How Walking Helped Me Lose 10 Pounds And 10% Body Fat
In the last couple years I changed my entire approach to cardio. I stopped trying to crush myself with high impact workouts and started… walking.
That one shift helped me lose 10 pounds and 10% body fat, and just as importantly, it changed my mental health, my energy and how my body feels day to day.
I’ve been in fitness for over 30 years. I have sold tens of millions of workout DVDs. Most of those programs were intense, high impact, jump-around, sweat-through-your-sports-bra workouts. I still love them. I just don’t live in that gear anymore.
Now I’m obsessed with walking. But here’s the truth…
Most people are making at least one of these mistakes, and it is absolutely killing their walking results.
Let’s fix that.
Mistake 1: Not Walking Enough
If you swap your 30 minute HIIT workout for 30 minutes of walking and expect the same results, you’re going to be disappointed.
HIIT burns more calories per minute. Walking is lower intensity, which is part of why it’s so sustainable… but that also means you usually need more of it.
A few things to keep in mind:
- The average American gets 4,000–6,000 steps per day. That is basically a sedentary lifestyle.
- Your body was designed to move. Sitting all day is why your back hurts, your hamstrings feel like guitar strings and your joints feel rusty.
If your goal is weight loss, a simple rule:
Increase your current steps by about 5,000 per day.
For most people that’s roughly an extra hour of walking. It does not need to be all at once. Break it up:
- 15 minutes in the morning
- 15 minutes at lunch
- 15 minutes mid-afternoon
- 15 minutes after dinner
The magic isn’t in one epic walk. It’s in moving more all day.
Mistake 2: Walking Too Slowly And Never Progressing
Walking is like any other workout. If you do the exact same thing at the exact same pace for weeks and months, your body adapts. When it adapts, you burn fewer calories.
That’s when people say, “I’m doing all this walking and nothing is happening.”
You need progressive overload, even with walking. Try:
- Picking up your speed a little
- Lengthening your stride and driving your arms
- Adding incline on a treadmill
- Choosing routes with hills or trails
- Using a weighted vest or ruck style pack (start light)
Your walk should occasionally feel like a challenge. You should still be able to talk… just not give a TED Talk.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Your Diet
I wish I could tell you that you can walk your way out of any nutrition plan. You cannot.
Exercise is powerful. For weight loss though, nutrition is the main character.
Walking works best when you also:
- Eat adequate protein, especially if you are over 40
- Focus on fiber and whole foods most of the time
- Drink enough water
- Create a small calorie deficit, not an extreme one
Too big of a deficit and your body thinks it’s under attack. Metabolism slows, cravings go up and you feel miserable. Not the goal.
If you have no idea how many calories you are eating or burning, it might be worth tracking for a short season. Just long enough to understand your numbers and see if you are actually in a deficit. (I teach all of this in Phase It).
Mistake 4: Treating Walking As Your Only Workout
I don’t even think of walking as “my workout.” I think of it as my life force. It’s the thing I look forward to. It’s where I get my ideas, regulate my stress and feel like a human.
But for body composition…
You still need strength training.
Muscle is everything:
- Muscle is your metabolic engine
- Muscle is your hormone helper
- Muscle is what keeps you strong, independent and injury-resistant as you age
- Muscle lets you lose body fat… not just “weight”
You do not want to be “skinny fat.” You want shape, strength and muscle.
So keep walking, but also:
- Lift weights 2–4 times a week
- Hit all major muscle groups
- Progress your weights and reps over time
- Throw in some mobility, Pilates or yoga of you love those, but don't skip the lifting
Mistake 5: Not Finding Creative Ways To Add Steps
You don’t need a 60 minute block on your calendar to make walking work. The real game changer is learning to sneak steps into your life.
Some ideas:
- If you’re scrolling your phone, stand up and march in place while you scroll.
- Take calls while walking around your house or office at at a standing desk.
- Park farther away on purpose.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can.
- Invest in a walking pad or treadmill and put it in front of the TV or under a desk.
The average person takes 200–300 steps in just 3–5 minutes. Those small bursts really add up. It is not unusual to get an extra 1,000 steps a day just by changing a couple of habits.
Mistake 6: Not Tracking Your Steps
For a long time, I thought I was getting “tons” of steps. Then I started actually looking at my step count… and realized I was sitting way more than I believed.
