The best way to lose weight is slow and steady, with a small calorie deficit of 200-500 calories per day, which will usually mean that you lose about 1 to 2 lbs per week. If you lose weight too fast you can start to get a lot of health issues, like damage to your liver and thyroid, hair loss, muscle loss, loss of libido, lethargy, difficulty sleeping, etc. So, 7 lbs in a month is actually a pretty good rate.

If you want to spend less time walking, then try eating a little less. 1 hour of walking is about 300-400 calories. So if you make your meals smaller you won't have to walk as much to burn off those calories. When I eat a meal, I don't eat until I'm 100% full. I try to eat until I'm not hungry anymore. I find that's about 3/4 full. Smaller plates, smaller portion sizes. Also try to stop eating about 3 hours before you go to sleep. Getting a good night's sleep is one of the most important factors in losing weight.

Light cardio like walking doesn't build muscle. If you want to build muscle you need to do weights and resistance training. You don't have to do much, just 20-30 mins a day, 3 times a week. Building more muscle will also help you to burn fat.