Are you struggling with some seriously stubborn belly fat? By now, you probably wonder if you’ll ever be able to work it off. Let’s face it girls: Losing belly fat doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes a hell of a lot of effort, and a hell of a lot of dedication. But is it worth it? Hell yeah! But before I show you how to lose belly fat in the quick post below, I just wanna get one thing out there. You see, a lot of women have asked me the same question:
How long does it take to lose belly fat? The truth is, I can’t answer that. No one can. How quickly you can lose belly fat - all body fat really - depends on loadsa different things. Your body, your diet, your workouts. There is no clear-cut single magical answer. There are, however, many ways to speed up your fat loss. And that’s what I’ll talk about today. So let’s find out!
Why should you lose belly fat? Visceral fat versus subcutaneous fat How long does it take to lose belly fat? How to lose weight by changing your diet How to lose weight by exercising Is there such a thing as belly fat pills?
Why should you lose belly fat?
A bit of belly fat isn’t a problem. In fact, it’s healthy for you. Fat always gets a lotta hate, but it got some positive bits to it as well. Fat provides storage for energy and it keeps you nice and warm. It also keeps your organs safe by wrapping them in a soft squishy layer of protection. Your body needs fat, and having that bit of belly fat is really totally fine. Of course, it’s all about finding the right balance. Once weight gain gets too much, stuff gets nasty. Once that little bit of excess body fat turns into obesity it can cause a lot of serious health issues. Obesity statistics from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that a shocking 42.4% of adults in the United States are obese. That’s almost half of the population! If you’re obese, you’re at a higher risk for a whole lot of scary stuff. This includes diabetes, cancer, and much, much more (
this study lists them all, if you really wanna know…) So do you notice that belly fat slowly piling up? Have you had to switch to bigger size pants a few times already? Then it’s probably time to start losing belly fat. But how do you do it?
Visceral fat versus subcutaneous fat
Your body actually has two types of fat – visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. A
Harvard Medical Study estimated that about 90% of your body fat is so-called subcutaneous fat. This fat is located just below your skin. This is the soft squishy fat you feel when you poke your tummy. The other 10% is made up of intra-abdominal or visceral fat. This type of fat sits below the abdominal wall and in sports around your organs. Now this type of fat is the one you don’t want too much of. You see, visceral fat is the one that causes all those dangerous health problems. Sooooo, why do you need to know this? Because even though you might think you’re overweight, it doesn’t mean it’s a danger to your health. Likewise, you might think you don’t have much fat, but if there’s a lot of visceral fat it can still be dangerous to your health.
How long does it take to lose belly fat?
Ok, I kinda spoiled this one already. I just wanted to be real with you from the start. There ain’t no set number of days it takes to trim off that fat and get toned. And while I’m smashing myths, there’s no magic pill or super special diet to melt your belly fat away either. Oh, and another much-heard myth that’s just big BS:
spot reduction. You can’t reduce fat in a particular spot by just focusing on that area. And yes hun, that includes your belly. Several studies (like
this one here) have tested the myth and straight-up busted it. Spot reduction doesn’t work, and that includes your tummy. What DOES work is to lose weight, which WILL reduce your belly fat. And trust me, that takes time, effort, and dedication. To lose 1 pound a person - on average - needs to burn 3,500 calories. So with some quick maths, that counts up to cutting out about 500 calories each day to drop a pound. That’s a lot of calories to cut back every day, and that’s no super-speedy fat-melting either. But that shouldn’t hold you back. Below, I’ll share some effective tips on how to lose belly fat and lose weight. You ready to burn some fat?!
How to lose weight by changing your diet
You know that whole “you are what you eat” stuff? Well, guess what, it’s spot on. If you wanna lose weight, the first thing to look at is your diet. You can go to the gym seven days a week slaving your butt off and still gain weight. Doesn’t matter how many HIIT classes you smash out if you have McDonald’s after it just ain’t happening. So think of what you eat. You need to cut out those excess calories (500 per day for 1 pound a week, remember?) to start losing weight.
Eat healthy – duh!
Sounds easy peasy, but it isn’t always. If you’re serious about losing belly fat, you need to seriously think of what you eat. Here are a few dos and don’ts. One of the biggest causes of obesity is eating too much ultra-processed food. Studies (like
this one) link this type of food with obesity, overweight, and loads of related illnesses. There’s loads of crappy stuff like this about. To give you an example of the variety of ultra-processed foods:
- White bread
- Candy bars
- Frappuccino (I know, right?!)
- Energy drinks
- Sweetened breakfast cereals
- Sodas
Yep, all of those are considered super bad for you, even something as simple as white bread! Other high-calorie foods to avoid include fast food, packaged sweets, and full-fat dairy products.
