I walked 10,000 Steps a Day for 30 Days to Lose Weight.

I lost weight by walking every day, for a month, for testing purpose.

Verdict: Walking 10,000 steps a day to burn calories and lose weight: it works.

That said, it is not only the steps that make you lose weight: there are other factors to daily walking that come into play and help reduce calorie intake.

When at the end of the month, you put it all together, you realize why walking helps you lose weight (whatever those who didn’t bother to try before talking about it say).

In fact, before the Covid pandemic, I used to walk on a regular basis, but the pandemic and working from home have turned my daily life upside down without me realizing it.

10,000 steps a day to lose weight: it works

it wasn’t obvious at first. I didn’t think I’d get such a good result, especially when googling it, some of the most popular sites gave negative or even discouraging / scientifically invalid answers.

Walking: a natural appetite suppressant

A study from Brigham Young University found that physical activity, especially walking, can have an appetite suppressant effect on the body. These researchers found that subjects responded less to images of food on days when they took a brisk 45-minute walk in the morning than on days when they did not walk.

Other research has shown that aerobic exercise, such as walking, can have an impact on the release of ghrelin and peptide YY, two hormones that play a key role in the regulation of appetite. It appears that aerobic exercise, such as walking, has a greater impact on appetite suppression than non-aerobic exercise, such as weight training.

Losing weight by walking for Dummies

Excerpt from Walking The Weight Off For Dummies
Author: Erin Palinski-Wade, nutrition and fitness expert, speaker and nationally recognized spokesperson in the United States.

Before the pandemic

Between the parking / station platform the route station of arrival / office, the systematic exit during the lunch break and the endless corridors from the office, I walked 10,000 steps a day without even knowing. I know now because I recently tracked the effort with my new Apple watch and I managed to reach my ideal weight without any further effort.

But with working from home, all that came to a hard stop, and while I was happy to no longer have to commute 3 hours a day, I hadn’t anticipated the consequences of this sudden lack of physical activity, and after a while, I found myself with an extra 10 kg and very expensive clothes in which I couldn’t fit anymore.

For me, without moving, it is impossible not to gain weight and it is even more impossible to lose weight, especially if you only make a moderate effort with your diet.

The only hope I had left was regular physical effort and so I took the challenge: I walked 10,000 steps a day for a month and this is how it went

Thank You Apple Watch! 🙏

It took me a while to decide to get an Apple Watch. The price and the redundant aspect with the Iphone dissuaded me until the release of this version 8.

I already had a connected wrist band but I only wore it when I was doing a sport activity and I have to admit that it is not really the same object.

A connected wrist band “only” counts steps or measures performance during a physical activity, while an Apple Watch is more useful and fun. And much more convenient to use to track physical activity over time.

Much more motivating in fact…

Daily steps progress report over the days in the Apple Health App
The Health app coupled with the Apple Watch lets you see the progression of your daily steps over time

Walking Every Day To Lose Weight: How Did I Do IT?

I started the challenge during fall, when the weather was still relatively mild, but all of a sudden it started to get cooler, wetter, darker and I realized that I would not be able to keep up with the challenge by simply walking around in my surroundings.

So I took a subscription in a gym: treadmill objective: one hour, done deal. Considering that I would get to the gym with already 2500 steps walked during the day, I only had to bring the counter up to 9000 steps .

The evening would be enough to reach and even exceed 10,000 steps.

Of course, you have to organize yourself accordingly, but since it was a time-limited challenge, it was manageable.

10,000 steps per day for 30 days: the result

After 30 days, I have indeed lost weight. I’ve lost 3 kilos and 7cm off my waist. That’s huge! 

Not so much in the quantities as in the number of problems it solves, starting with the fact that I can fit into my clothes again and, most of all, I have the feeling of having found a solution to a problem (uncontrollable weight gain) that was ruining my life.

3kg and 7cm of waist size, I can feel them, I can see them, it motivates me to keep up walking.

How many calories do you burn for 10000 steps?

By walking 10 000 steps, you burn between 300 & 400 calories. Over a day, it’s not much, but if you add them up, over a month, it’s between 9000 & 12000 calories burned by walking 10 000 steps a day: not bad huh?

18,000 calories burned in 1 month

According to my Apple Watch, I lose an average of 600 calories per session on the treadmill, and if I multiply that by 30, that’s 18,000 calories. That said, the number of calories lost is only part of the solution.

