Does Running 5 Miles a Day for Weight Loss?

Are you a beginner or mediocre runner, who is thinking of running 5 miles a day to lose weight, but you are confused? Does it work or not. Is it safe or dangerous? How much weight will you lose after running 5 miles a day? All your doubts and confusion have answers in this article. So keep reading to clear all your doubts regarding running 5 miles a day.

Will I lose Weight If I am Running 5 Miles a Day?

Yes, You can lose weight if you are running daily in a disciplined way focused on your calories. For weight loss, you have to consume fewer calories as compared to your daily intake. The main goal is to burn more calories than you consume daily.

It is necessary to monitor your calories because if you run 5 miles daily and start eating junk or high-calorie foods, running 5 miles a day is just a waste of time. I know it is hard, but you can do it. You have to get out of your comfort zone.

If you lack the motivation to lose weight, check out how I motivate myself to lose weight? It really helps you in your weight loss journey.

How Many Calories is Will You Burn Running 5 Miles a Day?

Running 5 miles a day will definitely lose calories, but most people can’t easily calculate how many calories you will lose after running.

So, how do we calculate our calories after running 5 miles a day? It is estimated that a normal adult loses 100 calories a mile. But few variables create a difference in your results, like weight, speed, and running efficiency.

So if we take 100 calories a mile, we can burn 500 calories running 5 miles a day, and In one week, we will burn 3500 calories means 1 pound because 3500 calories are equal to 1 pound.

How Does Running Help You Lose Weight?

Running is an amazing to lose weight. It doesn’t require any equipment to exercise, All you need is a pair of running shoes, and you are ready to go. Anyone can do running, even if you are a beginner.

So, how does running help you lose weight? It is estimated that 3500 calories equal 1 pound, so if you want to lose weight, you need a calorie deficit of 3500 calories to lose 1 pound of weight.

Running is also a high burn rate of exercise. So running 5 miles a day has a real impact on your body. You can save deficit calories in two ways; Diet and Exercise.

Is It Safe to Run 5 Miles a Day?

You must have heard that running too long has negative effects on your body, like dehydration, soreness in leg muscles, and many more, but there are temporary effects when you start running before you are afraid to run.

Just think about the professional athletes, they are also a beginner in some point of time, but now they run more than 100 miles a week like-

Iva Barr- (Age- 87) ran 26.2 miles in the London marathon in 2015. Running 5 miles a day for this old lady is just a piece of cake.

Mo Farah- He is a professional athlete who runs twice a day, seven days a week. He completed 135 miles in a week.

Even for the youngsters running 5 miles a day is not a big deal.

So is it safe to run 5 miles a day? Yes, it is. You can run 5 miles a day without any side effects. In the initial stages of running, try to achieve a lower distance and then slowly set big targets compared to the earlier one.

Things Keep in Mind After Running 5 Miles a Day? 

The silly mistake made by runners after running is they eat more because of hunger.

They think I run miles, and my body burns a lot of calories. I deserve a little reward. So they eat more food compared to normal days, this leads to consuming more calories.

If you want to lose weight by running 5 miles a day, you have to monitor your eating. Exercise gives you results, but diet is also important to give you maximum results, So try to eat foods which help in weight loss. These are some foods that I personally eat for weight loss.

If you want to see results, you have to eat foods as recommended by nutrition. An average calorie take for a woman is 2000 calories a day, and for men, it is about 2500 calories a day. Source: (NHS guidelines)

– Monitoring your calories is not sufficient. It would help if you watched other things like-

1) As you start losing weight, your body needs fewer calories for doing day-to-day activities. This means you need to maintain that level.

2) Running builds muscle, and they are heavier than fat, So don’t be confused with it, take a measuring tape and measure your fat parts to see the results easily.

3) In the initial stage, you will lose many calories when you start running, but after your body adapts to the running habit for a long run, your body burns fewer calories.

Don’t be shocked. The average runner has less weight as compared to non-runners, who spend their spare time doing nothing.

How Much Time Does It Take to Run 5 Miles a Day

That’s a trick question; it depends on how fast you can Run. For a beginner runner, a pace of 10 to 15 minutes per mile takes 50-60 minutes to complete a 5-mile run.

If you are young and fit, you can run much faster at a pace of 7 to 8 minutes per mile. For running 5 miles a day, it takes 35 minutes to complete a 5-mile run.

If you’re a slow runner, don’t be ashamed about it because you’re still faster than those people who are just sitting on the couch. A 20 minutes per mile pace is still good.

It just takes 1 hour 25 minutes to complete 5 miles. Start slowly and try to increase that pace.

Is Running 5 miles a Day Good for Weight loss

For Weight Loss, you need to create a substantial calorie deficit. Most nutrition suggests running is the simple and best exercise for people who are beginners doing exercise.

Is running 5 miles a day good for weight loss? In fact, an overweight beginner runner will lose more weight compared to a regular runner by running.