What we track, we can improve.
You can use:
- A ring or watch that tracks steps (I tested 4 types and ended up loving this one and this one–and they're inexpensive!)
- A basic, inexpensive pedometer
- Your phone’s step counter (better than nothing, not perfect)
There is research showing that people who track steps tend to move significantly more than those who just track “minutes of exercise.” Seeing that number is motivating.
Try this:
- Find your current daily average
- Set a goal to increase by 300–500 steps per day
- Keep nudging it up until you are consistently over 10,000 steps
- If walking for weight loss is your goal, consider pushing past that
My current goal is around 19,000 steps a day. That didn’t happen overnight. It was a gradual climb.
Mistake 7: Never Changing Your Walking Routine
Your body is always trying to get more efficient. That’s great for survival… not as great for fat loss.
One way to “wake things up” is to periodically change how you walk:
- Always walk on a treadmill? Get outside.
- Always flat sidewalks? Add some hills or trails.
- Always the same route? Explore a new neighborhood, beach path or park.
- Always the same speed? Play with intervals. Faster bursts mixed with recovery.
- Ready for a challenge? Try a weighted vest (start very light and build).
- Grab some Peluva shoes–absolute game-changer. (Yes, I wear them. No, they're not as cute as Nikes).
When my husband and I travel, walking is our favorite way to see new cities. You see things you would never notice from a car or a cab. That variety keeps your body guessing and your brain engaged.
What My Daily Walking Routine Looks Like Right Now
While we’re living in Miami Beach, this is my basic walking structure:
- Morning: Coffee, then a 30–40 minute moderate walk outside
- Midday: Slow walking on a treadmill with a desk for email and computer work
- Pre-strength training: 30 minutes of more intense walking… zone 2, sometimes a bit of zone 3, maybe intervals or incline
- After dinner: 30 minute easy walk with Bret to help digestion and keep us from overeating at night
On top of that, I’m watching my total steps to make sure the whole day adds up.
You do not need to copy my exact schedule. The point is to build walking into your life in a way that feels good and that you can sustain long term.
FAQs About Walking For Weight Loss
1. How many steps should I aim for to lose weight with walking?
It depends where you are starting. If you are currently at 4,000–6,000 steps, first push yourself into the 8,000–10,000 range. From there, if your goal is fat loss and your joints feel good, you may want to target 12,000–15,000+ steps while dialing in your nutrition.
2. Is slow walking still beneficial?
Yes. Any movement is better than being sedentary. This study says it is reduces all cause mortality in women. Slow walking is great for recovery and daily movement. For fat loss though, you will usually see faster progress if some of your walking is at a brisk, “I can talk, but I can’t comfortably sing” pace.
3. Can I lose weight with walking if I don’t want to count calories?
You can, especially if you naturally eat fairly balanced meals, prioritize protein and avoid mindless snacking. That said, if you hit a plateau and have no clue how much you’re eating, a short season of tracking can be eye opening.
4. Is walking enough exercise if I’m over 40?
Walking is phenomenal for your heart, joints, brain, mood and longevity. But if you want to protect your metabolism, hormones and bone density as you age, you also need strength training. Think of walking as your movement baseline, and lifting as your metabolism insurance.
5. Is it better to walk once a day or break it into smaller walks?
Whichever you will consistently do. From a calorie and step standpoint, it all counts. Many people find that shorter walks sprinkled through the day are easier to stick to and help break up long sitting stretches.
Your Next Step
If you love walking but you’re frustrated with your results, start with these questions:
- Can I increase my daily steps by 3–5k?
- Can I push my pace or add a little incline a few times a week?
- Do I need to clean up my diet or bump my protein?
- Am I lifting weights regularly?
- Have I actually looked at my step count… or am I guessing?
Tweak those variables and walking becomes one of the most powerful, sustainable tools for your weight loss and long term health.
Watch These Videos for More Insights:
- I Tried EVERY Walking Pad to See Which Works BEST for Fat Loss
- I Walked 10,000 Steps A Day For 30 Days WITHOUT Dieting
- Check Out My Workout Playlist
-Chalene
P.S. A few links are affiliate links, which means if you use them, I get a small kickback, and you might save some loot too.
