Walking and weight loss

Question
I'm 30 years old, 5 foot 4 inches tall and I weigh 210 lbs. About 5 months ago I found out I had a slow thyroid which led to me gain 80 lbs in about a yr and a half. Well, once they put me on the hormone replacement therapy, 30 lbs just FELL off. I lost about 1 lb a day for a month. Then it came to a screeching halt. My doctor told me I was going to have to excersise to lose the rest. So I started power walking about 2 months ago. I started at about 4 miles a day. Now I am up to 8 miles a day. At about 16.36 minutes a mile. The path I walk has 3 major inclines. One that is about 1/2 mile long and very steep. I eat anywhere from 1400 calories a day to 1700 calories a day. Because I have 4 children and a husband to feed, I can't afford to eat alot of fruits and veggies. I do alot of whole wheat. Turkey sandwiches with fat free dressing for lunch, usually chicken for dinner. But no matter what I pick to eat, I count my calories and never exceed 1700. USUALLY staying under 1500. My question is, will this work? If so how quickly can I expect to see results? I would really appreciate your feedback. Thankyou.

Answer
There are a number of things to consider, making it difficult to give you a definitive answer. First, you did not say what results you have seen in the two months since you stared walking. I would expect that you would be seeing some weight loss, and if so, that should give you an indication of how rapidly it will continue.

If you have not seen results, it could be that your body has adapted to the exercise by slowing your metabolism. 1500-1700 calories seems like a good daily intake to keep your metabolism up. You may actually benefit from taking in more calories or at least alternate low calorie days with higher calorie days. Any extra calories should be in the form of fruits and vegetables (yes, I know they are expensive) and high omega-3 fatty fish like salmon, sardines or mackerel.

Lastly, you might consider taking a supplement called CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) at about 3 grams per day. This substance has shown impressive ability to increase muscle mass at the same time it decreases fat in the body. After all, it is fat you want to lose, not muscle.

I would also want to see you be careful with the high mileage you have attained in such a short time. Rapid increases in workload can lead to muscle and tendon injuries. If you are tolerating it well with few aches and pains, you might be one of the lucky ones who adapt well to walking high mileage.

If you are that type, you might try shocking your metabolism by alternating hard and easy days. Do this by going a shorter distance on some days, but pick up the pace when you do so. Alternate with longer slower workouts. But be ready to back off if you find yourself getting extra sore after your workouts.

Best of luck!