Running for weight loss?
shaynataggart
Posts: 71 Member
I am reading so much contradiction information online so I'd figure I'd ask people who may know. Is it possible with appropriate calorie restriction to lose weight running. Keeping in mind I would increase distance+ intensity. I have about 30 lbs to go and I really love to run but don't wanna waste time if more is needed.
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With appropriate calorie restriction, it's possible to lose weight running or not running. The caloric deficit is the important part, hence the saying "You can't out-train a bad diet". The bigger advantage running provides is improving your cardiovascular fitness.0
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Run because you want to run. Not to lose weight. If you already are a runner, yes you can lose weight by caloric restriction, just make sure you're eating back at least 1/2 of your exercise calories burnt by running. And use a HRM to know what kind of calories you're burning through running.0
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absolutely, I found it very good especially for fat burn
you get fitter, you lose weight and your mood improves as well
but do it wisely, eat back a bit of your calories, as you also need to fuel your runs0 -
It is possible to build your running while eating at a reasonable deficit.
From September 2014 to April 2015 I lost 45 pounds without adopting calorie tracking - clearly my increased activity, mostly from running - had everything to do with that. I lost a further 35 pounds after starting calorie tracking and putting myself on a slightly larger deficit.
All the while I was running, going from a mere 2km run when I started last September to 250 - 300km a month now.
I don't run to eat more. I run because I want to be a better runner, because I enjoy it. I believe I've lost more and more consistently as a result of running for a number of reasons including but not limited to: the increased activity; new muscle (yes, running builds muscle, legs have some pretty big ones); improvements in metabolism, improved fitness and awareness of same leading to dedication to follow through on diet etc.
Of course the biggest win from all this is my running is vastly improved. Receiving a hugely positive annual check up was nice too.0 -
shaynataggart wrote: »I am reading so much contradiction information online so I'd figure I'd ask people who may know. Is it possible with appropriate calorie restriction to lose weight running. Keeping in mind I would increase distance+ intensity. I have about 30 lbs to go and I really love to run but don't wanna waste time if more is needed.
Your weight loss comes from your calorie deficit, the running helps you to achieve that.
If you enjoy running, then continue running, the main thing is that this is sustainable. If you do something because you need to then you're less likely to sustain it longer term.
That said, it's useful to weave in some resistance training of some kind to help balance out the running and help with the body composition.
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Just to remind those responding... The OP had made this much clear:I really love to run
@shaynataggart You'll find dozens if not hundreds or thousands of people here on MFP who mixed running and significant weight loss goals together and came out the other side being successful at BOTH.0 -
Standing by the the usual onslaught of you need to stop running and lift heavy One True Way (tm) posts0
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shaynataggart wrote: »Is it possible with appropriate calorie restriction to lose weight running.
Yes.
There is conflicting information online as it is sometimes argued that running is not an optimal use of time for body composition purposes (usually seen through a body building focus.) From this position all sorts of foolishness arises.
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Anyone who says you don't lose weight running doesn't run very often! Yes you will lose weight as long as you track calories and hit a good balance. Weight training is also important. Do both.0
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Anything that helps you burn calories will help you lose weight!
As others have said, it's all about calorie deficit - running burns a lot of calories so of course it will help you, so long as you don't eat back all the calories you lose
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All comes down to calories in < calories out. Just avoid too big a calorie deficit after taking into account your running, I don't go lower than a 20% deficit.
People say that too much long-distance running can cause muscle wasting, not sure if that's true, but I prefer short fast hilly runs, 3 miles max, they strengthen the legs very nicely.
I did an exchange year in the US when I was a student and would go to the gym (my upper body was really skinny), and the guys there (many of who had massive upper bodies but skinny legs), would ask me what I do to get my legs in such good shape, the answer was just running, fast, with lots of uphill.0 -
Running or fast cycling work great to get you more healthy and burn lots of calories
Watch your intake and enjoy the health benefits of exercise
It is a double win for you!
If you want to have a lean sculplred body, consider a good cardio and then muscle building group of exercises
It is fun to reconstruct your new body. You have much more control than you may think.
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" I really love to run but don't wanna waste time if more is needed."
Can you waste time doing something you love?
Is doing something you love EVER a WASTE of time?
Funny thing with running: if you love it and do it, it will always lead to more.
Running burns caloires, so it will help create your calorie deficit which will lead to weight loss.
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shaynataggart wrote: »I am reading so much contradiction information online so I'd figure I'd ask people who may know. Is it possible with appropriate calorie restriction to lose weight running. Keeping in mind I would increase distance+ intensity. I have about 30 lbs to go and I really love to run but don't wanna waste time if more is needed.
