If you are looking for how much belly fat to lose in one week, you have come to the right place! Can you actually lose belly fat in a week? We all know how much stubborn belly fat is. It takes a lot of effort to lose belly fat through different steps.
Even though you might not be able to shed belly fat in a week, you can reduce overall body weight which is the first step of losing belly fat. To reduce belly fat within a week, you might have to skip meals, exercise a lot, will face physical and psychological stress, etc. and these will lead to an unhealthy life.
It will deteriorate your health, causing fatigue, ruined metabolism, malnourished hair, skin, nails, etc., and still, you won’t lose enough weight to shed belly fat.
Table of Content
How Much Belly Fat Can you Lose in a Week?
We always have a tendency to look for easier and faster ways to do a job. Weight loss is a tough job that takes a lot of time. By limiting the calorie intake and doing regular exercises can help burn calories. There are specific exercises that are dedicated to shaping the belly and reducing the excess fat that is accumulated.
In a realistic sense, it is not possible to lose belly fat in a week. However, you can reduce a few pounds in a week if you can follow a proper diet routine and also exercise.
If you run every day at a moderate speed or do exercises like – crunches, aerobic exercises, skipping, etc. regularly, you will be able to shed 500 calories per day. And in a week, you can shed almost about 3500 calories that is equal to 1 pound of fat.
Related Reading: Fastest Way to Lose Weight
So if you give more effort, you can shed 2 pounds in a week at best. Overall body fat of the body is different from that of belly fat. Belly fat contains visceral fats, which are harmful to the body and heart, and also stubborn fat. It requires a lot of effort to lose it.
How to Lose Belly Fat in a Week?
The 3 basic strategies of losing belly fat are diet, exercise, and physical activities. All of these require an intense amount of motivation to start! Who doesn’t like to eat rich foods? Exercises are the toughest part of losing weight scheme. Physical stress is what makes it harder. But once you sync in with it, nothing can stop you from being fit.
Sitting in the same place for hours while playing games or working in offices, not moving hands or legs for a long time and so many more examples that help accumulate excess fats in our body. If you at least walk a few kilometers, it will help you burn the extra fat that you take.
You can follow these steps to lose belly fat –
- Reduce refines carbs from your diet routine, but keep some to maintain the body’s works.
- Eliminate all the sugary foods, drinks, alcohol, etc.
- Drink a lot of water.
- Add more proteins to the diet.
- Exercise regularly – running, skipping, plank, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, etc.
- Try not to sit idle for a long time.
- Don’t sleep too much, adequate sleep of 6-8 hours should do the work.
- Go to sleep early, wake up early, walk regularly.
- Try to stay stress-free. The hormone cortisol, released due to stress, triggers your urge to eat more.
- Don’t skip meals, and eat less amount of healthy foods every time you feel hungry. In that way, you won’t stay hungry and also not eat extra fats.
- Introduce apple cider vinegar or avocados, lemons in the meals, etc. foods that cut out fat in the diet routine.
Maintain Your Diet
Diet is an integral part of weight loss. Calorie intake should be restricted to the extent where extra fats aren’t stored. Belly fat or abdominal fat is a matter of concern for cardiac problems.
