A Fitness Coach Explains Why You’re Still Not ‘Losing Belly Fat’ Despite Doing Cardio: ‘Not Going To Be Sustainable’
January 24, 2025 by Mariam Qayum
Weight loss is a goal many people strive for, and cardio is often one of the first strategies they turn to. While cardio exercises like running or cycling are excellent for burning calories and improving heart health, they’re not always the most effective standalone solution for weight loss.
Many people find that despite consistent cardio sessions, the scale doesn’t budge.
Believe it or not, there are easier ways to shed fat, especially belly fat, than relying solely on cardio. Fitness coach Eric recently shared why cardio doesn’t always work when it comes to fat loss and two simple ways you can easily lose stubborn fat. Read on to get all his insights.
“Spending all your time focusing on cardio for weight loss is the reason why you still have a big stomach,” Eric says.
This doesn’t mean that cardio is a waste of time for weight loss; he says, in fact, “You should be doing some form of light cardio” daily for overall health.
“Torturing yourself on the stair master every day trying to burn 500 calories is not going to be sustainable long term,” he reveals. As for belly fat, your body doesn’t lose fat in one specific spot, weight loss happens all over.
One reason it’s not always sustainable is because over time, the body adapts to repetitive cardio workouts, leading to reduced calorie burn for the same effort. Sometimes cardio can even increase hunger, leading to overeating and negating the calorie deficit needed for fat loss.
Instead, he suggests you simply remove 500 calories from your diet instead of tiring yourself with cardio. This is a lot easier “rather than trying to motivate yourself to do 50 minutes of stair master” to burn calories.