. Those whose legs and joints are excessively stressed even by walking should consider swimming. Swimming is an excellent aerobic activity but is not weight bearing.
There is no proof that running burns more fat than other forms of exercise. In fact, walking a mile may burn more fat than running a mile. This is because when walking the body’s metabolism has time "to switch from burning carbohydrates to burning fat." If you are looking to burn calories, running is the way to go. To run a mile will burn sugar, or carbohydrates. Burning carbohydrates is how the body gives you "fast energy in bursts." While you burn more calories running for an hour than walking for an hour you will not necessarily burn more fat. How many calories you burn depends on factors like metabolism, how fit you are, weight, and the "intensity" of your workout. Those who are overweight burn more calories than normal-sized people by walking because they have to carry their weight. This is also true of stair climbing.
There are also less likely to be injuries when walking in contrast to running, and walking is also easier on the heart.
If you're serious about getting slimmer and healthier, you might consider consulting with a qualified nutritionist to examine your current diet and help you design a new one to help you reach your goal.
Personally, what works for me is a diet centered around vegetables, some complex carbs (brown rice, quinoa, lentils, beans) and little meat--I use poultry/pork/beef as the Chinese do--as a small part of a stir-fry, not big hunks of it.
I have fish twice a week--tuna/salmon--canned or fresh.
No sodas, no store-baked goods. Water, a bit of wine, herbal tea, and one cup of morning coffee my only drinks.
Exercising on an empty stomach is like running your car on an empty gas tank--you'll not get very far before sputtering to a stop. A bad idea.
where did I mention running? I never said the OP should RUN..I said they should POWER WALK. Strolling down the road isn't going to cut it and we both know that.
I've spoken to many PTs and they all agree..running is too hard on the joints. Power walking is better... the elliptical is another excellent choice. It can done by anyone of any age..you get a full body workout with maximum results.. and very low impact.
I actively walk - arms pumping, heart rate up, a bit of speed. That is my level, my body feels good doing it.
I can see how that might not be true for those with prior injuries/conditions. Maybe they would be better off exercising in the pool or focusing on losing weight first, then exercising.
People have to use common sense and do what is right for them. For instance, some people can jump hurdles, I would probably blow a knee out doing something like that. Exercise should feel good to your body, whatever you do - at least that's my view. It always concerns me to see people on those weight loss shows exercising to the point of throwing up...
Thank you everyone, especially for personal experiences and apps/links. I am afraid I will forget to write down some of my meals, but I think I should try that. I am 42 and come from a thin family. Never had weight problems before my metabolism slowed. I just don't understand why I was able to lose 20 lbs a few years ago and it seems impossible now. I did not do any more exercise back then than I am now.
Now that we're eating a little better (lean meats, meals with EVOO) I am eating less and staying fuller longer. I hate exercising. I have no motivation or desire or energy to do it. Any time I've exercised in the past I had to force myself and I can't stay with it long enough to notice any results. This lack of energy is a BIG problem especially in the evenings when I have the time to do something.
Before I get on the treadmill in the morning, I have coffee. I drink some water while I'm on there. I don't eat breakfast cause the coffee fills me up. I have good lunches (no heavy fats or bad carbs). I have been avoiding fried foods. I'm not the cook of the house, but I think our dinners are pretty healthy (compared to how I used to eat).
I believe that in order to lose weight you have to sweat ... get the heart rate up as some of you have mentioned. I know that weights are not crucial to weight loss. Of course I would like to be stronger, but I hate exercising and I have NO ENERGY. My job is mostly sedentary, but it could be worse. I have limited time in the morning but need to do any exercising then (when I have the energy).
I know that everyone's different and I don't know what I need to avoid - knowing that would help (carbs, starches, fat, etc.) I can't avoid everything.
Your metabolism slowed because you have lost muscle mass in your body. People have given you mostly good advice here. Diet is the most important thing in losing weight. I haven't seen anyone mention lifting weights. You don't have to necessarily sweat to lose weight.As folks have point out, walking or even running is not the most efficient way of losing weight especially if you are not already in very good shape and you can't do it long enough. You want to lift weights and do some type of cardiovascular exercise. Start with walking as much as you can. Try swimming, biking and ellipticals. Try to progress to running even if you mix short amounts of running with walking. Don't worry about counting how many calories you have burned.
Most important of all, tell yourself that you love exercising and eventually you will.
