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 you'll need to combine running with a healthy diet. Runners do have 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.
One common eating mistake among runners is that they overcompensate for the calories burned by exercise with extra calories from more food and beverages. Some runners even find that they gain weight, despite their regular training. One way to prevent "stealth calorie" consumption is to write everything you're eating in a journal for a few weeks. Seeing a record of your food intake will help you see where your diet needs improvement. It will also keep you on track because you'll think twice before putting that chocolate-covered donut in your mouth.
Get more tips on how to avoid overeating by controlling your portion sizes.
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 boost your metabolism.
Eating for Performance
If you're running regularly and you're training for a long-distance event, proper nutrition is especially critical for your performance. Skipping meals doesn't allow you to train with adequately fueled muscles. You shouldn't skimp on calories before, during (when necessary), and immediately after your very intense and long workouts. These are crucial times when nutrition is important to performance and recovery.
