Running and Weight Loss

Running 15 miles a week burns roughly 1,500 calories—but to lose a pound, you need to cut 3,500 calories a week. Bottom line? Running alone won't cut it; if you want to lose weight more quickly, you need to adjust your calorie intake. In a study in the 2007 American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism,, researchers followed participants for a year and found that lean and overweight adults who restrict their calorie intake by an average of 300 calories a day lose nearly 25 percent of their body fat. People who just exercise but don't eat fewer calories lose just over 22 percent. Both regimens worked, but your best bet is to combine the effort.