Yes. You can definitely lose weight while training as a runner.
It helsp to understand when and how to do it. Let me explain.
For most runners, the best place to start is cleaning up their diet and eating habits. When nutrition quality improves and fueling becomes more intentional, losing a bit of excess body fat often happens naturally, supported by the training they’re already doing.
If you decide to cut calories, keep the deficit small and limit it to your base phase. That’s the only time when training stress is low enough for your body to tolerate it. High-intensity blocks and long-run days must be fully fueled. Under-fueling those demanding sessions doesn’t speed up weight loss—it blunts fitness gains, increases injury risk, and significantly raises recovery cost.
Big efforts require energy. If they aren’t fueled properly, you simply accumulate fatigue without gaining meaningful training benefits. Over time, high fatigue levels can also impair immune function, increasing the risk of frequent upper respiratory infections (colds).
Sleep and life stress matter more than most runners want to admit. Prioritize restorative sleep and manage daily stress as best as you can. When you’re chronically tired, stressed, and under-recovered, your body shifts into protection mode. Recovery slows, appetite regulation becomes erratic, and food choices often worsen—making weight loss difficult, if not impossible.
The goal isn’t to be lighter at all costs.
The goal is to be a fitter, leaner, and more durable runner.
Consider strength training. It supports both running performance and body-composition goals by protecting muscle mass, improving tissue resilience, which in turn reduces injury risk. Keep protein intake high, especially when overall calorie intake is slightly reduced.
Most importantly, understand that losing weight while training as a runner should be a gradual process. Sustainable progress comes from consistency, not crash dieting. If weight loss starts to compromise training quality, recovery, or enjoyment of running, it’s no longer helping—it’s holding you back.
Note of Caution
For individuals with very high body weight, starting with running right away can place excessive stress on joints and connective tissue. In those cases, it is usually safer to focus first on reducing body weight through nutrition changes and low-impact activities (such as walking, cycling, or strength training) before taking up running.
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Cover image created with AI.