I started running for weight loss. It worked. So when I see online coaches (you won’t be surprised to learn that my Insta FYP is 90% fitness content) saying running isn’t good for fat loss, I just think “oh, fuck off”.
And it’s not because they’re wrong in suggesting there might be better options. It’s because deterring people away from running is just a dick move. Regardless of whether you’re trying to sell your alternative programmes or not.
There are many reasons to take up running and if weight loss is your source of motivation, just go for it – especially if you’re a beginner. That’s the reason I started lacing up, but it didn’t stay that way for long.
Why Running Aids Fat Loss
Whenever I see these posts about the horrors of running for weight loss, I always think “Yeah, Mo Farah and Paula Radcliffe were massive.”
If you’re taking up running to lose weight, you’ve probably overlooked your physical wellness for a long time. This sport is the perfect way to regain control as it;
- Is a form of cardio that burns calories,
- Stands out as an exercise you can enjoy at your pace and duration,
- Continues to burn calories after you have finished the session,
- Encourages you to stay hydrated and eat better,
- Helps you get a better quality of sleep, which also aids fat loss.
That’s exactly what I did a little over two years ago. I lost three-and-a-half stone in the first year and have kept it off since. Better still, I know that I’ll now never return to how I weighed (or looked!) back then.
Simply getting back into regular physical exercise and becoming more conscious with daily lifestyle choices will have a positive impact. For many overweight newer runners, those results will include fat loss.
And even if they don’t, running is about so much more.
Scales Do Not Determine Wins And Fails
Whichever part of the fitness arena you’re from, exercise enriches your life in a multitude of ways. Physically. Mentally. And in terms of lifestyle.
Speaking from experience, that initial phase is about seeing the number on the scales fall. In the first months of my journey, I checked the scales more frequently than a boxer on the week of a weigh-in. Fast-forward 18 months and I’m not even sure where those scales are.
Nonetheless, the combination of increased calorie burn and generally positive mindset, which makes it easier to manage food intake, provides the perfect foundation to build a healthier lifestyle. As far as the short-term game is concerned, this is a victory.
As time progresses,though, everything changes. You start to enjoy running for the sake of running. You love the feeling that knocking a few seconds off your parkrun PB brings. You smile at the reflection you catch a glimpse of in the shop window. You take satisfaction in being more active with the kids or not needing to take the lift at work.
Suddenly, you find yourself no longer worried about your weight. You realise that the scales were never the destination. They were merely a tool to help you build momentum.
From this point, though, everything becomes about performance. This is how you truly become the best version of you!
When you’re finally confident in your skin, the number on a scale becomes almost meaningless. Better still, reaching the stage where fitness becomes fun will help you embrace weight training or other activities to support body composition and athletic performance. And doing it with a smile ensures that you’ll keep it up for life.
So, is it true that you might eventually regain a few pounds if you eventually start training for marathons and endurance races? Probably. But by that point, you really won’t care.
The Final Kick
For most people looking to drop a shirt size or regain some self-confidence, simply getting active again is the most important step of all. Even if you start out with a jog-walk, running is the simplest, easiest, and cheapest (at least if you want it to be) options of all.
Get moving, and the scales will start moving too.
