People run for all kinds of reasons, including stress relief, endurance building for long-distance races, and weight loss. Running can be a great way to burn calories and promote weight loss. So, does running help you lose weight, how long does it take to lose pounds with this exercise, what you need to keep in mind to achieve your goals?
Is Running Good for Weight Loss?
Yes, running is one of the best workouts to lose weight. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume, creating what is known as a calorie deficit. Running burns significantly more calories than being stationary. When you run, your body burns lots more calories than if you’re stationary. So, if you start running regularly, then your body will begin burning calories in body fat to provide energy. In this way, you’ll start losing weight.
How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight While Running?
The speed at which you lose weight while running depends on various factors, including your current weight, diet, and running frequency. In many ways, though, it’s a numbers game. As a general rule, you’ll lose about a pound per week if you eat 500 calories less than usual per day. The average woman needs to eat about 2,000 calories per day to maintain her current weight. So, taking in only 1,500 calories per day will help her lose about a pound per week. Similarly, men need around 2,500 calories per day to maintain their weight, so cutting back to 2,000 daily calories will result in a loss of around a pound a week. The good news is that if you add running into the mix, you can keep eating roughly the same amount as before - since the exercise will burn additional calories and put you at a calorie deficit.
6-Week Running Plan to Lose Weight
Use the following 6 week running plan to lose weight, and see the effects. To maximize your weight loss efforts, keep a record of your daily calorie intake using online calorie counters or mobile apps.
| Week | Woman | Man |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eat 2,000 calories per day Run for 15 minutes 3 times | Eat 2,500 calories per day Run for 15 minutes 3 times |
| 2 | Eat 2,000 calories per day Run for 15 minutes 3 times | Eat 2,400 calories per day Run for 15 minutes 3 times |
| 3 | Eat 1,900 calories per day Run for 20 minutes 3 times | Eat 2,300 calories per day Run for 20 minutes 3 times |
| 4 | Eat 1,900 calories per day Run for 20 minutes 3 times | Eat 2,300 calories per day Run for 20 minutes 3 times |
| 5 | Eat 2,000 calories per day Run for 25 minutes 3 times | Eat 2,400 calories per day Run for 25 minutes 3 times |
| 6 | Eat 2,000 calories per day Run for 20 minutes 4 times | Eat 2,400 calories per day Run for 20 minutes 4 times |
You can adjust the 6 week running plan to lose weight to your specific needs and experience. If you’ve just recently started running, for example, you could begin with just walking on week 1, then gradually increasing the amount of exercise you do.
Read also: Weight loss with running
Running Weight Loss Tips
If you’ve been running for a few weeks and you’re still not seeing the shift in your weight that you had hoped, it’s worth trying some of the following running and weight loss tips:
Consider Your Diet
While you need calories to fuel your runs and workouts, it’s important to know what you’re putting into your body. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you can eat whatever you want when you’re running throughout the week. “Ah, don’t worry, I’ll burn this off tomorrow morning,” is a common perception in response to a poor food choice. Instead, plan pre- and post-workout meals ahead of time. That way you are less likely to grab the nearest (and fastest) food available.
Change Things Up
For a lot of runners, doing the same routine week after week can mean they arrive at a plateau in weight loss and running performance. Our bodies are super adaptable, and after a few weeks of running the same route at the same pace, you’ll stop seeing such a visible change in your results. The trick is to change up your routine from time to time, and add in different types of runs. Include hill running, speed intervals, long runs and short, fast runs. Weight loss and running faster also go hand in hand - if you can fit in a few sprints, you’ll soon start to notice the effects on your waist. Not all runs are created equal. Beyond 6 mph, you’re officially running! If you’re a beginner, it may take a few months to progress from jogging to running, but with consistency, everyone gets there. Sprinting between intervals of jogging or running is a more intense workout that burns calories faster. Running a longer distance for a longer period of time can lead to more calories burned (a single run of 10 or more miles can burn 1,000 calories). Depending on preference, you can do any of the above runs outside or on a treadmill. Treadmills allow for a more controlled environment to monitor your pace and distance but can make for a duller exercise.
