How Long Does It Take to Lose Belly Fat?
Almost three-quarters of Americans have too much belly fat. If you're one of them, it might seem like getting rid of it is impossible.
Fortunately, that's not true. We dive into the science behind belly fat to help you see why it's there in the first place, how to get rid of it, and how long until you can expect to see results.
Key Takeaways
- You can start losing belly fat within a week with the right techniques.
- Diet and exercise are the two most important factors in losing weight and supporting overall health.
- Many people also swear by supplements and sweating.
- The most important thing is consistency, so make sure to prioritize overall wellness rather than attempting anything extreme.
See Related: Does Sweating Help You Lose Weight?
How Long Does It Take to Lose Weight?
Carriejune, founder of Minibeast, says:
"Losing belly fat takes time. How long exactly varies. Weight loss can start within days, may be noticeable within a few weeks, and should be evident within a few months."
If you're trying to lose belly fat, you're not alone. A majority of Americans say they want to lose weight.¹
Research suggests that many people could benefit from a little weight loss. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 72% of American adults are overweight or obese.² One 2025 study that used an alternative definition of obesity concluded that 70% of US adults are obese.³
Too much weight and too much fat can create serious health risks.⁴ It increases the risk of developing many different health conditions and can negatively impact your quality of life in all manner of ways.⁵
Of course, you probably know all that already. But did you know that belly fat can be particularly bad?
Fortunately, there are clear, research-backed ways to reduce belly fat. Even stubborn belly fat should fall in the face of these tried and tested methods.
We'll cover them in a moment. First, we need to explore what makes belly fat so unique.
Bonus: What Are Scrunch Leggings and Why Do You Need Them?
The Biology of Belly Fat
Believe it or not, fat actually serves a crucial purpose. It's how our bodies store energy. If food becomes scarce, body fat becomes essential for survival.
When burning fat is a matter of life or death, our bodies obviously want to be as efficient as possible. In that context, the midsection is a great storage space. It's close to most of our vital organs and major blood vessels for easy access.
Unfortunately, our bodies will store fat regardless of whether we really need to or not. You might not expect to ever need to go without food, but your body doesn't know that. For all it knows, the fat it stores could be the thing that saves your life in the future.
Types of Belly Fat
When it comes to belly fat, there are actually two main kinds.
The first kind is called subcutaneous fat. That's the layer right underneath your skin. You can poke it, pinch it, maybe even grab it.
In most people, subcutaneous fat makes up about 90% of total body fat.
The second kind of belly fat is called visceral fat. It's stored deep inside your body, where it surrounds vital organs like the liver and gut.
Unlike subcutaneous fat, you can't feel visceral fat. But it's actually the more dangerous kind of fat.
Excess Belly Fat
You might think of fat as a passive thing. It just sits there, waiting to be used, right? Not so fast.
Visceral fat is quite active.
For example, research shows that visceral fat can release inflammatory molecules into the bloodstream. These molecules can undermine the health of major organs, including the liver and brain.⁶
Secrets of a Flat Stomach
Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to slim your stomach.
Cut Calories
The most important factor in losing fat, including belly fat, is calories.
Calories are a measure of energy. We use them to describe how much energy food or drinks provide, and how much energy our bodies burn during normal activity or exercise.⁷
When we consume more calories than we burn, our bodies tend to store the excess energy as fat. But when we burn more calories than we consume, the opposite tends to happen. That's called a calorie deficit.
Research has shown that a calorie deficit can result in the loss of fat stored throughout the body, including abdominal fat. For example, in one study, overweight participants put on a calorie deficit for six months lost almost one-quarter of their fat mass. And they lost 27% of their abdominal visceral fat, specifically.⁸
Consuming fewer calories can mean a larger deficit, which in turn can cause faster weight loss. But you don't need a crazy deficit at all. As one doctor explained to the BBC, consuming just 200kcal less than the daily requirement should cause the body to lose more than a pound within a month.
That doctor also noted that calorie deficits are not appropriate for people who are underweight. If you're underweight, consult with a medical professional.
Crafting a good meal plan can be tricky, especially if you never learned how to do it. If you're unsure, consider Minibeat's 100% Custom Meal/Diet Plan. Let Carriejune, with her nutritionist, design a custom meal plan tailored to your specific goals, whether that's fat loss, muscle gain, or both.
Exercise Routine
Your body burns calories passively. It takes a lot of energy just keeping things running. Scientists call this our basal metabolic rate.
Exercise also consumes calories. It's also important for supporting overall health. So while you could theoretically lose belly fat passively, it's generally recommended to combine diet with exercise.
Research has also found that exercise can help with belly fat loss. For example, one study found that a three-month workout program helped obese participants lose belly fat, in part because muscles released specific signal molecules during the exercise.⁹
A massive review of a dozen studies found that long-term exercise reduced visceral belly fat by over 7%. The review also concluded that exercise intensity was "significantly associated" with fat loss.¹⁰
And what if you combine diet and exercise? One 2025 study followed several thousand participants over a number of years. Researchers found that people who improved their diet and exercise had, on average, gained almost 2kg less body fat — and 150g less visceral fat — than people who did neither.
