To think I can lose weight by walking 5 miles a day, Monday to Friday?

[NoNameNoGame]

AIBU?

Mon to Fri walking 5 miles a day.

Watching what I eat but not too strict otherwise I will just cave in. So cutting out bread, potatoes, rice and pasta.

Can I lose weight? I'm looking to lose 2 stone by Sep?

Exercise does make you hungry, have a vegetable soup with brown bread, or raspberries with a fat free yogurt.
If you plan meals it works.

Extra exercise alone won't work. You'll have to change what you eat as well. Try not to diet, but to change your eating habits. Change one thing each week so it becomes a new habit.

Or join Weight Watchers (like I have).

Good Luck!

You need to diet too ! Otherwise won’t do shit 😊

This was how I lost weight as there's no other exercise I like, but I did need to calorie count too. I got a fitbit, tried to walk as close to 10,000 steps (which is about 5 miles) and reduced food intake. My Fitness Pal could then show me what my deficit was. For me it was a really sustainable way of losing it, I lost 20lb in 2 months. I found it pretty easy to maintain too.

Brisk / fast-paced walking is great aerobic exercise. I think you could do less than 5 miles per day and still lose weight (provided obviously that this is more exercise than you're currently used to).

I've noticed lots of comments on here suggesting that you do stuff like give up bread etc but please try and remember that complex carbohydrates are an important part of a balanced diet. If you get sucked into quick fixes, the chances are you'll put the weight back on as soon as you introduce the foods you cut out. Imo it's all about balance and everything in moderation rather than cutting out / dramatically cutting down on everyday foods for a faster short term result. Good luck!

Well i’ve just come back from a walking holiday which I was doing between 6 to 10 miles a day, I put on half a stone because of my calorie intake 😋

Brisk walking so you're slightly out of breath can definitely help with weight loss.
Yes, you need to consider your diet too but don't over-restrict calories as it can be counter-productive as you will be hungrier from using more energy and likely to snack on something unhealthy.
Also, no need to completely cut out bread rice pasta, just switch from white to brown (whole grain) options to keep you feeling full for longer and keep your blood sugar stable. Plenty of good protein and fats to keep you full. No real need to count calories if you only eat when actually hungry, rather than when you think you should.

Well in my very considerable experience , nothing other than watching what you eat will make you lose weight. Exercise alone won't do it. Exercise will put you in a great frame of mind though, and you'll feel so much the better for it. You'll also find you have more strength to resist the biscuits and pasta.

So a combo of walking and diet should yield results. But I'd say you have to do changes that you can live with long term, otherwise the weight will come straight back. So maybe don't be too extreme, take it slowly.

I’m hoping this works. I’ve recently started to do 15k steps a day and have cut all the crap from my diet. I want to lose weight before I do any other types of exercise as I can cause myself food issues.
I can’t say it’s made a massive difference yet sadly.

"My mum walked 5 miles most days, mostly carrying heavy shopping on the return uphill leg. She was fat all her life. She used to say 'I can't understand how I'm still fat when I do all this'. She also did a hard core cleaning job."

Everyone is different. Walking is the only exercise I do and I'm 8 and a half stone / size 10. Perhaps the heavy shopping slowed her down, I believe the key to walking for weight loss is to go at a brisk pace. Not trying to be negative, just trying to say that just because walking doesn't work for some, it may still work for others

The Truth about Diets on last nigh compared all diets (yes I know you asked about walking). But the keto diet was the cheapest diet and lost the most weight in a month without the need to exercise. Keto works because it controls the hormone insulin which controls the body losing or storing fat. Weight gain or loss is hormone related not calorie related. Enough studies around to back this up. You could check out Dr Berry on YouTube, DietDoctor.com website or Dr Jason Fung with he's Obesity Code which explains very clearly how it all works. Good luck. Easily achievable in the time you have if you control your hormones with the right food. food controls hormones so this is the golden key. I'm a huge fan.

I walk 5 miles a day with my dogs, over 2 walks.

I've got very toned legs and my Fitbit shows my fitness levels as good.

It's helped me lose 3 stone OP. But it is the cutting back on food thats the main part.

She used to say 'I can't understand how I'm still fat when I do all this

There's an old saying that you can't outrun your fork. Exercise is obviously good as it burns calories but you still have to control your intake.

I think you stand a good chance of reaching your goal. You seem as if you are willing to make this a lifestyle change and keep developing healthy habits. I find that taking this approach which is slow and steady works and is much more long term than a crash, quick fix diet.
If you’re cutting back and increasing exercise and then gently increase your exercise, I’m sure you’ll eventually see results.

Look at what other changes you can keep adding as you go. Good luck!!

For sure, if you limit your calories, I’ve done it. I only walked an hour a day.

Yes you will. Maybe also try a bit of intermittent fasting like skipping breakfast or eating it later. Also not snacking between meals is a good habit to get into. Eating as much as possible a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, full fat yoghurt and small amounts of cheese. Low fat foods and fry light are not good for you. The Michael Moseley Mediterranean diet book is very easy to read and makes sense.

You will be fitter and healthier, you should sleep better and have more energy. So all good.

As PPs have said, you won't lose weight unless you keep an your diet too!

I really hope it works for you. I used to walk five mile a day over two walks and lost nothing. I finally lost 1.5 stone through cutting out all the food I was intolerant too. Half a stone has gone back on so I'm stating to use My Fitness Pal. I just inputted something in then saw how many few calories I had left for dinner and decided having the sweets wasn't worth it. Put the rest away .

It also depends on how much you weigh before starting. Because when I am overweight I can shed weight fast by cutting certain things from my diet and walking/cycling. When I'm a lower weight I find it's more difficult to lose weight without making bigger sacrifices/working a bit harder

I lost 3 stone a few years ago by walking on my treadmill at a fast pace (4 miles per hour) 4 times a week, 6 miles per session. I also did watch what I was eating, I cut down to about 1200-1400 calories per day. It took about 8 months to lose the weight and I have kept the majority of it off despite not being able to use my treadmill due to a back injury for the last few years.
I have recently started using it again and am working my way back up to what I used to do (6miles per session at 4 miles per hour) which for me is a very fast walk, breaks a sweat and leaves me pretty knackered. I don't think walking 5 or 6 miles a day is enough to make a huge impact if it is spread out through the course of the day, but definitely, if you plan to do it all in one session at a FAST or brisk pace, then it will work. You need to get your heart rate up.
But as everyone says, diets are made or broken in the kitchen. If your diet is bad and you consume too many calories, you will not lose weight. If you eat back the calories you have burned through your exercise, you will not lose weight.
Good luck!
ps I find writing down EVERYTHING I eat in a note book along with calories in and out, helps me to stay on track - its harder to 'trick' yourself this way when you can see it in black and white in front of you.

So on my Fitbit when you do exercise like a walk it shows it as fat burn or cardio - which one is better?

*She used to say 'I can't understand how I'm still fat when I do all this

There's an old saying that you can't outrun your fork. Exercise is obviously good as it burns calories but you still have to control your intake.*

True, in my experience, and I've been tracking this stuff for a long time because I was a fat kid and I don't want to be fat again. Exercise makes me feel good, but has negligible effect on my weight. It's just calorie control, like people have been doing forever, long before any of these fad diets and programs.

How can anyone survive without bread, rice, pasta or spuds?

I sure can't, and I really tried.

I agree with others, diet is the key. I gained despite regular gym sessions because I was eating too much. And I’ve lost when not exercising. Plus you body gets used to it/becomes more efficient so less calories. Running will help. Couch to 5k is great (not uphill). See if a physio or trainer can help with the shin splints. It could be your feet/ankles are stiff.