Regular Running
If you’re struggling to see results, you may not be running enough throughout the week. Remember, to lose a pound of weight per week, you need to cut 500 calories from your maintenance number every single day. If possible, you should pledge to run at least three to four times per week. As well as regular running, you should aim to be as active as possible every day, even on the days you don’t run. Walk more, take the stairs, and be conscious about what you eat.
How to Run for Weight Loss: Beginners
If you’re new to running and hope to lose a few pounds, tone up or even torch fat, you need a plan. Here are some additional tips for how to lose weight by running if you’re new to the sport:
Read also: Unlocking Athletic Potential with Carnivore Diet
Put in Place a Training Schedule
Running regularly is important for all kinds of goals. It’s particularly beneficial motivation-wise to get to the point where you actually enjoy running and want to do it more often. The problem for a lot of us is that when we’re just starting out, our bodies are not conditioned, and so running can feel less than enjoyable. But by sticking with it, our bodies soon adapt and running begins to feel much more natural. In fact, after a few weeks of regular training, it might feel strange to not be running! Use our Runkeeper app to track your running and see your improvement over time.
Don’t Run Every Day
Even experienced runners need to give their bodies time to adapt and recover from their workouts. As a beginner, choose to run every second day. Giving your body a day’s rest between runs helps you to become better conditioned, which enables more intense workouts in the future.
Start Slowly and Build Up
If you are just starting out, you may want to consider mixing in walking and running at first. This is a good way to prepare your joints and muscles to avoid over-taxing them. This will progress further into more running and less walking, until you are running the entire time. First-timers can begin by simply walking every day. Starting slow has the added benefits of being more enjoyable and sustainable while minimizing the risk of injury.
Focus on the Love
No matter what your current abilities or ultimate goals are, by focusing on your love of running - instead of simply losing weight - you will be much more likely to stick with your routine and enjoy the results. You’ve probably heard of the euphoric experience during long runs caused by the brain releasing endorphins and neurochemicals.
Additional Tips for Effective Weight Loss Through Running
Scientific Backing
Scientific research proves that running is a great way of losing weight. You can do many things that burn body fat, create a calorie deficit, and help you get in shape. Swimming, cycling, and running are all excellent workouts if you do them consistently.
Read also: Guide to Running for Weight Loss
Spot Reduction Myth
Note that it’s impossible to specifically go running to lose belly fat because that’s not how exercise works. While you can’t spot reduce body fat, you can target and strengthen specific muscle groups. With regular exercise and strength training for weight loss, your body will start to lose fat in all areas, including your face, tummy, arms, and legs.
Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
Before your run, choose a light snack that balances carbohydrates and protein, such as a banana with peanut butter or a small portion of oatmeal. Post-run nutrition is just as important. Eating 60 to 90 minutes after a workout is when the body is most effective at replacing carbohydrates and promoting muscle growth and repair.
Hydration
Hydration provides energy, improves performance, affects mood and breathing, and may even increase your metabolic rate. The risks associated with dehydration range from minor headaches and cramping to severe complications such as heart disease and heat stroke.
Consistency is Key
One way to keep yourself on track is to create a running schedule to lose weight. Regardless of your weight loss running plan, stick to your schedule and be consistent in order to make the most of your running for long-term improvement.
Avoid Extreme Calorie Restriction
Some people are so excited to see results when they start running that they try to accelerate their weight loss by eating less.
Prioritize Sleep
Finally, getting enough sleep each night is a health benefit that directly impacts weight loss by regulating metabolism and appetite, improving running endurance, and keeping hunger hormones in check.
