running as my only form of exercise

Becca21

will i lose weight i i only run. im wanting to run 6x a week at the moment ive moved it to 4x a week,
wil this be enough for weight loss i do 50-60 mins of running each day i go out

CarsonRuns

If:

Calories consumed < Calories burned

Then, yes.

Starsighter78

If:

Calories consumed < Calories burned

Then, yes.

What he said. The only thing I want to add is that running can also add muscle, so if you see intermittant gains, don't freak out. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so while the gain may seem counterproductive, it will actually help in the long run *no pun intended LOL*

Jessie43082

I've lost a majority of my 100 pounds from running, as well as other cardio. Now I have a ton of toning to do. I'd pay attention to building muscle as you are losing weight as well. Wish I had

RachelWest86

My husband has been running several times a week since Thanksgiving, and is on WeightWatchers (and does VERY well staying within his daily allotment) and has lost about 40 pounds.

Keep up the good work, and make sure you're wearing good running shoes to stabilize yourself!

ATLMel

I've lost a majority of my 100 pounds from running, as well as other cardio. Now I have a ton of toning to do. I'd pay attention to building muscle as you are losing weight as well. Wish I had

This.

You'll lose weight with only running. But you'd improve your fitness more if you augmented it with 2-3 days of weight training.

cowgirlslikeus86

If:

Calories consumed < Calories burned

Then, yes.

What he said. The only thing I want to add is that running can also add muscle, so if you see intermittant gains, don't freak out. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so while the gain may seem counterproductive, it will actually help in the long run *no pun intended LOL*

I second that...or third :laugh:

ninerbuff

If:

Calories consumed < Calories burned

Then, yes.

What he said. The only thing I want to add is that running can also add muscle, so if you see intermittant gains, don't freak out. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so while the gain may seem counterproductive, it will actually help in the long run *no pun intended LOL*

It may add a little muscle to the legs in the beginning, but there's no upper body muscle being added. Also as weight goes down, there will be less resistance so load is less.
While I know that you can lose weight with just running alone, your overall body conditioning isn't as good since it mainly focuses on your endurance and doesn't really address your strength (especially in the upper body).


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

brandyk77

another vote for supplemental weight training

BerryH

Yes, running will help create a calorific deficit and speed up your weight loss. Don't worry about gaining muscle as one poster said, that just doesn't happen. What MAY happen is you will weigh a little more as fluid rushes to your muscles to replace nutrients, carry away waste and repair damage.

There is a bit of a law of diminishing returns, however - you won't burn twice as many calories running six miles as three, for instance, as you become more efficient.

I would warn, however, that if you're not cross-training at all, running the same session six days a week could lead to injury. Have a couple of short, quality sessions mid-week - sprint intervals, hills, fartlek etc., and maybe increase the length of your long weekend run by a little more each week. Have a rest day after your longest and hardest sessions.

Adding resistance training will complement your running by helping prevent injury and improve lean tissue to fat ratio.

Finally, why do you want to do nothing but running? If it's your favourite thing in the world, yay go for it. If it's just for the awesome calorie burn, you might want to look at other ways to achieve that without getting bored and/or hurt.

workout_junkee

You can, but I agree with others in the fact added some weight training would help build muscle in the upper body. More muscle = more calories burned. Lower bosy weight training would also help build the muscles not used as much when you run:).

yoovie

yes but you WILLL hit a legit solid plateau if you dont eventually add some kind of strength training. true story. truer than you'll want to believe.

if you only run, that plateau will be a real impossible btch to break down- and it will come at the wrong moment. When your motivation is already low.

nickiw68

Bump...to read later

workoutgirl23

Running is basically the only thing i do. i'm a big runner. i run several miles about 4-5 times a week. i occasionally throw a little weight lifting in there, but mainly i just love to run. running will burn off calories just as well, as any other exercise.

BrianSharpe

Yes, running will help create a calorific deficit and speed up your weight loss. Don't worry about gaining muscle as one poster said, that just doesn't happen. What MAY happen is you will weigh a little more as fluid rushes to your muscles to replace nutrients, carry away waste and repair damage.

There is a bit of a law of diminishing returns, however - you won't burn twice as many calories running six miles as three, for instance, as you become more efficient.

I would warn, however, that if you're not cross-training at all, running the same session six days a week could lead to injury. Have a couple of short, quality sessions mid-week - sprint intervals, hills, fartlek etc., and maybe increase the length of your long weekend run by a little more each week. Have a rest day after your longest and hardest sessions.

