Running

Has anyone lost weight through just running and watching their diet?

I am thinking about taking up jogging/running with my sister. She started a couple of weeks ago, and lost a couple of kgs already. I would like to lose 5kgs, and I just want to be fitter and have more energy! I also like the idea of running with headphones for a bit of "me time".

How far did you run and how often to see results (weightloss)?
What has running done for you? eg, changed your body in what way, improved your endurance? etc...

Thanks :drinker:

Hi..If you eat at a calorie deficit, you will lose weight with running or any other exercise. Your finiteness levels improve and general health when you combine a calorie deficit for weight loss with exercise. Running will certainly help you become fit and totally energise you!

Since I have started running, I have happily maintained my weight, I am not looking to lose more weight.

I only started running a few years ago and the last time I did any sort of running even cross country was at school every thursday afternoon and I hated every mile of it and was so glad to get back then after leaving school things got the better of me and soon the weight came on but who cared not me as I was ok with that but then started at the gym and found that I was doing more on the treadmill then started a few outside runs and then before you know it I was doing my first 5k park run and what a killer that was but still doing it today and who what have known I would have started running and enjoying it not me and thats for sure as for the weight loss you will lose weight as with any exercise but it all comes down to what and how much you eat and yes drink but you will get fitter/stronger and better each time and if your in a group its even better

I lost my first 35lbs through running and watching my diet, it was bloody hard I wont lie, but then I was totally unfit, started running 1 minute and walking 2 ten times and built from there. Unfortunately, I was, as I said, very unfit and very over weight and while the running worked I kept getting injured, I eventually went to a strength and conditioning coach who wrote me a personalised strength program and I have to say it really helped my running, I no longer get injured and it helped my speed a massive amount. I'd thoroughly recommend running but I'd really think about doing it alongside a strength prog too. good luck

Started running last year and have kept on, absolutely love running and spinning (cardio freak but i am making a concerted effort to train other parts of my body). i read various running mags/articles and that coupled with my own experience i can say the following:

Running alone will not make you lose weight as with anything else, DIET is 60-70% of the battle ...
Nutrition is key to improving your running goals
***Interval training as well as ***hill training will strengthen your running as well as aid weight loss (need to get that heart rate up)
Musts for runners:
1. Cross training
2. Core training
3. Stretching
4. Down time
Dont overtrain as running is joint intensive so injuries occur easily.
Increase your training in 10% increments weekly

Running is AWESOME, never thought i would get into it but now that i enjoy it, i want to improve upon it and if you improve your running i guarantee your health and weight will improve but thats a loaded statement as per above.

I'm from South Africa and the popular and goal race for many is a 89km race called gthe Comrades marathon. One of the winners and a running guru in South Africa (Bruce Fordyce) said that improvement must be noted not in running better times in marathons but the 5km and 10km races (ties to why interval training is so important).

Also finally to demonstrate my points above i will give an example of my running and a friends running (he actually got me into running - lets call him Bob). Last year April (weighing in around 90kgs) i attempted a 21km after like a month or 2 months training (if you can even call it training) - I did 2hrs53mins and Bob did 2hr20mins ...... 10km around that time i did 1hr20mins, Bob was averaging an hour then for a 10km. I Continued training (running and spinning mainly) and by June (weighing in around 88/87kgs) I started seeing some improvements, my 10km time dropped to 1hr01min and Bob came in on that particular race at 59mins .... remember Bob is a runner who ran 3 or 4 of those 89km marathons. All the while upping my hill training and interval training - i attempted another 21km end July .... i improved to run a 2hr19min race and Bob came in at 2hr16 .... injury hit me thereafter (ITBS), Saw a biokinetist, could not run for like 3 or 4 months but went hardcore into stretching, leg excercises and core conditioning as well as a much bigger focus on my diet .... End October or November i started slowly getting into my running (was stronger and lighter as weight decreased to 82/83kgs mainly with diet as could not run remember) .... so one fine evening at a friends birthday, took a bet with Bob that said he can choose a race this year february (bet taken in November 12 - gave me almost 3 months to improve further), 10km race, winner is the person finishing ahead of the other. Low and behold, weighing in at 80 odd kgs on race day i did my best 10km time of 54mins and Bob did 55mins .... just bear in mind that Bob is a marathon runner. So i hope you can draw the conclusions i stated initially from my lil story. Running alone does NOTHING .... you gotta keep pushing yourself and therein lies the difference.

So - my goal now is to complete a 21km in sub 2hrs around mid year this year and then im moving on to compete with Bobs brother who is quite a strong runner

Keep re-inventing yourself and your goals! If you want it bad enough, you will get it ... whose to stop yolu but yourself!

Oh and btw .... running with headphones outdoors is not a good thing and frowned upon by the running fraternity/purists lol (this i picked up after a few months), its fine on the treadmill though

Happy running if you made it to the end of this and dont forget to enjoy yourself

I highly recommend the couch to 5k program!!! I only run and watch my calories and so far have lost 28 pounds, however my body is changing dramatically for the better!! I finished that program, adn am now on the 5k to 10k program, these are apps right on your phone!!! I love the me time, and making music playlists, and sometimes I let my sons follow in their bikes. Running has changed everything from my health, to the fact I feel like I a can accomplish anything I set my mind to Happy running!! Feel free to add me

Hi Schann,

I'm currently running 5k twice a week and its amazing how quickly you can build up. Last night I actually did the whole 5K running where as I had spits and spats of walking initially.