Here’s a food chart with its calorie values for you so that you can follow to lose belly in a week –
| Days | Breakfast | Snacks | Lunch | Snacks | Dinner |
| Sunday | a) warm water. b) 1 whole egg. c)1 cup of tea/milk. | a) 1 Banana b) 1 cup plain yogurt with 2 tbsp of honey c) A glass of water | a) Salad with tomato, onion b) one cup of croutons (if not available use toasted nuts and seeds) c) A glass of water | a) Almonds b) Apples c) Fresh fruit juice | a) Cabbage soup b) 1 cup of steamed broccoli c) A glass of water with lemon |
| Monday | a) 1 whole egg b) 2 apples c) 1 cup of tea | a) 2 oatmeal cookies with raisins b) A glass of water | a) Grilled chicken salad b) One cup low-sodium vegetable soup c) A glass of water | a) One cup of grapes b) Dates | a) 1 cup mashed potato b) 1 cup cooked spinach c) 1 cup green beans d) Green tea |
| Tuesday | a) Oatmeal b) 1 cup of tea | a) 1 fresh pear b) 1 cup of flavored soy milk c) A glass of water | a) One cup brown rice b) Any type of fish curry with vegetables c) Lentil’s soup d) A glass of water | a) 1 apple b) 1 slice of cottage cheese c) 1 glass of lemon water without sugar | a) 1 cup green beans salad with tomato, onion b) 1 cup of croutons (if not available use toasted nuts and seeds) c) A glass of water |
| Wednesday | a) 1 piece of French toast b) 1 scrambled or poached egg | a) 1 apple b) 1 cup of non-fat milk | a) Cabbage b) chicken wraps c) Green tea | a) 1 fresh pineapple slice b) 4 graham crackers c) Lime water | a) Tomato soup b) 1 cup of steamed broccoli c) Green tea |
| Thursday | a) 1 piece of French toast b) 1 scrambled or poached egg | a) 1 cup sliced carrots b) 1 cup cauliflower pieces c) 2 tbsp ranch dressing d) a glass of water | a) Chicken tikka b)Tortilla or flatbread c) Lentil’s soup | a) Any fruit (except banana) b) A glass of water | a) 5-ounce sir-loin steak b) 1 cup mashed potato c) 1 cup green beans d) Lemon water |
| Friday | a) Vegetable b) omelet c) Green tea | a) 1 cup of grapes b) 1 tangerine c) 1 glass of water | a) 6-ounce baked chicken b) breast salad with tomato, lettuce, onions, chickpeas, soya chunk balls, and two tbsp salad dressing c) One baked sweet potato d) A glass of water | a) One and a half cup cottage cheese b) A glass of water | a) 3-ounce baked or grilled salmon b) Half cup black beans c) 1 cup brown rice d) Sauteed vegetables e) Water with lemon |
| Saturday | a) 1 cup of non-fat milk with cornflakes and 2 tsp of honey. b) 1 hard-boiled egg c) Herbal tea | a) 1 cup yogurt with 1 tbsp honey b) Half cup blueberries c) 1 glass of water | Flatbread | a) One fresh peach b) Half-cup strawberry c) 1 Glass of water | a) Sauteed vegetables (broccoli, chickpeas, mushroom, cauliflower, beans with less salt and olive oil) b) Lemon water |
Drink 1 glass of lukewarm water with 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar every morning 30 minutes before taking breakfast. You might not be accustomed to this type of routine following every meal. It is okay if you aren’t able to cope with the given plan and make changes as your wish!
Foods That Will Help You Losing Belly Fat
“Foods” aren’t the most tempting thing in the world? No matter how hard we try we just can’t stop thinking about foods, especially meatballs with soya chunk balls, replacing the rice and extra carbs with oats.
There is a list of foods that you can eat that aid in reducing belly fat. The foods and their nutrients are given below –
- Chickpeas – Filled with fiber and plant-based protein, immune-boosting antioxidant bloat-busting minerals. It also complements salads, soups, and other side dishes.
- Peanut butter – It is very high in protein and fibers. It provides 4gm fibers and 8gm protein per serving.
- Pumpkin – It is fibrous and rich in potassium. You can use pumpkin puree with unsweetened Greek yogurt with cinnamon and chopped pears to eat as a snack.
- Fishes – Fish contain omega-3 which is an essential protein needed for the body. You must all types of fish for a protein-rich diet.
- Plain greek yogurt – It contains probiotics that help boost immunity and in reducing belly fat.
- Oats – It is a high-fiber nutrient. Making meals with oats by replacing rice, you can cut a lot of carbs and also make varieties of delicious dishes.
- Almonds – The source of protein, and helps in cutting out the LDL a.k.a bad cholesterol.
- Olive oil – Replace your soybean oil with olive oil as it reduces inflammation due to antioxidants.
- Eggs – It has protein and fats which are healthy and can fulfill your nutrients need in the body alone.
- Lentils – Contains plant-based proteins and are highly fibrous. The fiber and resistant starch help to consume fewer calories.
Foods That You Should Avoid
Belly fat is the stubborn visceral fat that we don’t want to grow. Do you ever wonder why this belly fat grows? Why is it so hard to avoid foods that in the first place develop unhealthy fats? We always tend to like rich and unhealthy foods over healthy ones.
Some types of food you should totally avoid are –
- Sweetened beverages and alcohols: Soft drinks contain a high amount of sugar that stays in our body stored in the liver. Sugar is a carb, and carb is the reason for our weight gain. These drinks contribute mostly to your belly fat. You can just avoid drinking these beverages and your weight will start to decrease.