Realistic 4-Week Weight-Loss Workout Plan for Beginners
There’s a lot of weight-loss advice out there, so finding legitimate information (and determining what works best for you) can be challenging and even overwhelming. Here’s the truth: There’s no magic bullet to help you lose weight, and workout and diet plans aren’t one-size-fits-all. Losing weight is an individual journey that looks different for everyone, but don’t be discouraged. We’re here to break down the basics of how to lose weight, including tips to make nutrition work for you and a realistic 4-week workout plan for weight loss.
How Weight Loss Works
First, what causes weight loss to happen? How do you know when your body is burning fat? Let’s take a look at the process.
Fat Loss vs. Weight Loss
First thing’s first: When people say they’d like to lose weight, their actual goal is usually fat loss - and one of the most common misconceptions in fitness is that seeing a lower number on the scale means you’re losing fat. The number on the scale is your total mass weight, which is made up of everything in your body: your bones, muscles, water levels, and fat. Your total weight can fluctuate daily depending on those factors, but fat loss is a slower process that occurs when you expend more calories than you’re consuming.
How to Burn Fat
In general, the amount of fat you burn comes down to your overall energy balance. In other words, energy that comes in (nutrition) vs. energy out (activity). Your daily total energy needs are known as your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). Your TDEE is determined by your base metabolic rate (BMR) and your activity level.
Determine Your BMR
Your BMR is your base metabolic rate, the amount of energy expended while your body is at rest. Everyone has a unique BMR that can be estimated with a basic formula - or if math isn’t your thing, you can get your BMR directly from an Evolt 360 body composition scan at your Anytime Fitness gym.
Determine Your Activity Level
The TDEE formula multiplies your BMR by a specific factor that’s determined by your typical activity level. Here’s the breakdown:
- Sedentary (1.2): Minimal activity throughout the day, with little to no exercise.
- Lightly Active (1.375): Less than 30 minutes of activity throughout the day, including 15 minutes or less of high-intensity exercise.
- Moderately Active (1.55): 90 minutes of moderate exercise per day or 50 minutes of high-intensity exercise per day.
- Very Active (1.725): You are active throughout the entire day or you experience 2 hours or more of intense exercise per day.
Determine Your TDEE
Let’s put it all together: BMR x Activity Level = TDEE
Here’s an example. A moderately active 30-year-old female who’s 5’6″ and weighs 150 pounds has a BMR of 1,417 calories per day.
1,417 (BMR) x 1.55 (moderate activity level) = 2,196.35 (TDEE)
As a rule of thumb, if weight loss (and fat loss) is one of your health and fitness goals, your TDEE should generally be greater than your daily calorie intake. When your daily activities require more energy than you’re bringing in nutritionally, your body will use excess fat stores for energy, resulting in weight loss.
The Basics of Weight Loss
We’ve got the technical stuff out of the way, but losing weight isn’t always as simple as counting calories, cutting carbs, or doing more reps. There are several factors that impact weight loss - and contribute to a healthy body weight. Let us explain.
Diet and Nutrition
Whether you’re strength training to gain muscle or hitting the gym to establish healthy routines, the right diet is key to reaching your health and wellness goals. Your body needs fuel to function properly, even when you’re in a calorie deficit to lose weight. Focus on eating a balanced diet full of:
- Whole fruits and vegetables
- Complex carbs
- Lean proteins
- Whole grains
- Fatty acids
- Oils
- Low-fat or fat-free dairy
Hydration and Weight Loss
Contrary to popular belief, drinking water will not make you feel full or help you consume fewer calories, but it can aid digestion - and it’s critical to your overall health.
Exercise
The next critical piece of the weight loss puzzle is, of course, exercise. How much exercise? According to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise and 2 days of strength training per week. That could look like:
- Hitting the gym for 30 minutes, 5 days a week
- Hitting the gym for 50 minutes, 3 days a week
- Strength training at home or at the gym 2 days a week
- Going on brisk walks throughout the week
No matter what your workout routine looks like, the most important thing is to get your body moving regularly. The best exercises for weight loss are the ones that you enjoy, so find what works best for you.
Is Cardio Good for Weight Loss?
