Running for Weight Loss | Women Running

Weight Loss is one of the biggest reasons why women start running. (I am one of them).

Click HERE to read my runner's story.

Running indeed is considered the quickest and most efficient means of weight loss.

As one of the most vigorous exercises out there, running is an extremely efficient for fast and easy weight lose .

In fact running helps burn calories , lose fat, and lean your body no matter how much weight you have to lose or even if you've tried everything else in the past!

Running burns about 200 calories per mile for a 150-pound person. Plus - running increases your basal metabolism rate - you will burn calories also them you rest or sleep. Why this - because running also builds muscle mass , your resting metabolism will increase, which means that you'll burn more calories at rest.

If you combine running with a healthy diet , you'll definitely notice a difference in the way you look and feel.

Dont know where to start?

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Healthy Eating is the First Step

If you hope to lose weight by running, keep in mind that you'll only shed pounds if you burn more calories than you consume. To lose a pound, you have to burn, through exercise or life functions, about 3600 calories. So in order to reach your weight loss goal you'll need to combine running with a healthy diet.

Runners do have some special nutrition needs , but the basic principles for healthy eating still apply. Try choosing smaller portions of high-fat and high-calorie foods and eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Run Regularly

If you want to lose weight, you're not going to get it off by running once a week. It's best to run every day but, if that's not possible, try to shoot for at least 3-4 times per week. If you find that your motivation to run is suffering, follow these tips to get inspired.

Keep it Challenging

Incorporating speed work or interval training (running at a very fast speed for short intervals of time) into your running routine can also help your weight loss efforts. Speed work burns a great amount of calories in a short period of time. You'll also increase your muscle mass and improve your resting metabolism, causing you to burn more calories throughout the day.

Get more tips on how to increase metabolism.

The goal in any fat loss exercise regimen is to choose activities that consume large amounts of oxygen. This is because the body burns 5 calories for every liter of oxygen that it consumes.

Therefore, what do you think would be the best type of cardio to do for fat loss?

Since the goal is to maximize oxygen consumption it is essential to find activities that will engage the greatest amount of muscle. This is because the more muscle that is needed to perform an activity or movement, the more oxygen that will be needed to supply those working muscles. Make sense?

Activity (per 1 hour)
130 lbs 155 lbs 190 lbs

Cycling, 10-12 mph
354
422
518
Cycling, 12-14 mph
472
563
690
Running, 5 mph
472
563
690
Running, 7 mph
679
809
992
X-Country Skiing, 8mph
826
985
1208
Walking, 3 mph
207
246
302
Rowing, vigorous effort
561
669
819

As you can see from the above chart, running burns more calories than other activities, at the same intensity. Therefore running the most effective type of cardio for burning fat and helping you lose weight.

There are two main reasons for this.

First , running is weight bearing which means that the muscles of your lower body must work harder to support you and propel you forward; thus, burning up more calories. Therefore, the heavier you are, the more calories you will burn (assuming equal intensity as someone who is lighter).

Second , running is one of the least efficient of human movements, which means that it produces a lot of heat/energy expenditure for its movement. This also means that a lot of calories are being spent. This is great for those who want to lose weight but not so great for those looking for efficient modes of movement.

But it makes sense if you think about it. Cycling is easier than running, right? That's because cycling is one of the most mechanically efficient human movements, meaning that more of the energy you put into the movement actually results in movement (and not as much heat production as running!)

But you're interested in what burns calories and fat , right? Therefore, running is your best option if you want to burn calories and lose weight.

Find me an overweight runner and I'll be amazed.

Want to start running but lack motivation? I did, too. This why I recommend iTrain.com to help you to burn fat and lose weight faster ..