Long distance running and weight loss

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CallmeSbo
CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Do these two work together? Or should one focus of weight loss 1st?
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  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Yes, they do.

    To lose weight you need to maintain a healthy caloric deficit (i.e. burn more than you consume). Running (any exercise, for that matter) can help accomplish this.

    Just make sure to keep the deficit healthy... you don't want it to get too big.
  • iuangina
    iuangina Posts: 691 Member
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    Yep, it works well together. I lost about 60 lbs training for a half marathon and another 50 lbs training for a full.
  • CallmeSbo
    CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
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    Yes, they do.

    To lose weight you need to maintain a healthy caloric deficit (i.e. burn more than you consume). Running (any exercise, for that matter) can help accomplish this.

    Just make sure to keep the deficit healthy... you don't want it to get too big.

    Thank you. I was advised by a certain someone to not go beyond 15km as a distance more than that supposedly burns muscle. And to be successful for long distance running you have to consume alot of calories, mostly carbs. I dont strength train as i can not afford gym and buying weights. So running is the only form of exercise i can do.
  • CallmeSbo
    CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
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    Yep, it works well together. I lost about 60 lbs training for a half marathon and another 50 lbs training for a full.

    Thank you for that testimony. I am 30kg overweight and im trainin for my 1st half marathon. I have done many 10 k and 3 15k. I think im now ready for another challenge.
  • angiek941
    angiek941 Posts: 97 Member
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    I largely attritbute my weight loss of over 80 lbs to it! Running rocked my body!
  • PirateJohn
    PirateJohn Posts: 80
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    When I'm good about running is when I lose a lot of weight. I have done two half marathons and one full marathon, and when I was training for those, I was dropping weight like a rock.
  • Kamalka
    Kamalka Posts: 164 Member
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    I lost 12lb in one month running about 2h/day without changing diet (just stopped 500g yogurts and the daily dark chocolate piece)...since 4 weeks I maintain a small cardio -30min, high intensity intervals- 3 times/week and do some strength training the other 3 days (the weather start to be really bad, I plan another month), my weight is steady (but I keep on losing fat). If I did long runs, it is certainly because I love them (I was sure I could never run and doing 20k in the forest brings much satisfaction)...I learned to run quite fast so that I could sometimes lose 2500 cal in a day...it would mean I should get about 4800 cal that day to maintain my weight, simply impossible!
  • KimertRuns13_1
    KimertRuns13_1 Posts: 705
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    One of the trainers at my gym told me it was not possible. I did my best to prove him wrong. I've lost at least 20 lbs since I started adding long distance running to my routine.
  • HauteP1nk
    HauteP1nk Posts: 2,139 Member
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    If you are just starting out then you won't burn as many calories as an experienced runner since you'll be doing more of a run/walk kind of scenario. That being said,running does help to burn weight and build muscle. And any new exercise and movement will assist in your weight loss journey! :)

    You don't have to lose weight first to run long distances. Just remember not to over do it at first...you don't want to overexert or injury yourself when you are first starting out.
  • PirateJohn
    PirateJohn Posts: 80
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    One of the trainers at my gym told me it was not possible. I did my best to prove him wrong. I've lost at least 20 lbs since I started adding long distance running to my routine.

    You sure trained him! :)
  • AlwaysWanderer
    AlwaysWanderer Posts: 641 Member
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    Thank you thank you thank you for this! I stopped my half marathon training as my trainer told me I wont lose weight whilst long-distance running. Putting my running shoes on now! :drinker:
  • iuangina
    iuangina Posts: 691 Member
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    Yes, they do.

    To lose weight you need to maintain a healthy caloric deficit (i.e. burn more than you consume). Running (any exercise, for that matter) can help accomplish this.

    Just make sure to keep the deficit healthy... you don't want it to get too big.

    Thank you. I was advised by a certain someone to not go beyond 15km as a distance more than that supposedly burns muscle. And to be successful for long distance running you have to consume alot of calories, mostly carbs. I dont strength train as i can not afford gym and buying weights. So running is the only form of exercise i can do.

