Can You Lose Weight Just By Walking? Dr. Yoni Freedhoff speaks

Can You Lose Weight Just By Walking?  

I just saw this great article by Canadian weight loss expert Dr. Yoni Freedoff:

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2014/05/21/why-10-000-steps-a-day-wont-make-you-thin

The gist of the article:  weight loss comes through dietary change, NOT really through walking - although walking helps keep metabolism stronger, arteries, heart and mind healthier, helps ward off depression, controls blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, helps ward off chronic aches and pains, improves sleep, and more - so do it anyway!


From the article:

"To help appreciate those numbers, the meta-analysis’ authors put them into perspective and state that for every 10.5 additional miles you walk, you might expect to lose a hair over 1/10 of one pound. Putting this another way, if you walk an extra 1.5 miles each and every day, you might expect that after 10 weeks of not missing a single walk, you’ll have lost a single pound – or that at the end of the year, your 547.5 miles of hiking will have lost you 5 pounds. "

But exercise also helps preserve your muscles while you lose fat (if you don't exercise during weight loss, you will lose more muscle along with losing fat - and we want to save our muscle!) During weight loss, exercise keeps your metabolism up, and helps you stay strong (in addition to the other health benefits I listed earlier.)  

Exercise also seems to be a key piece of the puzzle when it comes to MAINTAINING weight, after weight loss - according the National Weight Control Registry, over 90% of people who lose weight AND KEEP IT OFF exercise almost every day - and their most common form of exercise is walking. http://www.nwcr.ws/research/

"94% increased their physical activity, with the most frequently reported form of activity being walking."

So, to repeat, walk for health, and walk to maintain weight loss, just don't be upset that walking all by itself, without changing your diet, does not give much weight loss. Exercise is 'necessary but not sufficient' to maintain a healthy weight!