What You Should Know About Running For Weight Loss

Runners may be familiar with the term ‘train gain,’ or weight gain that seems to magically appear even though you are in the midst of training for a race. The good news is, this doesn’t mean you can’t lose weight from running. That statement would be a myth, and the biggest one about running for weight loss that Dr. Jason Karp, PhD, founder of Run-Fit and author of Run Your Fat Off, has heard.

“Research shows how much weight is on a person’s body is proportional to how much he/she runs,” he explains. “The problem comes when people underestimate how many calories they consume and overestimate how many calories they burn.”

This is why you shouldn’t rely on the number of ‘calories burned’ after a workout—it’s not the best approach. Running burns the most calories, yes, but it is important to focus on fueling your body with the proper nutrients versus simply replenishing calories.

Dr. Karp notes that just as when you’d start any exercise program, it is important to obtain approval from a qualified medical professional. Seeing a dietician can be helpful or you can find resources—such as the eating plan in his book—to learn what types of foods are going to give your body the energy it needs.

If you are a beginner, just going out and running—even without a specific training plan—is perfectly okay. Karp says starting with 30 seconds of running followed by walking with intention for 5 minute is a great place to begin. He explains that over time your body will adapt and you will develop the stamina needed to run (or run/walk) for longer periods of time. Then, the weight loss will come.

The weight loss happens when your body starts creating a metabolic demand and those calories you are consuming are being used for other needs. In this case, that energy would be used to power your running, meaning it isn’t being stored as fat.

“Running creates the metabolic demands, giving you the director’s clapperboard so that you decide where the calories go,” Dr. Karp notes. “And that is exactly one of the goals of the Run Your Fat Off program—to make you the director of the calorie movie, dictating where your calories go and how they are used.”

You don’t have to be worried about losing too much weight, however, as he goes on to explain that based on your genes, your body and brain have a sense of what you should weigh.

“This is called your set point, which is really a set weight range of about 10 to 15 pounds,” he adds. “So, yes, your body will reach a healthy plateau, [and] you have to work to get it and keep it there.”

Dr. Karp deeply believes that running is for everyone, no matter your goal, whether it’s weight loss or anything else.

“Running connects you to your body and is perhaps the best expression of your physicality,” he concludes. “Through running, you fulfill your destiny as a physical being, and on the foundation of a fitter physical being, you can build a better life.”


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8 Diet Motivation Tips for Success

Monday blues?  Here are some easy to follow diet motivation tips to get you back to feeling your best. 

Can't lose weight? Try these diet motivation tips for success.

If you've dropped and regained so many pounds it would take a Harvard PhD to do the math, then here are some diet motivation tips that can help.

Sure, you've tried to diet before. You've gotten rid of the cookies in the cupboard, and virtuously refused the cake at the office party. And then, a few weeks into it, your motivation begins to flag. Maybe you hit a plateau in your weight loss, or you're bored with steamed vegetables for dinner night after night, or, tempted by a special dessert, you decide that just this once can't hurt. A few slip-ups and you're totally derailed, physically and emotionally.

If this isn't the first time that losing weight was one of your New Year's resolutions, then maybe you just haven't had the right diet motivation. It turns out that the key to losing and keeping weight off isn't simply a matter of what you eat or how much you exercise - it's your attitude. Lasting weight loss is a slow process and it's all too easy to give up before you reach your goal. With the right psychological tools your chances of diet success can be greatly improved. WebMD consulted experts for diet motivation tips that will keep you, and your diet, on the winning track to losing.

Diet Motivation Tip 1: Set Realistic Goals for Diet Success 

The first step to maintaining your mojo should take place before you cut a single calorie. In fact, one of the strongest predictors of long-term diet success lies in setting the right goal at the start. "If you set unattainable goals, such as losing 30 pounds in just a few months, you're setting yourself up to fail," says Ann Kulze, MD, author of Dr. Ann's 10-Step Diet: A Simple Plan for Permanent Weight Loss and Lifelong Vitality. Instead, you'll be more likely to stick with a diet if you "focus on your health and create sensible eating strategies," says Kulze. Setting smaller, attainable benchmarks, like losing 5 pounds or a single dress size, will give you the confidence to continue.

