Running for weight loss.

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pisw123
pisw123 Posts: 2
in Fitness and Exercise
Alright, soo i want to start running. Like, straight on running for 30 mins. and , if i did do so for like a month or so, would there be a difference, in my stomache, legs, thighs and all that. and would i loose weight or just gain muscle??

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  • mdn15
    mdn15 Posts: 145
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    cardiovascular health. you need to eat deficit. My legs got toner so you can see the muscles more.
  • mcgl3129
    mcgl3129 Posts: 3 Member
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    Running is considered cardio, so if you ran and ate at a deficit (though eating back most exercise cals) you would probably lose weight. I've been running for a long time now, and although I never had to worry about fat in my legs, they have now become very toned. I do like the look. :)
  • triskaidekaphile13
    triskaidekaphile13 Posts: 92 Member
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    I did C25K last summer. I finished in October and ran my first 5K race in November. I run 5K three times a week. I have seen a big change in my legs and they are more toned. I also contribute a lot of my weight loss to my increased fitness from running.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    You cannot out exercise a bad diet.

    Can you lose weight running? Absolutely. But it's not guaranteed. Plus, sometimes running can increase your appetite so if you rely on running alone and ignore diet, you may not lose weight.

    Bottomline - you need to be at a deficit.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    So you want to go from 0 to 30 minutes of running, probably every day, and wonder what will change over a month?
    Chances are, nothing will change, since the aches, or even injuries will have you quitting before the week / month is out.

    Pick a program, c25k or 10k in 13 weeks - whatever, and stick to it until you learn your limits. Don't run through pain.

    Then, after a while, providing you keep your eating habits in check, you're going to lose some weight, you'll get better definition in your muscles, and you won't huff and puff trying to climb some stairs. How long it will take, and what changes to expect specifically - you gotta try to find out. Everyone is different.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
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    If you are a glutton, running will not help you - as much as it appears to be a license to eat whatever you want, it really isn't the case. Fix your intake first, run second.
  • flumi_f
    flumi_f Posts: 1,888 Member
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    Doing just that. Cal deficit and combo of running /strength / biking. Along with the weight loss, my calves have gone down 2cm along with 10 cm off hips/waist/bust and 3 off the arms.

    Start slow, then increase distance and when you feel comfortable try a little faster. Intervalls help make fast progress.

    Good luck!
  • oscarsson
    oscarsson Posts: 32 Member
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    YES! ....Combined with a calorie deficit...

    When I was younger I did marathons and triathlons and never gave a thought to controlling my food intake. For every year over thirty I have gained almost a kg and about a year ago I decided to take back control and get back to my original weight and fitness level. Well..... I ran and I ran and I ran and became so depressed that I was not losing any weight or cms, and was even gaining weight.

    As brilliant as I am it "only" took me a year (and tracking calories on MFP for a week) to get that if I didn't reduce my calories in I would never see any results in the fat department. I started tracking calories, which I think is really fun, and if I see that I am close to my target calories I put my shoes on and go for a 5K run.

    For the past week I have been consistently about 300-400 calories below target but I can tell you that I am eating everything I want (maybe not as much as I would want but I haven't excluded anything - pizza, bagels, candy, pasta...anything goes). A year of running my butt off and not losing any fat....a weeks of tracking calories and running 30 minutes every day -5 pounds since last Friday! I know that I am going to hear all sorts of criticism that I am not eating back my exercise calories, but I just don't buy the argument. Some of it is water weight, ok. Some of it is due to less food in my body, sure. But the bottom line is that I feel better, fitter, happier than I ever have, my skin looks better, eyes brighter, more energy, losing inches all over. The past couple of days I will run in the morning and then around 8 pm run again because I don't know what to do with the extra energy. I simply don't believe that I am ruining my metabolism and destroying lean muscle. I think that my body would give me some signs such as fatigue or general crabbiness before it started cannibalizing itself.

    Anyways, long rant but to sum up: running will not make you lose weight but it will help you achieve a higher calorie deficit which will in turn shed the pounds.
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
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    I ran for years and gained weight. I had the mentality that since I ran so much I could eat whatever I wanted. I was at my heaviest weight when I was completing my 11th half marathon. After that I got serious about watching what I ate. I dropped 30 pounds and now I run faster. Weightloss is largely earned in the kitchen.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
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    Calorie deficit for weight loss.

    Running (and/or other cardio exercise) for cardiovascular health and fitness.

    Strength training for strength and "toning".
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Alright, soo i want to start running. Like, straight on running for 30 mins. and , if i did do so for like a month or so, would there be a difference, in my stomache, legs, thighs and all that. and would i loose weight or just gain muscle??

    Just to clarify, you do not build muscle running.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Alright, soo i want to start running. Like, straight on running for 30 mins. and , if i did do so for like a month or so, would there be a difference, in my stomache, legs, thighs and all that. and would i loose weight or just gain muscle??

    Exercise = fitness

    Caloric deficit = weight loss

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