The 7 Day Exercise Plan for Fitness and Weight Loss has been so popular that we have had to move the discussion to this page. There are over 1200 comments below. These comments may provide you with answers to questions that you have. The main reason for keeping them is to ensure that any readers who have asked a question can come back and re-read the replies.
No Nonsense Fitness
Hi Scott, really the only unhealthy way to prepare chicken and vegetables is to deep fry. Even stirfry is healthy, at least it is far healthier to have stir fried vegetables and chicken than it is to have a takeaway meal. Where are you based? What are your options?
I am in Kuwait. my options are usally breakfast oatmeal, fruit, ceral(i stay away from the greasy potatoes & meats pluss I don’t eat eggs) lunch grilled chicken, salad bar, a deli bar (chickensalad, lunchmeats etc..) dinner usally a meat (beef pork) rice, potaotes, again a salad bar. there is also a subway but it costs a lot more than to eat at the dining facility.. I am just trying to find a way to eat healthy & not eat the same all the time.
So long as you go easy on the white rice and breads you should be OK. Salad is always a good option so long as it is prepared and stored hygienically. Eggs are a great source of protein and nutrients, shame you don’t eat them. The key is really controlling portion size, eating a varied and balanced diet and controlling those urges to snack on junk food.
thanks… what about something like this?
breakfast oatmeal & a piece or two of fruit
lunch salad with a piece of grilled chicken (suggestion on dresssings?)
dinner beef & potatoes with a salad or salad with steak(again dressing)
two snacks (between meals) a potien shake & or fruit
also can you suggest a way to know the right potrtions? and how many calories I should try to maintain?
hi I am looking to lose a bit of fat off belly and thighs buti want to keep my breasts the same size, are there any particular exersises that can help me with this? I havea rubbish diet – cereal for breakfast, sandwich if anything for lunch and a small dinner, I dont regularly exercise however my bmi and wieght are fine. I lost two stone last year which I loved but also became flat chested which I disliked. I only lost this weight due to extreme stress. any help?
That is a tricky one Violet, and the honest answer is that it is not possible to spot reduce fat. Your genes decide where fat is accumulated most. However, if you work to become fit (as opposed to just thin) with exercise then you may start to appreciate your body more. 2 stone is a lot of weight to lose if you are at a healthy weight (according to BMI) now, so maybe you just lost too much weight before?
It’s my 3RD diet day and my Stomach is all flat now and can see the ABS lines.After completing this week diet then what should i do to maintain my physique and get ABS?
Anyways Thanks alot for this wonderful diet plan.
now im a teen and i have a med. sized stomach and i want to basically have a flat stomach. so what diet plan and exercises do i have to do to lose the fat? thanks for the help!
Start with the diet and fitness plan here on the article above. Also read all of Basics Of A Healthy Diet – What To Eat to learn how to eat healthily to help manage weight and stay fit. If you want to do more varied workouts check out the fitness and weight training articles.
Hi I am a 14 year old girl and I weigh around 150 pounds. I’m 5’8 and am somewhat proportional as you could say. At my highschool a lot of the foods available are fried and unhealthy. There’s a sandwich bar and a soup of the day as well. There is also an A La Carte with assorted fruit and carrot and celery sticks. I don’t like fruit other than apples and bananas. And I like carrot sticks but not celery. I have recently been refered to as fat and have thunder thighs and I really want to look better. This current semester I will be taking PE so I was wondering what all I could do to lose the most fat and total weight to help me feel alot better about my self.
Hi Cooks. Really you need to learn to enjoy the fruits and vegetables more. Soup, carrot sticks and sandwiches can all be healthy. The key is to control portion size and snacks in between meals though, as too much healthy food will still cause weight gain. Start by stopping all snacks in between meals and only drink water, tea or coffee – no juices, definitely no soda. Cut down on bread, pasta and rice too as you do not need so much staple food types in your diet. Most of all cut out all the junk food, and this rule applies to every day of the week.
Hi, Im 30 5’11 and 205lbs. Belly fat has always been my trouble (or flat tire stomach) my daily eating schedule is this:
Morning: Eggs (3) toast and fruit (oranges, grapefruit) Green Tea
Snack: (mid-morning) nuts (almonds, peanuts)
Lunch: Tuna and crackers Green Tea
Dinner: Chicken Breast veggies (green beans, carrots) and rice Milk
Also usually drink allot of water and Green Tea through the day.
