Does Running Help You Lose Weight?
I get asked a lot about whether running will help a person lose weight. Let me throw data out to confirm it.
Since the date I started running with no walking interspersed (2006-09-25), I have run a distance of 217.507 km (over 135 miles). My average weight over that period is 100.6 (about 222 pounds). Using my handy running calorie estimator, this means that I have burned roughly 21 881.204 kcal. Since we know that there are 9 000 kcal to a kilogram of fat, we can safely say that I have lost 2.43 kg (about 5.35 pounds) just due to the running around I’ve done in a little over two months.
Over that same period of time, I have lost 6.6 kg (about 14.5 pounds). This means that running constitutes 36.8% of my overall weight loss. You bet it helps.
A person with a weight of 70 kg (about 154 pounds) running a modest 30 km/week (18.6 miles/week) can expect to burn 2100 kcal every week. That’s 109 200 kcal/year! With no dietary changes, this person can expect to lose a little over 12 kg/year (26.5 pounds). If, like most Americans (including your humble correspondent), you weigh significantly more than average, then you can expect to lose even more.
So, yes, running will help you lose weight. Running paired with a good diet will do even more for you.
Technorati Tags: Weight Loss, Running, Calories