Have you been wondering “Should You Really Take 10000 Steps A Day?” or “Should You Walk 10000 Steps per Day for Weight Loss?” Let me tell you how I lost 20 lb in 2018 in less than 60 days after I started a 10,000 steps a day challenge. I invite you to walk daily with me and share your experience!

Introduction

I never had a problem maintaining my normal weight and remaining size zero XS. However, in 2016, I got married and endured narcissistic relationship abuse, which resulted in depression and ultimately led to my significant weight gain. After just a few months with the narcissist, I reached size four. It was a tremendous expansion of my body and I was uncomfortable and unhealthy.

In 2018, I was going through narcissistic abuse recovery and decided to lose weight. The picture above is me after I lost 21 lb. What happened? I did the 10000 steps a day self-care challenge as well as 100 squats, 100 arms, and 100 abs, in addition to which I became a plant-based vegan and committed to fasting on water.

Why did I change my lifestyle so radically?

It was a life or death decision, actually.

For a long time, I was severely suicidal from enduring abuse (I shared narcissistic abuse examples here) but then I had a breakthrough: if I wanted to live, I had to change my emotions. To change any emotion, I had to change my motion. So, I started waking up early and doing the things required to transform my mental health and physical wellbeing.

It worked. Actually, it saved my life. I am alive, active, and healthy today, years later. That is why I want to invite you to the 10,000-steps-a-day walking challenge.

The 10,000-Steps-a-Day Walking Challenge

Firstly, I want to note that to reach high levels of daily physical activity, you need to eat well, and I recommend a plant-based diet. If you eat crapy junk which provides no real nutrients, if you consume processed foods which cause metabolic syndrome and cancer, and if you intake animal protein which causes inflammation in your body, you will feel like crap, be bloated, carry unneeded weight from not pooping properly, and you won’t see excellent results. To achieve excellent fitness results, you must achieve nutritional excellence. You can’t outwalk bad eating habits.

Secondly, you need a strong why. The reason being is that your brain is designed to keep you comfortable. Building a new habit is uncomfortable, so your brain will try to trick you into not doing the 10000 steps a day challenge. My why was to save my life. In the picture above, I am 35, fully alive and experiencing joy again.

Thirdly, you will need to push against your level of comfort consistently, every day, to see real results. What you put in will affect what you get out of this self-care challenge. I’ve been doing the 10,000-steps-a-day walking challenge almost consistently for two years now.

I’m 37 years old. Here’s my picture.

Why have I only been doing this self-care challenge “almost consistently?” I’ll be honest: when my dog passed away last year, I stopped walking because it was too painful to walk without him.

Everyone in the neighborhood was asking me “Where’s Bruno?” and I’d cry or weep. So, I stopped walking and gained weight. The picture above shows me after I lost that extra-weight last month as I returned to walking 10000 steps a day. I’m committed!

Because doing the 10000 step challenge saved me from suicide, I am obsessed with walking 10,000 steps every day. Sometimes, I walk 25,000 steps. I’ll share the many benefits I experience. Weight loss is just one of those benefits.

As you can see, I have years of experience with how to walk 10000 steps per day for weight loss, and it works, always. So, let me introduce you to the 10,000-steps-a-day walking challenge!

What is the 10000 step challenge?

I’m inviting you to walk 10000 steps every single day for at least 30 days, no breaks! All steps count: to your car, to your job, to the grocery store, around the parking lot, and even while you’re vacuuming! However, the best results are achieved when you go for a high-intensity fast walk up and down the hills and throw some steps in there, as well.

You don’t have to start by trying to conquer hills and stairs. Start where you are. Track your steps all day long and see how active you can become. I recommend doing what you can and pushing yourself a little but not to the point of throwing up. I want you to enjoy your walk.

When I walk my 10000 steps, I read. That is an advanced skill. I walk up and down the neighborhood hills, read a book, and get my sun baths. Often, I add stairs and run some, too. This morning, I went to the playground outside my front door and climbed kids’ rock wall, as well. I track every step I take, and I make sure I walk fast and sweat.

Getting your heart rate up is the goal. Rain doesn’t stop me. I get an umbrella and walk. I walk at 6 am and 11 pm, depending on my circumstances. Sometimes, I have my neighbors and we talk. Yet, I prefer to walk-run or walk-read. I love going fast non-stop and feeling my body sweat. When my heart rate is up, I know that I’m losing fat.

That all being said, when I was just starting out, walking up the hills was not on my list of priorities. Surely, I was in no shape to run either. And I had no skills to read a book while walking. I built up to my current level one small step at a time.

So, start the 10000 steps per day self-care challenge wherever you are! I remember walking up and down the stairs at work during lunch, walking office hallways, parking my car far away when grocery shopping, and being creative just to get my 10000 steps in daily.

Where can you walk 10000 steps a day?

You can walk 10000 steps at the gym, in the office up and down the stairs or in the hallways, on the street around your building before work and at lunch, at home in place or from room to room, on a BOSU ball in your bedroom, in your neighborhood, around a kids’ playground, around your church building, around a grocery store, on a parking lot, up and down the hills, at a park, and even inside a pool! I’ve done all of the options I’m recommending. I love creative ways to walk on a BOSU ball!

How long does 10000 steps take to walk?

