At present, 71.6 % of American adults over the age of 20 are either overweight or obese, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. While there are many ways to lose weight, an increasing number of individuals are turning to running as a way to not only shed some unwanted pounds, but improve their overall well-being as well. Research published by the National Institutes of Health found that running had a far greater effect on weight loss effort than less vigorous exercises such as walking. There are a number of things to consider when running for weight loss that will help you reach your goals without compromising your health in any way.
Running helps you burn more calories
If you want to lose weight, you need to create a considerable calorie deficit. This deficit, which will result in a weight loss of approximately two pounds per week, is generally between 3,500 and 7,000 calories, according to experts. In an interview with Today, New York City-based dietician Natalie Rizzo exclaimed that running is a superb way to lose excess weight and tone your body, as it burns a lot of calories relatively quickly. While exercise is without any doubt very beneficial, the best way to enjoy a substantial calorie deficit is to couple your running with a healthy, balanced diet. Opt for low-calorie foods both to fuel your runs and aid your recovery afterward. Consider installing a calorie counting app such as MyFitnessPal or FatSecret to help you stay on top of your daily calorie consumption.
Supplementation can boost your efforts
While following a healthy diet can boost performance as well as aid in weight loss, responsible supplementation can boost your efforts even more. During April last year, the IAAF released a comprehensive sports nutrition guide that provides both professional and leisure athletes with useful information on fueling their performance. Caffeine, Beta-alanine, Creatine and L-Carnitine have all been proven to contribute to athletic performance. As far as weight loss is concerned, caffeine and green tea extract are two natural supplement ingredients known to decrease appetite and cravings, reduce fat absorption and boost fat burn. Supplements that contain a combination of any of these ingredients may possibly improve your running and help you get rid of any excess weight.
Running can help decrease your appetite
Apart from helping your body burn more calories, high-intensity running can also help to reduce your appetite after a run. This is particularly beneficial, as exercise sometimes has a way of leaving you feeling particularly famished. A number of studies have found that running can, in fact, combat this intense hunger by reducing the levels of the hunger hormone, ghrelin, in your body. The findings of a randomized public trial that was published by PubMed also indicated that running increases the production of satiety hormones such as peptide YY (PYY). Due to this, your appetite may be suppressed by high-intensity exercise, making running one of the best activities to engage in if you want to lose weight while upping your fitness levels.
Running can boost your well-being in many ways. Apart from keeping you fit, taking to the road or treadmill on a regular basis can also help you lose any unwanted weight.