    I would recommend adding some simple body weight exercises to your running. It will help with injury prevention. You definitely don't want to get injured so I would add some ab crunches, squats, pushups, etc to your routines. You don't need a gym to strength train. There are lots of apps for smartphones out there with body weight exercises.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Those of you who have been told they don't work together... was any reasoning given as to why? I'm just curious.
  • AlwaysWanderer
    AlwaysWanderer Posts: 641 Member
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    Those of you who have been told they don't work together... was any reasoning given as to why? I'm just curious.
    What I've been told is that to be able to run long distances you need fuel, ie calories, especially carbs. A lot of them. And that running burns muscles so you might end up "skinny fat". And that running increases you appetite so you end up eating too much to lose weight. I've also read some articles saying that some runners actualy put on weight whilst training for a marathon.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
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    Those of you who have been told they don't work together... was any reasoning given as to why? I'm just curious.
    What I've been told is that to be able to run long distances you need fuel, ie calories, especially carbs. A lot of them. And that running burns muscles so you might end up "skinny fat". And that running increases you appetite so you end up eating too much to lose weight. I've also read some articles saying that some runners actualy put on weight whilst training for a marathon.

    That's largely and issue of diet then, not exercise/running, right?

    I'm not a dedicated runner, but I do a lot of triathlon training so I do consider myself an endurance athlete. Yes, all that work does require carbs, but it also requires protein (which is something a lot of endurance athletes neglect, which is why people can end up skinny fat. Not to mention that with all that running often times people do very little strength training... another factor in skinny fat.
  • iuangina
    iuangina Posts: 691 Member
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    Those of you who have been told they don't work together... was any reasoning given as to why? I'm just curious.
    What I've been told is that to be able to run long distances you need fuel, ie calories, especially carbs. A lot of them. And that running burns muscles so you might end up "skinny fat". And that running increases you appetite so you end up eating too much to lose weight. I've also read some articles saying that some runners actualy put on weight whilst training for a marathon.

    You only gain weight while training for a marathon if you don't pay attention to your calories in/calories out. A lot of people while training for marathons eat a lot more than the amount of calories they are actually burning. I don't buy the 'skinny fat' thing. I was in the best shape of my adult life when I ran my first marathon. I was also strength training as well. I had lost a total of 130 lbs training for it. I think you just have to be careful how you fuel your body. Just because you are training doesn't mean you can eat doughnuts and cookies for every meal.
  • CallmeSbo
    CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
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    Yes, they do.

    To lose weight you need to maintain a healthy caloric deficit (i.e. burn more than you consume). Running (any exercise, for that matter) can help accomplish this.

    Just make sure to keep the deficit healthy... you don't want it to get too big.

    Thank you. I was advised by a certain someone to not go beyond 15km as a distance more than that supposedly burns muscle. And to be successful for long distance running you have to consume alot of calories, mostly carbs. I dont strength train as i can not afford gym and buying weights. So running is the only form of exercise i can do.

    I would recommend adding some simple body weight exercises to your running. It will help with injury prevention. You definitely don't want to get injured so I would add some ab crunches, squats, pushups, etc to your routines. You don't need a gym to strength train. There are lots of apps for smartphones out there with body weight exercises.

    Yes i do minimal squats, lunges etc. With 3kg weights i bought years ago. But thats about it. I cant afford to buy heavier one.
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
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    I am a runner and began my weight loss journey with running (the day I decided to get healthy is the same day I signed up for a half marathon). I've lost 25 lbs since then. Long distance running is a staple of my running program and the most enjoyable part.

    It's calories in versus calories out. Why would burning 900 calories running on a long day not be equivalent to burning 900 calories on an elliptical, stairstepper, weight training, etc? That makes absolutely no sense to me.
  • CallmeSbo
    CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
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    Those of you who have been told they don't work together... was any reasoning given as to why? I'm just curious.
    What I've been told is that to be able to run long distances you need fuel, ie calories, especially carbs. A lot of them. And that running burns muscles so you might end up "skinny fat". And that running increases you appetite so you end up eating too much to lose weight. I've also read some articles saying that some runners actualy put on weight whilst training for a marathon.
    Was told the same :-(
  • CallmeSbo
    CallmeSbo Posts: 611 Member
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    I am a runner and began my weight loss journey with running (the day I decided to get healthy is the same day I signed up for a half marathon). I've lost 25 lbs since then. Long distance running is a staple of my running program and the most enjoyable part.

    It's calories in versus calories out. Why would burning 900 calories running on a long day not be equivalent to burning 900 calories on an elliptical, stairstepper, weight training, etc? That makes absolutely no sense to me.
    lol. good question.

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