My dear readers, let us rejoice that we don’t need extreme measures to lose weight. No starvation diets and certainly no colon cleanses:
Yes, that’s my daughter crawling through an enormous colon. That story is for another day…
But I do realize that losing weight can be difficult. Maybe one of these quotes seems familiar?
I am probably one of the few people who actually gained weight while training for a marathon…
When I started running, one of my goals was to lose weight. To my surprise, I haven’t lost any weight but gained 3 pounds! What gives?
I usually put on a few pounds during marathon training but I’m able to lose it over the summer.
What do you notice about these weight problems that runners are experiencing?
They’re experiencing the opposite of what they want! Instead of running for weight loss, they’re running for weight gain.
It’s frustrating, but it can happen.
Unfortunately, “just running” is often not the best weight loss strategy. And after reviewing the running of thousands of runners, it’s clear that most of us are “just” running (instead of training – more on that soon).
If you start running but don’t lose weight, a few things could be happening:
- You’re storing extra water because of the recovery process and extra carbohydrate intake (this is not “real” weight – it’s temporary)
- Your body composition has improved, resulting in less fat and more muscle, which will increase your weight (but it’s healthier and makes you look better naked!)
- You’re hoping for significant weight loss in too short of a time period
Running for weight loss is possible, but it’s more nuanced than simply running more. Logging more and more miles isn’t the best strategy (see what strategy works best here).
Then there’s my least favorite claim: “Running is NOT good for weight loss.”
This last sentiment is especially popular in Paleo or CrossFit crowds who love to rally their base around the belief that “cardio isn’t an effective way to lose weight.”
Over the last few years, countless articles have been published with titles like:
- Run And You’ll Only Die Tired
- Why Women Should Not Run
- Running is NOT the Key to Weight Loss
- Friends Don’t Let Friends Do Cardio!
- One Running Shoe in the Grave
- Science Wants You to Stop Running
Are you as furious as I am? These articles are completely untrue – running is actually fantastic for weight loss! Just look at some recent research:
- This study shows that aerobic exercise burns more liver and visceral fat (the dangerous fat deposits surrounding your internal organs)
- This study agrees with the first study’s conclusion
- And here’s a study that shows that aerobic exercise like running reduces liver fat
- Yet another study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise sums the issue up nicely: Aerobic exercise is better than resistance training for weight loss.
The tired advice to “get off the treadmill hamster wheel” not only ignores the science but ignores the fact that runners don’t just log endless miles (and most of us hate the dreadmill, too).
My major frustration with these claims is that they completely ignore what runners do on a daily basis. They confuse running for general exercise with TRAINING.
If you’ve ever had problems running for weight loss, it’s most likely because you weren’t running the right types of workouts. You were exercising, not training.
First, let’s look at a few wacky pieces of advice, unfortunately perpetuated by major fitness publications.
The “Gluttony” of Runners “Feeding Frenzies” (can you believe this?!)
Anti-running weirdos think that all of us are gluttonous carb addicts who adore the treadmill. Just look at this:
Look at the inflammatory language used: gluttony, feeding frenzy, devastation, swell. If you’re like me, you think this paints a wildly unfair picture of most runners.
And the vicious cycle continues with double sessions of cardio. Not only isn’t this fair to runners, but it’s not even accurate! Runners do not routinely eat 4,000 calories worth of Cheesecake Factory and run twice as much to burn it off.
This is disordered eating – not an accurate representation of the everyday habits of runners.
Or this bullshit:
“I watch my friend Jessica running on the treadmill—day after day, year after year—like a madwoman, and going nowhere. Her body seems to get softer with every mile, and the softer she gets, the more she runs.
For her, I feel sympathy, because the world has convinced her that running is the way to stay ‘slim and toned.'”
I’m not going to dignify this article with a link, but here’s a fantastic rebuttal that clearly shows that this sentiment is a load of horse shit and that women SHOULD run!
The bottom line is that running for weight loss is a fantastic idea. But you have to do it right (endless slow miles is NOT the answer).
“I’m older but feel better than I did in my younger years”
I’ve been coaching Barbara since last May. She came to me after her 5k times were getting slower and she realized that at 40+ she couldn’t run like she did in her 20’s.
Barbara’s previous program was good – but there’s always room for improvement. I tweaked her training (using the same principles in the Nutrition for Runners training plans) and now she’s running more and staying healthy.
Oh, and her recovery is even better too! She told me:
The last time I ran mileage like I’m running now I had pain and discomfort and never really felt recovered. I’m older now but I still feel much better than I did in my younger years.
The training is better for my recovery now and I don’t have any pain. It’s an easy plan for me to embrace mentally; never underestimate how much mental commitment contributes to performance.
Even as she gets older, Barbara’s running more mileage and still recovering faster!
THAT is the power of smart training. But her running isn’t the only thing that’s improving. She’s also losing weight:
Jason’s training has helped me lose weight, and now I have structure and consistency. Because I’m able to recover so much better I can get a lot more out of each workout.
I feel better than I’ve felt in a long time, even though I’m older. I told some friends that even if my times didn’t improve, coaching has been worth every dollar because of how much better I feel and the fact that I can look forward to running again. Though I can tell you my race times will improve…
Barbara’s new training program has helped her run higher mileage, recover faster, feel better overall, and lose weight. Imagine how it feels to transform your running like this.
Her story illustrates that you too can train smarter and see the same benefits: faster recovery, weight loss, and a sense of looking forward to your workouts.
If your goal is weight loss, you can accomplish it with running…
… even if you’ve been running for years and have seen no progress.
… even if you’re getting older and think it’s “all about hormones.”
… even if you’re a woman and always struggle with those last few pounds.
If you train the right way, it’s entirely possible.
Running for Weight Loss
Our new program – Nutrition for Runners – is the most comprehensive nutrition program that exists for runners. You can learn more about the program and get a free e-course on diet tips for runners here.
But you might be curious why there will be training plans in the program (actually, 15 of them!). Why are there running plans in a nutrition program?
Simple: to reach or maintain your goal weight, it’s enormously helpful to do the right type of training.
Smarter training means faster weight loss.
Just imagine what it would feel like to go running tomorrow with 10+ fewer pounds. How much lighter would you feel? How much more efficient would you be? How much more confident would you feel?
Being at your goal weight is critical to getting faster and boosting your recovery. And it’s exactly why I developed a library of training plans in this program: to help you optimize your weight.
Does this sound interesting to you?
Are you curious about what this combination (rock solid nutrition + smart training) could do for your running?
I invite you to sign up to learn more here. You’ll see exactly how to dial in your nutrition – from a certified running coach and a Registered Dietitian.
