Can you lose weight running??

Options
13

Replies

  • bonjour24
    bonjour24 Posts: 1,119 Member
    Options
    Running has been my main form of exercise for the last 2 years. The initial change in lifestyle helped me to lose 25kgs or do pretty steadily over about 8 months. Then it all just stopped. For about a year my weight has not changed at all. Nor have my measurements. In the past year I have trained for and ran 2 full marathons and about5 half marathons. I used to be happy with how mush fitter I'm getting- for me being fit is way more important tHan being fat! But now my marathoning is over for a year I am going to start working on speed training and weights. So, my 2p says its good for fitness, but weight loss will plateau after several months if you don't change it up.
  • PatrickCoyle
    PatrickCoyle Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    fat weighs more than muscle :)

    Complete BS

    A pound of fat ways the same as a pound of something else

    There is far to much BS on this site, people should actually research these 'facts' before spouting them on here
  • Dunkelheit666
    Dunkelheit666 Posts: 223 Member
    Options
    I started losing my weight doing all sorts of exercise, then became more serious about running as I got fitter. I'll be honest, I probably should be running more regularly, but even with the running I am doing I expected to lose some more weight. My weight is not budging and I still have at least another stone to lose .However, I feel great when I am running, my stomach is pulled in and my waist has got smaller and I feel fit. I am not overeating although i haven't been counting calories religiously for a while. I'm interested to hear from anyone with advice on this. If I ramp up my running will this help? Should I incorporate other exercise into my routine again? Do I need to bring my calories right down again? Any advice or comments welcome!

    take the stone out of your pocket.
  • Dunkelheit666
    Dunkelheit666 Posts: 223 Member
    Options
    fat weighs more than muscle :)

    i hate being that guy that points out symantics....

    but fat weight the same as muscle...1 lb = 1 lb
  • Dunkelheit666
    Dunkelheit666 Posts: 223 Member
    Options
    fat weighs more than muscle :)

    Complete BS

    A pound of fat ways the same as a pound of something else

    There is far to much BS on this site, people should actually research these 'facts' before spouting them on here

    people should chill out and relax. its just a message board. People shouldnt talk to people on message boards in a way that would get a kick in the head in person.
  • myofibril
    myofibril Posts: 4,500 Member
    Options
    If I ramp up my running will this help?

    Yes, greater intensity and / or duration equals greater calorie expenditure
    Should I incorporate other exercise into my routine again?

    Goal dependent but not entirely necessary.
    Do I need to bring my calories right down again?

    This is probably the easiest thing you can do. Get your eating under control. No need to drop them right down (in fact that is a bad idea both in terms of performance and fat loss.) A moderate deficit of say 300 - 500 under maintenance will be fine.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    Yes you can lose weight running. You can maintain weight running. You can also gain weight running. If you are not losing, then yes upping the length or intensity (speed, incline) will burn more calories which should help you lose weight. Maybe try some HIIT running. Adding other types of exercise would likely help as well.
  • PatrickCoyle
    PatrickCoyle Posts: 16 Member
    Options
    fat weighs more than muscle :)

    Complete BS

    A pound of fat ways the same as a pound of something else

    There is far to much BS on this site, people should actually research these 'facts' before spouting them on here

    people should chill out and relax. its just a message board. People shouldnt talk to people on message boards in a way that would get a kick in the head in person.

    I don't see why people should 'chill' ,loosing weight and transforming your body is a scientific procedure and peoples frankly stupid 'facts' are what hold others back because they listen to them and give up or get stuck in a rut once it doesn't work
  • lrtmpv
    lrtmpv Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    Last year summer and fall I started running almost everyday (at least 6 days a week), because I wanted to get into shape for my wedding. While I toned up a lot, I did not lose a significant amount of weight. Now at the time I was running between 3 and 5 miles a day at different locations to mix it up. I would have liked to run more, but just didn't have the time.

    Recently I've joined a gym. And while I still run (2-4 miles, at least 3 times a week), I also do other things; the bike, elliptical, stair climber, weights, etc. I have noticed that I am losing weight faster and easier than I did when I was just running. I'm not a doctor or trainer or anything, but for me mixing it up has been the key. It's also helped keep me interested in working out. Hope this helps.
  • Dunkelheit666
    Dunkelheit666 Posts: 223 Member
    Options
    fat weighs more than muscle :)

    Complete BS

    A pound of fat ways the same as a pound of something else

    There is far to much BS on this site, people should actually research these 'facts' before spouting them on here

    people should chill out and relax. its just a message board. People shouldnt talk to people on message boards in a way that would get a kick in the head in person.

    I don't see why people should 'chill' ,loosing weight and transforming your body is a scientific procedure and peoples frankly stupid 'facts' are what hold others back because they listen to them and give up or get stuck in a rut once it doesn't work


    I get that misinformation is bad, but you dont have to be a butt knocker about it ya know?
  • MassiveDelta
    MassiveDelta Posts: 3,311 Member
    Options
    Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Fitness is built in the Gym
  • Dunkelheit666
    Dunkelheit666 Posts: 223 Member
    Options
    Weight loss happens in the kitchen. Fitness is built in the Gym

    great point!
  • mamasmaltz3
    mamasmaltz3 Posts: 1,111 Member
    Options
    You can.......but why would you want to?


