Should I be losing weight if I'm running?

new2canada
new2canada Posts: 119 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've started jogging to work about 4 times a week and sometimes on the way home to work as well at a light to moderate pace, it takes me just over 30 mins. I've been watching what I eat most days but I do binge occasionally, maybe 2 - 3 days a week.

Should I be losing weight from running? I haven't gotten weighed yet but I know by how my clothes feel that I haven't, they're feeling tight.
«1

Replies

  • havenxx
    havenxx Posts: 16
    I've started jogging to work about 4 times a week and sometimes on the way home to work as well at a light to moderate pace. I've been watching what I eat most days but I do binge occasionally, maybe 2 - 3 days a week.

    Should I be losing weight from running? I haven't gotten weighed yet but I know by how my clothes feel that I haven't, they're feeling tight.
    Yes you should but binging is not helpin you lose weight. Don't binge and I'm sure you'll see slight results in a week and a half or two.
  • wellbert
    wellbert Posts: 3,924 Member
    If you have a calorie deficit in your diet, sure.
  • emtjmac
    emtjmac Posts: 1,320 Member
    You don't lose weight because you run. You lose weight because you maintain a calorie deficit consistently. Running will help you lose weight faster by increasing the amount of calories you eat in a day but the truth is it doesn't matter what you're doing. If you burn more than you consume, you will lose weight. There are many great benefits to running but you can't outrun a calorie surplus. If you want to lose weight, it's mostly diet.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    I've started jogging to work about 4 times a week and sometimes on the way home to work as well at a light to moderate pace. I've been watching what I eat most days but I do binge occasionally, maybe 2 - 3 days a week.

    Should I be losing weight from running? I haven't gotten weighed yet but I know by how my clothes feel that I haven't, they're feeling tight.
    I've been watching what I eat most days but I do binge occasionally, maybe 2 - 3 days a week.

    Should I be losing weight from running? I haven't gotten weighed yet but I know by how my clothes feel that I haven't, they're feeling tight.
    I've been watching what I eat most days but I do binge occasionally, maybe 2 - 3 days a week.

    Should I be losing weight from running?
    I do binge 2 - 3 days a week.
  • petersonabt
    petersonabt Posts: 518 Member
    If your not eating properly then no. weight loss starts in the kitchen and those 2 or 3 days bingeing and stuff is killing what your burning while running. you need to change your diet.
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
    Binging 2-3 days a week is not what I would call occasional. That's just how you eat apparently. Do you track calories on binge days? I don't know any personal information about you, or how far you are running, but "jogging at a light to moderate pace" is not a significant calorie burner.

    If you are, as you say, binging, which I take to mean over-eating, then you would not be losing weight. I run a lot and fast and have to eat more in order to not lose weight, but I am running 20 miles a week at 8-9 minute miles typically.

    My advice would be to use this website to actually track for a few weeks. Weigh yourself, determine how much you want to lose starting now, then track all calories, even on binge days, and track exercise calories burned. If you can get a heart rate monitor, get one.

    You will never see a fat marathon runner, but keep in mind that they are running at least 25 and usually up to 40 miles a week when in training. They can eat whatever they want.
  • RainbootsToBikinis
    RainbootsToBikinis Posts: 465 Member
    I'd start with tracking your calories while you binge. It will help you see how much you are eating during those binges, and hopefully lower it a little bit. If you're binging 2-3 days you are going to have a hard time losing weight, cut that down to 1 cheat day a week to start with and you should start seeing some results.
  • Duck_Puddle
    Duck_Puddle Posts: 3,237 Member
    Depends how far you are running (and how many calories you are burning) and exactly what "watching" what you eat and "occasional binge" means. You lose weight if you consume more calories than you use. If you are if the belief that running a couple of miles equates to a super-sized big Mac value meal, then you are most certainly not going to be losing weight "from" running. Log your food (including the "occasional" binge), log your miles and you'll have the answer as to whether or not you "should" be losing weight.
  • meeshurwin
    meeshurwin Posts: 7 Member
    I try to think of good diet to lose weight and exercise to improve health. Pointless having a massive gym session just to eat your calories later. You may as well sit on the sofa with a salad.
  • katiefridley
    katiefridley Posts: 151 Member
    No. You should be losing weight if you are at a calorie deficit and running doesn't necessarily do that for you.
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,728 Member
    I've started jogging to work about 4 times a week and sometimes on the way home to work as well at a light to moderate pace, it takes me just over 30 mins. I've been watching what I eat most days but I do binge occasionally, maybe 2 - 3 days a week.

    Should I be losing weight from running? I haven't gotten weighed yet but I know by how my clothes feel that I haven't, they're feeling tight.

