Running on the treadmill is a great way to keep in shape when you want to stay out of the heat during the hot summer months. It can also be an effective way to lose weight. Exactly how much weight you lose will depend on how many calories you burn and how well you control your intake. Estimate your own monthly weight loss to see just how effective the treadmill can be for you.
Weight Loss Basics
Weight loss is a simple numbers game. If you burn the same number of calories that you consume, you'll maintain your weight; but if you consume more calories than you burn, you'll gain weight. If your goal is to lose weight, you simply need to burn more calories than you consume. To lose 1 pound of fat, you'll need to create a cumulative calorie deficit of 3,500 calories over time.
Calories Burned on the Treadmill
Your calorie burn will depend on your weight and the distance you run on the treadmill. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds you will burn approximately 119 calories per mile. But if you weigh 200 pounds, then your calorie burn will jump up to 158 calories per mile. According to the running website "Cool Running," your speed is not a significant factor in how many calories you burn. In fact, there's only a slight difference in calories burned per mile between running and walking.
Creating a Safe Calorie Deficit
According to the University of Washington, you should aim for a calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day. You can do this by adjusting your food intake and by running on the treadmill. For example, if your goal is to create a 500-calorie deficit and you burn off an additional 300 calories on the treadmill, you would need to decrease your normal calorie intake by another 200 calories to meet your goal.
Monthly Weight Loss
Based on your calorie deficit from running on the treadmill, you can estimate your monthly weight loss. For example, if you create a 500-calorie deficit, you would burn 15,000 excess calories in a 30-day month. If you divide this by 3,500, you will get the number of pounds that you can expect to lose: in this example, 4.3 pounds. If your calorie deficit is on the upper end, at 1,000 per day, then you can expect to double your monthly weight loss to 8.6 pounds. Individual results may vary, but these are the upper and lower levels for safe weight loss.