If you want to lose weight, running is one of the most effective exercises to perform because it burns a high amount of calories. To determine how much running will cause weight loss, you need to consider a few factors, including your individual body, your running program and your eating habits. Once you know how much you need to run to lose weight, you'll be on your way to a slimmer, healthier body.
Weight Loss Basics
Weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you consume. A pound of fat equals about 3,500 calories, so if you burn an extra 500 calories daily for a week, you will lose 1 lb. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends losing 1 to 2 lbs. a week for a healthy, sustainable rate of weight loss. To lose 2 lbs. in a week, you need to burn 1,000 calories daily. Running can help you burn the amount of calories you need to reach your weight-loss goals.
Running and Calories
The amount of calories you burn running depends in part on your weight. In general, the more you weigh, the more calories you will burn when exercising. A 200-lb. person who runs for an hour at a pace of 5 miles per hour burns 728 calories, for instance, whereas a 240-lb. person who does the same run burns 872 calories in an hour. Your individual metabolism may cause you to burn slightly fewer or more calories, but in general you can use the Health Status calories burned calculator for guidelines on how many calories you can burn running.
Running Intensity and Duration
The intensity and duration of your runs also influences how many calories you burn and thus how much weight you will lose. The longer the duration or the harder the intensity of your run, the more calories you will burn. For instance, a 200-lb. person who runs 5 miles per hour burns 728 calories in an hour. Increasing the intensity to run at a pace of 8 miles per hour would burn 1,229 calories, almost twice as much. A 200-lb. person that runs for 30 minutes at 5 mph pace burns 364 calories, but by increasing the run duration to an hour, she will burn 728 calories.
Calories Consumed
Tracking how much and what types of food you eat is important to help you lose weight running. If you run but still eat a lot, or start eating more when you run, you will not be able to lose weight. Keep a food journal or blog to record what you consume each day and add up your total calories. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid Plan can help you figure out what types and how much food to eat to stay on track for your weight loss goals.
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