Initially, it would take me 2-3 hours to do 10,000 steps but over time, it got easier. Today, it takes between 75 and 90 minutes. The more obstacles, such as hills and stairs, the longer it takes. Track all your steps during the day and you’ll see how your mindset will shift and you’ll begin looking for ways to get your steps in. It will transform your life! If time is limited, I recommend combining activities: reading and walking, walking in place on a BOSU ball and watching kids or making important work calls, etc.

How can you track your 10000 steps?

As soon as my neighbor Gabby saw my depression recovery and witnessed me starting the 10,000 Steps Every Day for a Month self-care challenge, she gave me the gift of FitBit. I used that and liked it but it was so small… It ended up in my washed laundry three times and stopped working, so I use a free iPhone app called “Pacer.” I recommend it highly! My phone is either in my pocket or on my arm or tacked in my belly warmer.

Does walking 10000 steps help lose weight?

Yes, absolutely, I lost 21 lb by doing the 10000 steps self-care challenge in under 60 days! However, remember this: walking fast burns fat. Slow walking doesn’t get your heart rate up and doesn’t burn fat.

At the same time, remember this: as fast walking burn your fat, don’t eat crappy food to gain more fat! If you want to lose weight, you must eat what I am recommending in my article called plant-based diet weight loss.

So, to summarize: only fast and challenging walking helps you lose fat. To keep that lost weight off, don’t eat crap, don’t overeat, don’t binge-eat, don’t eat late at night, and don’t eat too often. Give your body good nutrition by eating vegetables, fruits, ancient grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Let your body sleep for eight hours every night.

Allow your body to be in a fasting state at night.

Drink clean water with no crap added to it. And if you follow the simple tips I just shared, then the answer will be yes, walking 10000 steps helps lose weight. It helped me lose 21 lb!

Should You Really Take 10000 Steps a Day?

You absolutely should take my 10000 steps a day self-care challenge! Why? Because you deserve it! You deserve the time, energy, and effort good health requires. You derve self-care. You derve an investment into your wellness, longevity, and future.

You may start small and slow but over time, you’ll build your strength, speed, and endurance. You will feel so good! Don’t you want to feel good? Why would you not take the 10000 steps a day challenge?

If you do this, you’ll thank yourself.

You will have more mental clarity. You may lose weight if you eat and sleep properly in addition to walking 10000 steps every day. Your metabolism will improve. You’ll increase your level of self-confidence and life satisfaction.

Most likely, you’ll sleep better. Your productivity will get better. You deserve this self-care challenge! Take it today. Get started right where you are, at your own pace, and see the magic that will happen to your mind, body, and emotions. You’ll love it! Give yourself the gift of self-care!

Should You Walk 10000 Steps per Day for Weight Loss?

If your only goal is weight loss, I warn you right now: you need a bigger and better goal. Really, I mean it! Though I lost weight by walking 10000 steps every day, my actual why was so much more significant than simply losing extra-pounds. Find a more impactful why for your 10000 steps self-care challenge! It will be a hustle. Doing this will require a genuine commitment.

Weight loss does not happen overnight. You’ll need to stick with walking for a long time before you see any results. If weight loss is your only why, it’s too shallow. You’ll get discouraged, frustrated, and disappointed. Very quickly, you’ll give up if your only question is “Should You Walk 10000 Steps per Day for Weight Loss?“

Think about the bigger picture of your life, health, wellbeing, longevity, endurance, and mental toughness. Also, to lose weight on the 10,000 steps every day challenge, you’ll need proper nutrition, sleep, and water.

So, yes, you should walk 10000 steps per day for weight loss but it should not be your one and only goal. Dream bigger. Envision an exciting future for yourself where you enjoy excellent health. That future should motivate you. Set big goals for your overall wellness and get started small, right now!

I Tried to Walk 10,000 Steps Every Day for a Month

I tried to walk 10,000 steps every day for a month, then two months, then a year, and now it’s my lifestyle. It’s a habit I do daily. I love it! At first, it was hard. My brain fought me. It encouraged me to go back to my comfort zone. So, I had to deploy my willpower.

Then, with consistency, walking became a habit.

What happened as a result?

Narcissistic abuse recovery. Depression recovery. Suicidal ideation recovery. Weight loss. Excitement gain. Adventures of hiking. Self-rediscovery. And a new zeal for life.

I became fully alive. I regained my ability to feel happy and engaged in my daily living. I stopped being sick. I became healthy. I ditched all my meds. I stopped going to doctors. I saved a ton of money on medical bills.

My sleep improved. My quality of life skyrocketed.

My beautiful dresses became fit again.

My confidence enhanced.

I regained my sense of beauty.

I became finally excited about my future again.

I started loving my life again!

FAQs about 10,000 Steps a Day Challenge

Conclusion

I invite you to take my 10000 steps self-care challenge. You deserve it. In this blog post, I shared with you many benefits of walking I personally experienced. I had lost 21 lb by walking 100000 steps every day.

Here are a few additional stories.

• Martha Sorren walking story
• Ileana Paules-Bronet walking story
• Jason Gutierrez walking story
• Hayden Pigott walking story

Here are my 10000 steps before and after pictures.

This journey started with my identity transformation. Before I started practicing self-care, I had to believe that I am worthy. I had to change the way I thought of myself. Today, I help women see themselves the way God sees them. 

I’ve specifically been focusing on identity in Christ. From the Bible, I discovered 52 incredibly-positive things God says about us as His daughters. Those 52 precious discoveries turned into 52 Biblical affirmations I created to encourage and empower Christian women. 

To help share this life-changing information with you, I created an ebook called #52Devotionals. Download it now for free.