Does running help with weight loss

I have weighed the same for the past year or so - I did lose when I had a really stressful personal event -- and now that I am back in Europe I am not able to join a gym. So I commute to work 30 minutes 2x a day by bycicle, and I eat at TDEE-20%. I just joined a running club and am starting to run. I did a little internet research and it seems that running is not that much help with weight loss (Runners' Magazine article). Does anyone have personal experience they are willing to share? I would really like to see some downward change here! I am F, 48, 5 ft 4 and weigh around 72 Kg. Eat 1500 cals a day.

Replies

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    Running, and really any exercise, is helpful if you estimate your burns as accurately as you can. Where running can be a problem is sometimes it ramps up your appetite and if you do not eat smart when that happens then you will eat more than you burned and just wasted your time. I run and it helps me lose alot, but I accurately track my runs and my calorie intake.
  • mghuss
    mghuss Posts: 22 Member
    I have lost all my weight through running. I carefully track both food and exercise and make sure that my net calorie intake is 1200-1500 cal.
  • HavtaLose
    HavtaLose Posts: 59 Member
    Pre-baby I lost about 30 lbs in 6 months with running as my main cardio. So yes it can be used. Any exercise that gets your heart rate up is good. BUT watch your form though. If you're running for the first time, don't run too fast. Start slowly and build up your speed everyday.
  • marjoleina
    marjoleina Posts: 189 Member
    . If you're running for the first time, don't run too fast. Start slowly and build up your speed everyday.

    That won't be a problem. I am moving at turtle speed. And there is a trainer that has running class so that will help I hope. I did get some good shoes, but other than that I am clueless!
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    its ok, be proud of you turtle speed, eventually you will turn into a hare and not even remember when!
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Being in a calorie deficit helps with weight loss.

    That can be done by diet alone, by leading a more active life in general or doing more exercise (or a combination)
  • Roadie2000
    Roadie2000 Posts: 1,801 Member
    Running or any exercise should help you lose weight, but it still mainly comes down to diet. The more calories you burn, the more you can eat and still stay in a caloric deficit.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Running helps increase calories burned. All you need for weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. Burning 200 calories from running, or eating 200 calories less of food yields the same result in terms of body composition.
  • marjoleina
    marjoleina Posts: 189 Member
    its ok, be proud of you turtle speed, eventually you will turn into a hare and not even remember when!

    Thanks for the encouragement! And hares are a better shape than a turtle too...so I hope for change!! :flowerforyou:
  • marjoleina
    marjoleina Posts: 189 Member
    Running helps increase calories burned. All you need for weight loss is to burn more calories than you consume. Burning 200 calories from running, or eating 200 calories less of food yields the same result in terms of body composition.

    I agree, but I can eat 1200 calories a day, days on end and nothing happens...so I hope increasing my exercise will do something. I weigh my food with a food scale. But my calorie expenditures are estimates, I may buy a calorie counting Garmin or something like that.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,030 Member
    Just remember that exercise is for fitness and overall health. Weight loss is going to depend on calorie deficit and most of the time that's going to have to do with what and how much you're consuming.

    You can't out exercise a bad diet. Lots of people (including myself) have tried and failed miserably.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
    Weight loss is all about having a calorie deficit. Running helps burn calories and can fit wonderfully into a weight loss plan. But you also need to watch what you eat. I have gained weight while training for half marathons because I wasn't counting calories. You can't out run a bad diet.
  • marjoleina
    marjoleina Posts: 189 Member

    You can't out exercise a bad diet. Lots of people (including myself) have tried and failed miserably.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    My diary is open if anyone has suggestions for improvement, that be great.
  • KeithAngilly
    KeithAngilly Posts: 575 Member
    My personal opinion is to keep the reasons for trying to lose weight and the reasons for getting some exercise separate. I run simply because I enjoy it and love the challenge. I try to lose weight for health reasons and to be a good example to others, especially my family. If your running enjoyment is tied to the scale, I suspect your running career will be pretty short.

    Good luck!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    As others said, losing weight is about the calorie deficit, not what type of exercise you are doing. I know you recently increased your calories, but are you now also increasing your activity and ultimately your TDEE? Or are you replacing some other activity with the running? If you are increasing activity, you might be creating the same type of deficit you had before when you were eating low cals. Your body just might need some more time to get used to the new amount of calories before dropping weight.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    caeteris paribus = yep, sure does.
  • GonnaBFit4Me
    GonnaBFit4Me Posts: 6 Member
    As many have said, it's all about the caloric deficit, first and foremost. I am 5'0" and to lose weight, my daily calorie intake should be no more than 1000 calories! I aim for 800-850 ea. day with a daily protein intake of 75g.

    Typically, the calorie calculators you use online are WAY off! I would deduct 200-400 calories from what they say. Then have one "maintenance" day (meaning you won't gain or lose weight, just maintain) where you eat what they originally told you! Do this pattern in a 5:1 and recycle doing the same thing. So, the 7th day, you start back with the 5 deficit days and then 1 maintenance day.

    Secondly, if you struggle due to poor eating habits, try fasting. By fasting for 12 hrs., you free up calories for those special treats you like and can't give up! Remember, "dieting" isn't suppose to be painful or unrealistic. You want a lifestyle change that you can work with!

