Jogging to loose weight?

sheen467

Hey Guys,

I just recently started my weight loss journey. After reading a lot of stuff about creating a 500 calorie daily deficit to loose a pound per week etc, I decided to start with a jogging / moderate walking program. I've burned almost as many calories as should be good enough for losing 1.5 kgs while monitoring my calorie intake to 1450 / day. However, I am disappointed to see that the weighing balance has not budged even a bit! On the contrary, I seem to be weighing more on a few days than others. Is this normal? This makes me wonder if jogging / walking is really a good short term option in order to knock off the first few kgs or should I start to weight train already? I can't find enough time to strength train during the week due to my travelling schedule..please help! My weight: 78kg, height: 155 cm

JustSomeEm

If you've just started, give it time. ESPECIALLY if you've also started a new exercise program. New exercise causes muscles to temporarily hold onto a bit of water, so if you're not seeing weight loss yet, stay the course. YOu'll start seeing it on the scale soon. In the meantime, take some measurements - seeing your measurements change can help when the scale is being stubborn.

999tigger

The most common reasons for not losing are eating more than you think (Weigh and log your food as a priority this is where most of your deficit will coem from), burning less than you think or just not being patient.

Soemtimes you will fluctuate 1-5lbs in a day, uts naturla and temporary. Its the trend over time you are looking for.

Walking/jogging is fine, do what you can consistently.
I would start weights / resistance from the beginning, do what you cna manage even 10-20mins of calisthenics is a start.

arditarose

You should eat at a deficit to lose weight, not try to create a deficit with exercise only. You cannot be sure how much you are really burning, and it is very difficult to consistently create a deficit with just exercise. Enter your stats into MFP, eat the amount of calories it tells you, eat some more when you add your exercise.

cwolfman13

understand that you don't have to use exercise to create an energy deficit...and in fact, that is the most inefficient way to establish an energy deficit...the most efficient way to establish an energy deficit is with your diet...i.e. you eat 500 calories less per day than you require to maintain.

this will also help you to look at fitness for the sake of fitness...ease of weight management is a nice bi-product of regular exercise...but it's really not the reason for it...

I ride about 60 - 80 miles per week...lift 2-3x per week...usually fit in a 5K to cross train...walk my dog, etc. I have lost weight, maintained weight, and gained weight doing all of these things...the difference being how much I was eating.

In RE to you not losing, you need for one to have patience...weight loss is a long process and is slow...you also need to be consistent with what you're doing...often what happens is that people are disappointed after about an hour of dieting that they haven't lost a gazillion Lbs already...so they go on a binge or whatever...then they start up again a few days later...quit...start again...have a cheat day...etc...so they aren't consistent, so nothing happens.

spartan_d

Correct. This is why you hear people say, "We need a cure for obesity! Current methods just don't work!"

The reality is that these methods work very well. They're not quick though, and they're not necessarily easy. To modern, lazy America though, this makes these methods ineffective in their minds.

brdnw

sheen467 wrote: »

Hey Guys,

I just recently started my weight loss journey. After reading a lot of stuff about creating a 500 calorie daily deficit to loose a pound per week etc, I decided to start with a jogging / moderate walking program. I've burned almost as many calories as should be good enough for losing 1.5 kgs while monitoring my calorie intake to 1450 / day. However, I am disappointed to see that the weighing balance has not budged even a bit! On the contrary, I seem to be weighing more on a few days than others. Is this normal? This makes me wonder if jogging / walking is really a good short term option in order to knock off the first few kgs or should I start to weight train already? I can't find enough time to strength train during the week due to my travelling schedule..please help! My weight: 78kg, height: 155 cm

it takes like 3500 calories to burn 1lb of fat. a 1 mile run is like 200-300 calories burned. when you're starting, your diet and eating right will be the strongest component of losing wieght. That is where you'll create your biggest calorie deficit (off of the assumption you were eating too many calories) the difference between your untracked calories vs calories now will really do it.

Running is my favorite form of cardio and what i find the most effective as far as cardio goes (i'd really push for lifting with it as lifting is more efficient than just doing cardio (you can do at home lifts if your schedule really is that busy). But when you run, the best way is to do sprint intervals, run at like 85-100% of your max running rate for 15-30 seconds, then walk for 30-60 seconds and catch your breath and repeat.

20yearsyounger

jogging/walking is great exercise and you dont have to do anything special like intervals etc. At your weight, a mile might only be 100 calories so be very careful if you are eating it back. Be patient, you just started. I gained weight when I first started. If I had stopped in the beginning, i wouldnt be where i am now.

middlehaitch

If you are travelling for work and can't fit in trips to the gym for resistance work, try something like nerdfitness.com for body weight exercises that can travel with you.
Convict Conditioning and You Are Your Own Gym are also body weight routines.

Calorie counting accurately is the way to lose weight and you have been given good advice above.

Cheers, h.

Sued0nim