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
I am a mother of a one year old. How can i lose weight and watch him? i mostly want to focus on my belly and would like the rest of my body toned up.
Hi Patience. You should start a healthy diet and exercise each evening after he has gone to bed.
Hi, this isn’t a question about losing weight but I thought you might be able to answer it.
I’ve always been very small, 5’3 105lbs, but also I had big curves at the same time for eing tiny. About 3 months ago some stuff happened and I got very depressed and couldnt eat any food for about 2 months, even if I treied to force myself I couldnt eat or I would feel sick and throw up. I could go 10 whole days with just eating a hand full of almonds and not want to look at food (not voluntarily) What happenened was I lost my behind area alot and I saw that doing the exercise on all fours and lifting your leg up in the back can make your butt muscles bigger and make your butt appear bigger so I have been doing those for about 5 days now. Can you please tell me if this works and will actually make it bigger?
Thanks alot!
Yes it will Europe.girl. The butt muscles are the gluteus maximus (see 2nd diagram), which are large and give shape. Squats are also a great way to burn fat while building muscle. It is healthy muscles provide a woman with shape and curves, not fat.
hello
im 22 and weight 120. I have gained about 30 pounds in 5 months this is due to a bad break up and quiting smoking. I also have acid relex which is not helping my case.
My diet consist of a tall starbucks coffee in the mornings nothing for lunch and if I do eat lunch its McDonalds or Burger King. When I get home from work I sit in front of the tv and munch on some junk food and go to sleep. I have a gym membership and pay 70 dollars a month but dont bother going. I was wondering how I can motivate myself to feel good again and start going to the gym. As well what can I eat to give me some enegery I feel tired and sleepy no matter how much I sleep.
please help!
thanks
Hi Shaira, sorry to hear about a hard break up.
Your problem is simple – you are eating too much. You skip breakfast, then when you eat you eat a lot. Then while watching tele you eat a lot. That starbucks coffee – I am guessing it is not a Vente Americano (I used to drink those every day when I worked in London). Black coffee has about 20 calories, Lattes and other very milky coffees can have 300 calories. That’s a meal in itself!
A takeaway meal can contain up to 2000 calories – enough calories for your whole day.
Emotional eating on the sofa while watching tele, can add up to a lot.
Here is what you do:
1. Start having breakfast – eat at least 2 eggs each morning. Just 1 slice of wholemeal (never ever white) bread/toast allowed.
2. Have a hearty soup for lunch, but no bread with it.
3. Make a salad in the evening with some tasty bites, cheese too. Snack on this. Still lots of calories (be careful) but better than binging on chips and other energy dense foods.
The gym? Use it! Do a class, any class, drag yourself there. Exercise makes you feel better, you will want to do it more once you get started.
Do any of your friends exercise? Get in contact, ask them if they want to workout with you. People that workout together have more fun and generally work harder.
All the junk food and lethargy is making you feel sluggish and tired. Healthy food, less food, regular meals, water instead of other drinks, and exercise, will help you sleep well at night.
The BBC decided to research weight loss and they shared their results in the program 10 Things You Need to Know About Losing Weight.
Read more: 10 Scientific Ways To Lose Weight
hi I’m 16 height-5’2 n weigh 141lbs. I’m a mother my baby is 9 months old n I’m always chasing him around I’m also always cleaning, I have gained 12 pounds n I love the shape of my butt and my legs and my breast are bigger but now I have a gut n I wanna get rid of it my boy friend is always eating fried foods n ivebeen resisting (thank god) I have been eating only fruits n im gonna do 30mins of cardio 5 times a day is this a good plan to lose my gut
30 minutes of cardio 5 times a day will be hard work, you may be better off doing one 45 minute cardio session and then some bodyweight exercises later in the day.
I started at 254lbs Mid Nov and am now 229lbs. 5’9″ 28 years old.
My diet: I eat a Banana for Break fast 6am, Snack on some tangerines at 9 am and at 1230. Eat a pack of Abacore Tuna (90 Cal) and crackers at 2pm, and eat what the Wife cooks for dinner at night. I stay below 1800 Cals a day.
My Exercise: Mon Wed Fri- Weight training for 30 min during lunch. Heavy lifts on Machine weights for safety. Run 3 miles in 27 min or under, each day after work.
Tues & Thurs- Elliptical for 30 min Very fast pace burn over 530 Cal every time within 30 min.