I workout at night (work during day) 3 to 4 times a week. Alterating Weight lifting and Cardio each day (Thurs and Sun off)
Need to get back into shape to build confidence in myself again. PLZ HELP!!!!!!
Hi, I am 17 years old and I was wondering the best way to lose chest fat. I’ve been working a lot and losing weight, but there hasn’t been any slight results to the chest. What can I do?
Thanks
I drink (2) 20 oz sodas a day, one in the morning and one for lunch and I only drink diet coke. Does that still effect the diet if the sodas are diet?
hello, i am 14 years old, i weigh about 51.8 (weighed 2 days ago) and am 152 inches tall (small for my age) i don’t know if this is too heavy for my age and height but i feel extremely fat especially around my stomach area which is 31 inches, i don’t know what to do! i wear retainers at the moment so i can’t eat much at school, and i usually don’t eat breakfast, i have 1 chocolate bar for lunch/breakfast on weekdays and then lots of chicken, pasta and potato for dinner. i don’t exercise because im only 14 and i live in London so there isn’t anywhere to go, i can’t do things at school because i live a large distance away and don’t feel safe traveling home on my own. i live most vegetables but i only like purple grapes, no other fruit unfortunately. i don;t mind the rest of my body, only my stomach, anyone got any ideas? :)
Hi Justin, how long have you been following this routine? It looks pretty good really, a good balanced diet and plenty of exercise. Not sure if the rice milk is required though. Have you lost any weight since starting this program?
Hi Phil, you cannot spot reduce fat, so you need to focus on reducing total body fat percentage. This is done by raising your metabolic rate and reducing daily calories. So that means diet and exercise.
Some diet sodas are zero calories, some are not. Really if you want to lose weight it is better to stop all soft drinks and just have water.
Hi Sophie. I assume that you mean 152cm? (152 inches if over 12 foot tall!). If you are 51.8kg and 152cm then your BMI is 22.3 which falls within the healthy weight range.
Really you should start doing some exercise, 14 is certainly not too young, just ask any youth athlete of gymnast! You can do a lot of workouts at home, see our articles on home workouts under the fitness section for ideas. Or dance / fitness DVD’s are good too.
As for the diet, you should think about changing that daily chocolate bar for something healthier, such as a banana. Learn to like more fruits and vegetables, they are often an acquired taste, which means you need to try them a few times before you start to like. It is worth it though, as many fruits and vegetables actually taste really good.
Lost weight yes. But I’ve always been slender body shape (Tall and lean) but my biggest problem is my love handles and flat tire belly. Not sure if I need to start more cardio or what.
Hi, i am only 12 years old and i am obese and about 250 lbs and i wanna be a fashion designer when i grow up and i love clothes and i want to fit into the nicer clothes and make my appearance better. Do you think that this diet would work for me because i’m hopeless because my parents every time i get my weight checked out or go to the mall and try things on my mom is always on top of me about my weight and so i just wanna prove to her that i CAN lose weight. So will this diet work for me. I wanna lose about 20 lbs in a week do you think that’s possible. right now in skinny jeans i am a size 7, i wanna try and reach a size 5 ,maybe but in regular clothes like shirts im about a 14/16 or a 16/17 or something like that.
Make sure that your cardio is intensive, ideally HIIT. Shorter workouts to a higher intensity have been shown to help lose more fat.
Hi Joanna. You should really speak with a doctor. You cannot lose 20 pounds in a week. This diet will help, but really your should seek advice from your family doctor. Healthy eating and exercise is the key though.
hi i am 14 nearly 15 and i really don’t like my body. i am larger than any of my friends and anybody at school. do you think that 14 and a half stone is big and what is that classed at.
i do eat fruit and veg and dont eat alot of junk food i hardly eat junk at all. i donot like my body at all and i would like to loose weight quik cause i would love to ave a flat stomahc. please help me xx
I would like to give a diet and exercise program like this a try, however my main concern is with things like running. I had cancer in my left knee and they had to remove a lot of the muscle, I have very little feeling from the knee down as a result and it is fairly weak. I can do short light jogs but that is the extent before it becomes painful. I was wondering what you would recommend for my situation since I can’t do much that involves leg work.