Adding resistance training will complement your running by helping prevent injury and improve lean tissue to fat ratio.

Finally, why do you want to do nothing but running? If it's your favourite thing in the world, yay go for it. If it's just for the awesome calorie burn, you might want to look at other ways to achieve that without getting bored and/or hurt.

^^^^^ This

Even if running is your passion add some strength & cross training as a way of helping to prevent injuries.

Huffdogg

You'll lose weight with only running. But you'd improve your fitness more if you augmented it with 2-3 days of weight training.

erickirb

will i lose weight i i only run. im wanting to run 6x a week at the moment ive moved it to 4x a week,
wil this be enough for weight loss i do 50-60 mins of running each day i go out

You can do no exercise and lose the same amount of weight as you would with 6 days running if you are following MFP caloric intake. The more cals you burn the more you eat. the difference is you will be in much better shape incorporating exercise.

I would suggest adding in at least 2 days/week of strength training though, as when dieting your body sheds fat and muscle, strength training helps your body maintain the muscle it already has.

sunshinesonata

bump to read more later.

KatieJane83

Yes, running will help create a calorific deficit and speed up your weight loss. Don't worry about gaining muscle as one poster said, that just doesn't happen. What MAY happen is you will weigh a little more as fluid rushes to your muscles to replace nutrients, carry away waste and repair damage.

There is a bit of a law of diminishing returns, however - you won't burn twice as many calories running six miles as three, for instance, as you become more efficient.

I would warn, however, that if you're not cross-training at all, running the same session six days a week could lead to injury. Have a couple of short, quality sessions mid-week - sprint intervals, hills, fartlek etc., and maybe increase the length of your long weekend run by a little more each week. Have a rest day after your longest and hardest sessions.

Adding resistance training will complement your running by helping prevent injury and improve lean tissue to fat ratio.

Finally, why do you want to do nothing but running? If it's your favourite thing in the world, yay go for it. If it's just for the awesome calorie burn, you might want to look at other ways to achieve that without getting bored and/or hurt.

^^^^^ This

Even if running is your passion add some strength & cross training as a way of helping to prevent injuries.

^^^yup

belgerian

That is how I lost my weight I ate 1600-2000 calories and ran 5-6 times a week anywhere from 45 min up to 2 hours, was a slow pace at the time but I lost 85-100lbs and I still run everyday for 8 miles well 5-6 days a week and starting to get interested in some resistance work. Looking to tone up.

Starsighter78

Don't worry about gaining muscle as one poster said, that just doesn't happen.

Nice job on making a blanket statement that isn't necessarily true [all of the time]. The reason I made the statement is because it's what happened to me. I guess I could have gone further and said, especially when you are first starting out, you will build muscle, especially if you don't have good muscle tone to begin with.

LorinaLynn

I love running, but adding strength training did more for my body shape.

Also, stress fractures suck. :indifferent:

TinaDay1114

Yes, running will help create a calorific deficit and speed up your weight loss. Don't worry about gaining muscle as one poster said, that just doesn't happen. What MAY happen is you will weigh a little more as fluid rushes to your muscles to replace nutrients, carry away waste and repair damage.

There is a bit of a law of diminishing returns, however - you won't burn twice as many calories running six miles as three, for instance, as you become more efficient.

I would warn, however, that if you're not cross-training at all, running the same session six days a week could lead to injury. Have a couple of short, quality sessions mid-week - sprint intervals, hills, fartlek etc., and maybe increase the length of your long weekend run by a little more each week. Have a rest day after your longest and hardest sessions.

Adding resistance training will complement your running by helping prevent injury and improve lean tissue to fat ratio.

Finally, why do you want to do nothing but running? If it's your favourite thing in the world, yay go for it. If it's just for the awesome calorie burn, you might want to look at other ways to achieve that without getting bored and/or hurt.

^^^^^ This

Even if running is your passion add some strength & cross training as a way of helping to prevent injuries.

ALL of this ^^^. I fractured my heel last year, and was "forced" to do something else for a while. I made the biggest improvements in my running and overall workout performance adding a circuit training class (w/weights) 2x a week.

Now I like running even MORE, because it just feels easier -- my whole body is much more stable and strong (esp. my core / back) and I'm a lot less stiff / sore after longer runs. My circuit training class works the whole body, so all the muscles around my joints (hips, knees, ankles) are stronger, too, so no more injuries. I just finished my first half marathon a couple weeks ago, and was able to train so much better (and more efficiently) adding in that circuit training.