Be Aware!
Walking for an hour on a treadmill at a normal pace will only cause you to lose +- 200 / 250 calories. If I lose 600 calories, it’s because I vary my training. I walk fast, I run, I slow down the pace and I walk with an increased “slope”. I make a considerable effort compared to a normal walk but I don’t kill myself with the effort either.

Breakdown of my treadmill session

  • 5 minutes of start-up, walking at a good pace
    Settings: Speed 4.5, elevation gain 0
  • 5 minutes run
    Settings: Speed 6.1, elevation gain 0
  • 10 minutes walk
    Settings: Speed 4.7, elevation gain 4.5
  • 5 minutes walk
    Settings: Speed 4.0, elevation gain 3.5
  • 5 minutes walk
    Settings: Speed 4.0, elevation gain 0
  • 10 minutes run
    Settings: Speed 6.0, elevation gain 0
  • 5 minutes walk
    Settings: Speed 4.7, elevation gain 4.5
  • 5 minutes walk
    Settings: Speed 4.0, elevation gain 3.5
  • 5 minutes walk
    Settings: Speed 3.0, elevation gain 2.5
  • 5 minutes walk (Cool down)
    Settings: Speed 2.0, elevation gain 0

These settings are purely indicative: the goal of the session is to maintain an average heart rate around 135 bpm with peaks at 145 bpm and slows down to 125 bpm.

Treadmill Alternatives

Walking in the woods, on the street or in the countryside are all valid alternatives, if you don’t feel like joining a fitness club.

You can also walk at home if you have a garden, or large rooms. You can walk in a department store: you’d be surprised how many steps you can take in a department store.

Apple Watch counts your steps by relying on arm movements so even if you trot on the spot while moving your arms, it counts. 😀

Have I changed my diet?

One of the habits that had to be stopped was the aperitif at the end of the day: cheese, cold cuts, glass(s) of wine. This had to stop and that’s why I chose to go for a walk between 5 and 6 pm.
As a result I did reduce my daily calorie intake and I have no doubt that this influences the final result, but in reality, it doesn’t matter whether it’s the steps or the change of habit (since it’s the 10,000 steps that have created the change of habit): what counts is the result.

There is nothing you can do about it, losing weight is a question of calories swallowed versus calories burned and if you burn more calories than you swallow, you lose weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many steps do you need to take to lose 100 calories?

To lose 100 calories you need to take between 2000 and 2500 steps

10,000 steps in km?

10 000 steps are between 6 and 8 km: it depends on the size of your step

Can I lose 10 pounds by walking?

Losing 10 pounds by walking, over a month, is possible, but tough. You will have to watch your diet. It is not a question of going on a diet, but to lose 10 pounds, you must avoid eating the calories that you will lose while walking.

What time should I walk to lose weight?

In the morning and on an empty stomach. This is the best time to lose weight by walking. I know because that’s what I do when I’m on vacation and on vacation, over a month, I lose 10 pounds comfortably and that’s because of walking on an empty stomach.

How long does it take to start losing weight while walking?

It took me 15 days to start losing weight by walking. 15 days to start losing weight by walking and to lose the 1st kg (out of 3).

It is not a fixed rule: to start losing weight by walking from the first days, it is essential to reduce the calorie intake and avoid the “bad fat” (the one that sticks). Otherwise, it could take a long time to start seeing results. And demotivating.

During the first 15 days, I didn’t see any significant change on the scale and I started to have doubts but you have to be realistic: you can’t expect to lose 10 pounds over 15 days just by walking.

On the other hand, in terms of waistline, it takes much less time: one week is enough to start losing centimeters around the waist.

Benefits of Walking 10,000 Steps a Day

I thought walking 10,000 steps a day would help me lose weight. Turns out, I feel like those 10,000 steps helped me get out of a hole I had fallen into without realizing it.
To keep up with the challenge, I obviously had to reorganize my day, and I did benefit to varying degrees.

Benefits of Walking #1 – Higher Energy Levels

Having an important task to complete in the late afternoon keeps the mind busy. In addition, an hour of physical activity in the late afternoon will help to keep you energized for the evening.

Benefits of Walking #2 – Better Focus

From a professional point of view, I have been much more productive and efficient during this last month: I have done more, faster than usual.
It’s hard not to notice it 😁

Benefits of Walking #3 – Better Sleep

I have also noticed an improvement in my sleep. I never really had problems with insomnia but I always wondered how to sleep a little longer in the morning? Now I know 😁

Benefits of Walking #4 – Positive Attitude

I have found that walking every day has a major influence on my mood. I feel better, younger, “less rusted”, still alive and well in fact. It feels great! And that’s a feeling that tends to be rare with age and a bad back.