My Question: If I keep this up for the next 4 months, is it conceivable to be at 200lbs or under by the end of May? I am seeing results in my face arms and Legs, but no so much in my stomach.
You should be able to Ryan. If you can sustain just 2 pounds per week weight loss over the next 13 weeks you will lose 27 pounds, which will mean you meet your 200 pound target. You may actually lose more weight than this, especially if you keep pushing your fitness.
Hi, I’m getting married in 1 month but recently had an accident n that tore 3 ligaments in my right leg.. The problem is that I have been sitting in one place all day n it’s really taking a toll on my belly… It’s gotten huge… I can do crunches but that’s all.. Could you advise some diet or exercise routine I can do.. I really need to lose d belly fat as I am wearing a saree n it’ll leave my belly open..
Hi Saloni, you need to diet. Restrict calories to around 1200 a day, and make sure there is no bread, flour, wheat, cakes, cookies etc in that diet.
Ideally you will be eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, some dairy and fish. Drink only water, green tea or black coffee. But, do not exceed those 1200 calories. Protein for breakfast and vegetable soup for lunch will help you reduce hunger and lose weight.
Can you walk now? Start walking everyday, work up to 1 hour a day if you can.
Hey.
I am 168lbs, 5’6 and over my Bmi.
I have tried everything from vigourous excercising to different diets.
I really want to lose two stone, but i do not know how or where to start. Please help
Hi Jade. You really need to start dieting, and by that I mean to start a healthy diet and restrict calories. You do not need to “go on a diet” but to change your eating habits for life. The truth is that with a calorie restrictive diet and exercise is it impossible not to lose weight. The mistake most people make (you really are not alone) is that they underestimate how much they eat. The only way to really reduce calories is to be extremely strict about what you eat. Plan your eating for the day, or even the week, and then do not eat anything else. No snacks. Control portion size. Read this article – 10 Scientific Ways To Lose Weight – it will provide some tips to help you manage your eating and hopefully start losing weight. Also get exercising again. Regular exercise over a prolonged period is better then trying to start a vigorous exercise routine and then stopping after a few weeks.
Hi
I’m 14, weigh about 110.
I’m pretty sure I already have the ab muscles built up pretty well, it’s just the thin layer of fat on top.
I set my school record for crunches in 2 minutes the other week and everyone wants to see my abs.
That’s the problem, you can’t see them, even though they’re there.
I eat relatively healthy
Breakfast usually nothing
Lunch usually pasta with meat sauce
Dinner varies. Occasionally pizza, pasta, chicken, etc.
Oh, and I love fruit.
Got any tips to get that thin layer of fat gone?
Ryan, your best bet is more exercise generally. Less pizza may help too.
hi could you please explain the exercise regime for tuesday:
20 minutes intensive interval training. 30 second sprint followed by 90 second recovery. Ten 2 minute intervals with 10 sprints
What this means is, whether you are running, cycling, cross training or rowing, you:
30 seconds at maximum speed
90 seconds at recovery pace / slow pace
Total time = 120 seconds = 2 minutes. Do that 10 times in a row, so 20 minutes.
Some sports research has shown that this method of exercising burns more calories and gets you fitter than just going at a constant speed. If you have ever watched The Biggest Loser (or similar weight loss show) you will see that often in the gym sessions the contestants are made to sprint as fast as possible then slow for a bit (although with editing we mostly see the sprinting parts).
Hello. I am a 14 year old girl. I recently went from a rapid loss of weight to rapid gain. I am around 4ft 12in and about 9 months ago i weighed 90 pounds. I weighed 135 about 4 months ago. I now weigh 115. I am in a cheerleading group and I exercise 5 out of 7 days of the week. I am losing weight slowly and want to speed it up. I just want to know if this is a healthy, safe way to lose weight? Will this diet cause me to gain rapid weight after this one week or will it cause loss in muscle and water rather than fat? I just want to make sure this will not harm my progress so far.
Hi i’m 13 5’4 and 127 lbs, and my bellyfat really bothers me. I’m a tumbler/all-star cheerleader. i practice 2 hours monday, a one on one half hour tumbling lesson tuesday, a 3 hour practice wednesday, a one hour tumbling class thursday, i compete every other friday and saturday, and have practice 10-2 sunday. i condition too at every practice/lesson/class. I’m extremely muscley but i can’t seem to get rid of my bellyfat.
breakfast i eat an english muffin, or cereal with skim milk
lunch i eat a bagel w/creamcheese and chocolate milk
dinner i eat salad chicken mashedpotatoes/or pasta/ or something else
i usually have a snack when i get home from practice
What am i doing wrong?