    Just kidding everyone! Just typed the first thing that popped in my head. I have nothing against all you runners. I am impressed by you actually. It would probably take someone chasing me with a weapon to make me run. Not that I don't workout hard, running just isn't my thing. Definitely think it is good for weight loss as is anything that gets you off the couch. Important thing is that you like and can stick to it. The results sometimes don't come as fast as we would like like but if you persevere they will come.
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    Options
    If I ramp up my running will this help? Should I incorporate other exercise into my routine again? Do I need to bring my calories right down again? Any advice or comments welcome!

    Are you running outside? That beats the pants off of running on a treadmill. It's like a totally different exercise. If not then start doing this. Work on increasing your distance and endurance. Focus on how far you can run and you'll start crushing the calories department. Results will differ depending on your weight and speed but my morning run burns over 900 calories on average. Unless you eat it all back and then some you will lose weight. Your body can't be all "I'm in starvation mode" if you're asking it to do an exercise that keeps your heart rate cranked and your legs pumping.

    Should you do other exercises? I would say that adding a good strength muscle building routine to your list is a great addition.

    Calories? If you have an accurate HRM, set your diary to sedentary and eat back those calories burned during cardio. Don't worry about calories burned during strength training. Just keep your protein column full and if you're losing too fast you can adjust as necessary.
  • Aries03
    Aries03 Posts: 179 Member
    Options
    Bump
  • dorianaldyn
    dorianaldyn Posts: 611 Member
    Options
    In theory, yes it should help because you're expending calories. Obviously actual weight loss depends on more than just "running."

    My personal experience - I trained for and ran 2 half marathons this year and my weight didn't budge. Granted I wasn't counting calories during all this, so I imagine I probably ate more to compensate for the added activity. Now I'm training for my third half marathon and I'm doing INSANITY and I'm tracking my calories, and voila, I'm losing weight.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
    Options
    I've lost close to 60 lbs over the last 9 years. The only physical activity I have performed is running....and obviously ate at a caloric deficit that was made easier to achieve due to that running.
  • kmorganlfc
    kmorganlfc Posts: 115 Member
    Options
    i hate being that guy that points out symantics....

    'Semantics' even :wink:
  • wolfchild59
    wolfchild59 Posts: 2,608 Member
    Options
    Short answer - yes.
    Short answer - no.

    I started running a little over a year ago because a number of my friends were running as part of their fitness/weight loss goals as well. All of us were also logging food/counting calories, save for one. None of us were "obese", just overweight and wanted to drop pounds to get healthier, and we all ate enough to fuel our bodies (i.e. eating back exercise calories, but not in full) Here's what I watched happen over the course of the last year:

    Two of them lost weight and leaned out into muscular, runner's body kind of runners.
    One didn't lose or gain, either inches or weight.
    One gained until she gave up on running and went back to just eating healthy, then she lost all the weight she'd gained.
    I gained weight that I'd lost prior to running and gained inches. But then lost inches, but no weight while training for my second half marathon, when I increased my strength training more than it had been. Once I stopped running in September, I also started just losing weight again.

    The three of us that had less than positive results are all pear-shaped. We all have fleshier thighs and hips, large breasts, large calves, and thinner upper bodies. The two that lost were more banana/straight up and down shaped, even when overweight. The weight pretty much fell off of them as soon as they started running and when they are in race training, they can eat like the runners you read about in articles that pound back massive meals after a workout.

    I honestly think that whether or not a person will lose weight from running as the main form of exercise depends a lot on their body before they start. I was the only one that didn't run with the group, I had a different schedule, but the other four ran together and often ate together. So they were more of a control group than I was, I just happened to start and train for the same race distances as they did. But it's definitely variable, and running just isn't always the answer.
  • ejwme
    ejwme Posts: 318
    Options
    I am a long time runner, but was recently coming back to it from a lapse which included weight gain. I wanted to lose weight (~20 pounds total), but didn't stress over it, I just ran what I wanted according to a nice ramping up schedule and ate organically - reasonable portions of healthy stuff when I was hungry. I dropped about 5 pounds super easily right away, then nothing for months. Started religiously tracking food to prove to my husband he was wrong (he wanted me to eat more), but... he was right.

    I was eating half what I should have, purely accidentally (I'm one of those wierdos whose appetite disappears with activity. Doubled my calories, religiously tracked in MFP, and dropped another 6 pounds easily. Went to see a nutritionist to see what ELSE I was wrong about, and she put me on an easier plan that incorporates my training into my lifestyle to provide me with the ability to eat consistent meals and snacks without fretting over eating back my calories (the biggest bain of my existence - I'd have a lovely evening run and find at bed time that I was two meals shy). I'm a lot happier with the process now, but keep forgetting to get on the scale in the morning to check the progress... I guess I've stopped worrying too much about it :D

    If you've hit a true plateau (where neither your weight nor your body composition (waist, thigh circumferences) are changing), the best way to shake loose is to change something. Eat more. Eat less. Eat differently (one meal a day, 10 small meals, whatever is vastly different from what you're used to... within safe reason - don't hurt yourself). Same with your activity - you normally run 3 miles at a nice easy jog? Sprint half a mile then walk half for three miles instead. Normally do intervals? Try a long, super slow distance. If you live on a flat, go find a hill to run up. If you do hills, go find a river trail or do laps on a flat track. Shake it up.

    And don't be afraid to visit a nutritionist or a trainer (or both) to get some ideas. Sure the interwebs and this community are full of great information. But you can save yourself a lot of time, hassle, incorrect conclusions, and misinformation by going and seeing a professional, even just once or twice.

Categories