How to Lose Weight Running and Keep It Off

By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified run coach

Running for weight loss is not as hard as you may think - it just requires the right training program and techniques. As a trainer and runner who has experienced weight gain and weight loss, I understand the struggles of trying to lose weight. This guide offers my best advice and guidance on how to lose weight running and improve your overall fitness level. The key with weight loss is to follow a sustainable, healthy program that increases your physical activities and creates a calorie deficit. Here is an overview of how to run your way to weight loss and improve your fitness level and health in the process.

Related Post: 10 Tips for Sustainable Weight Loss

Beginners Home Workout Sample Program - No Equipment

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Running Benefits

Running is a great way to improve your fitness and lose weight because it's an accessible form of aerobic exercise. Running will help you burn calories and can help you create a calorie deficit so you lose weight. You don’t need any gym membership or fancy equipment to run. All you need are some good running shoes (check out our running shoe guide for help) and a training plan.

If you need a training plan, head to the Runstreet Training Center for customized running plans designed by a personal trainer and running coach.

Here are some of the benefits of running for weight loss and health:

Increased calorie burning. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you consume, and running can help achieve this caloric deficit.
Improved cardiovascular fitness and health. Running is a form of aerobic exercise that increases your fitness level and heart health.
Prevention of chronic diseases and conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease. Running offers many health benefits and combats your risk of a variety of health ailments.
Helps maintain a healthy weight. Following a regular run routine can help reduce your body fat and prevent weight gain.

Running for Weight Loss

Running burns more calories than almost all other aerobic activities, burning on average 100 calories per mile, with some variation based on your weight and running duration. If you weigh 120 lbs, for instance, you will burn about 11.4 calories per minute while running, according to the American Council on Exercise. So if you run a mile in 10 minutes, you’ll burn 114 calories. For an 180-lb. person, the calorie-burning goes up to 17 calories per minute. A 180-pound runner would burn 170 calories running the same 10-minute mile.

How to Get Started

The good news is that running is a natural activity that our bodies inherently know how to do. All you need to do is lace up your running shoes, dress for the weather, and start running. When you’re running for weight loss, it’s important to follow these 3 tenets:

1. Be consistent and persistent.

It is not always easy to be consistent during the unsettled routines and upended lives we have with coronavirus. But try your best to be consistent, and if you do miss a day, do not make the common mistake of giving up altogether. Be persistent and resume your training the next day.

2. Follow a training plan.

Whether you create your own running program or buy a professionally designed running plan, it is important to have a program to stay accountable and have direction in your training. Without a plan, it is easy to crash and burn by starting out running too much and then getting injured or burned out. I see this so much in beginning runners I coach.

3. Be mindful of what you eat.

Your daily eating habits are responsible for at least half of your fitness level, so proper nutrition is crucial. It’s very easy to slide into mindless nibbling on junk food while working at your desk or scrolling social media. Cut down on processed foods in your diet — which includes not only chips and snack candy but also processed cereals, processed bread, and refined grains.

Opt for more fresh food in your diet — lots of colorful fruits, veggies, and lean protein like lentils, nuts, beans, Greek yogurt, and lean meats or seafood. Eating enough carbohydrates will give you energy for your runs so choose healthy carbs like whole grain bread, oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa.

Best Training Principles for Weight Loss

Running for weight loss doesn’t mean the more miles you trudge through, the more weight you lose. If you run a ton but eat a diet crammed with junk food and lacking nutrients, you’ll still have trouble losing weight. In addition to your diet, there are certain training principles that you can incorporate into your weight loss plan that will help you lose weight faster and keep it off.

Intensity

Intensity is the biggest training principle that will help with your running for weight loss. In my case, I was only running about 15 miles a week but I was able to lose weight by adding intensity to my training. Intensity is the amount of effort your body needs to exert for your workout. A high-intensity running workout may be intervals, tempo running, Tabata training, sprints, or bootcamp-style circuits — running intervals combined with strength training exercises.

Low-intensity running workouts are done at your relaxed or slow, easy pace. Many runners get stuck in their easy pace mode and never move up to higher fitness levels because they don’t add intensity to their workouts.

I recommend doing at least 2 high-intensity interval training running workouts per week for the best weight loss results. Some of my favorite high-intensity training workouts include Tabata running and interval training. You can do a Tabata running workout in less than 15 minutes and the speed is broken up into such short bursts that it is a very beginner-friendly workout.

Interval training can also be beginner-friendly. Check out Interval Training for Beginners for a free sample beginners interval training workout. Interval training involves doing short bursts of fast running with periods of slow jogging to recover.

Speed workouts — such as Tabata running and interval training — are a great way to add intensity to your running program, which will burn more calories and boost your metabolism more than slow, steady running.

This doesn’t mean you don’t need to do any slow, steady runs — those are still great for recovery run days and to build your endurance. But for weight loss, make sure you get in a few speed workouts a week and you’ll burn more calories while stepping up your fitness level. Make sure you have an easy run day or cross training day following your intense runs so your body can recover. In other words, do not do speed workouts two days in a row but space them out during your training week.

Strength Training

Strength training is a major component of my workout routine and it will help you as well. Strength training boosts your metabolism so your body is more efficient and burns more calories even while resting. By adding muscle mass, strength training improves your overall fitness level and speeds up fat burning in your body. Many of us are unable to go to the gym during pandemic life, but you can do lots of strength training at home — using bodyweight exercises — or adding some kettlebells or dumbbell weights to your workout. Resistance bands are also a runner’s best friend for strength training at home or on the road.

Check out my personalized virtual training program to step up your running and weight loss game with a professional running coach.

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified personal trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.

Running for Weight Loss Guide