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will jogging/running help me loose weight?!

xSophia19
xSophia19 Posts: 1,536 Member
edited October 2024 in Motivation and Support
right this is a daft question - but i just need to know!

ive read on the internet that jogging will gain muscle in your thighs - which is something i dont really want. i want to loose inches on my thighs!! my thighs measure in a 26inches each. (just measured) :laugh:

on the other hand a few friends have told me that running is the best excercise you can do to loose inches on your thighs.. i just really dont know what to do now?! my legs are quite muscely - i just need to burn off the wobbly bits in between the legs!

the reason why im askin this, is because im doing to the race 4 life event this year with a few friends to raise money for Breast Cancer UK. and me and friends r training everynight for it (we have 1 rest night a week) we go power walking/jogging all around our town, and we r working our selves up for the 5K race 4 life. We r planning on wearing shorts for the event, but with my legs the way they r at the moment - i cant go out in shorts!! soo if i keep on training will i loose inches on the thighs? and will the scales go down?! or will i gain lbs on the scales? =/

sorry for confusion, just need to know :)

thanks in advanced x

Replies

  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    Running does not give you massive muscle-bound thighs - do you think Paula Radcliffe struggles to get in her skinny jeans?! Yes, if you love running enough to stick to it, you will lose weight more effectively that almost any other way (so long as you stick to MFP's calories and don't use it as a license to eat) and the wobbly bits will melt away.

    Like any exercise, when it's new you might initially find your scales go up, but that's glycogen rushing to feed your muscles. That will soon go.

    Race For Life is a fabulous event for all abilities and has a great party atmosphere. I've done one every year since shortly after they started! I have collected over 10 medals!

    One word of caution - six days a week is too much for a beginner. You'll end up sore and tired and want to give up, or even worse get an injury that knocks you out for weeks. Use a plan like C25K or the plan that comes with Race For Life which both have only three days a week. Cross-train on other days (swimming, walking, cycling etc) to give your muscles and joints a rest but still torch those calories. Still set aside one full rest day a week.

    Good luck!
  • xSophia19
    xSophia19 Posts: 1,536 Member
    Running does not give you massive muscle-bound thighs - do you think Paula Radcliffe struggles to get in her skinny jeans?! Yes, if you love running enough to stick to it, you will lose weight more effectively that almost any other way (so long as you stick to MFP's calories and don't use it as a license to eat) and the wobbly bits will melt away.

    Like any exercise, when it's new you might initially find your scales go up, but that's glycogen rushing to feed your muscles. That will soon go.

    Race For Life is a fabulous event for all abilities and has a great party atmosphere. I've done one every year since shortly after they started! I have collected over 10 medals!

    One word of caution - six days a week is too much for a beginner. You'll end up sore and tired and want to give up, or even worse get an injury that knocks you out for weeks. Use a plan like C25K or the plan that comes with Race For Life which both have only three days a week. Cross-train on other days (swimming, walking, cycling etc) to give your muscles and joints a rest but still torch those calories. Still set aside one full rest day a week.

    Good luck!

    ok thankyou! :) i hope it does melt away the fat haha! :).. right i know i go 6 days a week, but some nights we do more power walking than jogging, and some other nights we do more jogging than walking, soo it kinda balances it out. i also do other excercises at home like zumba, just dance aswell soo im getting in other kinds of cardio excercise. i know i can injure myself doing too much, but thats why im doing more of walking one night and then a bit more jogging the night after kinda thing.

    and i will defo stick to MFP calories, and i wont eat back any of my excercise cals. - because i maintain weight that way :(.

    thankyou for you help :)
  • Shriffee
    Shriffee Posts: 250 Member
    It's not going to give you massive muscles, but you will tone your legs. Especially your calves and quads. The best way to lose inches is to lose weight. Unfortunately, we can't do spot reduction. The best thing for my thighs is cardio and toning.
  • clairabell2024
    clairabell2024 Posts: 194 Member
    Im no expert, but i imagine jogging or running will help lose weight its cardio at the end of the day? (please tell me if i wrong)

    But dont worry too much about how you look on the day of the race for life, there are ladies there all shapes, sizes and from all walks of life- Its the cause your doing it for thats most important. Ive done it past 3 years and the atmosphere is incredible!

    Im no runner, i jog it each year in 30mins and i never train and surprisingly i manage it, so if your training that hard itll be a breeze for you!

    Good Luck!

    xx
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    Too much talk; not enough running.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    Too much talk; not enough running.

    Nods.
  • em9371
    em9371 Posts: 1,047 Member
    i think running is one of the best cardio exercises out there, burns huge amounts of cals for me compared to anything else.
    i do boxing / spinning / swimming / crosstrainer for cardio, they come in between 400-600 an hour, running @ 7.5kmh (which is very slow running) burns 840 an hour (im 223lbs btw)!!
    running wont give you massive muscly thighs, that would take a lot of weight training, ive never seen a runner with fat legs!
    if you are exercising 6 nights, make sure you stretch well after your runs, and try not to run 2 days in a row.
    If you havent seen it already, the C25K program is great for 5k training.
    Good luck with your race!
  • PeeTeePee
    PeeTeePee Posts: 235 Member
    Too much talk; not enough running.

    Nods.

    Legitimate comments from runners, but beginners need advice and encouragement.
  • Scorpioangel
    Scorpioangel Posts: 951 Member
    I am not a hardcore runner at all but I do run to mix it up and I run more in the warm months than the cool months. I was worried about getting bulky legs also since I have seen them on women but I didn't :)
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    Too much talk; not enough running.

    Nods.

    Legitimate comments from runners, but beginners need advice and encouragement.

    Sorry, it was meant as a light hearted comment. I didn't mean for it to sound mean.

    There is value in just getting out there and doing it. A lot of the time people get analysis paralysis when they try to get all the information they think they need before they feel they can start.
  • mikeyrp
    mikeyrp Posts: 1,616 Member
    Too much talk; not enough running.

    Nods.

    Legitimate comments from runners, but beginners need advice and encouragement.

    Sorry, it was meant as a light hearted comment. I didn't mean for it to sound mean.

    There is value in just getting out there and doing it. A lot of the time people get analysis paralysis when they try to get all the information they think they need before they feel they can start.

    Likewise... Good luck with your running, and try to my motto: happy & healthy.

    If you don't enjoy doing it, or what it does to you, its bad. Personally I love running in its own right and that has been important in maintaining the weight I have lost through MFP since hitting my target. I suggest you sign up for some events, maybe a 5 or 10 K race: There is a big buzz from taking part!
This discussion has been closed.

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