How much jogging to lose a pound

Set your weight loss goals and make them realistic. Track and record your weight each week to see your progress. Losing one to two pounds per week is recognized as being a healthy, sustainable rate of weight loss, says Harvard Health Publishing. One pound is equivalent to about 3, calories, so if you burn more calories than you consume each day, you will lose about one pound in a week.

You might have to change your diet to accommodate your weight-loss goals. If you are new to running, begin with a walking and running program and gradually build up your minutes running until you can run for the whole 20 minutes.

Starting a jogging program cold with no experience or training could put you off very quickly. Do intervals, says Mayo Clinic. Walk briskly for three to four minutes and then jog for 30 seconds. Alternate between the two for the whole 20 minutes.

During this time, you are building the strength you'll need to maintain a minute run. The amount of calories that you burn each session depends on your weight and running speed. A pound person who runs at a speed of 6mph can burn calories, says Harvard Health Publishing.

Add intensity to your runs to burn more calories. You can increase your intensity by running faster. This is, of course, unrealistic for the majority of us, which is why it's important to factor nutrition into this equation. Making smart choices with your nutrition will go a long way with losing weight while running.

The safest weight loss is around 1 pound per week if you weigh under pounds, and 1 to 2 pounds per week if you weigh over pounds. This will be a calorie-per-day deficit through a combination of exercise and cutting calories. Now you may be thinking, "The more I run, the more calories I burn," which would be true if our bodies weren't so great at adapting. The more often you run, the more efficient your body becomes—meaning you'll burn fewer calories doing the same amount of work the more time you do that work.

Not to mention, overtraining increases your chances of injury. For new runners, even running for 30 minutes continuously might seem impossible—and this is where the walk-run method of training comes in and will actually help you to burn calories at a higher rate. By alternating running and walking, not only are you able to extend the duration of your workout, but research has found that intervals allow you to run harder and faster on the running parts, which increases your caloric burn during and after activity.

Yes, that's right. After high-intensity intervals, your metabolism will be so revved up, it will continue to torch those calories for up to 14 hours after you stop. Runners of all levels and abilities use interval workouts with walk breaks to get the most out of their workouts. As an elite runner myself, I can attest to this. Intervals a few times a week not only help me to be race-ready but also help with toning.

One thing to keep in mind, though: As running revs up your metabolism, your hunger increases, making it very easy to eat even more calories than you just burned. So make sure your post-run meal is a proper portion and full of protein —this will ensure that you're satiated, your blood sugar is balanced, and your muscles have what they need to start recovering.

Now that we've determined that running is an effective method of weight loss that can help you lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, let's talk about how to start running if you're a beginner. One of the greatest things about the interval running method is that you can decide what your walk-to-run ratios are and how many times you repeat it.

This will depend on your fitness level, running experience, and speed. Over time, you should be able to increase the time spent running or the number of intervals. Mix it up to keep your workouts interesting, and allow at least one day of rest between these workouts to recover.

You should be able to build your endurance to include combinations of continuous runs with no walking breaks but run slow and easy! My best advice is to have some fun with it and enjoy the endorphin rush that follows a job well done.

Even after 14 years of competitive running, I can tell you that feeling never goes away! The bottom line is if you want to shed unwanted pounds, running is a step in the right direction. Look for this banner for recommended activities. Cancel Yes. Join Active or Sign In. All rights reserved. Go Premium. Need Help? Learn More Customer Login. Share this article. Tonal Review: The Future of Fitness? Are you sure you want to delete this family member?

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