Learning to jog to lose weight?

You have made a fantastic decision.

But is it the silver bullet you are looking for.

For me, I did a complete lifestyle change and the initial part was tough.

I started cutting down on my calorie intake but was feeling severe hunger pangs.

But later came to know that need not be the case. I could have easily controlled that by including red tea in my diet.

Anyways, bygones are bygones.

But if you are up for this lifestyle change then go through these 40+ FAQs to be more equipped in your journey.

Learning To Jog To Lose Weight?

Before you go all into running for losing weight, know the pros and cons.

Here is a collection of 40+ FAQs that can help you in your weight loss journey. 

1. Can you lose weight just by jogging?

Losing weight is tricky and tedious for most of us.

One of the most efficient ways to lose weight includes any form of cardio in exercise routine.

And the most effective form of cardio is jogging. It burns more calories than any other form of exercise.

So, if you want to burn more calories than you consume then jogging is the way to go.

In short, yes you can lose weight just by jogging. 

2. Can you lose belly fat by running/jogging?

Belly fat is stubborn. You will have to put in a lot of effort to lose it.

Running/jogging is a great way to lose overall weight.

However, if you want to tuck in your tummy, only through running/jogging, it may not help.

Your genetics determine where you will start to lose your weight.

So, if you specifically want to target your tummy, combine running with other forms of aerobic exercises.

Also, to fasten the process you can include red tea in your diet. This will keep your overeating in check.

Here are some strategies to combine with your running/jogging:

a.Utilize your target heart rate zone: 

Try to run 5 days a week in your target heart rate zone. You should run in that zone for at least 30 min.

However, if you keep doing this every day, your body will get used to this form of exercise and running will become less effective for you.

So, combine running with other kinds of cross-training, like Cycling, Yoga, Pilates, etc. 

b. HIIT it hard:

HIIT or High-Intensity Interval Training burns away a lot of calories. It is one of the most efficient ways to lose your pooch.

Why combine HIIT with running?

Running is the most effective calorie burner. However, your body is equally good at adapting.

Though you will start losing weight with running, after some time you will hit a plateau as your body will get used o this kind of workout.

To break this plateau you need something different. This is where HIIT comes into the picture.

Combine it with your daily running, and you will blast away fast.

How many calories you can burn with a 15 min HIIT session?

Any workout will help you to burn 9-13 calories per min.

With HIIT that goes up to 12-16 calories per min.

So, with a 15 min session, you will lose 180 – 240 calories.

c. Include strength training in your routine

Include some strength training in your routine. You can do this twice a week.

As I’m not a fan of the gym and all those heavy equipment, I generally resort to yoga or bodyweight exercises.

You can also do the same. You should target your entire body like upper body, lower body and core, and hip strengthening exercises.

3. Should I jog everyday lose weight?

The basic formula to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume.

So, jogging every day combined with calorie intake control will definitely help you to lose weight.

If you don’t control your calorie intake, you may not see much of a difference.

However, running every day will definitely improve your endurance and cardiovascular health. 

Also, when I started to jog I faced a major challenge. I didn’t know how to pick the perfect running shoe.

If you are new to running this may also be a major challenge for you.

This guide about picking the perfect running shoe for your feet will help you.

Also, I realized early that the bony bump at the base of my big toe is giving me a lot of trouble.

I was in throbbing pain and wanted to get rid of it. Later my podiatrist informed me that I’ve bunions.

He said that it is going to get worse with time if I don’t change my running shoes and may have to end up on the surgery table.

He recommended me a couple of shoes and once I made the switch, the pain is now gone.

I know some of my users have this problem. So, I created this best running shoes for bunions as per my podiatrist.

Hope this helps you. If you have this problem, please don’t ignore it.

4. Is it good to jog every day?

Jogging is good for your body. However, too much of it is not good.

Since it is a weight-bearing exercise, it will strengthen your bones and joints.

However, if you do it every day then you risk injuring your joints as they will not get sufficient time to recover.

Jogging for 3-5 days a week is good.

