Walking for weight/fat loss

Sala · 20-08-2014 9:39am #1

I struggle to fit in and get motivated to exercise. I have a (very expensive:o) gym membership I barely use, as I find when I get home in the evening I'm too tired, or starving... and I need to go at 6am to fit it in before work which I rarely make. But I really need to shed a bit of fat before my wedding in October. I'm trying to eat well.

Anyway, I decided to start walking home from work. It's about 6.5km a day and I keep a brisk pace. When I get home I do some of the exercises I was given in my gym plan - squats, crunches etc. Are the any other good "at home" exercises I could do to tone? (Specifically arms and belly. )It's the only way I can force myself to exercise everyday! And I'm enjoying it which is always a bonus and it means I get home at pretty much the same time as the bus so psychologically it's easier than going to the gym! Do you think walking will help, or am I fooling myself?

Penny Tration · 20-08-2014 9:45am

Any exercise is better than no exercise

You can't spot reduce fat like you want to, you need to reduce overall body fat.

What's your diet like? While exercise is important, diet is way more important for weight loss.

Bruno26 · 20-08-2014 9:47am

Sala wrote: »

I struggle to fit in and get motivated to exercise. I have a (very expensive:o) gym membership I barely use, as I find when I get home in the evening I'm too tired, or starving... and I need to go at 6am to fit it in before work which I rarely make. But I really need to shed a bit of fat before my wedding in October. I'm trying to eat well.

Anyway, I decided to start walking home from work. It's about 6.5km a day and I keep a brisk pace. When I get home I do some of the exercises I was given in my gym plan - squats, crunches etc. Are the any other good "at home" exercises I could do to tone? (Specifically arms and belly. )It's the only way I can force myself to exercise everyday! And I'm enjoying it which is always a bonus and it means I get home at pretty much the same time as the bus so psychologically it's easier than going to the gym! Do you think walking will help, or am I fooling myself?

Walking will help. It is better than not walking. Your diet is what is important. You can do all the exercises you want but you won't get toned without eating properly. Getting where you want is down to 80% diet and 20% intense exercise.

Sala · 20-08-2014 9:58am

Thanks I making an effort to improve my diet, although I'm sure it's not perfect, I still have to eat things I like! I'm trying to have snacks, as I find when I get starving I overeat or make bad choices, usually at dinner time. On a weekday I'd have:
Breakfast: Porridge and coffee
Snack: Fruit
Lunch: Soup and a piece soda bread with butter
Snack in afternoon: Yogurt or fruit
Dinner: chicken breast with broccoli cauliflower peas and gravy /pepper sauce (I need sauce) and maybe 2-3 baby potatoes
Treat: popcorn or hot chocolate

It may not be perfect but it's an improvement

Bruno26 · 20-08-2014 10:08am

Sala wrote: »

Thanks I making an effort to improve my diet, although I'm sure it's not perfect, I still have to eat things I like! I'm trying to have snacks, as I find when I get starving I overeat or make bad choices, usually at dinner time. On a weekday I'd have:
Breakfast: Porridge and coffee
Snack: Fruit
Lunch: Soup and a piece soda bread with butter
Snack in afternoon: Yogurt or fruit
Dinner: chicken breast with broccoli cauliflower peas and gravy /pepper sauce (I need sauce) and maybe 2-3 baby potatoes
Treat: popcorn or hot chocolate

It may not be perfect but it's an improvement

Your diet will dictate how quickly you reach your goals and whether you maintain them. You can still eat foods you like. Removing all processed food will speed up the process. If you are starving then you are not eating enough of the right foods at meal time. Treats are unnecessary. It all comes down to how committed and determined you are.

Sala · 20-08-2014 10:12am

green_screen wrote: »

Any exercise is better than no exercise

You can't spot reduce fat like you want to, you need to reduce overall body fat.

What's your diet like? While exercise is important, diet is way more important for weight loss.

Sorry I didn't mean spot reduce fat, I just meant arm and belly exercises. My gym plan was simple - cross trainer, light weights, bike, chest (I don't know what those machines re called:D) and then crunches and the plank. I figure the walking can be in lieu of the cardio (and I hope to build u p to jogging some of it), I can do the crunches at home, the big thing I'm missing is arm exercises

cynicalcough · 20-08-2014 10:39am

Michael Mosley did a documentary for the BBC which suggested that your NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenics) i.e. the movements such as walking that you make as part of your daily routine can be more important for weight loss than formal 'exercise'. Maybe you could look into getting a pedometer or fitbit to get an idea of how you are moving on a daily basis. He suggests combining this with short busts of HIIT a few times a week to maximize weight loss and fitness without hours in the gym.

Its worth a look if you're interested its available here; http://vimeo.com/51836895

evo2000 · 22-08-2014 10:56pm

Sala wrote: »

I struggle to fit in and get motivated to exercise. I have a (very expensive:o) gym membership I barely use, as I find when I get home in the evening I'm too tired, or starving... and I need to go at 6am to fit it in before work which I rarely make. But I really need to shed a bit of fat before my wedding in October. I'm trying to eat well.