Diet Motivation Tip 2: Go Slow 

Diet success entails making real lifestyle changes, and that doesn't happen overnight. "You have a better chance at keeping the weight off if you lose it slowly. People who are starving get irritable and have a higher failure rate," Kulze tells WebMD. "If you cut back 200 calories a day, you won't even realize it and the weight will come off and stay off." If you keep in mind that optimal weight loss is 1 to 2 pounds a week, you'll be less frustrated

Diet Motivation Tip 3: Expect Setbacks 

Everyone is bound to give in to temptation (hello, hot fudge sundae) from time to time. The danger isn't a single splurge but letting it become an excuse for an all-out binge. Call it the "I've already blown it so I might as well eat the entire bag of Oreos" syndrome.

Diet Motivation Tip 4: Don't Be a Perfectionist 

So what do you do if you've scarfed down a pint of ice cream before noon? "Perfectionist thinking gets in the way of success more than anything I know," according to Vicki Saunders, RD, who oversees the inpatient weight loss and lifestyle program called Transformations at St. Helena Hospital in Napa, Calif. "A 100-calorie indulgence is just that. But if it's perceived as a failure and a reason to give up, it can turn into a thousand-calorie indulgence." Bottom line when you slip up: Forget about it. Tomorrow is a new (healthier) day.

Diet Motivation Tip 5: Use the Buddy System 

"It's hard to make major lifestyle changes when you're swimming upstream by yourself," says Saunders. Finding other people with similar goals can greatly improve yours odds of diet success. When your spirit - or willpower - flags, having people to call on can provide the support you need to continue. Saunders recommends looking for people at your local gym or Y, Overeaters Anonymous, or an online support group. "Having a support group to turn to, whether it's your family or people in a weight-loss chat room, can make all the difference" for diet success.

Diet Motivation Tip 6: Be Patient 

One of the biggest diet motivation-busters is the dreaded weight loss plateau. You've been doing everything right, exercising and eating well, and the numbers on the scale have been steadily dropping. Then suddenly: nada. The scale stays stuck for several days in a row. According to Ann Kulze, this is perfectly normal. "Turn it around and congratulate yourself on the diet success you've had so far," she urges. "This is a natural part of the weight loss process." When you hit the plateau, you may want to try something slightly different to jump-start your diet. "Commit yourself to expending an extra 100 calories a day with walking, for instance," Kulze advises. "And look honestly to see if you're backsliding in little ways with your eating." A few minor adjustments and you'll soon be back on course.

Diet Motivation Tip 7: Reward Yourself 

Dieting is hard work -- and it's not always a whole lot of fun. Small rewards can provide an incentive to keep going. But make sure your rewards are not food-related. (Translation: Rewarding yourself for losing 5 pounds with a box of chocolates is not what we're talking about.) Set mini-goals along the way and reward yourself when you reach them. Your reward could be a massage, a round of golf, a new pair of jeans, or a hot bubble bath. "Celebrating your diet success will fortify your resolve to continue," says Kulze.


Diet Motivation Tip 8: Have a Maintenance Plan 

For many people, losing weight is far easier than keeping it off. It's important to remember that healthy eating is a lifelong goal, not a one-time project. If this has been a problem for you in the past, devise a maintenance strategy ahead of time. Vicki Saunders says you may want to consult an expert to help create a diet or exercise plan that works for you. "Plan an appointment with a professional, whether it's a nutritionist, a counselor, or a trainer, for an added boost," she says. An expert can help you get off on the right foot -- and maintain your healthy habits even after you've reached your ideal weight.

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Home Workout: Full Body Fat Burning HIIT Workout | The Body Coach

Recently voted No.5 in Forbes Magazine's 'world's top social media influencers' in the fitness category, Joe Wicks, aka. The Body Coach, is in the big leagues now.  Here's a quick home-workout that you should be able to squeeze into your daily schedule - it's under 20 mins - so no excuses!!  Enjoy.

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Fast and Furious - The Ultimate Guide to HIIT Training

HIIT training is not a new thing....but it's a great thing! If you haven't given it a go, then you really should. Most gyms and sports centres have now introduced these classes into their schedules and the benefits after a few sessions of training fast and furious, are clear to see!

HIIT stands for 'high intensity interval training', basically a short, fast, intense burst of exercise focusing on one area of the body, followed by a brief recovery then going hard again. Class usually last from 20-30 minutes so it's over pretty quickly too! It's like circuit training on fast forward (x16)! Read on to hear more about the benefits of Hiit from this recent Men's Health article - scientists have now added age prevention to the list of benefits from this form of exercise. Bring it!


The Fountain of Youth? If you're training right, it's whichever tap is closest to you in the gym. New research from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota found interval training actually slows down the ageing process. Turns out HIIT encourages cells to grow proteins faster, slowing down the decline as you age.

