Just Started to Run how long before i start losing weight?

Question

Hi Guys!
I just started to run about 10 minutes a day. I decided to start off with 10 minutes and work my way up as i get short of breath when i go longer. I need to lose 5lbs by Christmas and i really want to succeed in reaching my goal. Is this a realistic goal and does anybody have any advise? Also i do 150 crunches everyday and have been for 3 weeks now.

Answer 1

First of all, way to go on starting an exercise routine! That can be a hard thing to do. The next step will be to make it habit and stick with it.

I would say, if you're consistent, you'll see results within a couple of weeks and you should easily reach your goals by christmas as long as you are also watching your diet. I think this is a very realistic goal and hopefully something you can maintain well after the holidays.

My only recommendation is that as you start feeling better about hitting the asphalt, to increase the time you're out to maybe 20-30 minutes a session. This could even be a mix of running and fast walking until you can make it all running. The idea is to keep your heart rate up for this length of time for optimal conditioning and fat burning. Do this slowly so your body becomes acclimated to it and you don't risk injury.

Also, if there's any way you can incorporate resistance training, that would be optimal. Maybe a gym, or if nothing else purchasing sets of 2, 5, 10 lb. dumbells from a sporting goods store and doing some weight training at home, this would help a lot as well.

Make sure you drink lots of water and get plenty of rest.

Good luck!

Answer 2

As above, your diet will still be significant, especially once the length of your exercise increases. I tend to be much hungrier when I'm exercising above my average level, and it takes effort to not negate my workout with a bowl of HagenDaas or a bag of french fries.

I would also recommend you lengthen the time of your workout while lowering the pace a bit. You'll burn calories much more effectively. No matter how fast your pace, you can't burn more than perhaps 150 in 10 minutes, but you will soon, probably within just a couple more weeks, get to the point where you can burn 3 to 400 calories in 30 minutes.

If you really push it, and cut just french fries, non-diet soda, and white bread/pasta from your menu (assumming you haven't already), you can lose 5 pounds in less than 2 weeks, assuming you have the fat to lose. Note that you'll gain muscle mass, especially in your first few weeks - don't let the scale disappoint you just because of that. Crunches will build muscle in an area you may not want to have muscle mass. Maybe you could consider alternating days of crunches with dumbells and pull-ups (I think pull-ups are an exceptionally great exercise - they build some great-looking muscles, that nice triangular torso in both men and women. Do overhand one day, underhand the next)

Good luck!

Answer 3

Just keep trying to up the time you are running. You need to be doing at least 20 minutes for it to be very beneficial to you. But 5lbs isn't all that much. Make sure you aren't drinking soda (if you do make sure it is diet) and eating healthy. Since it is only 5 lbs, I would assume if you are maintaining a healthy diet and continue running, your 5 lbs should be gone in 3 weeks, depending on your body obviously. Some lose weight at different rates than others. But keep it up!!! I recommend yoga, too.... =0) I just do it at home. There is a good article about it in SELF magazine this month (the one with cameron diaz on the cover).

Answer 4

That's a very realistic goal! Make sure you're drinking a lot of water too, and don't over do the running. If you get out of breath slow down, because your heart rate needs to be in a certain range to burn fat. I think if it's above that range, you start burning sugar or something, and you won't be losing weight. Good Luck! I'm sure you can do it!!

Answer 5

You should barely be able to shed 10 pounds by Christmas, partly water and a little fat, if you eat less than you burn EVERY day between now and then. Trying to keep it off, after the holidays, is another matter. You sound like you have the exercise under control. Good luck and best wishes for this holiday season.

Answer 6

You need to burn calories to lose weight or more specifically more calories than you take in on a daily basis....one hour of high intensity exercise (like running or advanced tae bo) can burn between 400 to 1000 calories an hour.

To burn off One (1) POUND of fat you need to burn a total of 3,500 calories.

T0 do the math for you -> If you want to lose 5lbs (a total of 17,500calories) by Christmas (4 weeks from now) working out six days a week you would have to burn a total of approx. 730 calories per workout

Provided you don't take in more calories than you expend in your normal daily activities you would have to burn an extra 730 calories to lose the 5lbs by christmas or

Decrease your caloric intake by 300 calories per day and burn 430 cals in exercise.

or you can up the frequency of your exercise to seven days per week which would be 625 calories to be burned per day.

which can be further divided into 300 less in caloric intake (food) and 325 to be burnt through exercise...

but at the end of the day you need to expend more calories than you take in order to lose the weight.
I don't ever recommend crash diets and overtraining the body to lose weight because this can have negative effects on the body but i believe that you do have enough time to lose the five pound u want to shed by Christmas....keep it up and good luck

All the Best to you!!

Answer 7

Exercise in the morning to speed up weight loss

Answer 8

Get tips from weight loss community

Answer 9

Keep a food journal and weight yourself regularly to track your progress

Answer 10

Hitting the gym is important for weight loss