I'd never go back to "just" running.

SaketoKim

Yes you will, unless you are overeating.... have a calorie to activity deficit of at least 750 and you shoudl be fine

Lleldiranne

It can definitely make a difference. Like others have said, you still have to track your calories and stay under (you can eat back your exercise calories, MFP already gives you a deficit). Just make sure that you aren't into a comfortable "rut" ... you need to be pushing yourself to do a little more, or a little faster, or a bit farther, to get the most out of whatever workout you chose.

I would suggest looking into a bit of resistance training, though. Even 20 minutes a couple of days a week could really bump up your fitness and help slim and tone you as you lose weight. (I even feel like I run better when I've been doing weights as well).

amylillian

What almost everyone else said! Supplement the running with pushups, sit ups, weight training, yoga/pilates, and maybe even switch what type of cardio you do 1 or 2 days of the week-- just so you don't hit a plateau.

Great job on getting into running though! I'm trying to do that!

vmclach

if you aren't eating too much, probably. But you shouldn't run just because you want to lose weight. If you aren't used to running, you can't just run an hour a day 6 times a week. You will get injured. Be careful...

DanTheRunningMan

Flame wars are fought daily over this topic. You may as well ask who to vote for or what church to attend.

I rather suspect that if choosing to run is the worst choice you make on this road, you'll be OK. Enjoy your runs. To me it is a wonderful, mind-clearing and meditative activity. Cardio-vascular health is almost a side-benefit, in my mind.

amylillian

Yes, running will help create a calorific deficit and speed up your weight loss. Don't worry about gaining muscle as one poster said, that just doesn't happen. What MAY happen is you will weigh a little more as fluid rushes to your muscles to replace nutrients, carry away waste and repair damage.

There is a bit of a law of diminishing returns, however - you won't burn twice as many calories running six miles as three, for instance, as you become more efficient.

I would warn, however, that if you're not cross-training at all, running the same session six days a week could lead to injury. Have a couple of short, quality sessions mid-week - sprint intervals, hills, fartlek etc., and maybe increase the length of your long weekend run by a little more each week. Have a rest day after your longest and hardest sessions.

Adding resistance training will complement your running by helping prevent injury and improve lean tissue to fat ratio.

Finally, why do you want to do nothing but running? If it's your favourite thing in the world, yay go for it. If it's just for the awesome calorie burn, you might want to look at other ways to achieve that without getting bored and/or hurt.

^^^^^ This

Even if running is your passion add some strength & cross training as a way of helping to prevent injuries.

ALL of this ^^^. I fractured my heel last year, and was "forced" to do something else for a while. I made the biggest improvements in my running and overall workout performance adding a circuit training class (w/weights) 2x a week.

Now I like running even MORE, because it just feels easier -- my whole body is much more stable and strong (esp. my core / back) and I'm a lot less stiff / sore after longer runs. My circuit training class works the whole body, so all the muscles around my joints (hips, knees, ankles) are stronger, too, so no more injuries. I just finished my first half marathon a couple weeks ago, and was able to train so much better (and more efficiently) adding in that circuit training.

I'd never go back to "just" running.

INSPIRING! :happy:

Elzecat

Yes, running will help create a calorific deficit and speed up your weight loss. Don't worry about gaining muscle as one poster said, that just doesn't happen. What MAY happen is you will weigh a little more as fluid rushes to your muscles to replace nutrients, carry away waste and repair damage.

There is a bit of a law of diminishing returns, however - you won't burn twice as many calories running six miles as three, for instance, as you become more efficient.

I would warn, however, that if you're not cross-training at all, running the same session six days a week could lead to injury. Have a couple of short, quality sessions mid-week - sprint intervals, hills, fartlek etc., and maybe increase the length of your long weekend run by a little more each week. Have a rest day after your longest and hardest sessions.

Adding resistance training will complement your running by helping prevent injury and improve lean tissue to fat ratio.

Finally, why do you want to do nothing but running? If it's your favourite thing in the world, yay go for it. If it's just for the awesome calorie burn, you might want to look at other ways to achieve that without getting bored and/or hurt.

Bumping for quality advice

jessradtke

You most definitely can lose weight by just running, but, as others have already pointed out, doing just one form of exercise is a good way to get injured. You would become especially prone to repetitive stress injuries. Adding some strength training and some exercises to for flexibility would improve your overall health and fitness much more than running alone. I found that running tightened certain muscle groups too much and I actually lost flexibility when I started running more.