running for weight loss

[Anonymous]

I recently lost 20 pounds via diet. I've started running (mostly for mental health reasons) and have about 15 more pounds to lose. What is the best strategy? Long distance running? Shorter runs with strength training?

I am aiming for 3 runs per week:
-5k
-6 miles
-10 miles

I am not consistent with any meal plan but just generally aim to be in a calorie deficit. Longer runs make me crave carbs like a maniac.

[Anonymous]

Great work!

I'm personally prioritizing weight training right now. I used to be more of a runner.

Read books by Dr Stacy Simms

[Anonymous]

I used to have a "run workout" app (maybe run meter?) with workouts alternating sprints at 80% effort with jogging/walking (similar to HIIT style workout). That worked great for me for burning calories as well as increasing run speed/strength. There are so many running apps out there now, maybe they all offer this type of workout. Overall, I found strength training and HIIT best for weight loss. Slow, steady running is great for mental clarity, but not for weight loss, IMHO.

[Anonymous]

If you are trying to lose weight, I would not add the type of run that makes you “crave carbs like a maniac.” Based on what you said, I’d keep it short(er) and very intense.

[Anonymous]

Losing weight is 80% diet. The strategy is to not overeat regardless of how much you've ran that day. You can burn 1000 calories with a run but you can eat a large pizza and cancel it out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently lost 20 pounds via diet. I've started running (mostly for mental health reasons) and have about 15 more pounds to lose. What is the best strategy? Long distance running? Shorter runs with strength training?

I am aiming for 3 runs per week:
-5k
-6 miles
-10 miles

I am not consistent with any meal plan but just generally aim to be in a calorie deficit. Longer runs make me crave carbs like a maniac.

Diet.

I have never lost weight from running unless I was consciously eating in a deficit and tracking what I was eating. Running also increased my appetite so I had to be careful after long runs to eat a little more but not to use "I ran x miles" as an excuse to eat everything in sight

[Anonymous]

Distance running (for long term commitment- like years) stabilizes your metabolism for long term. That being said, it takes a long time for body to reach its ideal balance of food to energy conversion.

This is why most competitive runners (not even elite, just committed) are so thin as their bodies are burning fat almost 100% of the time- even when not running for a few days.

But for your situation running is great for exercise and heart; for weight loss you would actually be better off running shorter distances as fast as you can. The idea is to push yourself to consume all easy energy (carbs/sugars) and have your body hit some of your oxygen stores to keep running.

Then your body, after your run will burn fat ot convert any energy sources to replenish your oxygen stores first.

That is basically what happens to distance runners- but their bodies do it all the time for years after getting to those long distances of 10-20m runs.

Doing high impact is a way to get there faster for most people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I recently lost 20 pounds via diet. I've started running (mostly for mental health reasons) and have about 15 more pounds to lose. What is the best strategy? Long distance running? Shorter runs with strength training?

I am aiming for 3 runs per week:
-5k
-6 miles
-10 miles

I am not consistent with any meal plan but just generally aim to be in a calorie deficit. Longer runs make me crave carbs like a maniac.

If longer runs give you cravings, how about swapping out your long run? I aim to run 40km+ per week and split it into about 4 runs according to how I’m feeling (eg this week I’ll probably do 1x8km, 2x10km and 1x12km). Maintaining the discipline to run 4 days somehow gives me more discipline with eating. If I go more than 2 days without running, I definitely get slack with food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I recently lost 20 pounds via diet. I've started running (mostly for mental health reasons) and have about 15 more pounds to lose. What is the best strategy? Long distance running? Shorter runs with strength training?

I am aiming for 3 runs per week:
-5k
-6 miles
-10 miles

I am not consistent with any meal plan but just generally aim to be in a calorie deficit. Longer runs make me crave carbs like a maniac.

If longer runs give you cravings, how about swapping out your long run? I aim to run 40km+ per week and split it into about 4 runs according to how I’m feeling (eg this week I’ll probably do 1x8km, 2x10km and 1x12km). Maintaining the discipline to run 4 days somehow gives me more discipline with eating. If I go more than 2 days without running, I definitely get slack with food.

Yeah, I agree. Ten milers take a long time. I'd cut that down to 6 (or even 4), but work in bursts of speed.

[Anonymous]

Hmm, interesting. I am not OP but I just lost 15 lbs from cutting calories and would like to lose 15 more lbs. I thought running would help but I see it will not. I am confused though. Why are people always raving about walking 10k in a day and losing weight from it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Losing weight is 80% diet. The strategy is to not overeat regardless of how much you've ran that day. You can burn 1000 calories with a run but you can eat a large pizza and cancel it out.

#facts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmm, interesting. I am not OP but I just lost 15 lbs from cutting calories and would like to lose 15 more lbs. I thought running would help but I see it will not. I am confused though. Why are people always raving about walking 10k in a day and losing weight from it?

I definitely found running helped me to lose weight. No doubt it is partly because it makes me generally more disciplined about health, including eating. However, I also find that once I am fitter, I can run further and harder and that definitely helps. I think my metabolism changes. I try to maintain a mindset that separates exercise from weight loss. It means I enjoy running for its own sake. Otherwise, I start dreading running, feeling guilty about missing a run, etc. It’s not always easy to keep that separation but I know I won’t sustain the running if I just see it as a means to weight loss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmm, interesting. I am not OP but I just lost 15 lbs from cutting calories and would like to lose 15 more lbs. I thought running would help but I see it will not. I am confused though. Why are people always raving about walking 10k in a day and losing weight from it?

Wear some kind of tracker and you will be see that the calorie differential is not as vast people think between walking and running. It just *feels* like you do a whole lot more when running. Walking doesn’t increase your hunger like running.

Look up NEAT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hmm, interesting. I am not OP but I just lost 15 lbs from cutting calories and would like to lose 15 more lbs. I thought running would help but I see it will not. I am confused though. Why are people always raving about walking 10k in a day and losing weight from it?

Wear some kind of tracker and you will be see that the calorie differential is not as vast people think between walking and running. It just *feels* like you do a whole lot more when running. Walking doesn’t increase your hunger like running.

Look up NEAT.

The calorie difference is large if you consider people only have a certain amount of time. If I have four hours to exercise per week, I can choose to walk 20km or run close to 50km. Clearly running is a lot more exercise given I am covering more than twice the distance and so I am going to burn a lot more calories.

In addition running raises your metabolic rate for a certain period after you finish. The tracker does not take that into account.

[Anonymous]

I run when it’s nice outside, and lift when it’s too cold. It provides a nice balance this time of year. It’s cold out.

Do you have a fitness watch, or can you download an app like Run with Hal?