Can you lose weight by walking?

Many people start with walking when they want to lose weight. Every researcher here says it can help, and most say the effect is modest.

Nir Barzilai says diet and fasting move the scale far more than extra kilometers. Nick Norwitz says a 20,000-step walk does not erase a diet of Oreos. Céline Gounder gives a target intensity.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Results vary from person to person, and a doctor can help if you have a health condition.

Who you should listen to

Seven researchers, from metabolism and aging to infectious disease, gut health, and computational social science. Andrej Karpathy describes his own experiment.

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  Nick Norwitz · Researcher and science communicator on metabolic health

  Listen for: Why step counts can't outrun food quality.

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  Céline Gounder · Infectious disease specialist, epidemiologist, and CBS News medical correspondent

  Listen for: How brisk a walk needs to be.

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  Nir Barzilai · Geroscientist directing the Institute for Aging Research at Einstein

  Listen for: Tracking steps, and why diet matters more.

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  Jason Hawrelak · Probiotic and microbiome researcher, educator, and naturopathic clinician

  Listen for: What walking does besides weight loss.

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  Andrej Karpathy · Former Director of AI at Tesla and founding member of OpenAI; building Eureka Labs

  Listen for: A personal test of cardio against diet alone.

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  Anne-Laure Le Cunff · Neuroscientist at King's College London and founder of Ness Labs

  Listen for: Steps as a gauge of how she feels.

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  Alex 'Sandy' Pentland · Helped create and direct the MIT Media Lab; Center Fellow at Stanford HAI

  Listen for: What keeps people walking.

Do researchers think walking helps you lose weight?

Nick Norwitz

Researcher and science communicator on metabolic health

PhD from Oxford, MD from Harvard

Why themGood on metabolism, brain health, and cholesterol research.

Nick’s advice: Yes, modestly and individually; food quality shapes metabolism in ways step counts don't.

“Yes, walking can contribute to weight loss, but the effect is usually modest and highly individual. A 20,000-step walk does not erase a diet of Oreos, not because the math is impossible, but because food quality shapes metabolism, hunger, and fuel partitioning in ways that step counts do not.”

Go deeper with Nick

Céline Gounder

Infectious disease specialist, epidemiologist, and CBS News medical correspondent

Clinical Associate Professor at NYU

Why themExplains outbreaks and public health in plain terms.

Céline’s advice: Yes, if you walk briskly enough for moderate intensity and fix your diet too.

“Yes, walking can help you lose weight if you do it long enough and briskly enough to hit at least moderate intensity, about 50 to 70% of your maximum heart rate. But I’ve seen too many people outwalk a bad diet, so pair it with cutting ultra-processed foods and building meals around plants, protein, and fiber.”

Go deeper with Céline

Nir Barzilai

Geroscientist directing the Institute for Aging Research at Einstein

Studies families of centenarians

Why themWorks on the biology of aging rather than single diseases.

Nir’s advice: It helps, but diet and fasting move the scale far more than extra kilometers.

“Walking can help with weight loss, but I would not count on it as the main lever. I tell people to measure their steps and push them, yet diet and fasting move the scale far more than extra kilometers.”

Go deeper with Nir

Jason Hawrelak

Probiotic and microbiome researcher, educator, and naturopathic clinician

PhD in intestinal dysbiosis

Why themDeep on probiotics, gut health, and the microbiome.

Jason’s advice: Rarely enough alone; he sees it help most with metabolic health.

“Walking can contribute to weight loss, but it is rarely enough on its own unless it meaningfully increases your total daily energy expenditure and is paired with dietary change. In my clinical work, I have seen walking be most useful for metabolic health and bowel regularity rather than as a primary weight-loss tool.”

Go deeper with Jason

Andrej Karpathy

Former Director of AI at Tesla and founding member of OpenAI; building Eureka Labs

Led Tesla Autopilot computer vision

Why themExplains neural networks clearly.

Andrej’s advice: Modest, but cardio made a 500 kcal daily deficit easier than diet alone.

“Yes, you can lose weight by walking, but the effect is modest. In my own experiment I found it much easier to create a 500 kcal/day deficit with cardio than with diet alone, and walking contributes to that deficit. The real driver is still eating less than you burn.”

Go deeper with Andrej

Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Neuroscientist at King's College London and founder of Ness Labs

Author of Tiny Experiments

Why themConnects neuroscience with curiosity and how to run your own life experiments.

Anne-Laure’s advice: Only if it helps you stay in a calorie deficit.

“Yes, you can lose weight by walking, but only if it helps you stay in a calorie deficit. I treat walking less as a weight-loss tool and more as an experiment in moving my body: my step count is one of the best indicators of how I feel mentally that day.”

Go deeper with Anne-Laure

Alex 'Sandy' Pentland

Helped create and direct the MIT Media Lab; Center Fellow at Stanford HAI

MIT PhD, 1982

Why themThinks about how data can serve people.

Alex’s advice: The habits and social context that keep you walking matter most.

“Walking can help you lose weight, but the real leverage is in the social and behavioral context that keeps you walking consistently. My group has shown that your patterns of movement and social context predict health outcomes better than any single exercise prescription.”

Go deeper with Alex

Everyone’s advice at a glance

How to lose weight by walking, step by step

1. 1

   Track your steps and push them up. Nir Barzilai tells people to measure their steps and push them.

2. 2

   Walk briskly. Céline Gounder says to walk long and briskly enough to reach at least moderate intensity, about 50 to 70% of your maximum heart rate.

3. 3

   Change what you eat too. Barzilai says diet and fasting move the scale far more. Gounder suggests cutting ultra-processed foods and building meals around plants, protein, and fiber.

4. 4

   Aim for a calorie deficit. Anne-Laure Le Cunff says walking helps only if it keeps you in a calorie deficit. Andrej Karpathy found it easier to create a 500 kcal a day deficit with cardio than with diet alone.

5. 5

   Make it a habit you'll keep. Sandy Pentland says the real leverage is the social and behavioral context that keeps you walking consistently.