running-weight-loss — Photos by Marques Jackson Photography.

By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF-, RRCA-certified running coach

If you want to lose weight, running can help you meet your goals, with the right training principles and nutrition strategy. These running weight loss tips will help guide you. Many runners think they can eat everything and will burn it off running and still lose weight, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. As much fun as it would be to run a few miles and then chow down on unlimited pizza and cupcakes, that won’t help in the weight loss department. Running for weight loss requires a well-rounded, planned strategy that includes good nutrition habits, balancing your caloric intake and output, and a consistent running program. Strength training should also be a key component of your weight loss program. This doesn’t mean you can’t have a slice of pizza or a cupcake once in a while, but it does mean you have to do it in moderation as part of your bigger plan.

I have helped many people I train lose weight, and I had the chance to put my running weight loss training strategies into practice for myself as well when I lost 11 lbs. running during the early days of the pandemic. I learned that weight loss is not easy, and takes a lot of consistency and dedication, but running for weight loss is definitely doable and well worth the effort for the health benefits of losing excess weight.

Ideal Candidates for Running Weight Loss

Whether you put on excess weight in recent years or your doctor has been advising you to lose weight, you may be an ideal candidate for a running weight loss program. If you have no running injuries, some excess weight, and an otherwise clean bill of health, then you should be cleared to begin a weight loss program.

Please note, this article is intended as a general guideline and should not replace a doctor’s advice. Make sure your doctor approves of your weight loss goal and you are healthy and cleared to run before beginning. Also, if you have a history of disordered eating or body dysmorphic disorder, seek professional counseling and medical advice before proceeding with any weight loss program.

Here are my top running weight loss strategies:

Set S.M.A.R.T. Goals

S.M.A.R.T. goals will help you measure and track your progress as you follow a running weight loss program. S.M.A.R.T. stands for:

Specific. Be specific about your weight loss goals. Do you want to lose a certain amount of body fat, number of pounds, or hit a specific target weight? Clarify and write down your goal and be specific with numbers and measurements. Saying “I want to lose weight” is so vague that it will be hard to know when or if you will reach your goal. Instead, be specific - “I want to lose 3 lbs. of body fat” or “I want to lose enough weight to get back down to my previous weight of 145 lbs,” for instance.
Measurable. You won’t know if you are on track to meet your running weight loss goals unless you can measure your goal. Whether you use a smart scale, body measurements such as your waist in inches, or another method, make sure you can measure your goal.
Achievable. This is a tough one for many people because we are taught to dream big, but make sure you’re setting realistic goals. If you are currently 100 lbs overweight and want to reach the weight you were at as a 16-year-old track runner, for instance, break this down into smaller, achievable goals, such as losing 1 to 2 lbs. of weight per week.
Realistic. This one goes along with achievable. Set attainable goals that are healthy and doable. Your goal may be challenging but it should be realistic.
Timeframe. Set a deadline for your big goal and then you can set smaller milestone dates if you need to. A timeframe will give you the motivation to work on your weight loss goal right and make it a priority.

Now that you have your S.M.A.R.T. goal, write it down and make it visible! Pin your goal to your fridge, make a vision board or Pinterest board, do whatever you need to do to keep your goal at the forefront of your mind. When I created my running weight loss program during the pandemic, I posted my goal in the Noom app, which I used to track my eating.

Track Your Eating

It can seem overwhelming at first, but tracking your eating is essential for losing weight. The good news is that there are so many food-tracking apps that make it easy to record your daily intake and see your calories. You can dive as deep into nutrition as you want. I am not recommending a specific eating program as I know there are countless theories and advocates for different ways to eat.

The general rule of thumb that stands up to all the fad diets that come and go is to eat a variety of fresh foods, including many colors and fresh foods. Opt for homemade snacks or natural foods such as figs, dates, nuts, and fruits for snacks instead of processed foods. Cut out fast food and processed foods as much as possible. Cook at home and bring your meals to work to save calories and money.

I’ve met too many runners who are on very restrictive low-carb or no-carb diets and that does not work well with running as your body needs carbs for fuel. Some restrictive diets even limit fruit, which is not healthy. In addition to choosing lean protein foods, eat whole grains such as oatmeal or whole wheat bread as well as plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables to keep you going on your runs.

