Why is running bad for weight loss.

In the previous article, we discussed the many different types of weight loss. We determined that we want to lose water and weight, but keep muscle mass constant or increased because muscles help out body burn more calories while we watch our favourite drama on TV. However, we cannot increase muscle mass through running alone and here's a possible scenario for you:

[ You wake up one day thinking, 'Hey, I need to do something about my weight!' So you naturally grab your running shoes and go for the first run, and we all know how hard that run was. You were panting and huffing at every step and the walk home was hard to say the least.

You think that if you keep this up you will eventually see the gains. So you keep running and running, and after a couple of weeks, you feel much better. You run better and you breathe better. You check the scales and you see numbers falling off drastically. However, when you continue running for a good month or 2, you realise that your loss is starting to plateau and you start losing morale. ]

Has this ever happened to any of us here? I, for one, have and will tell you why but first, have you ever wondered why the weight loss started to plateau?

It's simple. Your body is adaptive.

When you first started running, your body was introduced to stress. However, when you continued running, your body adapted to the stress and now, it utilizes energy more efficiently. Therefore, it simply means if you were burning 300 calories during your first run, you may be only burning 250 calories in your 5th run and 200 calories in your 8th run. Your body gets more adjusted to the stress and you end up burning lesser and lesser calories to achieve the same results.

There are 2 ways to overcome this weight loss plateau:

1. Run further to cover more distance and run longer
2. Run the same distance, but harder. (I will talk about aerobic and anaerobic workouts in another article, together with HIIT)

I, personally, will not do running alone if losing weight was my main objective. Don't get me wrong. Running is essential for cardiorespiratory health and it should be an essential component in any workout but do not do purely cardio because of the above scenario. Therefore, the next article will explain to you the importance of adding resistance training to your cardio regime.

PS: For those of you who want to start running, here is a great programme for you. It lays out a proper running programme for 2 months to get you started and achieve gains in running.

The Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan

Disclaimer: My posts are based on my own knowledge after reading up on the various topics throughout my life. I am by no means a doctor or a nutritionist so before you start on any nutrition plans or workouts that I write about, please consult your doctor for advice.