How to Lose Weight by Running
To reduce weight, you must build a significant calorie deficit. To lose 1-2 pounds each week, most experts recommend aiming for a weekly calorie deficit of 3,500 to 7,000 calories.
Eating fewer calories or more calorie-burning physical activity, like jogging, can help you achieve this deficit. You can also mix the two approaches to achieve your goal.
The Value of a Healthy Diet
Runners have special needs regarding food, but the basics of a healthy diet still apply. Reduce your intake of high-fat, high-calorie foods and consume more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Runners often make the mistake of trying to make up for the calories they burn by eating and drinking more. Despite frequent exercise, some runners gain or reach a weight reduction plateau.
Determining how much you’re eating is the first step toward reaching your goal. Use this calculator to determine how many calories you need to lose weight.
One method for preventing overeating or mindless eating is to keep a food journal for a few weeks. Examining a food diary will help you see where you can improve your diet.
Because you know you’ll have to log it later, you might think twice about eating that chocolate-covered donut, which will help you stay on target. Runners frequently experience continual hunger, so schedule your snacks and meals to avoid overindulging.
Running Nutrition Strategies for Weight Loss
Consume smaller meals: Instead of three large meals, divide your calories into five or six smaller ones; this can assist in maintaining your metabolism and energy levels and reduce hunger sensations that can lead to overeating. Here are some additional diet-related suggestions:
Keep an eye on liquid calories: Even if you run a lot, you don’t need to drink sports drinks to stay hydrated constantly. To stay hydrated, drink water. The same is valid for fruit juices, coffee beverages, and soda.
Reduce carbs: On a 2,000-calorie diet, the average adult should consume about 225-325 grams of carbs daily (or about 45-65% of total daily calories). If you are over this or within the range but still unable to lose weight, reduce your carbohydrate intake somewhat and replace it with lean protein.
Running as a Weight Loss Workout
Running is an efficient strategy to burn calories in a short amount of time. The quantity of calories you burn while running depends on your body size, pace, and run length. Nonetheless, as a rough rule, many runners of average size estimate that they expend approximately 100 calories every mile.
According to the National Weight Control Registry, those who successfully reduce and maintain their weight burn roughly 2,800 calories per week through organized exercise. With a 100-calorie-per-mile average, that’s around 28 miles each week.
It’s worth noting that this is more than the average runner completes in a week, and it’s awe-inspiring for a beginner runner. Overtraining puts you in danger of injury, so start slowly and work up to a number that works for you.
If jogging is your only weight-loss exercise, you can achieve your objective. Don’t worry about your pace or intensity; focus on getting the kilometers done consistently weekly.
Arrange your runs ahead of time and schedule them just like you would any other essential event. Running will eventually burn the calories you need to lose weight.
Weight Loss Running Workouts
The type of running workouts you undertake can influence how long it takes to lose weight. While there is no “perfect” running routine for losing weight, you can maximize your weight loss potential by combining several types of training.
Low-Intensity vs. High-Intensity Running Exercises
When you exercise, the carbohydrate-to-fat ratio that your body uses for fuel might alter depending on the workout’s speed, length, and intensity. Consider the following:
Running at high power: The body prefers carbohydrates because they provide quick energy. They give your body the energy it requires while starting a sprint. It’s like setting a match to paper: it burns hotter and faster but quickly burns out.
Runs with a lower intensity: With these longer, lower-intensity runs, your body progressively changes from carbs to fat. While lipids are not as immediate as carbohydrates, they are more sustained. In this regard, burning fat is similar to lighting a candle: it burns steadier and for a more extended period.
Sometimes. Exercising at a slower but consistent speed is sensible if your goal is to burn fat. While exercising at a lower intensity allows you to burn a higher proportion of fat calories, exercising at a higher intensity means you burn more calories overall.
