How many miles to do a day for 1-2 lbs a week...

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meagandporter91
meagandporter91 Posts: 10
in Fitness and Exercise
I started working out again a couple weeks ago and was wondering how many miles I should walk/run per week to achieve 1-2lbs a week of weight loss. This is the first time I've been seriously committed to losing weight as I want to join the Navy. So far I have lost 6lbs :) I go to the gym in the mornings for at least 30-45 mins and do 20 mins or so of cardio and 20 mins of abs/weights/circuit training etc. Are there any challenges you guys recommend?

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  • DarthJennii
    DarthJennii Posts: 2
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    Speaking from personal experience, knowledge...PT in the NAVY is around 2 and a half miles ran under 12 or so minutes.
  • motivatedmartha
    motivatedmartha Posts: 1,108 Member
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    Exercise is good but, as I understand it weight loss starts in the kitchen. Use mfp to calculate a calorie deficit and then eat back calories from additional exercise (about 50% is a good idea).
  • ZenInTexas
    ZenInTexas Posts: 781 Member
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    You can run zero miles or 10. It doesn't matter. It's all going to come down to how much you eat..
  • Calliope610
    Calliope610 Posts: 3,775 Member
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    To lose 1-2lbs/wk, you need to create a weekly TDEE deficit of 3500-7000 calories. That deficit can be created by eating at deficit, exercising (and not eating back the calorie burn) or a combination of both.

    At 51yo, 5'4", 195lbs, I burn about 75calories/km of brisk (3.8-4.0mph) walking. Without changing my diet, I would have to walk 46-92km/wk or 6-12km/day (roughly 3.5-7 miles/day) to lose 1-2lbs/week.

    I eat at TDEE-500 calories and walk 2.7-4miles daily and lose about 3-4lbs/month.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,661 Member
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    Your own weight and speed will determine the number of calories burned per mile. At 148 lbs and with a top speed of roughly 6mph (10 minute miles) I would need to run 32 miles to burn off a pound of fat. That is assuming that I was eating at maintenance, and not "eating back" exercise calories. It's far easier to lose weight by eating at a slight deficit.
  • biddysaurus
    biddysaurus Posts: 160 Member
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    Personally, I can run or bike a ridiculous amount of miles and not lose weight… but when I cut my carbs down to 100-125 or so a day (which isn't restrictive at all!) and keep up my exercise, I stop dropping weight. It's been the only thing that works for me… and I've trained for and completed 2 marathons… lost only a little weight there with all that training. Cut your carbs down and see what happens. :)
  • PrairieRunner2015
    PrairieRunner2015 Posts: 126 Member
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    Loosing weight is more about the calories you eat, vs what you burn. You burn more than you eat, you loose weight. I could say run an additional 3 miles a day, but if you ate more to make up for the calories burned from running those 3 miles you wouldn't see a difference. Running/cardio can make it easier to have a calorie deficit, but the deficit is where the loss will come from.
  • meagandporter91
    meagandporter91 Posts: 10
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    Everyone, I'm extremely aware that a change starts in the kitchen. I have already deficited my calories and changed my eating habits. I was looking for an estimation to build a workout schedule.
  • Annie_01
    Annie_01 Posts: 3,096 Member
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    It is hard to say...

    Are you walk/running intervals? How fast? How long?

    Most estimates that I have found on walk or running sites is...an average 150lb person burns approximately 100 calories per mile. Interval walk/jog/running will burn a little more...according to the research that I have done. Remember though...it is only an estimate.

    To lose one pound you have to burn 3500 calories. So...if you go with 100 calories per mile...you would have to walk, jog or run about 35 miles a week...5 miles a day.

    Estimate only...
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    Exercise is for fitness ... deficit is for loss. If you've calculated your net deficit already, eat to it while accounting for your exercise burn. It doesn't matter if you do one mile or twenty per day if you don't maintain that deficit.
  • meagandporter91
    meagandporter91 Posts: 10
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    I am alternating walking/running currently. My goal is to do 5 miles a day. I workout for at least 30-45 mins/day 5 days/week. I work 11am-7pm and try to squeeze a workout in before work. My gym doesn't offer childcare till 8am. Once my new work schedule kicks in I plan to spend at least 1 hour at the gym. I also walk the neighborhood.

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