Does walking & running help you to lose belly fat at all?

bump

"Abs are made in the kitchen"

Like this :happy:

Definately YES!!!!

I started walking Christmas Eve of last year and I haven't stopped since. My belly was, sadly, HUGE. Big enough to make my sn on here NoIJustLookPregnant!!!! I looked like a robin. I have lost 33 lbs and NINE inches off my belly. I've toned up my legs and even my arms. I went from a size 16 to a 10, can't fit into any of my old clothes and I feel great and have tons more energy. Granted, I walk about 4 miles a day on average. I started running a few weeks ago but tripped over my dog and hurt my knee and shoulder so I haven't had time to tell how much that will help. I'm still walking though (with a goal of walking 25 miles per week, 100 per month, 1,000 per year!!) and will run again when I get the ok to do so.

I'm just about ready to change my name on here because I don't look pregnant anymore! lol

YOU can do this just by walking. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise because I'm proof that it works!
You can find time to get in walks more often than you think. I never sit in waiting rooms anymore. Even if it's for my own appointment, I give them my cell phone number and I take off walking wherever. They call me when it's time for my appointment and I hurry back. I have added nearly half an hour of walking each time I've done that alone.

Eventually I plan on adding some strength exercises but it's hard since I have injuries to deal with. Until then, I'll just keep on walking! And swimming when it gets warmer out!

Good luck and <hugs> to you! YOU CAN DO IT!

Definately YES!!!!

I started walking Christmas Eve of last year and I haven't stopped since. My belly was, sadly, HUGE. Big enough to make my sn on here NoIJustLookPregnant!!!! I looked like a robin. I have lost 33 lbs and NINE inches off my belly. I've toned up my legs and even my arms. I went from a size 16 to a 10, can't fit into any of my old clothes and I feel great and have tons more energy. Granted, I walk about 4 miles a day on average. I started running a few weeks ago but tripped over my dog and hurt my knee and shoulder so I haven't had time to tell how much that will help. I'm still walking though (with a goal of walking 25 miles per week, 100 per month, 1,000 per year!!) and will run again when I get the ok to do so.

I'm just about ready to change my name on here because I don't look pregnant anymore! lol

YOU can do this just by walking. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise because I'm proof that it works!
You can find time to get in walks more often than you think. I never sit in waiting rooms anymore. Even if it's for my own appointment, I give them my cell phone number and I take off walking wherever. They call me when it's time for my appointment and I hurry back. I have added nearly half an hour of walking each time I've done that alone.

Eventually I plan on adding some strength exercises but it's hard since I have injuries to deal with. Until then, I'll just keep on walking! And swimming when it gets warmer out!

Good luck and <hugs> to you! YOU CAN DO IT!

I really wish there were a 'like' button on here (like facebook!) ... your story made me smile. And I hope you DO change your name, even though it is super cute!

In my experience, you do not have to eat clean to lose belly fat.. nor do you have to spend hours doing cardio or do specific ab workouts.

Heres what I recommend:
Moderate deficit(250-500 calorie deficit a day)
Cardio 1-2 days a week.
Heavy Lifting
1 gram of protein for each pound of lean body mass

Personally, I do not eat clean(hate veggies, eat some fruit, but for the most part eat processed "non clean foods") and the only time I do ab work is with my trainer. I lost my love handles, have a small waist and have a pretty flat stomach.

What a great idea about the waiting room! I think its time to start setting some walking goals for myself ..... keep us posted on your progress!

~ Walking is one of the most effective ways to lose weight ... once you are closer to your goal, and if you desire a " stronger " appearance ... then you should consider weight training. But, the general idea is to lose the unwanted fat where ever it may be on your body ... by implementing a good cardio ( walking / running ) ... raising your heartbeat for at least 30 min a day through a work out will increase your efforts towards weight loss.

Be sure to fuel your body with protein throughout the day and more importantly after a good workout ... you want to build the existing muscle and remain in " fat loss " mode.

Best of luck ! :flowerforyou:

It helps if you swing your arms while you walk. That twists the abdominal area a bit and helps burn more calories.

No, I'm not just being silly.

I actually do this & I feel like a moron, but my treadmill is in my garage, so no one can see me anyway!

If you do it on the sidewalk in public and smile real big and open your eyes real wide, people get out of your way and you don't have to break stride when walking in a crowd.

:bigsmile:

I hate to disagree with mrsRhughes,because looking at her is a site to behold as far as an in shape woman goes.BUT only exercise I do is walking.About 2-3 miles a day.Usually on treadmill. I mix up speeds and inclines.Never below 3.5 mph....average incline about 4.5-5%.But will take it up to 10% for 4 or 5 min until I feel like I am going to collapse.Anyhow with that said I have gone from a 42" waist to a 34" waist.Lost tons of belly fat and still losing it.I have lost a total of 72 lbs total using just walking and eating right.39lbs since I joined MFP.So yes walking does work,very well.May take a little longer but it works.I have P90X but havent dared to try it yet.

Definitely! In fact, since you're doing both, do BOTH! Look up High Intensity Interval Training that incorporates sprinting and brisk walking. Great fat burner. :happy:

I just learned SO much from this post. Thank you ALL.

As others have already said, you can't "spot reduce" fat from specific areas of your body, but getting in some cardio will reduce your overall body fat, which will mean yo ulose fat from your belly too. You CAN, however, spot-tone. Get in some cardio to reduce your fat and do plenty of abdominal work with weights etc and you'll see that belly going down. This is exactly what I'm doing and I've dropped 30 lbs and gone down a couple of dress sizes since the end of February - and the areas I see the most change in are my belly and butt.

Spot reducing and Spot Toning are the basically the same thing.. and bottom line is you can't do either.

Lift heavy, eat a deficit, do a bit of cardio and see the fat go down.. period.

For some xtra try some wrist weights.

So will it be better to start by getting fit through walkin/running until desire weight and then working on problem areas?? If this is the way.... I have alot to go :0/

You can't work on problem areas without working on everything. So, no, it isn't "better" to just walk/run until desired weight. In fact, I would say that it's better to find several activities that you really enjoy (running, Zumba, yoga, whatever) and especially to try to get a fair balance of cardio and resistance (which may vary from person to person, but don't neglect resistance) and do those throughout your weight loss. And if you still have "problem areas" when you get to your goal, you can reassess what you do, perhaps adding more resistance, especially weights, to help trim body fat. But realize that the body will take fat from where your genetics dictate first, and the proportions will be determined by genetics, too. So a pear will probably always be a pear shape (darn hips!! :ohwell:)

Thanx for the advice!!