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Originally Posted by NJDevil
"I don't eat breakfast cause the coffee fills me up. I'm not hungry in the morning, before or after the coffee."
How is that different? Drinking coffee is not eating.
I appreciate advice from everyone and I am not going to respond to criticisms. That is something I DO NOT NEED. Guess what, I hated exercise even when I was in shape.
Many nutritionists advise that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that it is important to eat as soon as possible after waking up.
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Originally Posted by Cattknap
This attitude - this post - the plea for help (but not really) where people take time to try to help and then the OP basically rejects most or all of it and has an abundance of excuses and an attitude to boot - well, we see this over and over on this forum.
I totally understand making excuses as to why you are overweight or why we can't exercise or why you eat the way we do or can't do the very things that have worked for others - it basically is laziness, fear, justification - whatever....but the bottom line is these people really don't want to go out of their comfort zone and institute real change - change that is hard, that requires work, that isn't comfortable sometimes - they aren't ready for it and in the end they resent what we have to say to them.
Excellent advice!
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Originally Posted by Kim in FL
Not true, unless they are actively walking. And by that I mean walking a fast pace with those arms pumping. Walking can be hard on the knees and feet of those with issues already in their knees and feet.
Everyone has to start somewhere. Start with exercise that you are comfortable with but keep improving. Too many people burn themselves out with running or lifting weights because they push themselves too hard in the beginning when their body is not accustomed to the exercise.
To the OP: I haven't read the entire thread, but the amount of walking you listed in your original post is so minimal and I think that is the problem. There are different ways to approach the measurement of exercise: You can think of the time spent, the miles traveled, or the intensity experienced. If you are walking, make it an hour a day. Once a week, I extend my walking to eight miles, which takes me about one hour and 45 minutes, and which represents a very brisk pace.
If you cannot walk for an hour, just work up to that gradually. I predict that if you do you will be pleased with the eventual results.
^
agree with the above...about extending the time, as you get used to longer walks.
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Start with walking as much as you can. Try swimming, biking and ellipticals.
I do swimming and, last year, started biking. Boy was I suprised at how I can lose weight cycling! Yes a lot of this was water weight, but I think real weight, too. A caution or note: as with walking start out easy and work up, AND, note that cycling works different muscles than walking, so dont be suprised if you might find it tougher to cycle, even after a a fairly good personal walking program underway.
I tend to agree with the 'exercise is boring' comment. The walking and cycling I do is not in the gym but outside, in the real world. I recognize the technology in cycling and walking machines can be fine-tuned for pace, simulated grades and slopes, etc, which appeals to the 'numbers guy' in me......but the bordom aspect of doing this in one place (the gym) sort of negates the psychological pleasure of 'travel' (walking and cycling through a landscape, weather, etc) as part of the exercise...and I do this stuff more for the fun part, the pyschological part, vs the weight loss part.
you're right, I could be. I really don't want to start measuring/weighing my food. I do watch my portion sizes and it's really only dinner that I need to watch.I checked out more links just now and I signed up with sparkpeople. I will have to keep weighing all the options (what everyone writes on here) and make the changes that I KNOW I can make. I know that exercising is supposed to give you energy, but it just makes me tired. I guess I should eat foods that can help boost my energy levels.
If you're not willing to make the effort to do some weighing and measuring, you're just not very serious about losing weight. It's not hard to do and takes only seconds. At this point you have no idea how many calories you're consuming and until you do, you won't be able to decide what changes you need to make to lose weight.
You're most likely tired at the end of the day because you've been eating simple carbs all day. But you have no idea how many carbs you're consuming because you won't weigh or measure anything.
NJ, if you don't want to measure (or at least be aware) of the amount of food you're consuming, you will have to change the food you consume.
For example, you can have all the *steamed* or raw broc, cauli, spinach, carrots, kale, chard, green beans, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes that you want. Go to town. Nothing on top, no dressing. Steamed or raw (watch out for gas!).
But seriously, you have to be more vigilant.
I know one person who lost weight from walking. She walked 6 miles a day. It worked. But her knees are shot to hell now - she had a double knee replacement shortly after. It was like a bad joke.
Walking is better than nothing, but I simply don't understand why people have an aversion to sweating and feeling uncomfortable when they exercise. You have to push your body to see real change.
The weighing, measuring, and calorie counting are sort of a training aid to get one used to certain reasonable portion sizes...sort of practice and experience for foods you use a lot.....then you can eyeball portion sizes.
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