This diet will not, or should not, result in loss of muscle. If you are exercising 5 times a week then you will probably need a few more calories. You could have additional snacks of cottage cheese, tinned fish, fruits and nuts.
Oh, your current weight puts you in the “normal” BMI range for your height (assuming you are 5 foot?). So fitness and a healthy diet should be all you need to develop a fitter and stronger body that is low in body fat.
Hi Amanda. The first problem could be too much refined carbs – the muffin, bagel, chocolate milk, pasta will all potentially lead to fat accumalation if your blood sugar levels are too high (excess sugar/glycogen is stored as glycerols in fatty tissue). So replace those with wholemeal version of change completely. More protein (eggs) for breakfast may be a good idea. The snack when you get home – what is it? That could be a problem too if it is not just a health, lean protein snack.
Hi, I am 19 year old female and I weigh around 133 pounds. Im 5″8. I have started to notice my tummy getting a bit chubby as well as my thighs. I am looking into dieting and cutting out all bread, pasta, junk foods etc. and cycling as much as I can, daily. Is this enough to help me loose a little bit of weight and keep me to the size 8-10 (and weigh at around 9 stone), Or do I need to do more exercise? Is cycling a good choice? Thanks for reading :)
This is a good approach. Cutting out the junk food and energy dense foods (bread) is a very good start, as it will mean you start to get more calories from fruits, vegetables and or healthy products. Cycling is a good way to exercise, especially if you mix up speed drills with higher resistance drills. If you have ever been to a Spinning class (or seen once) then you will know what I mean. They make cycling very intensive and a great workout.
Hey, I’m a collage athlete, in good shape, I’m 6 3 and am very broad, I have big shoulders, chest, thighs and bum. I weigh around 220 but would like to cut some. I’ve always had this little bit of belly fat which I can never lose. Advise would be great. Thank you
When you say “sets” what do you mean by that? How long should each session go for?
A set is one exercise performed several times (reps / repetitions). e.g. a set of squats is when you squat 20 times. The next exercise is another set, say a set of 20 push ups. Each individual exercise is often called a rep. All of them together is your workout / routine / session. A session has no set length, unless you are exercising so that each set is a specific time, with a specific rest period. As you get fitter and stronger you will want to make your sessions longer and/or more intensive.
Hi Domny, to cut you need to reduce calories, maintain protein for your muscles, and up the exercise a bit. Have you spoken to your coach at college about this, they can probably give some very good guidance.
hi i’m a petite 27 yr old who has a 1 year old baby by c section. i just wanna loose the belly fat that remained after the baby. i must admit i have no time for much exercise and after pregnancy i remained with some back problems, so hard exercises are hard to do. can u help me get rid of this tummy fast?
Hi Ria, you need to start dieting, following a healthy diet. Also walk every day if you can. Take the pushchair out if safe to do so and just walk for about an hour.
Hi, i need some help for dieting!.
im 16, weight 90kg, Heigh 5″11
im going to the army so i need to lose weight and get fitter.
my BMI wasnt right because i did alot of weight training and i am quite strong for my age, i bench 110kg is my max. I never ran before but last week i started running 3 mile every 2 days. with push up and sit ups in between. My mother bought me all these low carb things but i just do not understand :(!.
i would be very apprecheiative if you help me with making me a diet plan? or something.
Thanks, Martyn
Martyn, just eat a healthy, balanced diet. You need carbs if you are running and weight training, carbs are what fuels our muscles (well, our bodies convert carbs to glycogen). You need to reduce calories, eat a healthy diet, and exercise more. For army training work up to 5 miles running each day. Or alternate running days with marching days. Get a rucksack, fill it will clothes, and go for a long but brisk walk – good to start practising now.
Some military style running tips here. Also start to do more bodyweight exercises to build muscular endurance. You can work on your strength later, building fitness and muscular endurance will help you through basic training.
Some carbs are “bad”. Avoid white bread, white rice, soft cooked pasta, all cakes, cookies, soda drinks – all sugar. Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits, pulses (beans are good protein source too).
Hi,
I need some help to lose my last 7-8kg. Im 19 years, 5ft 7, currently weigh 68.5kg and have found the ideal weight for my height is around 60kg. I have previously lost 2 stone but have been constant at this weight for over around 6months!
