New to running, lots of questions!

I lost 30 lbs running when I trained for a marathon. You can definitely lose wt and keep it off. Great cardio exercise too. Just cross train to build strength and run 3 days / wk.
Good luck!

Running burns a lot of calories and is pretty convenient. I'm a swimmer by preference but I took up running as well because swimming is just nowhere near as easy to do (because you need a pool, swimmers, goggles etc).

Unless you are doing something pretty hardcore (which is unlikely if you're only just starting) drink water. Eat whatever is in your plans for the day. Protein is always good after exercise.

I think that it really depends on how far you run and how often on if you are burning muscle. I am training for the Chicago marathon and I think I definitely have runs where I burn muscle as well as fat.

I don't want my BF% to increase and I want to build my speed so I have added 2-3 strength days a week. I have also noticed that I'm less likely to get injured this way. I think that running is awesome cardio but would not rely on it alone. I see it this way: cardio is water, I need it because I like to eat more calories than I could if I didn't do it and not gain weight, weights is food, I need it to keep going and stay strong. (It's an imperfect analogy but it's what I got.)

Any time you do cardio and you're in a calorie deficit, you're going to burn some muscle mass along with fat. That's just how it is. You can minimize your loss of muscle mass by incorporating strength training (don't be afraid to lift heavy) and keeping your protein intake high. Yes, running will get you "in shape" but it depends on what shape you want to be. If you want shapely, defined muscle like a fitness model, then weight lifting is where it's at. Endurance activities like running won't develop the type of muscle definition it sounds like you want, & that has to do with the different types of muscle fibers that exist in your body. I won't go into too much detail, but the short version is that there are slow-twitch and fast-twitch fibers.

Slow-twitch fibers are the ones that support long periods of aerobic activity, like steady-state cardio. Muscles composed of primarily slow-twitch fibers are long and lean, contributing to the body type experienced marathoners typically have, as someone referenced above.

Fast-twitch fibers react quickly with bursts of strength but can't sustain the effort for long periods of time. This is the type of muscle developed by weight lifting when the weight is set at a challenging level and the sets are small, generally 12 reps or fewer. Sprinting also depends on these types of fibers, which is why when you look at Olympic sprinters, their muscle definition will look very different from a marathoner's. Serious marathoners strength train also, but their style of training is very different from someone looking to build muscle mass. Their sets will be lower-weight/higher reps to train their muscles for endurance vs. sheer strength, & their routines will include a lot of balance, flexibility, & plyometric exercises.

In general when women say they want to look "toned," they're referring to the shape created by targeting those fast-twitch fibers. It's not necessary to run if you want to lose weight, you can lose weight exclusively by lifting weights if you want to. I do both because I happen to like running.

Do you have access to a personal trainer? Even just a few sessions might do you some good, just so you can explain your goals to someone knowledgeable who can create the right program for you to meet those goals.

All fantastic advice. I think in the end we are all super complex organisms and you can't just pigeon hole into really anything.
Do what works for you, assess the results and re-evaluate.

Losing weight = losing muscle mass. There are ways to minimize muscle mass, like getting the right macros, and strength training.
Running will create a calorie deficit if you are eating less than what you burn. I would suggest both running and weight training along with getting the right macros.

ETA - that is if you want to run. I am assuming you do based on the post, but running is not necessary.

Probably depends on how far you ran. I like to eat something within 30 minutes if I've run long or hard. I like carbohydrates because it helps me keep from feeling whipped the rest of the day. Fruit is optimal, juice I think is better than a sports drink but I've had plenty of those too. Drink plenty of water. You might want to check out the web site for runners world. There is a lot of good information there. I subscribed for years but it seems there is only so much you can write about running and it starts to get repetitive. There will be a lot of books at your local library. When I started on my marathon quest I read everything I could find. It also helps with the motivation.

Bump for reference.

The ones who say that running burns muscle mass to not understand the body's energy system.

Ignore everything they say concerning physical fitness.

A lot of it depends on how you work out. If you run long periods and raise your heart rate above 80%, the likelihood of burning muscle increases. You have to make sure that you are taking in enough protein if you are going to run hard to counteract the effects. I didn't know that last year and I most definitely lost muscle mass. I lost more fat than muscle though.