There's never been a better time to train like mad for 20 seconds. With that in mind, we present our one-stop guide for all things High Intensity.

Some guys burn fat like a furnace and get sleeve-ripping guns in no time at all. Their secret? Four words: High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). There’s a reason why almost every trainer swears by HIIT. Cycles of intense anaerobic exertion followed by slower recovery periods are proven to burn fat and build muscle – fast. And here’s how to make the most of it.

Knowledge is power

You could spend hours on mind-numbingly boring cardio exercise with little results, or less time on high intensity results to get massive gains. An easy choice, right? HIIT really means more muscle, less fat and all in less time – this is not a drill. Researchers from McMaster University in Canada discovered high intensity training delivers the same physical benefits as traditionally tedious endurance training. In other words, HIIT has its cake then eats it too (and then burns that cake off in record speed).

HIIT burns away fat

High intensity training will kickstart your metabolism, meaning you’ll still be burning calories long after you leave the gym. The intense anaerobic exercise opens up a tab of energy and lets you settle the bill with blubber. This means you can burn up to 5% of your body fat with a simple 20 minute workout, according to researchers from Southern Illinois University.

HIIT packs on the muscle

The human body has two main muscle groups: fast twitch and slow twitch. Small slow twitch muscles are great for endurance, but they’re unlikely to fill out your t-shirt – unless you’ve accidentally shrunk it in the wash. Fast twitch muscles, on the other hand, are larger and used for power movements.

But changing slow twitch muscles into fast twitch is incredibly difficult, right? Well, no. Researchers at the Department of Clinical Physiology in Stockholm found HIIT is an effective way of transforming fibres from slow to fast. It’s no wonder Joel Edgerton has his own HIIT workout to get in blockbuster shape.

HIIT cranks up your cardio

A few weeks of high intensity workouts will also boost your V02 max – the key metric determining your pace, power and endurance – by 6% more than standard cardio, according to a study published in the American Journal of Physiology. That’s right, a workout of less than 20 minutes per session is better for your cardiovascular health than longer workout sessions. Seriously. This is because HIIT recruits more muscle tissue – around 80% compared with 20-40% for moderate jogging or cycling. It’s a simple formula: more muscle use = better cardiovascular fitness. HIIT has it all covered.

Your abs love HIIT

Intensity training is a sure-fire way to a defined six-pack. Why? Your abs hide behind a layer of fat that HIIT removes while jacking them up at the same time. You’ll be struggling to sit up after our extreme intensity abs workout, but you’ll see signs of your six-pack emerging in no time. We can’t promise it won’t hurt, but it’s the quickest way to an ironclad core. You can thank us later.

Muscle mass? HIIT the bike  

A short warm up, intense pedalling, cool down. That's all you need for some serious gains. Oh, and the entire thing lasts less than twenty minutes. Scientists at Canada's McMaster University found 10 one-minute sprints on a standard stationary bike are equally effective as hours spent at low-intensity. Getting bulked on a bike couldn’t be faster.

Want to burn fat? HIIT the rowing machine

Warm up. Row like there’s no tomorrow. Recover. Repeat. It’s really that easy to drop off the fat. Mark Coles, a fat loss specialist at M10 fitness, recommends using power intervals on a rower: go flat-out for 30sec then do 2min slowly. Repeat 4 times 2-3 times per week. “This stimulates growth hormones and increases fat loss,” he says. Researchers from the University of Tasmania found that just four weeks of HIIT training improved the time-trial performances of competitive rowers in comparison to traditional training.

Don’t overdo it

Since HIIT is so effective, all you need to fight is the urge to overtrain and you’ll be well on your way to washboard abs. More than three high intensity sessions a week could cause havoc to your gains, according to a study published in the journal Plus One. Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that those who used HIIT three times a week saw an 11% improvement in their endurance but those who exercised every day showed no development. Put simply, HIIT means less workout time and more gains.   

Eat well for best results

HIIT will transform your body into a rocket – and all rockets need fuel. A study in The Journal of Nutrition found that just 20g of protein before a session can enhance your calorie burn over 24 hours and taking amino acids 30 minutes prior to training could build 42% more muscle than those who took them after intensity training. You can also carb up guilt free as the oxidative stress of HIIT could force the body eat up muscle for energy, meaning a couple of slices of wholemeal bread, or even a bit of pasta will do you the world of good.

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