Running for Weigh Loss..

medlaura
medlaura Posts: 282 Member
edited March 4 in Fitness and Exercise
I run 2 miles between 40-50 minutes 4 times a week. Obviously i don't run the the whole 2 miles because im a running newbie but i would like to know how long did it take for you to notice changes in your body?

Replies

  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    So at around 2 miles you can expect to burn +-200 calories. That will put you at around 800 calories every more spent per week than if you were doing nothing. If you are eating at maintenance for your height/weight/ect and just doing your runs to lose weight then you are looking at 1lb of weight loss every 3 to 4 weeks as a very VERY rough estimate.

    As far as how long to notice changes in your body, just depends. Some can start seeing differences around 5 lb weight loss while others do not really notice anything until they start getting around 1--15 lbs lost.

    Congrats on your running and keep it up.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Congrats on becoming a runner! I started running when I began this journey in 2011 and I'm still loving it. I still run intervals, like you do when starting out, they're just longer and faster. :smile:

    Frankly, running isn't going to induce many changes on its own other than some additional muscle in your thighs and calves and I think what I did notice wasn't until I'd lost about 10 pounds. Weight loss differences are going to be from a calorie deficit, not the addition of exercise. As the saying goes "You can't outrun a bad diet." That 2 mile run/walk is probably burning around 200-300 calories or so depending on your current weight. You'll notice an extra pound or so weight loss each month from it, if you don't eat those calories back each day. What I DID notice awhile after I started running was how my endurance increased. Every week I could run longer before I had to stop and walk. I could run up stairs without getting winded and a weekend at Disneyland didn't wear me out.

    If you're looking for significant body changes, add some strength training to your routine. I've done that this time around and I'm definitely noticing changes in how my upper body and thighs look, in particular. Also, I'm still 10 pounds or so above my lowest weight from when I first started running and watching calories but my measurements are nearly as small. I'm replacing the fat with muscle so I'm smaller and my metabolism is better.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    i started noticing changes when i could run 5 miles in 40-50 minutes.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    you ain't gonna notice a bit of weight loss unless you're eating at a calorie deficit. You will notice an increased level of aerobic fitness though.
  • medlaura
    medlaura Posts: 282 Member
    Thanks for the honesty. I would think that since i sweat like a pig i would burn more calories (215 pounds person here lol) but i would incorporate different types of workouts on my running off days. :drinker:
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    I was already eating at a deficit when I started running doing C25K. I noticed a big difference in the way I felt after a week or two. I noticed a difference in how I was shaped in about a month.

    My legs and arms started to trim down and be more defined. Unfortunately, I seem to be losing from the feet up and the head down. The middle is slow going.
  • GatorDeb1
    GatorDeb1 Posts: 245 Member
    11 weeks (not a facetious answer).
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,032 Member
    I didn't experience weight loss when doing the c25k programme but I did find that from about week 4 my clothes were less tight around my waist and that I developed well defined calf muscles that have stayed with me even though these days I only do the odd run and mainly walk!
  • martinel2099
    martinel2099 Posts: 899 Member
    You can't outrun a bad diet, diet needs to be #1. Ignoring general health, you can lose weight soley on your diet. I don't like to associate running or general exercise with being able to eat more food (ex. I have to bust my butt at the gym tonight to eat dinner).

    Now exercise is important and hightly recommended to improve general health. I actually lift heavy weights to help build strength and retain muscle mass while on a weight loss diet. I'm not lifitng heavy weights to eat more (though it is a small benefit), I'm lifting weights to build towards my fitness goals and look.

    If you love to run, then be the best runner you can be and have fun doing it. Do it fo the right reasons though.
  • litsy3
    litsy3 Posts: 783 Member
    you ain't gonna notice a bit of weight loss unless you're eating at a calorie deficit. You will notice an increased level of aerobic fitness though.

    Yeah, this. When I used to be a bit overweight I ran 3-5 miles 3 or 4 times a week without losing any weight at all because I wasn't eating at a deficit (I wasn't trying to lose weight either, to be fair). I did that for a couple of years before deciding to change my diet to lose weight. I did get better at running though!
  • RunnersLament
    RunnersLament Posts: 140 Member
    Thanks for the honesty. I would think that since i sweat like a pig i would burn more calories (215 pounds person here lol) but i would incorporate different types of workouts on my running off days. :drinker:

    Sweat is just fat cells crying. ;)

    Actually sweat typically just accounts for water weight... For the average 200 lb runner, you'll burn approximately 800 calories per hour. This is largely influenced by pace, body composition, intensity. (For the record, there are approx. 3500 calories in a pound).

    Also consider the law of diminishing returns... the more you run, the better you become, the less effective your workout becomes. (which is why we need to change it up (think pace/intensity/incline etc). Generally speaking as you adapt to running, the easier it becomes and the less calories you'll burn.
  • LoneWolfRunner
    LoneWolfRunner Posts: 1,160 Member
    I always did quite a bit of weight training (5-6 days per week) and my weight was right around 185... I started running about 3.5 years ago and dropped the weight training to two day per week... in the first 18 months of running I dropped 30 pounds...
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