For getting fast results, eat fewer calories than consuming calories on normal days and burn calories by running 5 miles a day. The combination of both will give a better result in your weight loss journey.

When It’s Okay To Run 5 Miles A Day

It depends on your body condition, how your body works. You can’t run 5 miles a day if you are just a beginner runner because it is too hard without pace and stamina.

So, start slow but start, try to achieve small targets like in the first day a half-mile is okay to achieve then slowly increase the distance. If you try to run 5 miles in starting days, you definitely get injured and demotivate yourself.

You can’t achieve 5 miles a day in starting because you don’t have leg strength and running efficiency.

Don’t injure yourself in the initial days because you can get an excuse for not running, try to run less distance. It helps your body to make a habit of running.

Remember, our body is designed to move just like our ancestors, migrating from one place to another to search for food shelter. In the Amazon rainforest, some people are still live this way.

When It’s Not Okay to Run 5 Miles A Day 

If you’re injury-prone, an older or heavier runner, new to running, running every day may be difficult.

Some people take more time to recover from a run and need more rest days. It doesn’t mean you can’t move. You can go walking, cycling and swimming on those days. It is a good decision to give your body a rest from running.

It’s normal to find more average runners who run 6 days a week without getting injured. At the same time, most runners will take two or three rest days, which is not essential.

Make sure you invest in a good pair of running shoes that are comfortable and of good quality, and try to change your shoes after running 500 miles. That is an average lifespan of a good quality running shoe.

Look for spongy and soft soul shoes and avoid hard ones because you need comfort to run long races.

What Should I Consume After Running 5 Miles A Day?

After running 5 miles, your body needs energy. To get that energy, you need to consume food. Remember what I said earlier, You need to eat wisely to maintain calories.

Post-workout meals should be healthy, containing high protein, plenty of carbs to increase your glycogen levels. If you don’t like these miles, I have more foods list; you can check 9 slimming world free food lists that help you burn fat.

Don’t eat unhealthy foods after running because it affects more on your body as compared to normal. Your body is like engine oil; it gives better mileage, great performance, and long life.

So, what should you consume after running 5 miles? Here are five best meals to eat after running 5 miles a day-

1. Broccoli and Penne with Chicken

This meal is packed with healthy carbs and high in protein, perfect for after long-running.

For making this meal, cook the penne first and add broccoli in the last two minutes of cooking.

While the pasta is boiling, pour some olive oil into the pan, cook the chicken in medium heat, and slice it.

Lastly, mix the broccoli and pasta with chicken and some garlic sprinkle with parmesan cheese, if you want. This meal is a healthy choice as compared to normal meals.

2. Burrito Bowl

A burrito bowl is packed with plenty of carbs and protein and has a very delicious taste. This meal is easy to make and the best meal to recover from in the long run.

Remember eating one bowl is enough; you have to monitor your calories before eating more meals.

You can use white or brown rice with pinto or black beans as the base for your burrito bowl for making this meal.

After that, add some lean protein food like beef or chicken, adding vegetables, then sprinkle sour cream, salsa, and cheese on the top.

3. Oatmeal Bowl

Oatmeal is a good source of rich cabs after being high in beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber that helps recover your body’s muscle, improves immune function, and be good for the heart.

This meal is usually taken as breakfast; Oatmeal is ideal for eating after 5 miles a day, loaded with extra protein, high carbs, and soluble fiber.

For making an Oatmeal bowl, cook oatmeal with milk, add some fruits like bananas, strawberries, or chia seeds with some dry fruits like almonds or walnuts.

Mix well, Lastly sprinkle some dark chocolate chips or sliced coconut for additional taste.

4. Asparagus and Salmon with Rice

Salmon is a good source of protein-rich in fatty acids (omega-3)

Running 5 miles a day helps you lose fat, but you need muscles to get great physical muscles. It would be best if you had protein, so the Salomon is the best source of protein to get lean muscle.

Cook salmon with 2 cups of rice and spears of asparagus for a completely healthy, high-protein meal.

5. Greek Yogurt with Granola and Fruit

Greek yogurt is higher in protein as compared to normal yogurt. 150 grams of greek yogurt gives you 15 grams of protein, whereas normal yogurt gives 5 grams of protein.

This is the only meal on this list, which doesn’t require any preparation time to cook. Take some greek yogurt, sprinkle it with fruits and granola. That’s it. Your recovery meal is ready. Eat and enjoy your delicious reward after running 5 miles a day.

Is It Beneficial Running 5 Miles a Day for Weight Loss?

If you are running to lose weight, there is a high chance of burning calories for beginners who just started running. But after you hit a plateau running, which means covering the same distance every day, your body burns fewer calories than earlier.

But don’t worry, when you achieve that kind of level, you already lose the weight you want. As your body loses weight, you get lean muscles with efficient running ability.

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