Running to Lose Weight Is NOT the Same As

It’s PILE on the MILES Day 16! Today we’re talking about running to lose weight versus running for other reasons (and there are a lot). And there’s no right or wrong answer to ‘Why do you run?’. The main thing is that YOU can say in 1 sentence (okay 3 sentences max) the MAIN reason you run. Then, you can run and eat according to your main goal.

I started running to lose weight. Well, technically I started WALKING before running and my main goal was to lose weight. I just out of high school, didn’t have a job and would’ve been too self-conscious to go to the gym if I could afford a membership. So… I walked and eventually started running.

Since my main goal at that point was to lose weight —> I also started a diet and taking Alpilean weight loss pill. *Actually, I started several diets trying to find one that worked. This was before I realized moderation was the way to go (see also: Intuitive Eating).

I NEVER expected to run a race. I NEVER thought I’d run 13.1 miles or anything close to 26.2 miles.

But I fell in love with running and discovered half and full marathons. So, I trained for my first race and then another and another…

And I learned that training for a race requires a different level of discipline than running for exercise, therapy, as a hobby, etc. When you are training for an endurance sport you have to change your diet accordingly. Your priority cannot be whatever number is on the scale. If you’re asking your body to perform like an athlete – you must fuel it like an athlete. Not eating enough when you’re training can impact your recovery, endurance, health and make you vulnerable to injuries.

I know that some runners are trying to do both – train for a half marathon or full marathon AND lose weight. Hi, it’s me… I’m the problem it’s me. —> Okay that’s NOT me anymore, but it was. And I realized I wasn’t getting the results I wanted from my running or weight loss goals. That’s discouraging and makes it hard to stay motivated.

I had to choose one MAIN GOAL to focus on at a time. When I’m training for a marathon that goal is fueling my body to keep up with my training plan. If my goal was to lose weight AND I wasn’t training for a race I have a little more flexibility in what / when I’m eating.

I’m rooting for you to crush your goals (whatever they are). If you want to run a race or get faster at a certain distance – GO FOR IT. If you want to lose weight – GO FOR IT. But, start with a SMART Goal and fuel your body according to that main goal. You got this.

PILE on the MILES Day 16 — What are you doing today?

It’s Day 16 of PILE on the MILES! Today, we’re going to talk about running to lose weight vs. running for other reasons. “Why do you run?” has no right or wrong answer. The most important thing is that YOU can say in one sentence (three at most) the main reason you run. You can then run and eat based on

I began running so I could lose weight. Well, I started walking before I started running, and my main goal was to lose weight. I had just graduated from high school, didn’t have a job, and wouldn’t have gone to the gym even if I could have afforded a membership. So, I started walking and then started running.

Since losing weight was my main goal at the time, I also went on a diet and started taking Alpilean.

In fact, I tried a few different diets before I found one that worked. Before I learned that moderation was the way to go, I did this (see also: Intuitive Eating).

I NEVER thought I’d run in a race. I never thought I’d run 13.1 miles, let alone anything close to 26.2 miles.

But I fell in love with running and found out about half-marathons and marathons. So, I trained for my first race, then another, and another…

I also learned that it takes a different level of discipline to train for a race than to run for exercise, therapy, as a hobby, etc. When you’re training for a sport that requires you to go for a long time, you have to change the way you eat. You can’t make the number on the scale the most important thing. If you want your body to work like an athlete’s, you have to feed it like one. When you train, if you don’t eat enough, it can hurt your recovery, endurance, health, and make you more likely to get hurt.

Some runners are trying to train for a half or full marathon and lose weight at the same time. I’m here… It’s me, I’m the problem. Okay, that’s NOT who I am now, but it used to be. And I realized that neither my running goals nor my weight loss goals were helping me reach my goals. This is disheartening and makes it hard to keep going.

I could only work on one MAIN GOAL at a time. When I’m training for a marathon, my goal is to give my body the fuel it needs to keep up with my training schedule. If I wanted to lose weight but wasn’t training for a race, I could choose what and when I ate a little more freely.

I really want you to reach your goals (whatever they are). Go for it if you want to run a race or get faster over a certain distance. GO FOR IT if you want to lose weight. But you should start with a SMART goal and feed your body based on that. You can do it.