Running and Weight Loss

There's no magic to losing weight.  If you stick to the principle of taking in less fuel (food) than you burn up (exercise), you will lose weight.  Yes, it's a simple formula, but incredibly hard to do.  Unfortunately,  it's much more fun to drink a frappucino at Starbucks than it is to run for half an hour.  Running takes more effort and doesn't satisfy that innate craving we all have for food.  However, if you don't fight those natural instincts and end up taking in more calories than you burn, it's going to show up on your waistline.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, you need to burn 3500 calories to lose a pound of fat.  That's equivalent to taking in 500 less calories everyday for a week.  By making this small change in your diet, at the end of a week you should be a pound lighter.  Add exercise to a reduced caloric intake and you'll see results even sooner.

If you're curious about the amount of calories you burn on a run, there are several calorie calculators available online that are easy to use.  According to the Diet Forum (http://www.dietforum.com/calories-walking.htm), a person weighing 150lbs., running at 10 minute mile pace, for 30 minutes, will burn approximately 334 calories.  That translates into an extra pound of weight loss every ten days--more if you run longer and/or faster.

Losing weight is not easy.  It takes will power, determination, and time.  There is no overnight fix.  Do what you can to speed up the process and increase your workout time.  When the smell of chocolate becomes too much and you're ready to give in, skip the chocolate and grab your shoes instead.  By the time you return, hopefully that craving will be gone and you'll be one step closer to the ideal you.

Assignment for the week:

day 1 - run 30 minutes     day 2 - run 35 minutes

day 3 - run 40 minutes     day 4 - run 30 minutes

day 5 - run 35 minutes     day 6 - run 40 minutes

LACE UP and chase those pounds away!