Tag Archives: weight loss

Success Story: Running to Stay Healthy

Posted on December 23, 2015 by | Leave a comment

Most of the runners who shared their success stories started to run because they wanted to stay active and running seemed the more accessible and motivating way to start. After a few months hitting the pavement, they discovered they were falling in love with running and they could enter a 5K or even finish a Marathon.

But for some runners, this activity is also about staying healthy, physically and mentally. A month ago we met Honey on Instagram. Her motivation and positivism was such an inspiration to us, that we had to share her story with all of you! Can you imagine Honey used to weight almost 400lbs? You look great Honey!

Honey

Read her full interview:

– Share a little bit about yourself?

Name: Honey

Job: CEO Diamond Digital Music Group/ R&B Artist/ Producer

Location: Los Angeles, CA

– Why did you start being more active? Why did you choose running?

I started being more active for weight loss. At my highest weight I was almost 400lbs. After finding out I was borderline diabetic and at risk of several other health complications, I began my weight loss journey. I found that battling with PCOS was another factor that was making it hard for the weight to come off. This is why I chose running. Not only for the stress relieving benefits, but also the calorie burning. When I lost enough weight to where I felt lighter on my feet, I got started.

– When you began running, what did you find most challenging?

The most challenging part of running when you are still heavy for me is getting tired. I find myself wanting to go non-stop, but you have to allow your body to do what it can. Pay close attention to your joints and knees and ankles. You don’t want to injure yourself.

– What Bluefin app did you choose? How did you find it?

I chose the Ease Into 5k app first. I love the way it paces you and gives you a chance to walk and run in intervals.
– Did anything change since you started running?

Yes. When I started running, I feel like I can do anything. It gives me so much confidence that I started telling other people about it on Instagram. And running is definitely toning up my body all over.

– Any big motivators during your workouts that have helped you to keep running?

The biggest motivator or my favorite thing is listening to music while I run. I listen to my favorite songs and even my own music. I love that. I feel like I’m not alone when I listen to music while I run.

– What are your next running/fitness goals?

I have 50 more lbs to lose. And I want to complete the Bridge to 10K app. I know I can do it.

Do you want to share your success story with us and this awesome community of runners? Reach out to us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram! Your story could be featured on our blog and social media!

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5 Reasons You Are Not Losing Weight

Posted on August 20, 2015 by | Leave a comment

You started running months ago, yet every time you hop on the scale, you feel frustrated with the numbers! Sounds familiar?

Running is a great way to stay in shape and increase your fitness levels. But running and weight loss don’t always go hand-in-hand. So, you might be wondering: what am I doing wrong?

Start by avoiding these common mistakes that can sabotage your efforts to drop a few pounds. There might be a few things on this list that surprise you!

Setting Unrealistic Goals

Running-Weight-Loss

People often think that a significant weight loss is a consequence of training. Take “The Biggest Loser” as an example: even though the show inspires people to lose weight, it also sets them up for very unrealistic weight loss expectations.

Set a pound to two pounds per week as a realistic goal. But avoid getting too preoccupied with singular scale readouts. Instead, watch for progress over the long haul, and remember to have ways other than the number on the scale to measure your progress, such as how your clothes are fitting or the number of inches you’ve lost.

Overestimating the Calories Burned

It’s true that running burns more calories than nearly any other activity! But you can easily overspend your calorie deficit with a post-run snack.

By understanding about how many calories you burn during your runs, you’ll have a better idea of how to approach that post-run hunger. Very generally, the average man burns 124 calories per mile and the average woman burns 105, which means that a five-miler can burn 525 to 620 calories. If you want a more accurate approach, try using a heart rate monitor, during your runs.

Sports Fuel Overdose

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Some runners assume that because they’re running, they’re supposed to refuel before the training is over. Sports drinks, gels and bars might be important tools in a runner’s training arsenal, but when overused they might compromise your weight loss efforts. Not only are they high in calories, but they also have very little nutritional benefit and they won’t keep you full.

Just water should be fine, if you’re running for less than 60 minutes. Go longer and you should consume 30 to 60 grams of carbs per hour of exercise.

Not Fueling Postrun

After longer or tougher workouts, your muscles are hungry, but you might not be. This could help your weight loss, but it actually works the other way around: when your body settles in and realizes its glycogen stores are low, you’ll feel much hungrier.

Even if you don’t have enough appetite after a tougher run, try to refuel within an hour after completing your workout. Keep this snack to fewer than 200 calories.

Not Readjusting Calorie Needs

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The lower your weight, the less calories you will need to maintain it. So if you keep consuming the same amount of calories, you’ll probably hit a weight loss plateau.

To continue on losing weight, you have to gradually reduce your calorie intake. First, determine how many calories you need each day with a daily caloric expenditure calculator. Then, create a deficit of approximately 500 calories per day, if your goal is to lose a pound a week.

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Five weight loss tips for runners

Posted on January 23, 2015 by | 3 comments

Weight Loss by Running

Running burns out more calories than nearly any other exercise out there. The average man burns 124 calories per mile and the average woman burns 105, which makes running an extremely efficient way to lose weight. But it doesn’t always work the way you’d hope. Unwanted weight gain can happen to even the most health-savvy runner, specially if you don’t pay attention to the small details.

If you want to use running to lose weight, or you’ve hit a weight loss wall, here are some tips on how to be successful:

#1: Find out your caloric needs

Runners tend to overcompensate for the calories burned during their runs. This is actually a very common mistake and some runners even find that they gain weight, despite their training efforts.

If you want to stay healthy and lose weight by running, you must first determine how many calories you need and keep in mind that you’ll only shed pounds if you burn more calories than you consume.

To get a better estimate of how many calories you burn during your workout, you can use our running apps, or an online calculator, like Runner’s World’s Calories Burn Calculator.

#2: Fuel your training

Even tough runners have special nutritional needs, all the ground rules of healthy eating still apply. So, bad news, runners: you can’t just put that chocolate-covered donut in your mouth after your run.

The healthiest way to lose weight while replenishing your energy stores is to combine the right amount of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats. You should also choose smaller portions over big meals and start eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

#3: Keep a food journal

One efficient way to prevent you from consuming too many calories is to keep a daily log of what you eat. It’s much easier to improve your diet and eliminate certain foods from it when you have a record of how many calories they add to your total intake.
In fact, a recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health showed that participants who kept a food log doubled their weight loss.

#4: Don’t run on empty

Have you ever heard that your body will burn more fat it you run on an empty stomach? If you did, forget it.

Instead of burning fat immediately, your body uses the carbs stored in your muscles first. When those run out and your body starts to burn fat, your energy levels decrease abruptly, forcing you to slow down and burn fewer calories than if you had properly fueled up.

To avoid feeling exhausted after a few miles, you should fuel your training for optimal performance. Try eating a 150-calorie snack containing easily digestible carbs and a little protein one hour before your workout.

#5: Log more miles and increase intensity

There’s no doubt: the more miles you run, the more calories you burn. According to the National Runners Health Study, runners who ran the greatest amount of weekly mileage were the leanest. Therefore, if you want to lose weight while running, you need to extend your runs every week.

In addition to logging more miles, you should be increasing intensity as well, which can translate in incorporating more speed work or interval training into your running routine. These workouts increase your muscle mass and improve your resting metabolism, causing you to burn more calories throughout the day.

Is running helping you to lose weight? What other weight loss strategies worked for you? Share them in the comments below.

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