Trying to lose weight without exercise is usually a prescription for failure. Jogging is one of the best types of exercise for weight loss and for getting and staying in good shape physically. You will get the best results when you complement your jogging program with dietary changes that reduce the calories you consume.
Burning Calories
When you consume more calories than you use, your body stores the surplus as fat. The only way to lose the extra weight is to use up those calories. How fast jogging will make you lose weight depends on how much jogging you do, your current weight and how many calories you continue to take in. The Diet Channel points out that 1 lb. is equivalent to 3500 calories, so you have to use t3,500 calories to lose a pound.
Mileage Needed
MayoClinic.com says you should get at least 2 1/2 hours of exercise each week for basic physical fitness. For example, you can jog 30 minutes a day, five days per week. The number of calories per mile you burn varies depending largely on how much you weigh. For example, a person who weighs 160 lbs. burns about 117 calories per mile or 584 calories per hour. If you weigh more, you'll burn more calories per mile; if you weigh less, you'll burn fewer calories. To lose 1 lb., the 160-lb. person must jog 30 miles. That's about six hours of jogging per week, which is achievable once you're in fairly good shape. The more you can do, the faster you will lose weight.
Jogging Fundamentals
If you are out of shape, you should start a jogging program slowly. A good rule of thumb is to keep your exercise heart rate between 40 and 50 percent of your maximum heart rate, or MHR. Your MHR is approximately equal to 220 minus your age. As your level of physical fitness builds up, gradually increase your exercise heart rate to around 70 percent of MHR. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, count your heart beats for 15 seconds as you jog. Multiply by four to find your exercise heart rate. Remember that jogging is vigorous exercise. Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of fluids. Always wear a good pair of running shoes to minimize the chances of injury.
Diet and Jogging
What you eat has a tremendous impact on how fast jogging will make you lose weight or if you will lose weight at all. If you start eating more when you start jogging, it's entirely possible to gain weight instead of losing it. On the other hand, if you adopt a healthy, reduced-calorie diet, you will lose weight faster than you can by jogging alone. The Diet Channel suggests you use the U.S. Department of Agriculture food pyramid to guide your food choices. Emphasize fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Keep fat, especially saturated fat, to a minimum. It's helpful to keep a food diary and use it to identify problem areas. Above all, be consistent. Set a jogging schedule and stick to it, and do the same for the dietary changes you make.
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