Hi Carlton. Maybe it would be best to focus on weight training, with upper body workouts. For cardio swimming would probably be a good option. Can you perform squats? Maybe some circuit training exercises, such as squats and burpees would be possible? Otherwise swimming and upper body weight training, such as bench press, shoulder press, bent over row and curls. Calf raises would help build your lower legs and do not require any knee movement, although there may be stability issues?
Hi Sam, how tall are you? You need to probably start by making your diet healthier, which means ensuring that you are eating a well balanced diet as well as controlling portion size. It is possible to put on weight slowly over time by eating too many “healthy” foods. Bread, pasta and rice can lead to weight gain.
But start exercising now, you need to eat a healthy diet and exercise on a regular basis to lose weight. Getting fit through exercise will really help you to manage your weight in the future too. Are there any sports and fitness activities that interest you? Maybe it is time to take up a new hobby?
There is stability issues in my left leg, it will frequently buckle just from walking. Squats I can do to a certain point as I do not have full motion with my leg, the metal joint only bends to a certain point. Concentrating on upper body does sound like the most reasonable, I was just afraid without being able to perform a lot of cardio that it may hender losing weight. I would consider the swimming option, as I love to, however I’m afraid that it is pretty seasonal and I won’t always have access to a pool.
If you can do some squats then these could provide a good way to start to strength the legs also. Just make sure you only squat in a squat cage, or you could use a leg press machine. Is cycling an option? Most of the work is with the thighs and on a stationary bike stability will not be a problem.
I have not thought of it, it is worth a try. It is fairly hard to explain what they did but they had to actually remove the muscle on the top of my thigh and into the knee then stretch the muscles from the back of my knee toward the front to provide the muscle needed to move. So it still may provide some discomfort. I will be willing to give it a try though.
How long ago was this? Could you speak to the doctor involved for some advice on exercise?
I was diagnosed in 2005 and cleared in late 2006/early 2007. I may be able to but I’m not sure if the doctor is still at the hospital or not. However after the major operation they did describe it as a “walking leg” meaning that was pretty much all I was going to be able to comfortably do.
Do you have access to a treadmill? If you set a treadmill to max incline then walk, that provides a really good workout. You can use the handrails for support. Ideally it should have an emergency cut off with a wrist strap too. I used to walk for 45 minutes on max incline many years ago when I was getting fit for a trip to the Lake District for a friends stag do. Certainly worked up a good sweat and got fit.
At the moment I do not and I do not have the funds for a gym membership, but I have considered getting one as several of my friends go to a local gym.
Hey , I am 17 and i am trying to lose some belly fat.
I am 125 pounds and my weight is pretty good for my age but i have belly fat.
i gained this fat over the last 3 months. Its weird that i am gaining so much fat around my belly because i am a dancer and i dance a lot.
I barely eat food .. i always skipped breakfast because i feel sick when i eat in the morning.
can u give me some effective tips to lose belly fat and get a flat stomach ?
Thankyou and reply :)
Hi Febia. First you must keep a food diary for a week – write down everything. If you are dancing a lot and not eating, you should not be gaining any weight. The only explanation is that your diet does have too many high energy snacks. How tall are you? Your weight is not high at all really, so if you are an average height then you should be of “normal” weight.
How many hours a day do you dance? You must eat a fair amount to sustain yourself?
Hey . .
Well. i skip breakfast as i said. i eat lunch maybe around 1:30 pm and eat dinner around 8:00
i am 5’3. but yes i eat snacks sometimes, like once or twice when i am really hungry .
i dance 2 hours monday to friday and sometimes around 6 hours on weekends because i dance for competitions and stuff. I am pretty short for my age after-all.
Hi,
Is there any limit to how much black coffee or tea i can drink? Thanks
No limit really, at least not with respect to weight loss. Too much caffeine in general is not a good idea.
Hi Febia, I think that you then should keep a food diary for a week. If you are dancing 2 hours a day and not eating then you should not be overweight – the energy is coming from somewhere.