Ditch your exercise routine completely for a day, every week.

This will help your body to recover from any kind of wear and tear from previous exercise sessions.

5. How long should you jog to lose weight?

Duration of jogging has nothing to do with your weight loss as explained in Question#3.

If you want to lose weight with jogging, then you will also have to control your meal portion.

Let me explain:

Let’s say you need 2500 calories per day to function properly.

But you are habitual overeater and consumes around 3500 calories per day.

In that case, you will gain weight.

You realize that your health is going bad and you want to lose weight now.

You start jogging for 30 min every day.

In every jogging session, you are burning 300 calories approximately.

With that also, you are in excess of 800 calories. So, you will not lose weight.

But if you cut down your calorie intake to 2500 calories and then include the same amount of running.

Then you are in a caloric deficit and will start losing weight.

6. How many days a week should you jog?

As explained in Question#4, you should jog for 3-5 days a week.

Not more than that.

7. How much should a beginner jog/run?

If you are a beginner runner, your body needs time to get used to your new running routine.

So, forcing it to run every day for 1 hour will get you injured.

Also, the exertion will be too much for you and you will end up giving up on running.

A good way to start running/jogging is to run for 20-30 min for 2-4 days a week.

Don’t go beyond 4 days, you will end up injuring yourself.

Also, in every session, you try to maintain such a pace that you run for 2 to 3 miles every time.

This means by end of every week you will be running somewhere between 4-12 miles.

That is an impressive performance for a beginner.

8. How many times a week should I run to lose weight?

Losing weight is a combination of portion control and exercise.

There is no formula to predict that you will lose weight while running.

Why?

Go through Question#5 to understand this.

Also, how many times you should run a week?

I’ve explained that in detail in Question#7 

9. Does running help lose weight quickly?

Running is the best form of cardio and helps you burn the most amount of calories.

So, in a way, it will help you to lose weight quickly.

However, there is one caveat. You have to control your portion size as well.

But why is it needed?

I’ve explained that in detail with an example in Question#5.

10. Does running make you skinny?

Running doesn’t make everyone skinny.

Other factors like body type and diet also play a huge role in that.

However, if you can burn more calories than you consume, then running can help you to get lean and toned.

Also, to lose 1 lb of fat you have to burn 3500 calories.

So you should aim to burn around 700 to 800 calories per session of running (assuming you are running for 4 days a week) 

This way you will be able to lose 1 lb every week and is a sustainable pace for weight loss.

11. How long should I run to burn fat?

Please check Question#5,Question#7 and Question#10.

12. Can I lose weight by running 30 minutes a day?

That’s a tricky one. 

Let me tell you something, running for a certain number of minutes has nothing to do with weight loss.

It will definitely improve your cardiovascular health. But apart from that, I cannot provide a definite answer.

For more in-depth understanding, please check Question#5, Question#7 and Question#10. 

13. Will running 3 miles a day get me in shape?

I wish I could say yes. But running 3 miles a day may or may not get you in shape.

Running or jogging is the best form of cardio and has proved to be effective for weight loss.

However, there are other factors such as diet, your metabolism, and your endurance level.

If you are runner and have been running for sometime now, running 3 miles a day may not aid in extra weight loss.

However, if you are a newbie, then you will almost always see a result in a couple of weeks.

Also, if running 3 miles is not reducing your waistline, then also your cardiovascular system will be in great shape. 

14. Is running fast better than jogging?

Physiologically, running and jogging are very different.

Though they seem to work on the same group of muscles the outcome is completely different.

What is jogging?

When a runs at a pace less than 6 mph, it is jogging.

What is running?

If you run at a pace faster than 6 mph then you are running.

The more intense the workout, the more calories our bodies will burn.

If you jog and your weight is 150 pounds, then you will burn around 91 calories in 10 mins.

However, if you run for the same duration you will be able to burn 113 calories or more.

Another benefit of running is your body will keep on burning more calories after the workout.

Why?

When you do an intensive workout your body produces exercise after-burn.