Anyway, I decided to start walking home from work. It's about 6.5km a day and I keep a brisk pace. When I get home I do some of the exercises I was given in my gym plan - squats, crunches etc. Are the any other good "at home" exercises I could do to tone? (Specifically arms and belly. )It's the only way I can force myself to exercise everyday! And I'm enjoying it which is always a bonus and it means I get home at pretty much the same time as the bus so psychologically it's easier than going to the gym! Do you think walking will help, or am I fooling myself?

Yeah its better than nothing really, you wont see the results as quick as you would doing alternative routines, alot depends on diet when it comes to weight loss so you ll want to keep an eye on that

Planks (loads of types of planks look em up)
sit ups
crunches are all good for core

pull ups (you can buy a pull up bar cheap in argos or sports shops)
push ups (wide, diamond ect loads of them too)
Tricep dips using a chair

Just stick at what evers working for you now but try to build on it, like before walking to work one day maybe do push ups and pulls and dips before it and core the next day, dont forget to rest days either tho,

Again the main thing is you ve got the ball rolling and are making an effort keep going and build on it gradually !

23-08-2014 12:01am

If you're walking home then put some jogging or running in as well, get a proper sweat going. Do some planks, lift some heavier weights, it'll all help. You'd be surprised how quickly you'll be able to run/jog most of the way home. Just keep pushing it and watch the diet.

Header15 · 31-08-2014 7:30pm

Get off yo ass and do something girl

Needmockhelp · 31-08-2014 7:39pm

I think u should just walk everywhere and stop eating completely!

Needmockhelp · 31-08-2014 7:40pm

Header15 wrote: »

Get off yo ass and do something girl

That's such a good idea

JJayoo · 31-08-2014 7:40pm

Adding in 6.5km of walking a day is impressive.

Aineoil · 31-08-2014 7:47pm

Bruno26 wrote: »

Walking will help. It is better than not walking. Your diet is what is important. You can do all the exercises you want but you won't get toned without eating properly. Getting where you want is down to 80% diet and 20% intense exercise.

Sala I don't wish to hi jack your thread but I found Bruno's post very interesting.

I will be 50 next year and I want to lose about 1 stone. I'm 5ft tall and I weigh 9st 7lbs at the moment. But weight and the scales are not something I'm into.....I just know I don't look right in clothes etc.

Bruno, tell me more about diet. I have just started eating Fage yoghurts - they are very yummy. But are the worth eating or have I just bought into the hype?

My problem area is my tummy.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Penny Tration · 31-08-2014 8:02pm

Header15 wrote: »

Get off yo ass and do something girl

Troll. There's a few troll posts in the thread

Alf Veedersane · 31-08-2014 8:06pm

Aineoil wrote: »

Sala I don't wish to hi jack your thread but I found Bruno's post very interesting.

I will be 50 next year and I want to lose about 1 stone. I'm 5ft tall and I weigh 9st 7lbs at the moment. But weight and the scales are not something I'm into.....I just know I don't look right in clothes etc.

Bruno, tell me more about diet. I have just started eating Fage yoghurts - they are very yummy. But are the worth eating or have I just bought into the hype?

My problem area is my tummy.

Any advice will be appreciated.

As yoghurts go, they're one of the best on the market because of their calorie and macro profile. But no one thing you eat will make a difference. It's what you eat over the course of a day and week that counts.

You can't do anything to reduce fat in any one problem area. Reducing overall body fat will reduce the fat around the tummy area but there's no silver bullet.

Improving your diet overall will help.

Aineoil · 31-08-2014 9:53pm

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

As yoghurts go, they're one of the best on the market because of their calorie and macro profile. But no one thing you eat will make a difference. It's what you eat over the course of a day and week that counts.

You can't do anything to reduce fat in any one problem area. Reducing overall body fat will reduce the fat around the tummy area but there's no silver bullet.

Improving your diet overall will help.

Thanks Alf
I was looking at an over all eating plan for a week. Ok I will eat the fage yoghurts at 11 as a snack.

I was thinking of making my own soups for lunch. Just hope I don't crave carbs. I don't like bread usually but I adore a bread called Chleb. It's a Polish bread I buy in Dunnes.

For dinner I was thinking of eating fish for 6 days and just meat for 1 day with loads of veg during the week.

I have a weakness for hot chocolate - Butlers hot chocolate is soooo good! Maybe only at the weekends.

Alf Veedersane · 31-08-2014 10:02pm

Aineoil wrote: »

Thanks Alf
I was looking at an over all eating plan for a week. Ok I will eat the fage yoghurts at 11 as a snack.

I was thinking of making my own soups for lunch. Just hope I don't crave carbs. I don't like bread usually but I adore a bread called Chleb. It's a Polish bread I buy in Dunnes.

For dinner I was thinking of eating fish for 6 days and just meat for 1 day with loads of veg during the week.

I have a weakness for hot chocolate - Butlers hot chocolate is soooo good! Maybe only at the weekends.

Once you don't overdo the bread or hot chocolate, you'll be fine once everything else is.

You can use MyFitnessPal to log what you eat and drink to get an idea of what you're taking in. It will mean a bit of weighing your food at the start but you'll be able to judge by eye pretty quickly.

Also, those sachets of Highlights hot chocolate are a decent hot chocolate insofar as they're not too calorie-dense compared to Butlers

Walking for weight/fat loss

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