Doing cardio to lose belly fat help?

So I've been told that situps and crunches etc dont reduce belly fat but I heard that cardio does? So I decided I'd start running or use the treadmill(same thing basically isn't it?) but the question is,how often and how long should I run for? Also what kind of diet should I be on? How long would it take until I can notice weight loss?

How to Lose Weight With Pilates

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You were told right. You can't target body fat. If you lose weight you will lose fat. The rule of thumb is that fat that went on last goes off first. For men that usually means they lose their belly fat last. For women its the fat on their butts and thighs that goes last. So for the most part you are just going to try to lose weight. besides the scale, use a tape measure to chart your progress. The progress, even if its small, will let you know you are heading in the right direction. The most important part of losing weight is diet. If you cut 300 - 500 calories a day ( like a coke and a candy bar) you can lose 1 - 4 pounds a month. If you add some exercise to that you can almost double that. But don't try to lose weight faster. it can be maintained long term and you'll probably just gain it back. Start off walking 30 minutes a day, three times a week. Each week increase your minutes by 5 - 10%. When your walks get to long - split them up - and add another day. When you get to 150 minutes a week you be able to start a run walk program. And you can even keep doing some of your walks. you can do a run walk program like the Couch to 5K.You can run or use the treadmill. They are basically the same thing. If you put the treadmill on 1 - 2% incline it will be very comparable to running. Treadmills can be a pain in the ass to use for a run-walk program but some of them have interval training programs built in that are a good way to get started. Don't even worry about the "how long". It will take as long as it does. Find a diet and an exercise plan you can live with - for the rest of your life. Otherwise you will start doing the yo-yo. the more often you yo-yo the easier it becomes to gain weight and the harder it becomes to lose it - so don't get started on that path.