How to Lose Weight Running

Yeah, it’s about that time of year when a major light bulb turns on in your brain saying it is time to get your body back in shape. The temptations of the last three months of the year can leave a mark on the waistline that must be addressed. So what is the best way to get rid of these unwanted pounds? No doubt about it, running is great method for losing weight.

Why is Running Good for Weight Loss?

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Running is a good for weight loss because it is one of the most vigorous forms of exercise out there and is an extremely effective way to burn calories and shed pounds. Besides being a great calorie burner, it is very good for the heart and lungs and will greatly improve cardiac efficiency. In other words, in time, your heart won’t have to work nearly as hard at rest as it did before. Running can facilitate additional forms of exercise and leisure activities as well. As the cardiovascular system gets into prime condition, you will have more energy and possibly even a new zest for life.

5 Tips on How to Lose Weight Running

1. Eat Right: You can run until you’re blue in the face, but unless necessary adjustments are made in the diet, it will be hard to guarantee a slimming success story. The math is simple. If you burn more calories than you consume, YOU WILL LOSE WEIGHT! Running burns about 100 lbs. per mile, give or a take a little, depending on the bodyweight of the individual, and the intensity/speed with which it is run. Each pound of fat equals 3,500 calories. Hard to believe, huh? This means that just to lose one pound per week, 500 calories must be eliminated from your diet or burned every day of the week! This is definitely doable. Just by eliminating one high calorie beverage and choosing a healthy snack rather than a high fat one, you are almost there. Then tack on a few hundred calories burned from running, and you’ll be losing weight before you know it. Healthy eating also becomes a critical component in fueling the body before running and in the recovery process afterwards to facilitate optimal muscle performance.

2. Be Consistent: You have to be committed. You are not going to lose weight running if you only run one time per week. Keep in mind that “The more you run-the more you lose, and the more you lose-the easier and more enjoyable it is to run.” Running most days of the week will provide the best results but if that is not feasible, try for at least 3-4 times per week. I’ll be the first to admit that the first few weeks of a running weight loss plan are not overly fun. In fact, after a long hiatus from running, I almost dread those first few weeks. It feels as if your body is at war with your mind. Your legs hate you, your lungs hate you, your knees hate you and your heart feels as though it might pound right out of your chest. Everything is telling you to stop, but DON’T! You can win this battle. And when it feels like you just can’t take it anymore, all of the sudden you will turn a huge corner and it will feel much more natural and effortless, and guaranteed, you will see a difference in how you feel and how you look. I used to have a quote on my wall during my college running days that read, “Any change requires an initial period of discomfort until the body adjusts to the new demand” (author unknown). You will adjust!

3. Follow a Training Plan: Map it out on paper, and then DO IT! Make a running program to facilitate your weight loss (or use a plan right off the internet-there are plenty). It will take the guess work out of coming up with a daily plan, and it will make cheating yourself a little tougher. Each workout will build upon the previous one. Doing this will also help you avoid injury as you slowly increase the mileage and intensity of your running in your quest to burn fat.

Sample Beginner’s Running Program for Weight Loss (adapted from best-running-tips.com):

Day 1: 4X2 minutes intense running with 2-3 minutes recovery in between
Day 2: Cross train or rest
Day 3: Run 30 min or do a run/walk
Day 4: Cross train or rest
Day 5: Cross train or rest
Day 6: Run 30 min or do a run/walk
Day7: Cross train or rest

4. Keep it Exciting by Challenging Yourself: It is not good for your mind or your body to just go out and do the same boring run day after day. Continuing to challenge yourself, will make running to lose weight more exciting and invigorating. You can do this by incorporating a variety of training strategies into your program. One popular training strategy is to interject speed work and interval training (running at a very fast pace for short intervals of time) into your plan. These types of workouts are important for a couple of reasons. First, they will increase muscle mass, more so than a run at a relatively slow pace. Building lean muscle mass will improve your resting metabolism (calories burned when you are not running) because muscle burns more calories when at rest than fat does. This will cause you to burn many more calories throughout the day. Secondly, running at higher intensity takes your legs through a more complete range of motion. Range of motion is critical if you want to work the entire length of the leg, especially the buttocks, which from the female perspective is hugely important. Other challenging training components are long runs, hills, and trail runs.

Another way to challenge yourself is to enter a race. Participate in a community fun run. Putting a race on the calendar as a goal to achieve works wonders for keeping you committed, especially once you have paid the registration fee.

5. Be patient: Don’t try to do too much too fast. When running to lose weight, you are much more likely to stick with a program if you err on the side of caution. If you start slow and try to enjoy the experience, chances are, you will continue progressing toward higher mileage which in turn will further facilitate your weight loss goals, and will help you avoid injury at the same time.

It is also important to exercise a little patience in your efforts to achieve weight loss from running. It is not unlikely to experience no weight loss or even a slight increase in weight in the first few weeks of your running program. This is largely due to the fact that you are increasing lean muscle mass by working those muscles. Don’t freak out! Gaining this muscle is an important step in losing weight through running. This newly acquired muscle will pay big dividends when it comes to burning calories, even when you are resting. For me, this phase of feeling like all my efforts are in vain usually lasts 3-4 weeks, and then the pounds start to melt, IF I am consistent in my running program and eat a sensible diet.

Wrapping it Up

Is running the best way to lose weight? I think so, but I can’t speak for everyone. Can you lose weight running? Absolutely, and there are a million running for weight loss success stories out there to prove it. I have experienced success myself in losing weight running as I have tried to get back in shape after each of my five kids. For me, nothing works better or faster. However, as we all know, commitment is the key. Your best way to lose weight is choosing something you will stick with. Just know that if the choice you make is running, you will NOT be disappointed. Running will get you were you want to be.

Luff, Christine. (Updated October 27, 2011) Running for Weight Loss: How to Lose Weight by Running. Retrieved on January 5, 2012 from http://running.about.com/od/runningandweightloss/a/weightloss.htm

Palmer, Roy. (2005). How to Start Running to Lose Weight-Fast! Retrieved on January 5, 2012 from http://www.fitness-programs-for-life.com/running_to_lose_weight.html

Running for Weight Loss. Retrieved on January 5, 2012 from http://www.best-running-tips.com/running-for-weight-loss.html