How much did you lose just running on the treadmill?

I didn't lose anything running on the treadmill but I did lose by eating at a deficit. Don't count on exercise for weight loss.

This is true but I use the treadmill (4.0 speed at a 8.5 - 105 incline depending on how I feel) and although I doubt I LOST I certainly toned us and look better so do what you can but it is your food intake that will make the difference with your weight loss. Friend me if I can help.

The exercise is a good habit, but I agree that the deficit is what's the important part. That being said, because you don't have a ton to lose, the weight may come off a bit slower. While you are supposed to eat back your exercise calories according to the MFP system, be aware that machines will often overestimate the number of calories you are burning so you may want to only eat a portion unless you're using a heart rate monitor.

Do a search for in place of a road map for a guide on the TDEE method, which you may hear a lot about. If you have a fairly consistent routine, it can be a way to have more consistency. Working out 5-6 days a week, but if you need to work up to that, by all means, find what works for you so you can stick with it. It may not be a bad idea to pick up a set of handweights (a couple 3 pound weights and maybe two 5lb weights), but you can do body weight exercises too that will give you some strength, i.e., push ups, lunges, squats, situps/crunches, plank. I really like Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred for strength, but it does require the hand weights. Good luck!

I agree with all replies here. I've also heard that weight loss happens in the kitchen; maintenance happens in the gym. Meaning, focus on your eating to lose the weight, but start exercising because you will need to commit to exercise to maintain your loss.

Look, you have a treadmill, so you should use it. Why not? How about you start with 30 minutes of walking at 4.0 mph. That's 2 miles. Try doing that every day. It's not that bad. You can do 30 minutes. Then increase time and/or speed. Try throwing in 1 or 2 minutes of jogging during the walking.

But yeah -- I have to say that your diet will help you more than the treadmill. If you burn 200 calories walking 2 miles, that takes you 30 minutes to do. And how long does it take toe at 200 calorie? Maybe 30 seconds? Or less?

One final thought: I used to really go nuts on the treadmill. I used to run 8-10 miles on the treadmill. I know, crazy. It definitely boosted my weight loos -- particularly the last ten pounds which were so stubborn. BUT -- I. Was. Starving. Running 8-10 miles makes you crazy hungry. So I'd burn 800-1000 calories running; and then, at night, I'd go out of my mind with hunger and eat back the 800-1000 calories PLUS more. In the end, it would have been better for me to do some moderate walking and stick to my calorie budget than to run like a maniac, wind up starving, and outeat everything I had just sweated off on the treadmill.

One final thought part two: You're sooooo young. You'll be fine.

Weight loss happens from how you eat. Yes, exercise can help...but it wont do it alone. That said...exercise is good for you, so do it. Cardio is good for your heart and lungs, lifting heavy is good for your muscles...which impacts how you look.

34yr , 5'7 was 215/lbs 9 months ago. Now 145/lbs. Nothing but running on my treadmill and running on the street and my towns school track. Average mileage daily is currently 4-8 miles.

I agree that just running on a treadmill is not the key to weight loss by itself. The amount of calorie burn will not make a big difference on a daily basis. If you want to lose weight, taking in less calories than you burn will lead to weight loss but that's just a piece of it. 3500 calories = 1 lb, meaning if you have a weekly calorie deficit of 3500 calories (so 500 a day), theoretically you should lose a pound a week. But your body won't give it up without a fight and it will try to compensate. First, push the water 8-10 glasses a day so your body doesn't hold onto water. You'll drop some pounds in the first week. You don't want to lose lean muscle, just fat so be sure your protein intake, especially after exercise, is adequate for your body. Carbs are the body's preferred fuel but again, make sure your diet is a balance of carbs, protein & fat. Don't avoid fats altogether; you need them for some nutrient absorption but just not a lot. Body Fat is burned by the liver so if you drink alcohol, then the liver will first preferentially de-toxify the toxin (alcohol) and it will spare the fat, which you don't want so avoid alcohol. Also, as folks have said, plan on a slow & steady loss, if you want it to be permanent.

Now, for the treadmill. I am a big fan of running and I run for 40-60 minutes 4-5x/week, usually on a treadmill so I applaud you for that. Read up on interval running; it'll burn fat long after your run is done. Find your target heart rate (220-age for men, 226-age for women); you want to get your heart rate about 50-65% of your target heart rate and keep it there to burn fat (one of the benefits of interval running). If you're female, 208 is your target heart rate so you want to walk/powerwalk/run, then repeat to keep heart rate between 105-135. Check this video: http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2010/09/13/interval-cardio-on-treadmill-for-fat-loss.aspx.

Again, weight loss is just a piece of fitness. When you lose weight, you become a 'smaller' version of the shape you are now. Exercise is the key to the shape you want to have. Kudos to you for thinking about this at age 18; it will lead to a longer and healthier life. Don't give it up after you reach your weight loss goal. Life is balance.