- Fast foods: Fast foods contain MSG or monosodium glutamate, a chemical that enhances the flavor of the food and increases our urge of eating those. As a result, you frequently eat fast foods and can’t actually resist the temptation.
- High-calorie and refined carbohydrate foods: As you have read earlier, rice being our staple food is tough to avoid as it is in our food habits. Rice is mainly carbohydrate and contains less protein. It is our main source of energy. So try to lessen the amount gradually to no rice. You can eat flatbread or brown rice as a substitute.
- Processed meat: Meat is the source of saturated fat and a lot of calories. You must limit eating meat in order to lose weight. For drastic weight loss, you might avoid eating processed meat for ex-smoked pork, sausages, bacon, etc. for a few weeks.
- Refined grain and sugar products: These foods are high in glycemic index, which can increase your blood sugar level. Examples of this type of food are – doughnuts, graham wafers, bagels, etc. and you should avoid all these.
Once you control your mind, you can take control of your body.
Exercise to Lose Belly Fat
Can you lose belly fat without doing exercise in a week? It is nearly impossible because it takes a lot of effort and physical activities to lose weight. In a week, you need to give a lot of effort to lose weight, let alone belly fat.
Some of the exercises you can try –
Aerobic or Cardio Exercise
You need to include cardio exercises daily for a minimum of 30 minutes in your routine. Cardio exercises are useful in cutting visceral fat and liver fat. Cardio exercises are –
- Walking
- Running
- Biking
- Cycling
- Swimming,
- Burpees
- Bear crawls
- Water aerobics
All of these exercises play a role in reducing belly fat and making the body fit. It helps in reducing body fat in general. Weight loss is a tricky phenomenon.
We have always heard that the more we sweat the more calories are lost.
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
The training technique includes quick exercise and intense bursts of exercise with rests in between them also called recovery periods. It increases the heart rate and thus helps burn calories faster. It takes a lot of effort to do these exercises.
Different types of movements like – pushing, pulling, squatting, etc. and there doesn’t need a lot of time. Rather it takes the lowest time but increases heart rate and improves metabolism.
Some examples of HIIT are –
- Sit-ups
- Split jumps
- Burpees
- Push-ups
- Jumping jacks
Perform these exercises at 30 seconds intervals. Do one of these for 30 seconds and then take a break of 30 seconds, then start again. By doing this, you will be increasing your heart rate also in less time you will burn more calories.
Abdominal Exercises
These exercises are dedicated to removing belly fat and shaping it. These exercises help in cutting out belly fat faster. They tone down the stomach and flatten it.
Some of these exercises are –
- 60-second planks
- Bicycle crunches
- Abdominal crunches
- Leg lifts
- Reverse crunches
- Mountain climber
Irrespective of age and gender, anyone can try these exercises to shape their belly. The waist circumference will come to perfect shape if you exercise regularly.
Weight and Resistance Training
Weight and resistance training is more effective because muscles burn more amount of calories than the body does when it is at rest. If you do these exercises, you will be able to tone your muscles and burn more fat.
Some of these exercises are –
- Lunges
- Squats
- Bicep curls
- Tricep kickbacks
- Single-leg hip raise
- Burpee with push-up
- Leg raises
Metabolic Circuits
These types of exercises involve both interval and resistance training for fitness. It is also known as Metabolic Resistance Training (MRT). It uses a lot of time to keep under pressure for 45 seconds to 60 seconds, and very little time for rest.
One such plan is given below –
- The bar is set at the thigh or hip height
- Keeping the arms straight, lean back till the straps are tight
- Keep the chest upright and then squat down
- Crack up to jump, while the straps are in tension and arms are straight
- Load and repeat
These exercises are helpful if you do these on a regular basis. It will help you tone your body muscles and reduce fat and keep the heart healthy!
Keep in mind during all these exercises, do not overdo any of them. These exercises should be done keeping stamina and energy keeping in mind. If you do excess physical exercises beyond the capacity of the body, it might affect the heart and thus the whole body.
How to Lose Belly Fat in a Week Without Exercise?
Losing belly fat in a week can be tricky without exercise. Well if you want to avoid exercises, you can try the following steps –
- Drink a lot of water – Almost 2 liters of water should be your intake. Before any meal, drink at least 1 glass of water, in that way, your stomach will be a bit occupied, and you won’t feel too much urge to eat.
