Are you running for weight loss? You have come to the right place! I will be sharing different insights on this widely-spoken topic with you. It’s all about the combination of exercise and a healthy diet.
The benefits of running are tremendous. Beyond the possible effects on your weight, you will notice that running brings many more health benefits.
Persistence is the key. You won’t reach your goal in a short amount of time, so be patient!
Five Steps – Running for Weight Loss
Read these steps carefully and try to follow them as best as possible. There is a good chance that running will become one of your best friends in your battle with your weight.
Reduce your calorie intake
Yes, we start off with your diet. You will only lose weight if your calorie intake is lower than your energy output. Make sure to limit your alcohol consumption, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and refrain from fast food.
You may benefit from this nutrition management tool and take a look at the runner’s diet plan as well.
Stick to unsaturated fats
Make sure you avoid saturated or trans fats. Fats themselves are not bad for your body; actually, some unsaturated fats even bring health benefits – they reduce your hunger and possibly your risk of heart disease.
Include new types of workouts
Running for weight loss doesn’t require seven days a week of slow running. If you were to maintain slow runs of 30 minutes each day, the number of calories burnt in each session would actually decrease over time, simply because your body is getting used to this typical workout. Besides that, you will feel bored in time and might lose the motivation to run.
My suggestion is to include different types of workouts into your routine, including intervals and hill training. Take some recovery days to heal your body. You may benefit from heart rate monitor training as it gives you a lot of feedback about your body.
Make sure that you carefully evaluate new workouts as running at a different, higher pace could bring a higher risk of injury.
Run regularly
Running once a week won’t be enough. I don’t advise you to hit the roads every day, but running for weight loss requires regular exercise. Try to maintain a rhythm of at least three days a week. Each session should last 30 minutes minimum.
See one example of a running schedule below:
| Monday: | Rest Day / Cross train |
| Tuesday: | 30 minutes easy |
| Wednesday: | Rest Day / Cross train |
| Thursday: | 4 x 5 minute-intervals with 4 walking breaks of 3 minutes |
| Friday: | Rest Day / Cross train |
| Saturday: | 40 minutes easy |
| Sunday: | 4x hill (400m upwards) with 4 walking breaks of 2 minutes |
This is just an example; the schedule you follow should depend on your training background, your motivation and your end goal. Don’t forget your warm-up before each session.
When in doubt, consult with a running coach. Do you have a smartphone that supports running apps? You may find these useful for tracking and motivation.
Lose your pounds gradually
Nothing is less motivating than losing weight only to gain it back. You can do a few things to prevent this from happening. First of all, clearly writing your specific goals for losing weight and read them every day.
Hitting the scale once a month is not enough. Research has shown that it helps if you measure your weight at least once a week.
Last but not least, find someone who can help you with your struggles. This can be a dietician, mentor or even someone from your running group. The important thing is to realize that you are not on your own.
Well, that’s it! I hope that these strategies and tips will help you to reach a weight that is right for a healthy you!
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