As I mentioned, I used the Noom app to help me track my eating and learn healthier eating patterns that I’d gotten away from in my busy NYC life. Cooking at home, cutting down on eating out, and eating fewer late-night snacks are all habits I started implementing to help me lose weight. I highly recommend the Noom app if you want to get more information on the psychology of weight loss as well as track your eating. My Fitness Pal is also a popular food-tracking app you can try.

I want to note that it’s important to consume enough nutrients and calories to fuel your workouts. I lost some muscle while following the Noom diet and later added more protein to my eating plan to help me stay full longer and also to build lean muscle tissue. Check out our Nutrition section for more on the benefits of protein, healthy recipes, and nutrition tips from dietitians.

Whatever food tracking method you use, you will need to know your daily caloric intake at the end of each day.

Set a Daily Step Goal

Tracking your steps is one of the best ways to add more movement to your life. I recommend that all of my weight loss clients set daily step goals to help them make progress and move more. A daily step goal will help you walk more and break up your fitness goals into manageable, smaller goals. You can use one of the many free fitness tracking or step counting apps or a smartwatch to track your steps. Set your goal at 1,000 more steps than you usually do to start and you can gradually build up to doing up to 10,000 steps per day.

Related Post: Recommended Steps Per Day By Age

Follow A Running Plan

Find a running weight loss plan that works for your goals. If you need a personalized running program to meet your weight loss goals, check out the Runstreet Training Center for customized training plans to help you crush your weight loss and fitness goals.

A personal running plan will help you stay on track and accountable for your workouts and will also take into account your weight loss goals. A running coach can design a weight loss running program that takes your goals into account. Your plan will may include speed workouts, which burn a high amount of calories -- especially interval training, tempo runs, and Tabata running workouts.

Having a mix of speed workouts and base runs in your training plan will help you meet your weight loss goals. It is important to have a running plan that won’t deplete you too much if you are on a lower-calorie eating plan.

Balance Calories and Activity

Many runners make the mistake of thinking running burns so many calories they can eat everything in sight at any time. Although running burns a high amount of calories, the typical American diet is packed with excess sugar, unhealthy fats, and calories, so it’s easy to consume more than you burn. But with the help of modern technology, tracking our caloric intake and output has never been easier.

Your smartphone can track your daily caloric intake and how many calories you burn with daily step counts and run tracking apps. You can also sync your Garmin running watch to your smartphone to track your daily steps and activities.

At the end of the day, you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose one pound of weight. This equals burning 500 calories a day more than you consume every day for 1 week to lose 1 pound of body weight.

A healthy rate of running weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds per week at most, so the 500-calorie deficit each day is a common baseline goal.

Strength Train

Adding a strength training program to your routine will help boost your lean muscle mass, which burns more calories and speeds up your metabolism even while resting. Strength training has so many benefits for runners, including injury prevention and improved running form.

Add two strength training workouts a week to your workout program, or check out our virtual training options for a personalized program if you need guidance. You can start with bodyweight exercises and progress to dumbbell exercises.

Syncing Apps for Running Weight Loss

With all the health apps out there, it can be overwhelming which apps to use and how to use them together. Luckily most apps can sync with each other so your daily steps from your Garmin can also sync with your calorie tracking app like Noom, and you can also sync your running apps such as Nike Run Club, Strava, or Garmin with your calorie tracking app. Check out my post on the best running apps for my picks for top running apps.

Weight Loss Tips for Runners

Be patient with yourself. If you mess up or overindulge, don’t beat yourself up. Just pick back up with your healthy habits and you will be fine.
Drink lots of water. It’s important to stay hydrated for your running and your metabolism.
If you feel dizzy or weak during your workouts, you may be cutting too many calories. Slow down your weight loss timeline to cut calories more gradually. If you still experience issues, see your doctor to rule out health conditions.

What weight-loss tactics work best for you? Comment below and share your training progress with by tagging the @Runstreet Instagram so we can cheer you on.😊👋

Resources: Runstreet Virtual Coaching, Runstreet Customized Running Plan

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.

Running Weight Loss Guide