Wellness Wednesday

Five Biggest Reasons You're Not Losing Weight While Running

Run, Run As Fast As You Can, You Can't Catch Me I'm The Carbohydrate Man!

Warmer weather makes those New Years resolutions we made in January, a little bit more enjoyable to take on. U.S. News recently came out with an article that discusses why those of us who are running in the warmer weather, aren't necessarily losing weight. Here are the summarized five reasons that K. Aleisha Fetters came up with to explain why you're not losing weight despite racking up those miles on the asphalt or trails:

1. You're Carbing Up Too Much:

You're body is similar to a car in that it has its limits for the amount of fuel it can take at a time. You should keep your carbohydrate limit during activity to about 30-45g per hour. Try to limit those sport drinks and gels as you exercise.

      2. Watch Your Calories

As you exercise you will notice an increase in your appetite, which can lead to overeating. While its true that you are burning calories on your run, you may have a larger caloric intake than what you burned during your run. Try and keep your appetite in check by drinking water and eating more protein and fiber filled meals. Be sure to track your meals and count your calories throughout the day.

      3. Just Because You Run for 30 Minutes, Doesn't Mean You can Relax for the Rest of the Day...

Yes, that run you just took is tiring, but that doesn't mean you can lounge around for the rest of the day. Be sure to remain active throughout the rest of the day; take the stairs, park in the back of the parking lot, or take a couple walks.

       4. You're Not Hitting the Weights

Training your aerobic system through running is great, but you're not necessarily building muscle mass that way, or training you anaerobic system. Switching it up not only allows you to rest different body parts, but allows you to keep your body on edge and boost your metabolic activity.

       5. No Days Off

Stress hormones that are released due to not taking any days off for recovery, can lead to muscle degradation and fat storage. Take a day or two off, but be sure to stay moderately active during those days!