For running to lose weight to be most effective you will want to be mindful (or count for best results) of the amount of calories you are consuming. The basic concept of losing weight is that you must burn more calories than you consume. So if you wanted to lose 1 pound a week, which is considered to be a safe amount to lose, you would need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories (there are 3,500 calories in a pound) over a week.

The average person burns 100 calories running one mile so if you run 2 miles 5 times a week that is 1,000 calories a week. Now say in your previous diet you ate 2,000 calories a day. If you lowered your caloric intake by 360 calories a day, over a week that would be 2,500 calories plus the 1,000 calories burned from running and you have lost 3,500 calories or one pound.

If you are someone who is serious about losing weight through running I recommend either getting a GPS watch or an electric treadmill. A GPS watch can save you a lot of time tracking your workouts while also telling you how many miles you have run, at what speed and most importantly how many calories you have burned. I highly recommend treadmills to those who can afford them. Having a treadmill inside the comforts of your own home can be extremely helpful. Having the convenience and privacy of a treadmill might just be what keeps you going on your program.

1- You don’t need to diet …

2- You’ll eat less if you slow down … place your fork and knife down between each bite, take frequent sips of water, and reduce the size of your bites. Give your body enough time to realize that you’re satisfied. By slowing down when you eat, you’ll want to eat smaller portions. It’s not necessary to eat everything on your plate, especially when you’re dining out and faced with the over sized portions that restaurants offer.

3- Don’t make any food off-limits … one of the most important weight loss tips is to allow yourself a small portion of a favorite treat occasionally. Denying yourself completely will only cause an increase in cravings.

4- Imagine your new appearance … once you reach your weight loss goal. What kinds of clothes will you wear? How will you spend your time? What will it feel like to look the way you’ve always wanted?

5- Don’t stop trying … to reach your goal because it takes time. The time will be gone anyway, but it will be so much more meaningful if you can take pride in the way you look.

6- Write down what you eat … and make sure to keep track of your calories. This will show you where you need to cut back on certain foods and drinks. It will also show you where and when you may tend to overindulge, as well as if you’re eating a properly balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

7- Don’t shop for groceries … when you’re hungry. You will buy more than you should, and you’ll most certainly eat it. We tend not to throw good food away.

8- Treat yourself with kindness … if you make a mistake or have a rough day, it’s not the end of the world. Remind yourself that you have had many good days, and know that one day of overeating isn’t going to ruin your weight loss efforts. You can always start anew the following day.

9- Get your body moving … people who have successfully lost weight and kept it off have made regular exercise a part of their life. It doesn’t have to be difficult, and you don’t need to run a marathon. As little as 20-30 minutes of walking at a brisk pace will make a big impact on your weight loss effort. By adding some resistance training twice a week, you will increase your metabolism even while you are sleeping. This will also add tone and definition, which will look great. Even small doses of activity can be quite helpful. Take the time to see where you can fit more activity in to your daily routine.

10- Give yourself a gift … reward yourself with a small incentive for every bit of weight that you lose. Some new clothing is always something to look forward to, and over time you can accumulate quite an admirable pile of money to buy new clothes for your new body!

Bonus Tip – Include lean protein with every meal … this will help you build and preserve muscle mass, which in turn will increase your metabolic rate and encourage fat burning. Plus you’ll feel fuller for longer. Healthy sources of lean proteing include fish, chicken, turkey, nut and beans. You could also try using a whey protein powder supplement once or twice a day at snack times.