- Avoid any kinds of fast foods
- Chew and eat slowly – you will be able to eat less in that way
- Fill your stomach with protein-rich and fibrous foods – salads, fruits, plain yogurts, green tea, etc.
- Sleep properly and try to avoid stress – cortisol hormone due to stress help in gaining weight
- Ban soft drinks and alcohol for the week
- Avoid eating red meats and other carb and fat-rich foods
All these are just probable ways. It takes huge dedication and effort to lose belly fat in a week without exercise as it involves maintaining a diet more.
Physical Activities
Sitting and doing nothing won’t make you lose your fat! It only stores fat in your body. movements and exercises should be in your daily routine to lose belly fat. Without doing exercises, you can improve your diet and you should be active in daily activities. For example – if you sit in a place for a long time, fats accumulate in your abdominal region.
Some activities which you can do on a daily basis are –
Walking
Walking is helpful for losing weight. It is a long process though as it gives less impact on burning calories. But if you walk regularly at a moderate pace, you might be able to avoid the extra weight gain. Set your goal to walk at least 3-4 times every week, gradually increasing the speed. It will keep your body healthy and also help in controlling diabetes.
Jogging (or running)
Jogging is a comparatively faster way to lose weight than walking. It requires more stamina and effort to run. If you run at moderate speed for 30 minutes daily for 7 days, you can lose up to 3,500 calories which is equal to 1 pound. So if you continue to run every week, and you can shed 1 pound per week, you can shed belly fat faster.
Cycling
Cycling is an effective exercise for belly fat. Cycling give direct pressure on the abdominal region. Regular cycling help in maintaining overall fitness and also increased insulin sensitivity. It helps lower the risk of heart diseases, cancer, etc. which is very common these days.
It’s an easy exercise that doesn’t involve weight-bearing and also is a low-impact exercise. The joints won’t face too much stress.
Cycling is also an enjoyable exercise. Remember how we used to do cycling every afternoon during our childhood? It wasn’t an exercise back then, rather we used to play and race with our friends as a part of our daily activities. Well, now you have to do it as an exercise.
But if you don’t enjoy losing weight, you won’t be able to stay healthy. It’s really important to stay happy and enjoy dieting and exercises in order to stay physically and mentally healthy and fit.
Swimming
Swimming is also a fun exercise to do. If you don’t know how to swim, do learn as soon as possible. It is important to know swimming for life hacks, interesting as well. You can lose from 298 to somewhat 409 calories in 30 minutes of swimming in different styles.
A Word From Wholesome Alive
If you are worried about not being able to lose belly fat, don’t be! It might take some time and a lot of effort, but it will go for sure. You just need to stay consistent and never lose hope! One important secret to losing weight is enjoying the steps of losing weight. If you don’t feel happy losing weight, you won’t be able to reduce it.
You have to stay positive, keep yourself motivated, eat healthy, stay active, try to make the diet foods tasty and in a bit different style, that way you will feel excited and monotony won’t come. Also, sleep early to avoid the urge of eating more. If you can follow any of the routines regularly you can lose belly faster than ever!
FAQs
How long does it take to lose 1-inch belly fat?
The time taken to lose weight depends on the amount of calorie intake and burn. To reduce 1-inch belly fat, you need to lose almost 1.81kg (4lb). Now we have known that in one week you can reduce 1lb, so in four weeks you can reduce 4lb, thus reducing 1-inch belly fat.
What are the signs of losing belly fat?
The signs are –
- Not always hungry
- Metabolism rate high, for which you have a good appetite
- Clothes fit
- Your blood pressure is normal
- You don’t feel too heavy
- Mood improves
- Body measurements change
Why does my belly fat not go away?
Belly fat is stubborn fat that does not go away easily like other fats. You might not be doing the exercises right, you might have physical conditions which help in accumulating belly fat, you are stressed or not sleeping properly, you are demotivated. All these can be the reasons for you not being able to remove your belly fat.
Do crunches burn belly fat?
Crunches help in shaping and toning up the belly, rather than burning the fat. It helps in getting a flat stomach. Crunches are a very useful technique to shape your stomach. But crunches don’t burn belly fat.
What causes belly fat in females?
Females have various reasons to gain belly fat which can be –
- PCOS
- C-section delivery
- Poor diet
- Stress
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Menopause
- Genetics
- Not enough sleep
- Physical inactivity
