Does Running Burn Stomach Fat

Does running burn stomach fat? Great question, especially with the start of the new year as people want to get in the best shape of their lives. What makes me qualified to talk abut this? I’ve lost 50 pounds twice in my life, the first time I lost the weight by primarily running.

I’m also a pharmacist (we don’t just count pills and are more educated than you might think), so I know a little about health!

This article will tell you everything and more than you could want to know about running to lose belly fat!

2024, we made it. Weren’t we all supposed to die in 2012? Anyone remember that movie, 2012? The world was just supposed to crumble. Well, 12 years later and we’re still here. Good times.

Alright, does running burn stomach fat? How long does it take to lose stomach fat running? Does running reduce thig fat? Can you lose weight running every day? Will running 3 times a week help lose weight? All great questions!

As I said before, I’ve lost 50 pounds using running as my primary source of cardiovascular activity (cardio). So I know a bit about it.

The simple answer is, yes, running can help you lose stomach fat.

Losing fat is a little more complex than just running though, so, I’ll talk about everything you need to know to lose stubborn fat!

This post will be all about, does running burn stomach fat!

As I said in the introduction, running will definitely help you lose stomach fat. I’ve personally lost 50 pounds utilizing running. Now, for me when I say running, I mean jogging. Not sprinting.

There are other factors you need to keep in mind though. I want everyone to have realistic expectation. Even though I lost 50 pounds, I could have done it better. It goes beyond just the running part of it.

1. Targeting Fat

How do you target your stomach fat? Fantastic question! You can’t. Sorry to burst your bubble. You can do all the stomach exercises you want or whatever, you CAN’T TARGET WHERE YOUR BODY LOSES FAT FROM.

When you run, or perform ANY FORM OF CARDIO, you will eventually start losing weight; you have to couple running with a caloric deficit as well. We’ll talk about that in the next section.

You’ll lose fat from all areas of your body, this includes your stomach as well. It all depends on your genetics. People hold fat in different areas of their bodies more than others. Now, you can work your core to strengthen it. When you lose weight, you’ll be able to see your abdominal muscles.

So the simple answer if, you will lose stomach fat from running. You can use any form of cardio if you don’t like running.

Take it slow, don’t just start out trying to run 60 minutes a day to start off with if you’re completely new to running. Start off with whatever you can do, whether it’s 20 minutes a few times a week or even 10 minutes. DO WHATEVER YOU CAN DO. Then, increase each of your running sessions (or cardio of your choice) by 10 minutes every week.

In my article, Fat Loss Diet Example to Lose Fat Mindlessly: Current Diet and Training Regimen 2023, under section 5, I go through EXACTLY how I increased my weekly cardio sessions last time I went on a diet to lose 20 lbs. I went very slow.

Just keep at it, it doesn’t happen in a few days. It takes weeks, months or even years. When I lost 50 pounds, it took me around 6 months (not knowing what I was doing). It’s all about CONSISTENCY. You have to workout even when you don’t feel like it.

2. Caloric Deficit

Yes, we are going to talk about diet.

I can’t emphasize how important this is and talk about this in so many of my posts. I sound like a broken record, but, YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THIS.

You could run a million miles a day, but if you’re eating more than your body requires even after running a million miles, you will gain weight. You can’t out run a bad diet.

Now, this doesn’t mean you should starve yourself. That’s a mistake I made and it made the entire process much more difficult..

Figure out how many calories your body needs. I can an entire article in detail as that’s a topic by itself: Everything About Calculating Calories. Yes, sorry I’m making you read more; it’s so incredibly important though.

Then, lose no more than 0.05%-1% of your body weight per week. As an example, if you weigh 200 pounds (lbs), that’s losing around 1-2 lbs per week.

You slowly decrease your calories every week which I talk about in my post. Don’t be an idiot and just drop your calories super low right away.

The diet part is arguably more important than the running, or any form of cardio, itself.

Track your food intake as well. I use a food scale to weight my food and MyFitnessPal to track my calories. Here’s a link to both

3. Do You Need To Run To Lose Stomach Fat?

Does running burn stomach fat? Does running burn belly fat and love handles? As you can see, running can help burn fat from any area; it doesn’t directly burn stomach fat, love handles or anywhere for a matter of fact though (nothing does)! Along with a proper diet, you’ll be well on your way to losing weight. Now, you can just use diet to lose weight, but, physical activity has an endless amount of benefits.

If you’re interested in reading about those to motivate you to get in shape, read my post Physical Fitness: 6 Things Everyone Needs to Know To Lose Stubborn and Unwanted Fat. These benefits are not only physical, but mental as well.

How long does it take to burn belly fat by running? that depends on many different factors such as how much of calorie deficit you are in and how much you are running. Remember, take it slow and be patient. You don’t have to go full blast and burn yourself out right away.

Can you lose weight running everyday? Will running 3 times a week help lose weight? Can I lose weight by running 30 minutes a day. The answer to all these questions is yes. You have to make sure to be in a CALORIC DEFICIT. Once again, take it slow and don’t try to be superman. You’re not getting an award, I think anyways.

If you enjoy a different form of cardio, do that! You don’t have to run. You can go out for a walk, go on the elliptical, bike, swim, walk away in shame after getting rejected from your crush or whichever form of cardio you like!

That’s it for this post! Hope you all had a great New Year! Make this year count! This post was all about does running burn stomach fat!

Disclaimer: I’m not your doctor. Please consult your doctor, nutritionist or any health care professional before making any changes in your own lifestyle. These blogs are just me sharing my knowledge for you reading entertainment purpose only. None of this is medical advice.

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