The 20 Best Foods for Weight Loss

By Lisa Dorfman, M.S., R.D., Runner's World 

This time of year, many people have resolved to lose a pound or 2. Maybe 5. Maybe more. Why? That's easy: to feel better, look better, improve their health, and run farther and faster.

However, losing weight can be surprisingly difficult. In fact, national health surveys show Americans in general are getting fatter. Sure, active people should be ahead of the pack, but many are still losing the weight-gain war. (Could these 6 Surprising Weight Loss Myths be guilty of sabotaging your efforts?)

What you need is a simple plan. Here it is, in just two parts: (1) Make a little more time to run; (2) Concentrate on a handful of dietary changes that, over the course of a year, can produce significant weight-loss results.

4 Reasons Running is Best for Weight Loss

By From the editors of Runner's World | Healthy Living 

Any exercise is good exercise, but when it comes to losing weight, it's hard to beat running. After all, running is one of the most efficient ways to burn calories and get fit without having to restrict your diet. If you're already a runner, keep on keepin' on. If you're not a runner yet but interested in losing weight, here are four reasons running can be the best exercise for weight loss. 

1. Running works even when you're at rest. High-intensity exercise like running stimulates more "afterburn" than low-intensity exercise. That is, even when comparing running with walking the same distance, studies find that running will lead to greater weight loss, most likely because your resting energy expenditure stays elevated after you run. In a long-term comparison study of runners and walkers, calories burned through running led to 90% more weight loss than calories burned through walking.