I eat as healthy as i can, daily sample:
Breakfast – Oatmeal with blueberries
Snack – tomatoes and cucumber chunks
Lunch – green salad, chicken&salad wrap, or pasta
Snack – Fruit in jelly (once a week – chocolate/cereal bar (i no it is bad but difficult to cut out completely)
Dinner – Chicken/Lamb/Beef with veggies & pasta/sweet potato wedges
I go to this Jazzercise twice a week (which is 1 hour each) and in my lunch hour i walk where ever i can (5 times a week). I am thinking of starting jogging in early morning 3 – 4 times a week, is this a good idea? Or is there anything else i can do to help?
Hi Sophie.
Reduce or cut out the pasta – the oatmeal, salad, snack and veggies are giving you enough carbohydrate. This additional carbohydrate is most likely being quickly converted to fat.
The fruit in jelly snack should be replaced with just fruit. Also, do not eat too much fruit. You have fruit for breakfast, 2 fruit snacks, plus a salad then veggies in the evening. It does not matter how healthy those calories are, they all add up.
As for jogging, yes, that would be a good idea. Or bodyweight exercises at home.
hi. i’m 12 years old and about 9 stone, (dont know how much that is in pounds) im about 5ft 4, and i hate my body. recently i’ve been trying to loose weight off my stomach and legs, but i’ve been trying for about 2 months and if anything i think i’ve put on stomach fat.
this is my normal diet on school days:
breakfast, pineapple pot or some cucumber or some kellogs fibre flakes, or most days nothing at all.
lunch, recently a 86 cal pack of cheese puffs, normally nothing at all.
snacks; cup of tea, a little chocolate bar some days.
dinner, whatever my mum cooks, for instance tonight i had a homemade fat reduced chicken curry with rice, last night i had breaded chicken,a fried egg+sweetcorn.
and also recently about half an hour on the wii fit most days.
i’ve also been taking these bladderwack diet aid pills that no-one knows about.
i just need advice on my diet please:)
Megs, you really should speak to someone about this, either your mum, a school teacher (games teacher may be most helpful). According to your weight you are not at all overweight, you are a normal weight. Please stop taking those pills, you really should not be taking them, they may have side effects.
Do you do any sports in school? Maybe there is an after school club that you could do, again your games teacher or form teacher should be able to advise. Remember, you are not overweight. Being active will make you feel happier about yourself though.
As far as your diet is concerned, you should really have some breakfast each day, and a healthy lunch. Ideally no crisps or chocolate, instead healthy vegetables, fruits, lean meats (chicken and fish is best). Variety is good, junk food is bad. That is really the most important rule to follow.
I really liked this forum.eat break fast,lunch and dinner and even junk food how do i get slimmer in a short period of time
hi, well its become a really serious issue of mine that i feel i HAVE to loose weight, im 17 years old and am 9 stone. i hate it because no matter what i do i canrt loose weight! the only things i have been easting are bran flakes and special K, vegetables and fruit. so im affraid if i change my diet now, my body will just store extra fat and therefore i will put on more weight, i do exercise regually, im going on holiday soon and would love to have lost at least a stone, hopefully two and tone up more! please help me!
Just follow the rules above.
Sammie, you cannot lose weight by just eating carbohydrates. Your body needs proteins and fats too. What exercise are you doing? Eat less cereal and more proteins. Watch the portion sizes, fruits and vegetables make us fat too.
what should i eat then? its just so many people tell you different things, so id just like to know that if i am eating something it will make a difference. well i run alot, and im going to the gym now but again id like to know what are the best exercises to do.
This article explains what a balanced diet is. Follow those rules and you should be OK. It is not that “bran flakes and special K, vegetables and fruit” are bad, it is just that too much is not good.
General rule: have some protein with each meal, especially breakfast. This helps to manage blood sugar and regulate hunger, so you crave less food. Keep white foods / empty carbs / bread etc. to a minimum.
I want to loose weight by diet not by exercise what’s the solution?
Read this article on healthy eating in full and follow the link the shows how many calories you need for maintenance, then deduct 500 or 1000 from this. Stick to the diet and you should lose 1-2 pounds per week. Cheat on the diet, and lose nothing.
SCAM
Hi Enzo, what do you mean by that? This is a free workout and diet plan to help people lose weight. How can it be a scam?
I’ve been trying for so long too lose my muffintop its so unattractive, and no matter what i do it just wont go!! please help
Hi Emma, what have you tried so far? What is your average daily diet like?