Hi lovelies! I hope this post finds you happy and well! As you guys know, I have been running a lot lately and it’s been interesting seeing the change in my body while focusing more so on running rather then my normal routine of weight training. While running and not lifting so much, I lost a ton of muscle, and not as much fat as expected. (Insert sad face emoji) I gained endurance and started to see myself “slim” down a bit, but I wasn’t really seeing the “dramatic” results you would expect from running 5x/week (and I’m talking long 10 mile+ runs). Sure I lost a few pounds, but I am happy to be back in the gym and finding that balance between cardio and weight training.
So that brings me to the question that I have been hearing a lot (lately): “I’m running all the time, but why aren’t I losing weight?”
We may be putting in the effort day in and day out, but why aren’t we seeing dramatic results? Are we missing something? Below are some of my thoughts on why we may not be loosing weight while focusing heavily on running. (all based on experience and research) 🙂
Outfit details: BP Hat // Adidas shirt // Nike Crops also eyeing these (on sale!) and these // New balance 574 limited editon shoes (also loving these rose gold cuties)
Our workout is always the same.
After awhile our body gets used to the constant pavement pounding and the process gets easier. This goes with any type of workout. Our metabolism will start to learn and react so that fewer calories are burned with the same exercise. It’s important to keep our body guessing: run, sprint, interval train, lift. I find it important to focus on all sorts of exercise in order to maximize your results.
We run longer, but not faster.
Running can be very effective for weight loss if we change our pace at a constant rate. (SPRINTS!) Also, HIIT (high intensity interval training) may be one of the most effective running techniques for fat loss. Every time I start my workout at the gym, I like to hop on the treadmill and interval train (something like: 1 min sprint, 20 second rest, repeat). When I do so, I see the most results (hello belly fat loss!). I wont get too technical, but when we sprint, our body works harder and burns more fat—both of which don’t happen as much during steady-state aerobics.
We focus too much on calories burned
I try not to look at calorie burn at all. It’s kind of a fake out (in my opinion). Running will burn calories, but sprinting or lifting weights will result in more muscle. And the more muscle you have on your body (no—not the “bulky” muscle of bodybuilders), the more calories our body burns just functioning. Try not to pay too much attention to calorie burn, but more attention to the type of workout and exertion you are putting forth.
We are running, but not focusing on nutrition
Working out and running all the time is great- I am certainly not saying that it is a bad thing. But if you are doing so and not seeing results, are you paying attention to your nutrition as well? Nutrition could be the #1 component to weight loss. If we are running all day, but not feeding your body with the protein and healthy ingredients it needs, it will be unable to repair and recover from our run. Fuel your body and show it some love with nutritious ingredients!
I hope this helps those of us who are not quite seeing the results we are looking for! As I mentioned above, running all the time is certainly not a bad thing. (I love to run multiple times a week.) But if you were wondering what actions can be taken to see more results, here you go! Try these and let me know if you see changes. 🙂