    Also, if you want to speed up the weight loss process (only as fast as your body will release the fat, mind you), do weights! You burn more calories and as you lose the fat you are toning the muscles underneath.

    Hope this helps! Good luck on your journey!
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    As many have said, it's all about the caloric deficit, first and foremost. I am 5'0" and to lose weight, my daily calorie intake should be no more than 1000 calories! I aim for 800-850 ea. day with a daily protein intake of 75g.

    Typically, the calorie calculators you use online are WAY off! I would deduct 200-400 calories from what they say. Then have one "maintenance" day (meaning you won't gain or lose weight, just maintain) where you eat what they originally told you! Do this pattern in a 5:1 and recycle doing the same thing. So, the 7th day, you start back with the 5 deficit days and then 1 maintenance day.

    Secondly, if you struggle due to poor eating habits, try fasting. By fasting for 12 hrs., you free up calories for those special treats you like and can't give up! Remember, "dieting" isn't suppose to be painful or unrealistic. You want a lifestyle change that you can work with!

    Also, if you want to speed up the weight loss process (only as fast as your body will release the fat, mind you), do weights! You burn more calories and as you lose the fat you are toning the muscles underneath.

    Hope this helps! Good luck on your journey!

    Dafuq?
  • mjpTennis
    mjpTennis Posts: 6,165 Member
    I started exercising to lose weight and came across running. There are so many different ways to balance the calories....burn more, eat healthier. For me it really taken time to adjust to changes. For instance, I first started doing a couch to 5k. Didn't change too much with my diet, but got in a groove with that. After I had made that a ritual per say, I started to focus on drinking more water. From there, I would move onto something else. In the end, running has been the best exercise for me because I can run anywhere at anytime with just a pair of running shoes...no gym, no need to drive anywhere....I have come to value my running time and to Keith's point, it wasn't tied to dieting so there was no subconscious resentment or challenges with it.

    Good luck. Asking these kinds of questions is a good sign that you are going to make this happen.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    Not sure if I could have lost as much as I did without running...or at least not as quickly as I did. But like has been said, you don't need to run to lose weight. The big benefit of running while trying to lose weight...getting to eat more and knowing that extra slice of pizza won't hurt.
  • chandra2802
    chandra2802 Posts: 29 Member
    Just looking at your diary the one thing i see.. is you dont eat any of your excercise calories back. If you look into you reports and look at net calories it looks like most days you are at a net of 800-900 calories. Some days lower. From what i have understood is that when you are eating at such a low net its harder to lose weight. Or atleast that is what i have read on the fourms lol
  • cfl68
    cfl68 Posts: 48 Member
    like previously stated by others, any form of calorie burn is a good thing. All comes down to reducing calories and increasing amount burned. My first month of healthy living consisted of reducing my intake, monitoring what I was eating and the only exercise was the treadmill. lost 18 lbs. I am now adding resistance training to the mix, as cardio only doesn't help with muscle maintenance. keep at it and results will follow
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
    Simple math, eat more than you burn and you won't lose!

    I have gained while running 50+ miles per week. How? By eating 60 miles worth of food...
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    Just looking at your diary the one thing i see.. is you dont eat any of your excercise calories back. If you look into you reports and look at net calories it looks like most days you are at a net of 800-900 calories. Some days lower. From what i have understood is that when you are eating at such a low net its harder to lose weight. Or atleast that is what i have read on the fourms lol

    She has set it manually for a TDEE - 20% goal instead of MFP + exercise calories. Assuming she chose the correct activity level, that should include exercise. Hence my question as to whether or not the running increases her TDEE, and if she adjusted the TDEE accordingly.
  • marjoleina
    marjoleina Posts: 189 Member
    I need to recapitulate my TDEE with the running, some weeks I can go once (to the running class) and other weeks 2x, due to my work schedule. I have Haybales worksheet, so I will re-do it with the running. I need to figure out how many calories I burn doing that, since I go at a a snails pace at the moment. I am getting a Garmin GPS type of watch so I can have a more accurate guess. I think it is about 115 cals per mile, but I am not sure how many miles we go. I will ask today and adjust my TDEE, if needed. I had just redone it based on bicycling to work. Thank you everyone for the feedback.
  • Phiallis
    Phiallis Posts: 21 Member
    You actually can outexercise a bad diet: lots of people do.
    But your genetics have to lend themselves to that, or you do need to put in a significant amount of exercise.
    If weight loss is your goal, your best bet is to watch what you it: exercise by all means, but do it for its many benefits, not just for weight loss.
  • eldamiano
    eldamiano Posts: 2,667 Member
    I lost 2.5 stone in around 4-6 months from running. I did medium to long distance: 5k to half-marathon

    There was no way I could have done it eating just 1,500 calories a day though. I am 182cm, male, and my goal weight to lose 1/2 pound was around 2,000. I managed to finish under this quite comfortbaly and quite possibly would have lost the weight without running. Still, more exercise, more fuel required.
  • Skarlet13
    Skarlet13 Posts: 146 Member
    Here is a really good article:

    http://www.runnersworld.com/weight-loss/how-many-calories-are-you-really-burning?page=single

    There is a big difference between gross and net calories burned. I still plan on running though :)
  • exercise always help you a lot. it is only made for body fitness and disease free life. one of them is running and it act as a blessings to lose weight quickly.