Without exercise, it is difficult to lose weight permanently. But which sport is the right one? Is it possible to lose weight by jogging? The answer is yes, because running burns a lot of calories. However, jogging alone is not sufficient for sustained weight loss.
Losing weight by jogging is very effective because running burns a lot of calories in a very short time. If you want to lose pounds in the long term, you also have to pay attention to your diet: the combination of conscious eating and jogging is ideal for permanent weight loss. Persistence is very important: Running builds muscles – but since muscles are heavier than fat, not much happens in the first few weeks on the scales. On the contrary, sometimes the weight even increases at first.
Lose weight by jogging – how does it work?
When running, muscles and conditions are trained in equal measure, especially the leg muscles. Since the leg muscle is the largest in our body, this has nothing but benefits for successful weight loss, because muscle burns calories even at rest; the more muscles, the more calories are burned. But it doesn’t matter whether it’s running or another type of sport: to lose weight permanently and effectively with jogging, you have to burn fat and burn more calories than your body absorbs.
How does jogging help you lose weight?
Running can burn up to 800 calories in an hour. Otherwise only intensive interval training units achieve this level of consumption. Speed is not an advantage at all: although the body then burns the same number of calories in a shorter time, it is not possible to maintain a high pace for as long. Experts, therefore, advocate slower jogging to lose weight, simply because you can last longer and burn more calories.
In addition, the afterburn effect when losing weight through running plays an important role. Even after training, calorie consumption remains high, and the regeneration phase begins: Proteins are built up in the muscles, and heartbeat, breathing, and body temperature are still at a higher level. Slowly but surely, the body’s fat reserves are also dwindling.
The right diet for runners to lose weight
For the muscles to be able to do their work, they need energy. On average, the daily calorie requirement for women is around 1,900 to 2,000 calories, and for men around 2,500 calories. Around two-thirds of this is needed for the basal metabolic rate – so that our body can carry out all necessary functions. The last third is used for performance turnover, i.e. daily activities. If you want to lose weight by jogging, you have to adjust your calorie intake in addition to running.