This means your body keeps consuming excess oxygen after a workout.

So, to restore the oxygen level your body has to work hard and required more calories.

Your body can burn calories for up to 48 hours after you have stopped running.

Hence, running is better than jogging in that aspect.

However, running at a higher pace every day is not sustainable and you will be prone to injury.

So, you should switch back to jogging in every second session. This will also build your endurance. 

15. Can I run for 30 minutes every day?

Obviously you can. However, there are pros and cons.

Please go through Question#5 and Question#7 to understand them in detail.

I’ve explained it with examples. 

16. How much should I jog daily?

The first question you should ask is should you run daily.

Question#5 and Question#7 explains it in detail.

However, if you decide to run daily, don’t run more than 3 miles in a day. 

17. How do you breathe when running?

Breathing is the most important aspect of running.

It will help you not only to keep going but if you can tie your breathing rhythm with your running, you will be able to run longer and faster.

There are a lot of ways to do rhythmic breathing and if you practice it a bit, you will be able to feel a lot of difference quick.

But this one deserves a separate post of its own. Here, I’ve covered all the running breathing techniques and the mistakes to avoid. 

18. How many miles a week should I run to lose weight?

There is no direct correlation between the number of miles and weight loss.

Question#5 and Question#7 gives you all the details.

Please check them out. 

19. How can I run longer without getting tired?

Running longer without getting tired is a bit difficult for a beginner.

You have to gradually build up your endurance.

However, implementing it without a plan is a bit difficult for a beginner.

Here are some articles which will provide you a step by step approach: 

• How to run long-distance fast without getting tired?
• 15 tips to run faster and longer

20. Is running 3 times a week enough to lose weight?

Again, there is no definite answer.

Please refer to Question#5 and Question#7 where I’ve provided all the details. 

21. How much weight can I lose in a week through running?

That will depend on the amount of running and other factors.

However, if you can control your diet, then losing 1-2 lbs. a week will be easy for you.

Also, this is a sustainable pace of weight loss according to experts and it will not backfire. 

However, if you want to lose weight more quickly then include red tea in your diet.

It will supply you with a boatload of antioxidants and will keep you full for a longer period of time. 

22. How long does it take to lose belly fat by running?

First of all, I want to break your assumption that targeted weight loss is possible through running.

It is not possible. You will lose overall weight and your body will tome up.

However, you can maintain a weight loss pace of 1-2 lbs. per week.

Also, the amount of weight loss and the portion of your body that will lose weight is completely dependent on your heredity.

If you specifically want to lose weight from the belly, then you will have to combine it with other forms of workout.

I’ve provided all the details in Question#2. 

23. Is jogging good for weight loss and toning?

In one word, ‘Yes’.

However, it may provide you with toning in specific areas.

If you want to add more definition to certain body parts, then you will have to add yoga or other bodyweight training to your routine. 

24. Is jogging everyday healthy?

Please check Question#5 and Question#7 for details

25. How many minutes should I jog to lose weight?

No correlation with minutes and weight loss.

Question#5 and Question#7 will give you all the answers. 

26. Is jogging enough exercise?

If you jog for 30 min a day, 3 days a week, that is enough exercise for your body.

However, if you add some variety to your workout routine like Yoga or Bodyweight workout then you can kill the monotony.

Also, it will help you to lose weight more effectively and you will never hit a plateau. 

27. Can you lose 20 pounds in 2 months by running?

Well, you can. But you will also have to take care of your diet and cut down on unnecessary calories.

Another thing that might help is Flavor Pairing.

If you are trying to lose 20 pounds in 2 months, then you have to lose 2.5 lbs per week.

However, it is advisable that you lose only 1-2 lbs per week, otherwise, it is not a sustainable pace.

Also, it is very hard to maintain this level of weight loss. 

28. Can you get a six-pack from running?

Running is the most effective way to remove the extra layer of fat that is blocking your six-pack.

However, running alone will not help you develop your six-pack.

You have to combine it with other exercises like sit-ups that make the front of the abs to workout.

