Weight Loss from Running

Weight loss from running is inevitable but you can control how much by focusing on two variable factors in your daily workouts. How Long? & How Hard? are the main two variables when considering how many kilocalories (kcal) you are burning as you run. Just like fuel in a car, the longer you go the more you will burn. The faster you go, the more you will burn. You can’t do both everyday, or either one everyday for that matter, but you can see that how you vary your workouts benefit more than just your fitness. Kilocalories are the measurement of how much fuel (calories) you take in from various food types during the day. Knowing how many kcal’s you will burn during a given workout and during the course of daily activities (you burn calories when you sleep too. not many but you do!) will help determine how many kcal’s you need to intake during the day’s meals/snacks. If you burn off less that you take in during the day, you may gain weight. If you burn what you take in, you’ll maintain your weight but get toned. Muscle weighs more than fat. If you burn more than you take in, you’ll lose too much weight and energy and strength.

The other factors that are not necessarily variable to consider are gender and age. Younger folks have higher metabolisms and men have a tendency to burn calories more efficiently than women. This does not mean older folks and women need to run longer and harder! Just that they need to be more aware of caloric intake and the food types they are eating.

Here is an example:

30 year old male runs 4 miles @ 7:00/mile. Burns 165 kcal each mile. That’s 660 kcal burned.

Same male runs 4 miles the next day but at 6:30/mile. Burns 185 kcal each mile. That’s 740 kcal burned.