    If you're eating less than you are burning, yes. However, we need a lot more information to know whether you, personally, should be losing weight.
  • ObtainingBalance
    ObtainingBalance Posts: 1,446 Member
    I love running... great calorie burner
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
    No, you should be losing weight from eating at a calorie deficit. Exercise does not necessarily help you lose "more" weight. So if you're just running and still eating at a calorie level that allows you to maintain (or not gain), no, you shouldn't be losing weight.
  • quill16
    quill16 Posts: 373 Member
    I run 6-7 miles a day. Running burns calories, but if you eat more because you are burning more calories and are hungrier, then you could just be breaking even or even gain wt..Running does help improve your heart muscle and get you fit. Also your leg muscles will improve, look better, and you will feel better.
  • new2canada
    new2canada Posts: 119 Member
    Can you look at my diary too? I log religiously every day, even when I binge
  • FreeToGoodHome
    FreeToGoodHome Posts: 19
    Binge on low calorie food(less often), jog to and from work like your doing, and pick it up a notch when your not working...
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    running is a great calorie burner, but if you're still consuming more than you're burning or consuming at a maintenance level, then you will not lose weight. You need a caloric deficit to lose weight.

    Do you keep a food diary? If you don't, you should...when I started (manual journal) I hadn't made any dietary changes whatsoever and thought I ate pretty good and healthy...I was shocked when I started logging everything in...I was eating in the neighborhod of 2,600 calories per day.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    If you have a calorie deficit in your diet, sure.

    *ends thread*
  • arc918
    arc918 Posts: 2,037 Member
    Simple math, eat more than you burn and you'll gain. I've put on weight while running 50+ miles per week (by eating 60 miles a week of food).

    You also have to be realistic about you are really burning. I burn ~ 125 per mile (and I weigh ~ 175 or so). So a few miles of running does not give us a license to eat whatever we want.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    If you have a calorie deficit in your diet, sure.

    *ends thread*

    Thirded.
  • Steve_Runs
    Steve_Runs Posts: 443 Member
    You lose weight by taking in less calories then you then you burn! It's really pretty simple. Running is just a means by which one can burn calories.
  • EatClean_WashUrNuts
    EatClean_WashUrNuts Posts: 1,590 Member
    no
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    I've started jogging to work about 4 times a week and sometimes on the way home to work as well at a light to moderate pace, it takes me just over 30 mins..... and .... I've been watching what I eat most days but I do binge occasionally, maybe 2 - 3 days a week.

    Should I be losing weight from running?

    Sorry if it looks like folks are having a go but the bingeing is negating the work you are putting into running.

    I wonder what were you doing before you took up running four times a week to work and back? Were you binge eating then? What I mean is - did the binge eating start because you have taken on too much running too soon and you are feeling constantly hungry?

    If yes, try running on every other day and walking on the off days, or try fast walking instead of running. could be a reaction against suddenly taking on too much too soon - I've been there and done that.
  • jeaninecomstock
    jeaninecomstock Posts: 6
    I have actually gained weight since running and I watch my calories a ton. It's strange. My pants don't feel tight though so I assumed it was muscle. Maybe the binging it what is causing you to gain? I have a friend that used to exercise with me and she was a binge eater...and never lost a lb even though we would go to the gym regularly and I was losing.
  • hannahcall2
    hannahcall2 Posts: 175 Member
    Excercise accounts for only 30% of weightloss. The other 70% is from eating.
  • elijhasmomma
    elijhasmomma Posts: 270 Member
    Can you look at my diary too? I log religiously every day, even when I binge

    Uhmm if your goal is 1200 and your exercising and not even eating the 1200 to begin with and creating an EVEN bigger deficit by burning cals...yeah you're not helping yourself!

    ETA: something beneficial instead of all blahh..search the forums for in place of a road map 2.0 a ton of people recommend using this as a good guideline.
  • supertracylynn
    supertracylynn Posts: 1,338 Member
    Excercise accounts for only 30% of weightloss. The other 70% is from eating.

    Actually, it's more 20/80. 20% exercise and 80% eating.

    If you run 2 miles then eat a cheeseburger, you're being counter productive to your training, your body, AND your weight loss/maintenance.

    Eventually, the goal is to lose weight to run, not run to lose weight.
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member

    You also have to be realistic about you are really burning. I burn ~ 125 per mile (and I weigh ~ 175 or so). So a few miles of running does not give us a license to eat whatever we want.

    doesn't that suck that it takes at least 5-6 miles to even feel like you can splurge a little...oh HRM's how i hate your honesty...i'll never forget after my first half marathon i was like yes i can eat whatever...next thing you know i had eaten over 4000 calories, and had only burned 2200 in the race, so all that exercise was "wasted"
  • longtimeterp
    longtimeterp Posts: 614 Member

    Eventually, the goal is to lose weight to run, not run to lose weight.

    Never heard that before, but SOOOO true, awesome! hoep you don't mind me stealing it for my runkeeper profile!
  • rkr22401
    rkr22401 Posts: 216 Member
    A reasonable average burn rate for running is 100 cal/mile. If you run an 8 min mile, that's 350 calories in 30 minutes. This can be erased (and then some) by a single donut.

    Or think of it this way...you have to run 100 yards to burn off a single M&M candy.

    You can't outrun your fork.

Categories