The Exact System to Lose 15-30 Pounds and Run Strong

Most runners who want to lose weight try to solve it with a 2-step plan:

1. Run more
2. Eat healthier

Seems like a good, simple plan.

But, whether it's the scale weight not budging, an injury developing, or consistency lacking, the results don't often follow as hoped for.

Many components factor into weight loss: nutrition, running, strength, and recovery being a few.

A helpful re-frame is to view these components not as separate entities, but as working together within one integrated system.

To lose your desired weight, improve in your running, and stay injury-free, it's not about gritting your teeth, muscling up, and doing more or working harder.

It's simply about bringing these components into alignment within a proven system.

What this "system" looks like will vary depending on the variables of your life schedule, nutritional preferences, equipment available, current fitness level, etc. - but some concepts remain the same.

The system has four parts:

1. Food Architecture
2. Running + Steps
3. Strength Sessions
4. Progress Tracking

Let's briefly cover each.

If you want to integrate a system like this into your life, apply here for The Runner's Weight Loss Transformation. It includes a fully personalized running, nutrition, and strength program, weekly accountability calls and check-ins, and a completely done-for-you approach so you will actually take action and finally achieve amazing results.

1) Food Architecture

Food architecture is about designing a simple nutrition structure your body can run on (pun intended) to shed fat, feel energized, and support your workouts.

It considers both your daily eating structure...

Example eating structure:

1. Three main meals
2. Two snacks
3. Last meal finished 3 hours before bed

And personalized, goal-oriented habits within this structure.

Example habits:

1. Eat slowly and mindfully (Put your fork down between bites)
2. Add a source of protein to your breakfast
3. Meal prep easy lunches on Sunday to take to work throughout the week

Establishing your food architecture creates a flexible framework for you to follow to guide your eating - as opposed to following a strict meal plan or obsessing over counting calories.

This helps you more intentionally prioritize when you eat, what you eat, and how you eat - so that results come in an enjoyable and sustainable way.

Of course, your specific architecture will massively depend on your unique goals, eating preferences, and life schedule.

2) Running + Steps

You don't need more cardio to lose fat - you need more movement.

Low-intensity, sustainable, movement.

Obviously, you'll do a lot of movement with your running routine. Here is a free 4-week run plan to help get started if you're starting from scratch.

However, since no runner should start by running 50+ mile weeks, we need to consider steps in this movement equation to both:

1. Help support fat loss
2. Build resiliency in our bones, muscles, and tendons to "on-ramp" into running injury-free

Steps are the most underrated fat loss tool for busy people.

How can you get more steps in?

Perhaps that looks like adding a walking pad under your standing desk.

Taking a stroll on your lunch breaks.

Walking the dog each morning.

Bottom line is - build the habit of consistent walking into your routine.

Walking is a low-intensity movement that will support your running and burn fat without tanking your recovery or skyrocketing your appetite.

3) Strength Sessions

Strength training will be a major driver of body composition change for your weight loss goals...

And it will build resiliency to stay injury-free in your running.

It is as close to a magic pill as you can get if you want to lose weight, stay injury-free, and support your running economy.

Combining compound movements to build lean muscle with runner-specific movements makes for a highly effective routine that accomplishes these things.

For runners wanting to lose weight, two great weekly split options are:

1. A 2-day split - 2 full body strength sessions
2. A 3-day split - 1 upper, 1 lower, and 1 full body session

This should not take much time and is about quality over quantity.

3-5 exercises per workout. 2-3 sets per exercise. 1-2 reps shy of failure. And every week, adding reps or weight for progressive overload.

That's it.

Your running will feel easier, aches and pains subside, and you'll shed fat while drastically improving body composition.

Side note: You might be thinking that both running and strength training is a big undertaking and would simply take too much time for your busy schedule. It is a commitment. However, consider that for most days, you won't be doing both. Whether it's a run or a strength day - realistically, this only looks like 25-40 minutes a day to get amazing results. With a focus on quality over quantity, this is possible.

4) Progress Tracking

If you don't track, you're guessing.

However, you don't need to track everything.

Keep it simple, and track what matters. Two main metrics worth tracking are:

1. Habit consistency

Did you add a protein source to your breakfast? Did you do your weekly workouts?

Whatever your needle-moving habits are, track them and aim for at least 80% consistency.

Yes, 80%. Consistency doesn't mean perfection.

Perfection in following your habits is not a realistic standard. You don't have to be perfect to get results - and that is great news.

2. Weekly scale weight average

Weight can fluctuate day-to-day whether that's from water, stress, or travel. But the weekly average is a more accurate metric.

Record your weight on the scale each morning at the same time, after using the bathroom.

Calculate the weekly average, then track it on a weekly basis to 

make sure it's trending in the right direction.

The Path to Results

The path to results doesn't lie in trying harder, beating yourself up from missing a workout, or working up a surplus of motivation to draw from each day.

It simply lies in building the right systems into your unique life where these four components are aligned on a path towards results.

Perfection is not required - but a simple commitment to being mostly consistent is.

By summer, you will feel lighter on your feet, be running strong and fast without injuries, and feel amazing in your body.

If you want help implementing this exact system for the next 16 weeks, apply here for The Runner's Weight Loss Transformation. 

Everything - your programming, access to myself, data tracking, is inside one user-friendly app.

We'll personalize this approach to your life, and you will be held accountable to taking action on the right habits to finally lose 15-30 pounds and do some of your best running ever.

More than that, it will set you up for a lifetime of vibrant health and consistent, injury-free running.

Talk soon,

Dr. Casey