Am I Running Miles or Kilometres - Want to Lose Weight as Well
by Mel
(Wigan)
Hi, I have been running on my treadmill now for a couple of years to stay in shape. It's a Carl Lewis Mot566. Recently I have struggled with my weight and seem to be gaining although I have increased my exercise.
I set the distance to 4 (I have presumed miles) each morning which takes me 24 minutes at 9.9 speed.
However my calories burned according to the treadmill is 120? Which leads me to believe I may be running kilometers? Can you shed any light on this for me please? I also do a further 2 / 3 miles (I think) on the treadmill after work.
Answer by Dominique:
Hi there,
Thank you for your question about your treadmill running and your quest to lose weight.
Let's address:
1. What is more likely? Are you running miles or kilometres?
2. Calories burned while running
3. The challenge - running for weight loss
What is more likely? Are You Running Miles or Kilometres?
I am almost 100% certain that you are doing kilometres, not miles.
You have to be a pretty advanced runner in order to be able to run 10 miles / hour for 24 minutes at a time.
It is much more likely that you are running at 10k / hr speed.
That's really good, you know. Running 24 minutes every morning, with additional running / walking during the day. It's a great, healthy habit, so well done.
Calories Burned While Running
I.e. if you run 4 km and weigh 60 kg (132 lbs) you burn 60 calories per km, so roughly 4 x 60 = 240 calories.
So unless you weigh 30kg (66 lbs), the weight of a child, you'd be covering approx 30 x 4 = 120 calories... So, your treadmill calculation does not really make sense. At 30kg I would imagine that having to gain weight rather than having to lose it would be the issue.... :)
Check out my Calories Burned While Running calculator to enter distance and weight and obtain an approximation of calories burned while running.
The Challenge - Running for Weight Loss
Generally, you will only lose weight if you burn more calories than you consume. If you have trouble losing weight there are different things you can do:
I am not a dietician. And there are many issues with crash dieting or other unsustainable forms of dieting. The trick is to find a sustainable lifestyle. A sustainable way to combine eating and exercise in which you do not starve yourself to death and you do not overeat.
I found in the past that using an online calorie counter like MyFitnessPal.com, helped me identify I was simply overeating. It can be a useful tool and it will not take too long before you understand a lot more about which foods to avoid and which food to eat and in which quantities.
But, do not make it a race to the bottom. Do not drive your calorie intake to an absolute minimum. When you lead a busy life and you do a lot of exercise, you do need to feed your body well.
Always think about sustainable lifestyle. A diet is no good if it means you cannot sustain it. When you are really struggling with your weight, I would recommend a visit to your doctor. They can provide you with a referral to a dietician and/or help you diagnose any underlying conditions that may be impacting on your ability to lose weight.
Some further suggested reading:
Running for Weight Loss
Runner's Diet
Hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Dominique
Helpful
Resources
Beginner Running Tips
Are you a beginning runner? Then this is your best starting point. Many tips and running programs on offer, dedicated to you.
Running for Weight Loss
Aiming to lose a few pounds? Get into the Running for Weight Loss section for tips and advice.
Running Training
The Running Training section of the site has got the most articles. It is constantly getting updated with new tips and information. A must-visit if you are serious about improving your running performance.
5k Running Tips
The 5k is a great distance to run and train for. The great thing is that you can do it quite often and see big improvements.
10k Running Tips
The 10k is a real challenge. You need to run fast for an uncomfortably long time! Check out this section if you are strong of mind and legs!
Marathon Running Tips
The marathon is a massive challenge. Proper training is so important! Make sure to check out this section if you have got your mind set on the marathon!