- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
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Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the nutrition and healthy eating guide, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, Katherine is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in wellness nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and nutrition education related to weight management and practical applications of nutrition-related lifestyle changes.
Other areas of interest include food and nutrition for all life stages, active lifestyles and the culinary arts.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Walking: Is it enough for weight loss?
Can I lose weight if my only exercise is walking?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
You might be able to lose weight that way, depending on the duration and intensity of your walking and what your diet's like. But consuming fewer calories through dietary changes seems to promote weight loss more effectively than does exercise and physical activity.
That's not to say physical activity such as walking isn't important for weight control — it is. The key to weight loss is burning more calories than you consume. Because 3,500 calories equals about 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat, you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in to lose 1 pound of fatty tissue. So if you cut 500 calories from your typical diet each day, you'd lose about 1 pound a week (500 calories x 7 days = 3,500 calories).
If you add 30 minutes of brisk walking to your daily routine, you could burn about 150 more calories a day. At that rate, you'd lose about another 1/3 of a pound (0.15 kilogram) a week. The more you walk and the quicker your pace, the more calories you'll burn. While any physical activity is good, you'll get the most benefit in terms of weight loss from activity that is moderately intense. So aim to walk at 3 to 4 miles per hour. You can gradually build up to that pace if necessary.
Once you've lost weight, exercise is even more important — it's what helps keep the weight off, even more so than calorie restriction. In fact, studies show that people who maintain their weight loss over the long term get regular physical activity. So keep walking, but make sure you also follow a healthy diet.
Next questionPhentermine for weight loss: Can it help?
- Ainsworth BE, et al. Compendium of physical activities: An update of activity codes and MET intensities. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. 2000;32(suppl):S498.
- Redman LM, et al. Effect of calorie restriction with or without exercise on body composition and fat distribution. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2007;92:865.
- Kushner RF. Obesity management. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 2007;36:191.
- Zeratksy KA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 23, 2009.
- Still CD, et al. Obesity. In: Rakel & Bope: Conn's Current Therapy. 60th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/117958748-3/0/1621/295.html#4-u1.0-B978-1. Accessed Feb. 20, 2009.
- Weight loss for life. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/PDFs/WeightLossforLife_04.pdf . Accessed March 6, 2009.
- Hensrud DD, et al. The Mayo Clinic Diet. Intercourse, Penn.: Good Books; 2010.
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