How Long Does it Take to Lose Belly Fat?
If you are someone who’s trying to lose weight for the past week and see no difference whatsoever, there is a lot you need to know. Regardless of how hard you try, you will still need to give your body time to shed the stubborn fat in the belly that it has been carrying for years. Truth be told, although the market is filled with shed-pounds-overnight schemes, weight-loss teas, and wraps, you just can’t lose 5 pounds a night before the big party.
Losing weight, especially belly fat needs to be taken care of through a process of regular exercise, healthy lifestyle changes, and a healthy diet to make sure you are having a deficit of certain calories a day (spoiler alert: we’ll be talking about it in a while).
This is what we are going to discuss today. But first you need to know why this type of fat is harmful for you and why you must do something about it. If you are already concerned about your weight especially around the belly, you have taken the first step. The rest depends on your dedication and having faith in the fact that it _will_ happen with time. The point is to have patience when you’re trying to lose belly fat because it’s going to take a few months before you could see any positive change.
Why is Belly Fat Harmful?
The fat that accumulates around the belly is known as visceral fat. It is known as one of the greatest risk factors for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. That is why it is considered very harmful and even if the person is thin overall but has belly fat, he or she is still at risk of developing these diseases.
Losing fat from this area in the body is not easy. They say that if the belly comes out, it won’t go back. But that’s an exaggeration. If you try really hard, you can actually manage to get it back to its normal shape. Eating soluble fiber, avoiding trans fats, eating a high protein diet, and making some lifestyle changes can actually help lose weight in a short span of time.
However, one may have to wait for months before seeing any positive changes. And during this time, it is recommended to follow the above routine rigorously. One mistake and you will be back to where you started.
So, here we will look at how long does it really take to lose belly fat completely and why is it a difficult and long process.
Let’s get started.
How is Losing Fat From Belly Different Than the Rest of the Body
In case you didn’t know already, losing weight in the belly has a completely different approach than the rest of your body. In order to lose weight you must know the areas you’re triggering and how long would it take to lose weight.
That said, there are two different types of fats present in our body. They are described below.
A) the subcutaneous fat that is on pinchable fat around your hips, back, stomach and sits right under your skin; in fact, human bodies consist of 90% subcutaneous fat. Luckily, unlike the other fat, this one doesn’t harm the internal organs of the body, but it is, however, comparatively harder to lose.
B) The second type of fat is called visceral fat. Now, this is what you should be concern about. The fat forms a deep layer that surrounds the internal organs, especially the abdominal wall of the body. Having a high content of visceral fat also poses the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Although this type of fat is difficult to lose, it’s not entirely impossible. So, let’s have a look at the science behind belly fat.
The Science Behind Belly Fat
According to scientists [https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/calories/art-20048065] , you need to have a deficit of 3, 500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat since you consume 3,500 calories to gain a single pound of fat. To do that, you don’t have to starve yourself or switch to a diet that you completely loath. With a simple act of cutting down high-calorie food items like junk food and carbonated drinks and switching to healthier alternatives, you can avoid hundreds of calories a day. Along with that, you can also go for a casual walk every day after dinner for some fresh air to help you sleep at night and lose some extra gained calories too.
However, bear in mind, that you should never dip below 1, 200- 1,800 (women and men) calories a day. Losing excessive calories can put your body at risk and slow your metabolism which, in turn, will have the opposite effect on your body.
How Long Does It Take to Shed Belly Fat
Now comes the question that was promised at the begging of the blog: as mentioned earlier, you need to lose a total of 3, 500 calories to lose 1 pound. But hear me out: it doesn’t no mean you lose these many calories on a single day. To shed down 1 to 2 pounds in a week, it’s safe to have a deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories.
Along with that, while you are aiming to lose fat try to increase the muscle weight to replace the unhealthy mass with a healthy one. Experts recommend measuring your waist circumference to track your belly fat progress.
How to Lose Weight
Alright, if you’ve reached till here, we can assume two things about you:
- You’re planning to set weekly targets about your body and;
- are about to hop on to another site that can help you come up with ways to achieve that.
Well, if that’s righte’ve good news for you. To help you in your weight loss journey we have compiled everything you may need to reach your ideal body appearance. Therefore, get yourself a pen and a notebook and start jotting down the things that we are about to mention (to be honest, screenshots would work just fine as well).
As you already know, diet and exercise go hand in hand to reduce not only belly fat but overall give you the desired body shape as well. Here are some of the changes you need to make in both categories to see a dramatic change in your weight.
Dietary Measures
Dietary measures do not necessarily have to be your worst nightmare, which is probably the reason why you never started losing weight earlier. In reality, the concept of a healthy diet consists of eating foods that are high in protein and less in carbohydrates or calories. So yes, you’re allowed to snack on your favorite egg, bacon, and cheese breakfast. Proteins have numerous nutrients that build lean muscle and keep you full for longer periods of timereventing you from binging on unhealthy food.
Protein-rich foods are also packed with metabolism-boosting properties that speed up the weight loss process. Some of the food with high protein include:
- Fish
- Eggs
- Tofu
- Full- fat cheese
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Olive oil
Where carbs, on the other hand, do the opposite for your body. Hence, go for carbohydrates that are high in fiber and low in calories. How you can do that? Simple, incorporate the following foods in your diet:
- Avocado
- Whole grains
- Certain fruits and vegetables like berries (lots of them)
Workout
Here comes another vital part. To burn fat, instead of going for specific workouts like crunches, situps, and planks, opt for full-body cardio like running, swimming, aerobics, or other strength training exercises. This is because spot exercises focus on toning your muscles without actually getting rid of the fat stored in that area. Traditionally, it is recommended that you alternate with strength training and cardio 5 times a week for _at least_ 30 minutes a day.
But what if you don’t feel like working out every day? You can opt for your favorite sports classes with your friends and family to make this whole process healthy and enjoyable. Plus, who doesn’t like sweating out in boxing classes 3 times a week?!
Takeaway
If you are looking for a straightforward answer to how long does it take to lose belly fat, you need to know that it’s not an overnight process, nor does it involve anything simple. You will have to follow a rigorous diet and exercise plan for months at a stretch to see any visible results. Expect to wait for at least 6 months before seeing any difference.
All in all, losing fat is indeed an on-going process rather than something you do for a few months and expect to be in the same shape forever. It is therefore essential that you make up your mind and switch to a lifestyle that will maintain your health on a long-term basis. Inevitably, other than obvious workout routines and dietary changes, you must cut down unhealthy lifestyle choices like smoking and laziness to speed up the whole belly fat reduction process.
