Single mom loses 45 pounds walking 20,000 steps a day and notices more energy

Toogi Dorjbayar walked 20,000 steps daily for eight months and lost about 45 pounds; she also reported increased energy and improved mental wellbeing.

Toogi Dorjbayar, a 34-year-old single mother in Belgium, began a daily 20,000-steps challenge in late March after feeling stuck. She set the goal with her twin sister and added a 200-euro penalty for missed days to keep accountability. Over eight months of daily walking she lost about 45 pounds and reported feeling more energetic and calmer. She has shared the journey on social media and now leads a virtual walking club. Reported details: - She started the 20,000-steps-per-day challenge on March 26 and kept it up for eight months. - Dorjbayar and her twin sister agreed that missing a day would cost the other 200 euros. - She said she lost about 10 pounds in the first month without changing her diet and about 45 pounds after eight months. - She later reduced her daily target to 15,000 steps to maintain her weight. - Dorjbayar reported improved energy, a calmer nervous system, and a meditative feeling from walking; she also emphasized the value of being outdoors. - The article notes research linking higher daily step totals with lower risk of death over about a decade. Summary: Dorjbayar's daily walking produced sustained weight loss and a change in how she describes her body and energy levels, and she has turned the habit into a community activity online. She now runs a virtual walking club with multiple step-goal groups and is starting a tech business while maintaining a lower daily step goal.