In the last 4 weeks, I haven't lost weight but then that's to do with my calorie adjustments and hitting a plateau, I have however noticed my bodyshape changing. My upper body looks leaner and my weight has become more prominent and I've lost a few cm here and there.

I think you will notice the weightloss though.

Started running last year and have kept on, absolutely love running and spinning (cardio freak but i am making a concerted effort to train other parts of my body). i read various running mags/articles and that coupled with my own experience i can say the following:

Running alone will not make you lose weight as with anything else, DIET is 60-70% of the battle ...
Nutrition is key to improving your running goals
***Interval training as well as ***hill training will strengthen your running as well as aid weight loss (need to get that heart rate up)
Musts for runners:
1. Cross training
2. Core training
3. Stretching
4. Down time
Dont overtrain as running is joint intensive so injuries occur easily.
Increase your training in 10% increments weekly

Running is AWESOME, never thought i would get into it but now that i enjoy it, i want to improve upon it and if you improve your running i guarantee your health and weight will improve but thats a loaded statement as per above.

I'm from South Africa and the popular and goal race for many is a 89km race called gthe Comrades marathon. One of the winners and a running guru in South Africa (Bruce Fordyce) said that improvement must be noted not in running better times in marathons but the 5km and 10km races (ties to why interval training is so important).

Also finally to demonstrate my points above i will give an example of my running and a friends running (he actually got me into running - lets call him Bob). Last year April (weighing in around 90kgs) i attempted a 21km after like a month or 2 months training (if you can even call it training) - I did 2hrs53mins and Bob did 2hr20mins ...... 10km around that time i did 1hr20mins, Bob was averaging an hour then for a 10km. I Continued training (running and spinning mainly) and by June (weighing in around 88/87kgs) I started seeing some improvements, my 10km time dropped to 1hr01min and Bob came in on that particular race at 59mins .... remember Bob is a runner who ran 3 or 4 of those 89km marathons. All the while upping my hill training and interval training - i attempted another 21km end July .... i improved to run a 2hr19min race and Bob came in at 2hr16 .... injury hit me thereafter (ITBS), Saw a biokinetist, could not run for like 3 or 4 months but went hardcore into stretching, leg excercises and core conditioning as well as a much bigger focus on my diet .... End October or November i started slowly getting into my running (was stronger and lighter as weight decreased to 82/83kgs mainly with diet as could not run remember) .... so one fine evening at a friends birthday, took a bet with Bob that said he can choose a race this year february (bet taken in November 12 - gave me almost 3 months to improve further), 10km race, winner is the person finishing ahead of the other. Low and behold, weighing in at 80 odd kgs on race day i did my best 10km time of 54mins and Bob did 55mins .... just bear in mind that Bob is a marathon runner. So i hope you can draw the conclusions i stated initially from my lil story. Running alone does NOTHING .... you gotta keep pushing yourself and therein lies the difference.

So - my goal now is to complete a 21km in sub 2hrs around mid year this year and then im moving on to compete with Bobs brother who is quite a strong runner

Keep re-inventing yourself and your goals! If you want it bad enough, you will get it ... whose to stop yolu but yourself!

Oh and btw .... running with headphones outdoors is not a good thing and frowned upon by the running fraternity/purists lol (this i picked up after a few months), its fine on the treadmill though

Happy running if you made it to the end of this and dont forget to enjoy yourself

amazing! What a great story and really good advice! I hope I can do the 10k in a hour this year so you have given me motivation!

Running is great for weight loss. I didn't really see results until I started running 20 miles a week with a healthy diet , but I'm done 8lbs since I went back to half marathon training in February.

Yes. I lost weight just by running, or at least toned up, I didn't pay special attention to my diet.

At the time I wasn't trying to lose weight, I was in a healthy BMI range, maybe a bit of the mushy side. I never used to weigh myself so I don't know how much I lost. But after doing a C25K variant friends started to comment about how I looked better and if I lost weight.

So yes, absolutely running can make you lose weight.

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Edit: I'm subscribed to the runners world magazine and they regularly have articles about weight loss. One important thing they mention is that a lot of people do NOT lose weight when they take up running because they automatically start to eat more to compensate for the energy used. So, monitoring your diet is very important to get results.

Eating at a calorie deficit is the only thing that has caused me to lose weight. Running has just made me awesome.

I did C25K about 3 years ago. I lost some weight, honestly I don't even care so much about the weight anymore. I just want to improve my times, and increase distance.

3 months ago, I started lifting heavy, and this has had the effect of starting to make me look goood without a shirt on.

My opinion:
Calories - weight
Running/cardio - endurance/runners high/feel great/less binge eating
Lifting - look great/short burst of strength/insane libido.