Does Running to Lose Weight Really Work?

Mindful Running

This one is a no-brainer – or is it a full-brainer? Mindful running involves being fully present and attentive during your runs. It may not directly burn more calories, but it can improve your overall running experience and benefit weight loss and long-term health by keeping you positive about your experiences, body, and time spent improving yourself.

Stress Reduction: Mindful running can reduce stress and eliminate the unhealthy coping habits we develop to deal with it such as emotional eating, which can sabotage your weight loss efforts.

Breath Awareness: Focusing on your breath can help regulate your pace and reduce the likelihood of overexertion or breathlessness. This can lead to more consistent and effective runs.

Mental Benefits: Mindful running can boost your mental well-being, making you more motivated and consistent in your running routine.

To practice mindful running, start by paying attention to your body, breath, and surroundings during your runs. Avoid distractions like music or podcasts and tune into your sensations. This practice can enhance your connection with running and promote a healthier relationship with exercise and weight management.

The Food

Balanced Diet

So we talked a lot about how your body burns calories during and after your runs and how to get the most from running. Now, let’s focus on how you create those calories in the first place. Understanding your caloric expenditure and how your body handles intense exercise is only one half of the weight-loss secret. You need to adjust your diet and your food intake strategy to maximize the results. The kinds of foods you choose to eat is important, but the exact choices depend on culture, tastes, philosophy, allergies, finances, habits, and availability. Because of that, I’m not going to tell you the exact food choices that will do it for you. Instead, make your choices by understanding the three most important factors then applying this to what you put on your plate.

Carbohydrates: Carbs are your body’s primary energy source during exercise. They provide the fuel needed for runs. Opt for complex carbohydrates like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, which release energy slowly, sustaining you throughout your run.

Proteins: Proteins are crucial for muscle repair and growth, especially after a run. Lean sources like chicken, fish, tofu, or legumes should be part of your diet to aid recovery and maintain muscle mass. Protein also helps you feel full, reducing the urge to overeat.

Fats: Yes, FATS! Healthy fats are essential for overall health and energy. They provide sustained energy during longer runs. Incorporate sources like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil into your diet.

Balancing these macronutrients ensures you have the energy to perform well during runs, recover effectively, and maintain muscle mass while losing weight.

Pre-Run Nutrition

Your pre-run meal or snack should provide a balance of carbohydrates and proteins without causing digestive discomfort. Here’s some tips on how to fuel up effectively.

Timing: Eat a light meal or snack 1-2 hours before your run to allow for digestion. If you run early in the morning, a small snack like a banana or a granola bar can suffice (just an example, replace with equivalents as desired). Avoid heavy or high-fat meals before running, as they can cause discomfort and slow you down. Experiment with different pre-run meals to find what works best for your body.

Carbohydrates: Prioritize easily digestible carbs. Oatmeal, whole-grain toast, or a banana (there’s that banana again!) are traditional choices but not the only ones. These provide a quick source of energy without causing a blood sugar spike and crash. Go for simple foods. Heavily processed foods will obliterate any potential for weight loss.

Proteins: If you are running for significantly longer than you normally run every day, it might be a good idea to include a small amount of protein to sustain energy levels during the run. A yogurt, a small serving of cottage cheese, or a handful of nuts can do the trick if you can stomach it (again, replace with what fits your situation). Many runners don’t bother to eat anything during a run. The extra calories don’t seem to do anything during the run itself and why take in more to burn off later? Also, skip the gels and related junk. In the world of running, someone is always trying to sell you something. Some have real benefits at the highest levels of performance, but chances are, you aren’t running nearly long or far enough to need anything more than what you are carrying around inside you already.

Hydration

Proper hydration is essential for both your running performance and weight loss. Keep in mind that when we talk about hydration, we are usually referring to H2O. This is the stuff that falls out of the sky and not the colored or enriched stuff that marketing teams want you to buy.

Electrolytes: Let’s tackle this one first because there are a lot of ridiculous claims about how you will nearly drop dead if you don’t drink a sports drink when exercising. For most people, electrolyte loss during running isn’t a factor in performance or weight loss. Don’t be fooled by the advertising and think you need some specialty drink to get the most out of your run. You don’t. Water will give your body what it needs, it’s cheap or free, and it doesn’t include any added calories. For very long runs in extremely hot weather, you might find that a drink with added electrolytes helps, but this is something that only you can decide. If you can log those kinds of miles, you’re already figured out far more than what’s written here. YMMV.

Pre-Run: Drink up! Think of your body as your water bottle. The water you need to get the most out of your daily run is inside your body’s cells already and in your stomach ready to be processed. Plan ahead so you aren’t trying to fill up your stomach with water right before you lace up. That can backfire in so many ways, but at the same time, even medium dehydration can lead to a feeling of fatigue before you even get close to an efficient calorie burn level. Find your balance.

During Runs: It’s true that dehydration during extreme exertion can lead to decreased performance, fatigue, and a higher risk of injury. Chances are, this does not include you on a daily run. On an unusually long run or during periods of extreme heat, you might find that you need some additional water, but normally you don’t. Just drink water before and after.

Post-Run: Rehydrate with water to replace fluids lost during the run. Do this soon after returning from a run. It’s very easy to forget and it takes time for your body to process the water you consume. And while you are in the act of remembering, remember to skip the special sports drinks. Water, water everywhere!

Throughout the Day: Adequate daily hydration supports metabolic processes, including fat metabolism. It also helps control appetite and prevents overeating. Water should be your go-to drink. If you are consuming other liquids, be wary of calories lurking inside.

In general, monitor your hydration by paying attention to your body’s cues and the color of your urine. Staying properly hydrated all day will help you perform better during runs and support your weight loss goals by promoting overall health and maintaining metabolic efficiency. 

When running to lose weight, of course you want to see the number of the scale go down and down. If you weigh yourself after a run compared to before, you’ll notice that you weigh less. Well done! Except that 99.9% of that loss wasn’t actual body weight. It was water. Once you satisfy your thirst, the number will rise again, likely to exactly what it was before or maybe higher depending on what you ate. It’s not uncommon to tell yourself that you can get the number even lower by drinking less or making yourself intentionally sweat more during your run by overdressing. Don’t! It’s a fool’s game. Intentionally drinking less and working out, especially in the summer, is risky and can lead to life-threatening complications. Long distance runners have finished their runs in the hospital due to not replacing fluids correctly.