Comment by alfiedotwtf

How far are you running total, both per run and per week?

Running will absolutely help your health, but on its own it's unlikely to get you thin. It's hard to burn enough to make a big difference without it chewing your body up in other ways - especially if you're overweight and out of condition to begin with, and so a bit more susceptible to injury than skinny runner types.

Thinking of it as a calories in/out equation is counterproductive for most people, if it boosts your cardio health, gets you more active and maybe converts a bit of body fat to leg muscle, that on its own is a win.

Certainly no harm in having a swig of Gatorade every couple of km if it helps you go further, anyhow.

I guess it's the classic case of one not being able to outrun a bad diet.

If fueling during the activity stops you from overeating afterwards and possibly allows you to exercise a bit longer it is worth it, even though it seems counter productive.