Cardio is an important part of a weight-loss exercise plan (cardio burns major calories, after all), but it should be balanced with strength training, flexibility work, and recovery to prevent injury and maximize the effectiveness of your weight-loss training plan. In fact, strength training for weight loss could help you reach your health goals faster. Building muscle helps your body burn more calories even when you’re at rest - and maintaining muscle requires more energy than maintaining fat.
Sleep
Want the results of your weight-loss training plan to last? Hit the hay. Regular sleep patterns can not only help you lose weight, but also maintain a healthy weight over time.
Rest and Recovery
That’s right! Rest days are another critical component of an effective weight-loss exercise plan. No matter your fitness level, your body needs time to recover and repair muscle after intense exercise. In fact, working out too much could hinder you from achieving your fitness goals. Incorporate active recovery into your gym routine to improve your flexibility, boost your mood, increase your energy levels, and help you stick to your weight loss training plan. Try one of these activities on your next rest day:
- Dynamic stretching
- Light cardio like jogging on the treadmill or riding on the stationary bike
- Rock climbing
- Swimming
- Taking a long walk
- Yoga
How to Set Weight-Loss Goals
Weight loss may be a goal in your health journey, but it isn’t the sole determinant of your success. Look for non-scale victories along the way, like meeting new friends at the gym or being able to lift heavier weights than before. Remember that weight loss will look different for everyone, and you may even gain weight when you start working out - it’s perfectly normal and can even be a good sign.
When you set a weight-loss goal, make sure it’s a SMART one:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-based
Instead of setting an unrealistic or uninformed goal, evaluate your current fitness level and experience, then set action-based goals rather than result-based goals. For example:
- Result-based goal: Lose 10 pounds by the end of the month.
- Action-based goal: Visit the gym 3 days a week for a month.
When you set action-based goals, you’ll be more likely to stick to your weight loss workout plan and see the results you want.
Other weight-loss workout plans might require you to work out 7 days a week, eliminate carbs, shred calories, or push your body beyond its limit, but those tactics often result in burnout and hinder your progress. The most important part of any workout plan for weight loss is regular physical activity. This plan features a combination of strength training, cardio workouts, endurance training, and recovery to get you started, but it’s not prescriptive or one-size-fits-all. Give it a try to find out what works best for you, then adjust your workouts accordingly.
Note: If weight is a specific health concern for you, talk to your doctor before starting a routine that involves cardio and strength training for weight loss.
Week 1: Weight-Loss Exercise Plan
Week one features a full-body circuit workout, a heart-pumping cardio workout, and a strengthening arm workout spaced out with active recovery days.
Week 2: Weight-Loss Exercise Plan
This week features two forms of cardio - rowing and biking - plus a full-body ladder workout. Focus on the quality of your reps in each set.
Week 3: Weight-Loss Exercise Plan
You’re past the halfway mark! This week’s weight-loss workout plan features a bonus workout you can do if you want to keep the burn going.
Week 4: Weight-Loss Exercise Plan
For the final week, you’ll hit two full-body workouts and a distance rowing workout. See if you can challenge yourself to do a few extra reps or sets this week, or do the bonus workout.
When Will I See Results From a Weight-Loss Exercise Plan?
With a regular weight-loss workout plan, you should start to notice results in a few weeks. But if you step onto the scale and don’t see the number going down, don’t be discouraged. There are several reasons you might not be seeing the results you want in the gym. After completing the 4-week weight-loss workout plan, take stock of how your body feels. Are you more energized? Do you feel stronger? Are you fatigued? Make adjustments to your workout routine or diet plan accordingly. For example:
- If you need more of a challenge, add more reps or sets to your strength workouts, or try to increase the speed or incline of your next treadmill workout.
- If you’re feeling exhausted, make active recovery a higher priority or assess your diet plan to ensure you’re fueling your body properly.
How to Track Your Progress
When you’re working toward a fitness goal, tracking your workouts and your progress can: