Beginner running for weightloss

melmelvansmith

Facts: 24 year old female. 165cm and 53kg.

I have never been big into exercise and therefore am very unfit. I found a 6 month program afterwhich i should be able to conquer a half marathon. #goal!

Im on week 2 and it has me running about 3 km every second day. This distance gradually increases as the program progresses. At the end of 3 km's im out of breath and get a tight chest feeling like i am really pushing myself.

Other than fitness, will these short distances make a difference in my legs/bum/body at all or should i not even think of those benefits?

On the days that i dont run, i do home body weight workouts for about 30 minutes.

I just want to know if its enough to make a difference, they say even the small changes make a difference- but how small is too small?

TavistockToad

your calorie deficit will make the biggest difference.

livingleanlivingclean

You can run/exercise all you like, but unless you're in a calorie deficit you won't lose weight/fat. Running is great for fitness and cardio health though, and resistance training helps maintain muscle in a deficit

gearhead426hemi

If you have never really been into fitness you really need to start out slow with running. You want to keep a pace that you could hold a conversation with someone while running or jogging. If you cant talk then you are going to fast. Eating right will definitely help but you will still have good and bad days. You will probably come to find that certain foods you eat will either make you feel like you have more or less energy for your runs. Invest in a good pair of shoes and enjoy. Best of luck on your race!!

BrianSharpe

Weight loss comes from consuming fewer calories than you expend, you can lose wight without exercising at all but I would never want to discourage someone from going after fitness goals as they are worth shooting for (at your weight you're on the low end of a healthy BMI) by themselves.

If you're out of breath by the end of your run slow down. It sounds counter-intuitive bu most of your running should be at a comfortable, conversational pace, especially when you're building your aerobic base.

A half marathon can be a pretty daunting race (it's my favourite distance) with a 6 moth training plan you should be able to finish one ok but i would certainly recommend getting in a couple of shorter races beforehand if you can just to improve your comfort level (last Sunday's Army Run had about 21,000 participants between the 5K, 10K and half-marathon your first couple of races can feel a little intimidating)

Have fun!

lorrpb

First, run slower. This is necessary to build up stamina & condition your muscles, tendons, etc. If you're doing more than you were before, there is no small that it too small. It's all progress. If you stop, there will be no progress.
For weight loss you need a calorie deficit. It could be challenging to begin a calorie deficit and train for a half marathon from scratch at the same time because you need to fuel that much running. Read some of the running/training threads on here for more insight.

rsclause

Yes calorie deficit is the only requirement to lose weight however running burns calories too. I used running to give me more room to eat and drink and still be in deficit. Add mental health, fitness and fun to the list of running benefits. To the OP start slow and build. Over time you will feel stronger and start to add miles or speed. Get fitted for running shoes at a running store. They are not cheap but so worth it. Retire them at 350 to 425 miles. I use Runtastic to track shoe miles and when working on speed or distance my stats. Have fun and get your miles in!