Running to Lose Weight

Many women take up running to lose weight.

It’s a smart move as running burns more calories a minute than walking, swimming and biking.

So you’ll spend less time working out to get your calorie deficit. Perfect for those of us juggling our busy lives.

Photo Courtesy of Mike Baird

Every year we hear of another fad diet that will melt away the pounds. Most are restrictive or selective, there’s the grapefruit diet, no carbs diet, flat belly diet… It really isn’t rocket science, as some will have you believe.

The math is pretty simple, the more calories you burn and the less you consume equals weight loss. Of course if it were that easy we wouldn’t have a billion dollar diet industry.

Here are some tips on running to lose weight.

Steady Progress

Usually weight gain happens over months and years. So it will take time for it to come off. You need energy to run and live. Slashing calories could send you crashing in days. Instead aim for 1 pound or 0.5 kg a week. This equates to 500 calories (2100 kJ) per day.

Make It Your Priority

Commit to running or cross training every day. Of course there will be times when life gets in the way. Or when you are sick or tired. But scheduling some “me time” every day for exercise helps you get to your weight goal faster.

Increase Your Efforts

You’ll burn more calories by including harder efforts in your training. Try adding 10-12 faster strides at the end of your easy runs. Include fartlek and tempo runs to your weekly program. Running to lose weight is easier when you up the pace.

Race It Off

Enter a race. It will give you a reason to train and it forces you to put in a good effort. No matter how hard you train there's nothing like performing in public.

Up Your Distance

A simple running to lose weight tip is to gradually increase your weekly mileage. Research has shown that to beat the weight gain battle in middle age, runners need to increase their mileage by about 1.4 miles a week annually.

Build Strength

Add some weight training to increase your lean muscle mass and raise your metabolic rate. More muscle means you will burn more calories when your body is resting and working out.

Hit the gym and workout with free weights (dumbbells) or weight machines. Or you can use your own body weight with push-ups, dips, lunges and squats. Aim for one to two sessions a week.

Climb and Burn

Adding hills is another way to use running to lose weight. It’s a total body workout, using your arms, shoulders, chest, abdominals and legs to drive up the hills. Use these tips to include hill training to your program.

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Hit the Sack

Studies show that people who don’t get enough sleep crave carbs and sugar. Both are big weight gainers. University of Chicago researchers found that people who slept only four hours had a drop in leptin. It’s a hormone that tells your brain when you’re full. Lack of sleep can also raise your cortisol levels, making your appetite surge. Aim to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night.

Drink Plenty of Water

Dehydration is often confused with hunger pangs. Before you reach for a snack grab your water bottle. Keeping hydrated is essential for runners, both for performance and recovery. Use these tips to make sure you’re getting enough fluids.

Refuel After Training

Try to eat a nutritious snack or light meal after your run. You will recover quicker and have more energy for your next workout. Plus by not starving yourself you’ll be less tempted to binge later. These recovery foods will keep you refueled.

Kick Start Your Day

Wake up your metabolism with a healthy breakfast. Give your body the fuel it needs to run, work, study and play. Research shows that people who under eat during the day have more body fat than those who take in enough calories. Try these breakfast suggestions.

Scale Hopping

Make an effort to only weigh yourself every few days or once a week. Our weight fluctuates hourly and daily. Constantly jumping on the scales can be stressful. Measure your success by looking in the mirror, your body’s firmness, how your clothes fit and the compliments you receive.

Other Free Resources

Additional advice for your running to lose weight program.

Running for weight loss pointers.

Nancy Clark's twelve steps for successful weight loss.

USDA MyPyramid website
Here you will find information on healthy eating, food groups, nutrition tables, menu planners, etc. Check out the tool "MyFoodapedia" where you can type in the food and get the calories and make comparisons.

American Council on Exercise (ACE) website
Under the Get Fit section there are lots of tools and advice such as:

• Fitness Tools & Calculators – BMI, Body Fat, Blood Pressure, Daily Caloric Estimates, Physical Activity Calorie Calculator, etc.
• Exercise Library – demonstrates exercises for all body parts for all levels (Beginners to Advanced), using equipment or your body.
• Healthy Recipes

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