Hello my name is Richo and i live in Australia. im 26yo im around 180cm tall and i wegh around 100-105Kg.i work as a mechanic in my local garage and im trying to find a lifestyle so i can lose my “beer gut” and “man boobs” i would also like to build more upper body strength. i have been going to the gym 5 days a week now for around a month were i run 30min on a crooss trainer than do weights for around 30-40minutes. my questions are 1) what exercises would be best to remove fat from my stomach? 2)how important is breakfast really as i get up at 5am in the morning to go to the gym and i usually dont feel like eating until around 10am. im thinking about changing my diet to the following:- breakfast-nothing
10am-a small can of tuna. 12pm lunch-a bannana & some cheese and biscuits. dinner- usually chicken with rice with a bit of tomato sauce. does this sound ok or is there something else that i should change? sorry for such a long message but id really like some help to lose some weight.so realistically all i should have to do is eat less and workout more? thanks.
also my stomach is probulbly best described as fat rather than beer gut i usually only have 1 midstrenth beer a night. thanks
Ok. I dont know.
well i get comments from people that i am skinny
but to myself i dont think that way.
i do have bellyfat
and some people say it could be because i dont eat breakfast ?
Breakfast is a vital meal, especially for active individuals like yourself. With 2 hours of dance practice a day you should be eating 3 healthy meals and a couple of snacks (fruits are good). Start the day with some eggs to help with muscle recovery. Really you should not worry about your belly and just enjoy the dance. If you are eating healthy and being active then you are healthy.
Hello again.
Is coke zero or pepsi max bad? Can i still consume? Or are the chemicals in them bad enough?
Thanks
Andy, if you really want to lose weight I still think that water is the best option. It helps your digestive system to function well and it also vital for exercise. Although the no calorie sodas may not contain sugar they do still contain other ingredients. We cannot advise whether or not those chemicals are bad.
I’m a 22 year old, 170 lb, 6ft tall pescatarian/vegetarian. I am not over-weight, but I fear that I will become over-weight due to my eating habits. And although I have an athletic build, I am starting to see a slight stomach bulge. It might be because I’m not exercising as much any more. But please let me know if it’s my diet that is the culprit or if it at least plays a part in my slight stomach bulge. If not, then it might be that I am no longer exercising. *Precaution: My diet is a bit weird*
Breakfast:
1. Either Oatmeal or 2 Hard boiled eggs
2. Smoothie ( usually Spinach, Blueberries, Banana, Garlic clove, Met-Rx Protein powder and cup of water). On occasion I will sometimes substitute avocado, carrot, strawberries, apple, orange or milk with one of my usual ingredients from above.
3. Spirulina, multi-vitamin, and 3-4 cups of water
Lunch:
1. Baked Skinless Salmon or Tomato/Basil Veggie Burger or Neither
2. Beans (Kidney, Garbanzo, Pinto and/or Black beans) w/ lots of broccoli
3. Same smoothie as above
4. Vitamin B12 and 3-4 cups of water
Dinner (a.k.a snack, a.k.a. my idea of dessert before bed)
1. Yeast-free sourdough bread w/ organic butter or almond butter spread
2. Muesli & Yogurt
3. Acidophilus tablet and 2 cups water
Thanks :-)
Hey there! I am a female, 22 yrs old, 5’2″, and 160 lbs. All my fat is pretty much stored in my belly. I’ve dieted, I’ve exercised and nothing seems to work. When I was exercising I was power walking for 30minutes everyday. Sometimes I walked twice a day. As for my diet.. I have a yogurt everyday for breakfast, I usually skip lunch because I’m working but sometimes I’ll eat a salad, and for dinner its always chicken or some kind of meat with a vegetable, rice, or sometimes potato. I don’t really have time to exercise anymore because I am working full-time (40+ hours) and I go to school full time. What can I do to get rid of this belly fat?! Thanks!
Hi Michael, your diet looks pretty well balanced, so I would suggest that a slight stomach bulge is more to do with too many calories for your current activity levels. As far as the body is concerned excess energy is often converted to adipose tissue (fat) regardless of whether the food was healthy or not. Best suggestion is to start exercising, as exercise plays an important role in good health too. Better to be slim and fit than just slim.
Hi Lexie, diet and exercise really does work. If you eat fewer calories than you need you lose weight. Increase exercise intensity, do bodyweight workouts as well as power walking. If possibly to some weight training too. Look at portion size, and all snacks. Remember that drinks and snacks often provide people with anything up to 1000 calories a day, and this is often why people fail to lose weight. You can eat 3 healthy meals a day of just 400 calories each (1200 calories a day) but then add 600 calories with 2 large glasses of orange juice and you will not lose weight.
Also, the key to exercise is to work at it for a long time. The fitter you get, the harder you can work, which means you burn more calories when exercising and also your metabolism is raised (increased muscle mass).