There's more. "Improving both diet quality and physical activity was linked not only with less weight gain," one researcher explained, "but also with a healthier pattern of body fat distribution."¹¹
Core Exercises
We mentioned how exercise has additional benefits beyond weight loss. One of those potential benefits is muscle mass.
If you want to improve muscle tone and strength in your midsection, core exercises are the way to go. They can help improve posture and make the midsection appear tighter.¹²
Minibeast's All Inclusive Shredding Program gives you everything you need to get started on your fat-burning, muscle-building journey. You get access to the Minibeast app with new workouts every month, a private support group with nutritionists and trainers, and much more.
This is the program Carriejune uses to lean out. It offers a wide range of diet and training options to help make it realistic and maintainable, which is the most important aspect of long-term fat loss. People who follow this program have typically lost between 8 and 15 pounds per month.
Supplements
The above techniques might sound simple on paper, but they can be tricky in practice. Fortunately, supplements can help keep us on track and provide additional potential benefits.
Take Minibeast's Extreme Fat Burning Stack. The key ingredient is Lyzme 5, a patented lipid metabolizer that helps your body break down fat cells. It works with your body to convert stored fat to usable energy.
That potent compound is blended with other powerful ingredients.
Minibeast's Shreds 2.0, the daytime fat burner, includes stimulants like caffeine to help you lock in during exercise. Natural compounds help reduce cravings to keep you on track.
It also includes L-Carnitine. One review of dozens of studies concluded that supplementation with L-Carnitine "significantly decreased body weight," with participants losing over a kilogram, on average.¹³
You'll find both Lyzme 5 and L-Carnitine in Minibeast's Overnight Shredzzz Extreme, an aggressive overnight fat burner. They're blended with natural ingredients like melatonin and GABA to help you unwind and relax. Ingredients like white kidney bean extract and gymnema sylvestre help you avoid those late-night snack cravings.
Pair the Overnight Shredzzz Extreme with our MB Heat. This fat-burning cream is science-based and sweat-amplifying, made with thermogenic ingredients that generate real heat.
Sweating
When we sweat, our bodies can literally pump out liters of water. That can result in temporary water weight loss.
For example, one study found that yoga practitioners lost almost 2% of their body weight by sweating.14 Professional fighters might use sweating to lose up to 8% of their body weight during pre-fight cuts.15
Sweating also has several other potential benefits, including supporting skin health and cardiovascular function.
One way to boost sweating is Minibeast's Thermo Waist Trainer. An advanced thermogenic lining promotes sweat in the midsection, while the structure of the trainer offers support and stability. For firm compression while exercising, we recommend using the Minibeast Waist Trainer, ideal for working out.
Conclusion
Cutting belly fat takes time. How long depends on what, exactly, you're doing to support weight loss. In general, it takes several weeks to lose a noticeable amount of belly fat.
Remember, all kinds of exercise, and really every kind of worthy goal, take time, effort, and patience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Exercise Burns Belly Fat the Most?
Research suggests that high-intensity interval training, or HIIT, is one of the most effective exercises for burning fat. But many different types of cardio exercise can help, from walking to running to swimming to biking and beyond.
What Is the 3-3-3 Rule for Fat Loss?
The 3-3-3 rule is a simple guide for losing weight through consistency. It calls for eating three healthy meals without snacks in between, drinking three liters of water before the evening, and engaging in three hours of physical activity per week.
What Are the Signs That You Are Losing Belly Fat?
The most obvious sign you're losing belly fat is a visibly smaller waist. That can cause your clothes to stop fitting properly.
Less obvious, but still important signs, including improved metabolic health, improved energy levels, less bloating, and improved mood. Your doctor may also notice a difference if they process lab results.
Keep Reading: The Best Home Gym Equipment, Tried and Tested
Sources
- Half of Americans Want to Lose Weight
- FastStats - Overweight Prevalence
- Researchers report ‘astounding’ obesity surge in U.S. — Harvard Gazette
- Consequences of Obesity
- Health Risks of Overweight & Obesity - NIDDK
- Adipose Tissue, Whole-Body Energy Expenditure, and Thermogenesis in Healthy Adult Men
- Calories - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf
- Effect of Calorie Restriction with or without Exercise on Body Composition and Fat Distribution - PMC
- How exercise reduces belly fat in humans | ScienceDaily
- An exercise program to reduce abdominal visceral and subcutaneous fat in adults with overweight and obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials - ScienceDirect
- Fat loss: Study finds diet, exercise combination may be most effective
- Taking aim at belly fat
- Effects of l-carnitine supplementation on weight loss and body composition: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 37 randomized controlled clinical trials with dose-response analysis - PubMed
- Salt and water balance after sweat loss: A study of Bikram yoga - Alrefai - 2020 - Physiological Reports - Wiley Online Library
- How To Safely Cut Weight in Combat Sports: Smart Strategies for Peak Performance
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