There is no clear answer because no one is the same.

Many variables determine the time it takes to reach your ideal body.

But if you have the drive, the work ethic, and the right mindset, you can do it in less than a month.

Find out why belly fat can kill you and how you can melt 84 pounds of fat in 21 days by clicking here.

Table Of Contents

How long does it take to lose belly fat? The short answer

How long does it take to lose belly fat? The short answer

So, how long does it take to lose belly fat? The short answer is, it varies.

People are different, after all. Different body types, different mindset, and if they are anything like me, love food too much.

You see, there is no set time to how long it takes to lose belly fat. It could take days, months, to years.

I know some people who have been chipping away at their belly fat for 11 months and still have a way to go.

A friend of mine has the body made for muscle building and can burn his belly fat in less than a month.

Again, everyone is different. The variable to answer your question, “How long does it take to lose belly fat?” is you.

The Science of losing belly fat

Now, it is probably a good time to tell you about the Science behind losing weight. It’s quite basic really, and once you know this, you’ll be closer to your goal of chiseled six-pack abs.

First of all, losing weight is all about energy in and energy out. The energy, also called calories, comes from the food and drinks that you put in your belly.

If you put more than you take out, you will gain weight. On the other hand, if you use up more energy than you take in, you will lose weight and fat.

You lose weight, you lose your belly fat. Simple right?

To determine how much calories you are eating or drinking, you can do the following 4-4-9 method:

Look at the nutrition information from the packet or Google it.
Take note of the carbs, fat, and protein content.
Multiply the carbs and protein by 4.
Multiply the fat by 9.
Add them all up, and you get your calories.

There is an easier way. You can download an app that will keep track of everything for you.

I found that the 4-4-9 method is sometimes useful when some packaging does not provide the number of calories. But I seldom use it. The apps available and google can do everything for you.

What you can do to take energy out for weight loss

Your body is in constant need of energy for it to function. So, even if you are doing nothing, you are losing energy.

But the energy you lose while sedentary is minuscule compared to being active. So, be active if you want to lose weight and have sexy six-pack abs. To stay active, you should exercise.

Exercise

Join the gym, go for a swim, or even go shopping. Shopping, or window shopping for me, involves plenty of walking. And if you are the type that loves shopping, you’ll never get bored.

I remember the time when we went on a holiday to the Philippines, and I did not gain any weight at all.

Previously, I would put on 5 kilos or more after a 2 week holiday. The difference this time is that we did so much walking that we worked off the food.

You see, it’s all about spending all that calories you ate. What better way to use calories by shopping or sightseeing?

Here are my go-to exercises that can melt fat off your belly.

Walking

My favorite exercise to lose my belly fat is walking. Walking is very friendly to your joints and also great for beginners.

If you have been reading my blogs, you know I have a problem with my knees from playing too much basketball.

That’s why I always look for cardio that is not too taxing on my knee joints. Moreover, I am now 40 years old. Perhaps, giving up PG position for the bench is best.

Walking doesn’t involve any expensive equipment if you don’t have the money. I do recommend a treadmill when the weather is not the best.

Walking outside and enjoying the outdoors is less of a bore. But I own a treadmill when it’s raining cats and dogs.

Swimming

Swimming is excellent for the hotter months. Swimming works out almost your major muscles from chest, shoulders, abs, to your legs.

You will also feel like you are not sweating at all because the water flicks the sweat off your body. Leaving you feeling fresh and not smelling like used socks after a workout. You might smell like chlorine though.

Shadowboxing

You don’t need any equipment to start shadowboxing. You just need your hands and feet. Even if you don’t have legs, you can shadowbox. Just watch this seated boxing video, you can do this!

Shadowboxing is also a good workout for your upper body, and it’s not boring. Imagine punching stress in front of you? Isn’t that fun?

I use shadowboxing to relieve stress. I just imagine my “stress” right in front of me, and I go all out!

To start shadowboxing, you need to learn the basics of boxing, where you integrate your body to punch and not just your arms because no one gets knocked out with an arm punch.

But you don’t need to punch someone out. You just need to look like you know what you are doing, so the “Pro” doesn’t look at you funny.

You can check out this youtube channel to start your boxing career:

There are more exercises which you can do to help you lose belly fat. The following are articles which go into more details:

By far, exercise is the best way to put your body in a caloric deficit. However, you can also do the following to lose extra calories:

Reduce normal meal
Eat clean
Drink clean

Reduce normal meal

Eating moderately will make sure you never go over your recommended daily calories. To do this, half the portion that you are currently eating.

So, if you usually have a whole chicken breast for lunch, half that. And if you normally accompany your meals with high-calorie beverages, you are drastically cutting a significant amount of calories you are ingesting, which leads me to my next point.

Eat and drink clean

If your regular diet consists of junk food like Big Mac with fries and a coke. You are eating more calories than you should.

According to McDonald’s website, a medium Big Mac meal has 1080 calories.

What if you replace your Big Mac with 2 scrambled eggs?

What if you replaced fried with 10 tablespoons of rice?

What if you replaced coke with water?

Do you know how much fewer calories you are consuming when you eat and drink clean?

2 large scrambled eggs = 182 calories

1 cup of rice = 245 calories

1 cup of water = 0 calories

Total = 427 calories

When you only have eggs and rice with water compared to a Big Mac meal, you are reducing your calories by more than half.

Big Mac’s meal calories of 1080 to only 427 calories is a significant amount.

If your diet is generally filled with junk foods from MacDonald’s, Hungry Jack’s, or In ‘n Out, you must start the change today.

Conclusion

How long does it take to lose belly fat? Well, there is a variable, and that is you. There are different body types, mindset, and circumstances.

So, there is no fixed time to lose belly fat. What works for someone may not work for you.

But one thing remains certain. To lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit. It is up to YOU to keep putting out the work.

There are many methods to put your body in a calorie deficit state. You can exercise, reduce meal sizes, eat, and drink clean.

I recommend exercising to lose weight. It’s hard, it’s sweaty, you’ll be in tears, but the reward is life-changing.