Also, include some HIIT and resistance training in your workout.

29. Why did I gain weight after running?

There are various reasons for which you may see a jump in the scale even if you are running.

Here are the four most important ones:

You are skimping on sleep. Your body needs rest. If you exert it more and don’t sleep properly, the added stress will make you eat more.

Which effectively translates to weight gain.

Calorie counting is making you out of touch with your body. Instead eat when you are hungry.

Stop if your stomach asks you to stop. Not otherwise. Else you body with clutch on to the food you provide it leading to weight gain.

You specifically gain weight before a long run. And if that is the case, this is more due to the additional carb you are taking.

The stores it in form of glycogen and it is probably water weight. 

You restrict yourself too much. Everything in moderation is good. Food is not only calorie. It is a way to celebrate your 5 senses.

If they are not satisfied then you will eventually gain weight.

Why?

Because you will despise eating and your body will be stressed at every meal time.

Also, you will not want eat much as you don’t like the food.

So, your body will start to slow down the metabolism and hold on to the food you provide it in form of fat.

Result?

You will start to gain weight. 

30. Will jogging flatten my stomach?

Yes. More specifically it will eliminate any the additional layer of fat in your belly.

But it will not give you washboard abs.

For that, you will have to include other forms of exercise in your routine. 

31. Does running give you a bigger bum?

I doubt it. It will definitely make your glutes stronger but will also make it lose fat.

If you want to get a bigger butt, start squatting. 

32. Does running flatten your bum?

To certain extent as it will take away any additional fat in your glutes…

If you want to develop your glute muscles, better start squatting. 

33. Does jogging tighten your stomach?

It will help you to lose fat from your belly area and will also cause overall fat reduction.

However, it will not add any definition to your stomach.

If you want to do that, you will have to add other forms of exercise in your routine. 

34. Will running make me toned?

It will help you reduce fat if you have a proper diet.

However, add yoga or other bodyweight exercises so that you can add definition to your body. 

35. What does running every day do to your body?

It will help you lose weight and it will keep your cardiovascular system healthy.

However, it may damage your joints in the long run.

So, it is advisable to run only 3-5 times a week. 

36. What is a runner’s face?

If you are running too much, you lose a lot of weight from your face.

This makes your cheekbone protrude making you look more like a skeleton.

Also, if you have wrinkles they deepen. 

37. How many calories does a 20-minute jog burn?

Please check Question#5 

38. Does jogging in place do anything? 

Jogging in place can help you to lose weight.

It will also improve your cardiovascular health and will keep you in great shape.

Also, sine it is an indoor exercise, you will be more prone to stick with it.

39. How many calories do you burn jogging in place for 5 minutes?

Jogging in place will make you burn somewhere around 9-10 calories per min

So in 5 min, you will burn 45-50 calories. 

40. Can you run on the spot to lose weight?

Yes, it will. But you will have to have portion control 

41. Can running too much stop weight loss?

Yes, it can. Your body gets habituated to any form of exercise after some time.

So, it stops burning your desired calories thus stopping the weight loss. 

Conclusion

If you are learning to run to lose weight, then know the basics first.

Know the pros and cons and plan ahead.

Don’t think running as your silver bullet for losing weight.

You are in for a complete lifestyle makeover. 

However, if you are jogging to lose weight…the these jogging tips will help you to jog even if you are a beginner.

If you are overweight you need to learn to jog properly. You will find all your jogging related questions are answered here.

References

https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a20826155/do-you-suffer-from-runners-face/ 

https://www.self.com/story/fitness-runners-face-myth-or-fact 

https://www.indiatimes.com/health/videos/14-reasons-running-is-the-only-exercise-you-need-to-stay-fit-243999.html 

https://livehealthy.chron.com/running-vs-jogging-3628.html 

https://www.livestrong.com/article/516228-does-running-make-you-thin/ 

https://www.livestrong.com/article/358193-is-half-an-hour-of-jogging-enough-to-help-me-lose-weight/

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