Portion control
Ah yes, a classic. Do you want to eat less? Then get a smaller portion! Instead of sharer bags of crisps, go for a small bag. Instead of a two-liter bottle of Coke buy a small one. Better yet, don’t buy crisps or Coke. Other great ways to portion control are to use a smaller plate or to eat slower. Oh, and don’t eat in front of the TV. Turns out since you get distracted you end up eating way more than you otherwise would...
Do protein shakes help you lose belly fat?
For a lot of us protein shakes are like the blood in our veins. It’s what gets us pumping and lets us smash those workouts. On top of that, they help you lose belly fat. At least, I think so, right...? No worries, the answer is yes, obvs. Protein shakes can give your body’s metabolism a big boost which helps with the extra fat burn. In fact, tons of studies (like
this one, or
this one) agree that protein shakes can help you burn more fat. It also suppresses your appetite and gives you an energy boost. Less munchin’ more crunchin’!
Can drinking water help lose belly fat?
Yep, defo. If you drink more water you’ll automatically feel fuller, which prevents you from eating more. That’s why another great tip is to fill up on water before you start your meal. In this isn’t just me saying this. In a study published in
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition researcher Rebecca Muckelbauer and her super squad found that more water intake meant more weight loss. So yeah, switch your soda for water and start losing belly fat!
How to lose weight by exercising
Now we got your diet sorted, let’s get moving!
Not-so-fun fact: Did you know that an
estimated 30% of the entire world population doesn’t exercise enough? Sad isn’t it? Time to lower that percentage! If you combine your healthy diet with enough physical exercise you’ll start dropping pounds in no time.
Workouts to lose belly fat
To be extra successful you gotta train smart. You gotta know what workouts work well to lose weight. Now don’t get me wrong. Any type of workout you do will benefit your belly fat burn, one way or another. But some of them just speed up the burn a bit. At the top of the list of workouts to lose belly fat - and with belly fat, I mean body fat in general - is
high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIT). The idea of a HIIT sesh is to have bursts of super intense exercise alternated with short breaks. A recent study published in the
Journal of Obesity found that HIIT might in fact be more effective in burning down both subcutaneous AND visceral body fat than other exercises. So does HIIT help you lose belly fat? Hell yeah! But HIIT is not the only type of workout to lose belly fat. What’s the first type of exercise you think of when you think of your belly? That’s right:
ab workouts. Even though - like I said earlier - spot reduction doesn’t work, ab workouts DO help you burn belly fat. At least, in a way. You see, abdomen workouts help strengthen those core muscles. Muscles need fuel to get fired up. And that’s where the fat burn comes in. So indirectly, ab workouts do help fat burn. But it’s no perfect belly fat workout, and doing situps all day won’t give you a flat tummy. What it will do is give you rock hard abs below your fat, which is obviously still awesome. Aside from the above, the most important thing to keep in mind is to just keep working out and exercising. And not just once a week, and not the same exercise every time. If you’re serious about weight loss, you need to hit the gym (or your home gym) and work your butt off. Even though HIIT is the most effective, you should try and mix things up. Aerobic exercises a few times a week work great to keep your body healthy, and strength training can build those muscles for that toned, powerful body.
Is there such a thing as belly fat pills?
If you want to lose belly fat, you gonna have to eat a healthy diet and work out on the reg. That’s just how it is. But this can be tough. Especially if you got a busy life juggling to-do lists and tasks and social stuff and what not - each day every day - it can be hard to find the time for it all. I know, it’s not easy. And that’s why a lot of women out there start looking for easier ways to lose weight quicker. They look for magic belly fat pills to just melt the fat of their bodies. Unfortunately, those pills just don’t exist (and if someone tells you they do, just walk away girl). There isn’t such a thing as a belly fat pill that does all the work for you. And if there is, you don’t wanna know what’s in it, or what the side effects will be. However, there ARE natural fat burner supplements that can help you achieve your weight loss goals. One such supplement is
Trimtone. The 100% natural ingredients in these supplements speed up your metabolism, raise your energy levels, and suppress your appetite to help you lose weight. Combined with a healthy, nutritious diet and plenty of exercise, Trimtone can help you burn fat faster and lose weight quicker. It’s not a miracle cure, but it is an effective weight loss aid.
Learn more about Trimtone.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, losing weight and belly fat isn’t just done overnight. You need to keep bossing those workouts and work up a sweat to really burn of that fat. Combine it with a healthy diet and a fat burner supplement like Trimtone, and I know you’ll smash your body goals! What is your body goal? I’m curious, let me know in the comments below!
