So you want to lose weight. Great! We’re all for it. But how about this: Could running a mile help you lose weight?
The short answer is yes, but it depends on how you look at it. While it’s true that running slows your metabolism and burns calories, it also encourages you to eat less. In fact, numerous studies show that running influences your caloric intake and metabolic rate in a positive way. What’s more, when you run you increase your heart rate and body temperature, which helps your body in its fight against fat.
The Great Oxygen Destroyer
In the fight against fat, your body produces heat as a by-product of metabolism. This is a double-edged sword though, because as your body heats up it also releases more toxins. Thankfully, your body also creates an enzyme, catalase, which protects your cells from toxins. The higher your body temperature, the greater the release of toxins into your bloodstream. This is problematic because toxins have been linked to diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. To keep your body healthy and free of disease, you need to keep your body temperature as low as possible.
The Metabolism Reducer
Let’s say you want to lose weight and you’ve decided to try running. Great! The first thing you should do is find a comfortable pace that you can maintain for an hour or more. Once you get into the habit of regularly running, you’ll notice that you have more energy and hunger pangs are significantly decreased. This is because running consistently increases your neuroendocrine (brain hormone) secretion and sensitizes your body to insulin. The latter is a hormone that regulates your energy levels and sugar cravings. What this means is that your body becomes accustomed to getting its energy from carbohydrates, and as such you need less of them.
Burn Fat, But Not Carbs!
The bottom line is this: as you lose weight you’ll lose your ability to store carbohydrates in your body. This is because your body won’t need as many carbs to function. As your body becomes more efficient at converting fats into energy, you’ll begin to see significant improvements in your weight loss efforts. What’s more, you’ll also begin to see improvements in your cardiovascular (heart) health and in your blood sugar levels. These are all great reasons to run!
On the other hand, there is some bad news: if you try to lose weight solely through exercise, you’ll likely shed a lot of muscle too. This is because your body doesn’t make any proper repairs between the repeated microtraumas caused by everyday activity. In time, this can lead to serious health issues. What’s more, if you try to cut out all the bad carbohydrates from your diet, your body will be forced to look for alternatives to sustain itself. This can lead to problems ranging from cramping to diarrhea.
Keep Your Muscles!
You may wonder if losing weight through exercise is a good idea. After all, you’ll be burning a lot of calories, won’t you? The answer is yes, but only if you want to keep your muscles. You see, when you lose a lot of weight your muscles suffer and start feeling the strain. This is why you need to maintain a healthy muscle mass through regular exercise. What’s more, you’ll have more energy to participate in daily life activities thanks to your decreased weight. This increased physical activity helps keep your weight in check and promotes good health.
The Less You Eat, The Better You Look!
So you want to lose weight? Great! We’re all for it. But could running a mile help you lose weight? The short answer is yes, but it depends on how you look at it. While it’s true that running slows your metabolism and burns calories, it also encourages you to eat less. In fact, numerous studies show that running influences your caloric intake and metabolic rate in a positive way. What’s more, when you run you increase your heart rate and body temperature, which helps your body in its fight against fat.
The key takeaway from this article is that while it’s true that running slows your metabolism and burns calories, it also encourages you to eat less. In fact, numerous studies show that running influences your caloric intake and metabolic rate in a positive way. What’s more, when you run you increase your heart rate and body temperature, which helps your body in its fight against fat.