How to Lose Weight in 60 Days on a Treadmill

The treadmill is an effective way to exercise indoors.
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Hitting the treadmill is a great way to get in shape, and if you monitor your calories, it can also be helpful in losing weight. There are no quick fixes in the world of fitness, but treadmill running can give you results even in a short two-month period. Over the course of 60 days you can expect to healthily lose as much as 17.5 pounds of fat if you create a safe calorie deficit by running on the treadmill and eating a healthy diet.

    Step 1

    Run on your treadmill for more than one hour and 15 minutes per week. This is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommended level of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity to maintain weight. Increasing your activity level beyond this will help you lose weight and, according to the CDC, it will increase the general health benefits.

    Step 2

    Track the number of calories you burn on the treadmill. Most treadmills will have a built-in calorie counter, but you need to calibrate it to your specific weight to get an accurate figure. Alternatively, you can use a heart-rate monitor with a calorie counter. For a point of reference, a person who weighs 160 pounds will burn about 365 calories by running for 30 minutes at a speed of 6 miles per hour.

    Step 3

    Estimate your daily calorie requirements to maintain your current weight at your current activity level. Your physician or dietitian can tell you your daily caloric requirements, or you can estimate it yourself using the Mayo Clinic's online calorie counter.

    Step 4

    Create a daily calorie deficit. A calorie deficit is when you burn off more calories than you consume. For instance, if you have a daily caloric need of 2,000 calories and you burn off an additional 400 calories on the treadmill, then you would need to consume fewer than 2,400 calories to create a deficit. You should aim for a deficit of between 500 and 1,000 calories per day. You need to burn 3,500 calories to lose a pound of fat, so you can expect to lose between 8.5 and 17 pounds over the course of 60 days at this rate.

    Tips

    • Increase your calorie burn by increasing the intensity of your workouts. Do this by increasing the incline on your treadmill to simulate hill training, by increasing the speed of the treadmill or by doing interval training in which you alternate between fast running and jogging.

    Warnings

    • Consult your doctor before beginning any weight-loss or exercise plan. Your doctor can tell you if your plan is healthy for your own personal needs.

    Things You'll Need

    • Heart-rate monitor (optional)

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