Running is one of the very best ways of shedding unwanted weight. Only cross-country skiing tops running’s calorie-burning capacity – but you’re probably more likely to have a pair of trainers than a pair of skis.

Read on for the right ways to run – and eat – to get the very best out of your body.

Enduring Questions: What’s Your Ideal Weight?
Start here - lock on to your weight-loss target by working out your ideal weight.

The best way to lose weight is simple – just make sure your calories out are higher than the calories in. But the devil’s in the detail, so why not follow a tried-and-tested weight-loss plan? Our diet and exercise plans were designed by nutrition and sports science experts and will lead you through the kerfuffle of calorie-counting.

Best Healthy-Eating Plan ( non-subscriber preview)
Get back on track with this healthy, whole-foods approach.

The Making of a Healthy Diet ( non-subscriber preview)
Five healthy eating plans based on solid research that’ll fuel your running.

Weight-Loss Week
Kick off your new start in style with a week’s worth of top tips.

Loss Highway
Three plans that’ll get you a bit thinner, a lot healthier and fit enough to run a marathon.

If following a plan seems like too much, try dropping in a few of these top tips to your daily routine - you'll soon see the difference.

Kicking the Habits
Overcome your nutritional niggles to get the best out of your training.

Combat The Fat
Leave bad nutritional habits behind with ten simple points to tick off.

Tipping The Scales
A whopping nine weight-loss strategies to help you shift those unwanted pounds.

Losing Weight - The Simple Truths
How to shape up - and stay sane – just follow eight simple eating rules and stick to the best training for weight-shedding.

Your Loss, Your Gain
Tired of lugging that extra weight around? These 30 tips are guaranteed to help shift it.

Burning Desire
Rev up your metabolism and burn calories without even thinking about it.

Take these tips next time you’re cruising the supermarket aisles and make your diet work for you. A few clever food swaps here and there mean you can eat the food you fancy without piling on the pounds.

Swap Shop: Easy Ways to Enhance Your Diet
Have your cake (or buns, or tea) and eat it with these easy food swaps.

Eat Smarter: 10 Simple, Healthy Food Swaps
Make some swaps in your food shop and work wonders for your health.

Good, Better, Best: 10 Snacks and Meals for Runners ( non-subscriber preview)
Make the most of your nosh – plump for the healthiest options.

Tasty Tips (non-subscriber preview)
49 of our best-ever ways to make healthier eating choices.

Amazing Graze
Get stuck in – it’s the 21 best snacks for runners.

Make the most of your running to burn off even more calories. These training tips will make sure your running keeps pace as the pounds drop off.

RW experts answer your common weight-loss questions.

Am I too heavy for my height?
How can I spread my weight loss?
When is the best time to burn calories?
Does a faster runner burn more calories?
Why have I got an ever-expanding waistline?
Can I lose weight on 2000kcal a day?
How can I burn off the alcohol I drink?
I'm very active, so why does my Body Mass Index show that I'm obese?
Will my weight make me more prone to injury?
Can a heart rate monitor help me lose weight?
When I run more I eat more. How can I lose weight?

Our busy, friendly forums are at the heart of the UK running community, and it’s safe to say that weight loss is a recurring theme.

Start your own thread, or check out long-running threads like The Long Green Tape Measure and Too fat to run now to see what others runners are chatting about. Another handy thread to try is the bustling Losing it with Nam and Bear. With 39,000 replies, it’s packed with support from encouraging fellow forumites.