Running but not Losing Weight

by Neil
(Birmingham (UK))

I have been running now for 2 months and have taken 10 mins out of a 10k run.

Originally I ran it in 1hr 20 mins, but now I am down to 1hr 10 mins.

Other than a few issues with the calf muscles everything appears fine, although I have only lost eight pounds in all this time.

I really feel disappointed and expected to lose a lot more weight. I'm totally disheartened by this. Any feedback?

Answer by Dominique:

Neil,
Thanks so much for your question.

First of all, I think you are doing great.
Being able to run 10k is fantastic.
Shaving 10 minutes of a 10k time is an amazing feat.

So, you are doing well.

There are a few elements to running and weight loss:

It is not abnormal to not see lots of weight loss in the beginning

After a few weeks into your running program, fat slowly gets replaced by muscle tissue. Muscle is actually heavier than fat, which can for some people even mean that they gain weight in the beginning!
And even then, when these people look in the mirror they see the beginnings of a better toned body! You write that you feel that you have lost more weight, so this might be exactly what is happening to you.

There are two keys to weight loss: exercise and diet

It sounds like you are doing great with the exercise. But have you made the necessary dietary adjustments?
Keep a food diary for a week, maybe two weeks in which you meticulously note all the food and drinks you take in. Find a website/book that helps you count the calorie-intake per day. The average daily intake for a man is about 2,500 calories, for a woman 2,000. If you want to lose weight you want your calorie-intake to be at about that level and do a good amount of exercise.

Keep it up!

Persist, take little steps forward and you'll succeed. The decision to start running and take on a healthier lifestyle is a decision for a lifetime. Good things will come if you persist.

So, all in all, you are on the right track with your running. Make the necessary changes to your diet which will help you accelerate your weight loss and last, but not least, persist with what you are doing.

Hope I have helped a bit.
Good luck with your running.

Cheers,
Dominique

P.S. You might find the following page helpful:
Running and Weight Loss.