Running Interval Workouts
To burn more calories while jogging, you should run at a greater intensity, around 80% or 90% of your maximal heart rate. At this speed, you’re not sprinting, but you’re working hard enough that you can’t carry on a conversation.
Begin with a 20-minute run at an intensity of 80 to 90 percent. You can also conduct interval training, alternating between high- and low-intensity workouts. The stronger you become over time, the easier it is to increase the duration between intervals and the number of repetitions.
Of course, you should only sometimes run at this speed. Following strict action, you must allow your body to recover and rebuild itself. One or two high-intensity runs per week is a good goal.
Do longer, less complicated runs on the other days of the week. These runs will seem more sustainable, allowing you to cover more ground and burn more calories. Lastly, think about doing hill repeats or running on an indoor treadmill to get rid of boredom and build strength.
Strength Training to Run Faster
Running without walking is an essential aspect of your running training. Runners that lose weight and keep it off incorporate strength training into their daily routine. Strength training burns calories and improves running performance due to increased lean muscle mass. You can run for extended periods and burn more calories.
Lean muscle mass will also help you burn more calories during the day, even when you’re not doing anything. Strength training also helps keep you from getting injured while running, so you can keep up your exercise routine without getting hurt.
Every week, try to do some resistance or weight training. Set out 2-3 sessions of 20–30 minutes of weight training per week in your training schedule. It is not necessary to lift huge weights to make an impact. Basic bodyweight exercises can be very beneficial.
How to Begin Running to Lose Weight
Don’t worry if many training and running styles sound confusing. It is optional to plan everything on your own. There are numerous training programs available online. Please choose any of these programs or mix a few based on your timetable and needs.
Starting with a modest distance is the best method if you are new to running. Receive training programs, learn good running techniques, safety recommendations, running etiquette rules, and more; this is also an excellent place to begin for runners who have taken a hiatus and are returning to the sport.
Organize a step-by-step approach into a weekly training schedule that will have you running a consistent two miles in a matter of weeks. This schedule involves cross-training and rest days.
Try this month-long program if you’re ready to set a goal of running a 5K. Receive tailored exercises, as well as race day instructions and other assistance.
Are you already a runner? Obtain a thorough training plan to get you race-ready for a 10K in eight weeks. Include speed training in this regimen to boost weight loss. There are detailed descriptions of each workout.
Running and Weight Loss Tips
Some weight-loss suggestions combine a running regimen with a healthy, low-calorie diet.
Make minor dietary adjustments: Make small changes to your diet, such as eliminating regular soda and increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables.
Avoid eating processed foods: The components in packaged goods and snack foods are frequently high in trans fats, added sugar, and salt, all of which can make losing weight challenging.
Exercise portion control:
Check your portion sizes, especially after a run; you are tempted to eat a little more because of all the calories you expend.
Prepare pre-made balanced 100-calorie snacks at home to have healthy options and resist the temptations to overeat.
Share meals when dining out, or eat half your meal and take the rest home.
Examine the nutrition labels: Just because a food is low in fat does not indicate it is high in other nutrients, such as carbs and sugar. Sugar serves to make up for the flavor loss that the fat causes. Salad dressings, marinades, mayonnaise, and sauces are familiar sources of hidden fat and calories.
Strive for satisfaction: Instead of eating until you’re full, learn to identify when you’re full; this keeps you from consuming calories that you don’t require.
Slow down: Concentrating on your food and enjoying the flavor can help you eat more slowly and thoroughly. To feel satiated faster, make a conscious effort to take smaller portions and chew them thoroughly.
Remove all distractions: Eating while watching TV or multitasking frequently leads to eating more than you intended because you weren’t paying attention. Make it a point only to eat when you know what and how much food is in your mouth.
Finally, when trying to lose weight, running can be a beneficial kind of exercise. Running not only successfully burns calories but also increases strength and endurance. Combine a steady jogging schedule with strength training and a proper diet to lose weight and improve your fitness. Then utilize running to prevent the pounds from returning.