Questions on walking to burn fat.

T

Trucker_JDub

0
I have a lot of weight to loose; about 125lbs all together. Just so I don't break something I'm starting out with an up-beat walk and as time passes I will move into jogging / running. I have a couple of questions though.

1. I live in Phoenix Az. Right now its a cool 104 degrees. I just walked 1.5 miles in about 25 minutes and drank 20oz of water spread through out that time. I'm just as wore out as when I went 3 miles in 40 minutes and drank about 16oz of water when it was only 85 degrees a couple of nights ago. Witch way will help me burn fat better; hotter and shorter or cooler and longer? (I just moved here so I'm also trying to get used to the 'lighter' air as I grew up at sea level, I can tell thats slowing me down some)

2. Is there an optimal time to walk? Morning, night, after of before any certain meal. I am a truck driver so due to deadlines sometimes I only get one time a day that I can walk/exercise so I need to make it count. I have been mainly trying to do it just before I go to bed as it leaves me feeling relaxed when followed up by a hot shower.

3. Would wrist and/or ankle weights help? I have heard that sometime they can cause a lot of un-needed stress on the body when used for cardio.

4. Clothing, some people have said long sleeves and pants will make me sweat more but I prefer shorts and a tank top. Is there any benefit either way? How closely is the amount I sweat related to the calories being burned?

5. Anything I might be missing, that could help me out more? I know my diet isn't perfect yet but I'm a lot better. I have replaced a LOT of the bad stuff now I'm just trying to eat a little less of the better stuff and I'll be on the right track. Its hard to eat right when your on the road all the time.

Thanks in advance for any tips...
 
Hi there.

I'm sure there are numerous people whom can provide better answers, but I'd just like to say that I've never ever heard that sweating has anything to do with weight loss.

Apart from the fact that when you exercise, because exercise heats up your body - you sweat - and some people may think that sweating causes weight loss, but really it's just another effect of exercise (exercise being what is actually responsible for weight loss).

I prefer to always workout in the coolest times of the day.

In regards to ankle/wrist weight, I've heard the same as you, that they can put a bad amount of stress on your joints, and are generally inadvisable.
 
Trucker_JDub said:
I have a lot of weight to loose; about 125lbs all together. Just so I don't break something I'm starting out with an up-beat walk and as time passes I will move into jogging / running. I have a couple of questions though.

1. I live in Phoenix Az. Right now its a cool 104 degrees. I just walked 1.5 miles in about 25 minutes and drank 20oz of water spread through out that time. I'm just as wore out as when I went 3 miles in 40 minutes and drank about 16oz of water when it was only 85 degrees a couple of nights ago. Witch way will help me burn fat better; hotter and shorter or cooler and longer? (I just moved here so I'm also trying to get used to the 'lighter' air as I grew up at sea level, I can tell thats slowing me down some)

2. Is there an optimal time to walk? Morning, night, after of before any certain meal. I am a truck driver so due to deadlines sometimes I only get one time a day that I can walk/exercise so I need to make it count. I have been mainly trying to do it just before I go to bed as it leaves me feeling relaxed when followed up by a hot shower.

3. Would wrist and/or ankle weights help? I have heard that sometime they can cause a lot of un-needed stress on the body when used for cardio.

4. Clothing, some people have said long sleeves and pants will make me sweat more but I prefer shorts and a tank top. Is there any benefit either way? How closely is the amount I sweat related to the calories being burned?

5. Anything I might be missing, that could help me out more? I know my diet isn't perfect yet but I'm a lot better. I have replaced a LOT of the bad stuff now I'm just trying to eat a little less of the better stuff and I'll be on the right track. Its hard to eat right when your on the road all the time.

Thanks in advance for any tips...
Click to expand...

As for sweating, as starcraftmazter mentioned there is nothing magical about sweating. If you stand outside in the Phoenix summer heat you will sweat but not lose weight. So exercise when it minimizes the chance of you having a heat stroke.

As for time of day, generally, the consensus is that in the morning the exercise will jazz you up and increase your metabolism for the rest of the day. So, if given a choice, I go with morning. But, if logistics only allow you to exercise at night, that is when you should do it.

As for ankle weights, I don't use them and have no comment good or bad.

An alternative to walking for you is cycling. Regardless of how heavy you are, there is a bike out there for you. Start off slow and increase your speed and distance. Do it inside on a stationary bike if you have to, but I prefer the great outdoors. More cardiovascular than walking and less pounding on your joints, which are already stressed with your size.

Most importantly - do it! And remember, the first 2 months are gonna be hell. You won't have much to show for it, but sweat-stained clothes. But, stick with it for 2 months and you WILL see progress!
 
Thanks for the tips. I know this isn't going to happen over night. It took about 10 years to get to the size I am now so I'm sure this is going to be a process that will take time. But at the same time if there are little tweaks I can do to make things happen faster then I want to know. Thanks again
 
i Agree absolutely that trying to sweat yourself will not help in losing weight loss. However i do disagree in that sweat Doesnt burn calories, for every 1 g of sweat it uses .5 calories, hardly anything to get excoted about.

Say if you did wear a lot of clothing to sweat i could name a million things that would be negatively interupted such as increased core temperature, decreased plasma volume hence cardiac output etc. I would assume you would be sweating pretty close amounts of sweat anyway although the clothing would abruptly interfere with evaporation, the only way heat is lost when the body is hotter than the external environment.
 
Don't try to sweat more when it's 100+ degrees out. You need to be intaking a lot of fluids just to replace the nourishment you have already lost.

Definitly run at night, an hour or later after the sun goes down. Let the ground cool off a bit.

Walking does not burn as much fat as a high intesity workout would, but it's a solid place to start. For someone starting out I would suggest you try cycling, as mentioned above, or do an on/off run/walk. If you go with the cycling you need to push yourself as hard as you can. A mediumed pace ride with coasting will help cardiovascularly but it's not ideal as a fat burner.

If you want to stick with pounding the pavement, then start off walking briskly for .5 -1 mile, sprint your ass off for the same distance, walk for 1-2 miles, then sprint again. The longer you can keep your heart rate up the better, and as you continue working out you will be able to run for longer periods of time.

Good luck, I was once were you are and I know it's frustrating when you first start off. People have done it, and so can you.
 
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