A calorie restriction is all you need to lose weight. If you want to help create a deficit by running more, by all means do it, but it isn't necessary. Many who are trying to lose weight start out from a place of no exercise so adding in walking, running, lifting, swimming, bicycling, etc. is a great idea for both cardio and body recomposition, as well as a higher calorie deficit. Since you already run, your fitness level is better than many just starting out, so you may only need to adjust the "calories in" part of the equation to lose (calories in<calories out)
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If your in a calorie deficit you will loose weight (exercise or not). Running is great for cardiovascular (heart) health and is a great way to give you more calories to eat if your diet is to restrictive. However, you cant outrun a bad diet. I used to run ten miles a day, 1100 extra calories burned. But I just used this as a reason to eat loads more food so I was just spinning my wheels really. Although I did get fitter I also burned a lot of muscle because I hadn't discovered lifting at that stage.0
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Thousands, if not millions of people have used running to lose weight. Its all about not over compensating and feeling that you can go overboard with your eating because you ran. I do feel that for many people, running is only going to get you so far. And that may be perfectly fine, but it's just something to keep in mind.0
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if it helps you reach your calorie deficit, then it's worth it especially if you like it. I started running because I needed a greater calorie deficit. So far so good0
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Any cardio, running included, will help you get the much desired calorie deficit 0
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I lost nearly 3 stone over 3 years purely by running 3 times a week (totalling 12-19 miles), without changing any eating habits. Obviously I was burning off more than I was eating but I didn't focus on my diet at the time. So it worked for me, but all you're ultimately doing is creating a larger deficit which you can also do by eating less.0
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skysiebaby wrote: »it worked for me, but all you're ultimately doing is creating a larger deficit which you can also do by eating less.
Emphasis mine - while true, for some folks that's a big challenge with calorie restriction alone.
Of course running is doing more than that - it's creating significant fitness gains.
In addition to losing 80 pounds over 10 months, the running I was doing made me fit long before those 10 months were over. I went from pre-diabetic, border line hypertensive on the verge of needing medication, blood lipids and other measures out of whack to... perfect health with blood work on the damn healthy side of normal and BP like I was 20 again. Again you can find many stories like mine here on MFP and one doesn't have to be a distance running addict like me to get those gains. A modest, regular, program will do the job.
Some of those gains would come through diet alone although likely not to the same degree and within as short a time span. Running - any vigorous cardio activity - certainly gets some credit for health and fitness improvements.
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Thank you everyone. I am gonna safely pinpoint it to diet then. I also want to implement interval running with short sprints and more uphill. Really appreciate the feedback! Been struggling to lose the last 30 of 130 lbs lost so far. Safe to say I have plateaued. I do have a heart rate monitor and I do sometimes treadmill run, I will just have to be more careful of calorie intake0
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Why not both?MeanderingMammal wrote: »Standing by the the usual onslaught of you need to stop running and lift heavy One True Way (tm) posts
Running/cardio helps create the deficit and has cardiovascular benefits; strength training helps preserve lean body mass and (especially as you age) is beneficial in making the performance of everyday tasks easier.
Speaking purely in terms of weight loss, neither is essential - a caloric deficit will do the job. When you factor in health, body composition and overall fitness, a combination of cardio and strength training is a good thing (and a little of both is better than one to the exclusion of the other).0 -
Why not both?MeanderingMammal wrote: »Standing by the the usual onslaught of you need to stop running and lift heavy One True Way (tm) posts
Burn the heretic!!!!!!
fwiw I've seen far more runners/ cyclists advocating a balanced approach. Very few of those whose objectives are around lifting advocate the benefits of CV work.
The BroScience aspect is strong in several as well.
That said, most of the credible posters advocate balance, regardless of ones priorities.
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I was just thrown off by how many articles there are saying how running is bad for weight loss.0
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shaynataggart wrote: »I was just thrown off by how many articles there are saying how running is bad for weight loss.
It's not bad, it's just too easy to eat the burned cals back with a Starbucks frappe or a milkshake. Running is one of the more effective things to do in terms of cals/time assuming you don't hurt yourself.
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Running is great for weight loss - and I used it - with calorie counting and weight lifting at least once a week (running usually 3 times a week) to get that last 30 pounds off. I much prefer running to weight lifting personally and if that is your preference then you should capitalize on that.0
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shaynataggart wrote: »I was just thrown off by how many articles there are saying how running is bad for weight loss.
It's not bad, it's just too easy to eat the burned cals back with a Starbucks frappe or a milkshake. Running is one of the more effective things to do in terms of cals/time assuming you don't hurt yourself.
True story....I ran a 5k...a turkey trot, so it wasn't super competitive... with a big group of friends. One of the women was not a runner and planned to walk the whole thing, which is fine. But when we all met up at the finish line, she told us she actually stopped at the Starbucks we passed on the route to get a Mocha. I'm sure she consumed more calories during that 5k than she burned.0 -
I lost a lot of weight...100 pounds so far, another 5 or 10 to go. I started running at my heaviest (not very far at first), and think it really helped with the weight loss. It burns a lot of calories, and I think just being active helps the mental part of it...if I go through all the effort of running, I don't want to then eat a bunch of junk. It helps me stick to a healthy diet. Two good habits that seem to reinforce each other.0
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