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
calorie counting, low fat foods, fruits + vegetables , three meals a day and regular exercise
Hi Emma, how much do you weigh, how tall are you? How many calories a day were you eating? What sort of low fat foods? What sort of exercise?
Calorie counting is good, if your counting is accurate. Low fat food is not always helpful alone in weight loss. Bread is low fat, but fat loves bread!
hi, okay, im currently 9.5 stone and im 164cm, im sorry im not sure how much that is in foot. Just like trying to find foods that were nothing much then 2.0g of fat, because if not i worry about it after ive ate it, and last year even had a stage of baliema, it didnt do anything though. I had help before it got anywhere too serious. Im on wholemeal bread, but without my muffintop id have a flat stomache, so i really just want that gone :/
Well, your BMI is in the normal range (22.1). I would suggest that you increase activity, start doing more regular exercise, and include bodyweight exercises, some weight training and interval training. Also, do not worry about the fat in food so much, focus on healthy foods that provide high nutrition, i.e. a variety of fruits and vegetables. Eat more protein and less starchy foods too. Make sure you are getting a good, balanced diet.
what exercises would you say would be the best to do to target that part of the stomach?
ohh sorry, i didnt realise you could click on the links, thank you for your time and help
Full body workouts. No exercise “targets” the stomach. You exercise your body to increase metabolism, which burns more fat. Your genetics determine where the fat is stored and so all you can do is exercise your whole body to try to increase metabolism more.
Hi
I was 101 kilos last mid November. Now after been on a diet, exercise, and little drinking I am now 85.1 kilos. I have lost 16 kilos. My target weight is 74 kilos. My question is how can I lose my belly fat ! My diet is muesli for breakfast,lots of fruit through the day, lean chicken and vegetables for diner and lots of water. My daily intake of calories is about 1500, and I burn off 2000 calories daily on a treadmill walking at 6.1km ( incline of 8-14). What can help speed the weight loss process up now.
Hi Paul. Start doing some weight training. The more muscle you have, the greater your metabolism. So do exercises such as squat, deadlift, bench press, shoulder press, bent-over row, dips and pull ups / lat pull downs. These work the big muscle groups and help build muscle quickest.
Hi my name is laura im 25, 5″2 and 9 stone but I could do with some help. Im quite happy with my weight however I have a horrible pot belly it goes in and out but I do have a small waist. I’ve started to swim once/twice a week to see if that’ll help and reduce calories. Can you please tell me what im doing wrong and what I should eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner realistically. Also any stomach exercises that would help me. its getting me really down all I want is a flat stomach I see bigger people but even they have a flat belly :(
Hi
I am Heng ,Asian, weight is 60 kg , height is 168 cm and i have a bit belly fat. i do exercise everyday , running on the machine for 10 mins (speed 9 or 10) , doing sit up for 100 , and do some more with another tools . is it enough to lose my belly fat ??
about my daily meal;
Breakfast 9am : I usually have a bit rice+ fried egg+ fried pork
Lunch 12 pm :I usually have a bit rice + soup + vegetable.
snack 3 pm : i usually have yogurt , or fruit shake
dinner 9 pm : I usually have a bit rice + soup + vegetable .
How is my daily meal , am i eating the right food ?
i really need to lose my belly fat , and get some muscle … Please help !!
Thank you
Hi Laura, sounds like you have made the right choice recently, i.e. swimming and reducing calories. You should really cut back on all bread, cakes, pastries (flour based foods) and eat more vegetables and lean proteins instead (but keep daily calories under control). When people eat eggs for breakfast they feel full longer so tend not to snack mid morning. Likewise soup for lunch helps people stay full through to dinner time. Eat more salads and “lighter” meals. Protein from chicken and fish is good. Keep your diet varied, do not eat processed food or junk food.
Hi Heng. Your diet looks OK, although maybe more rice than you need. You say you want some muscle though, running for 10 minutes will not get you that. You need to start doing bodyweight exercises to build muscle, or better still, weight training.
thanku so much for quick reply and advice :) do you reckon if i do each of these activites once a week ill soon see a difference i.e swim, do a exercise dvd and use power plates. i read somewhere its takes your body 3-4 weeks to recognise the change? i wouldnt mind as long as the change came! do you think i should add weights into it or not needed?
A variety of exercises is good as it stimulates more muscles. There are really 3 reasons to exercise:
1. To burn extra calories while exercising.
2. To get fitter, so that you can exercise for longer / more intensively next time.
3. To build muscle that tones the body and boosts metabolism.
The 3-4 week idea is probably just highlighting that it can take that long to make a great enough fitness and muscle mass change to actually start making a difference to your daily calorie balance. Adding weight training really is a good idea too, as it speeds up muscle growth and helps burn more calories.
Hi my names chanel I’m 12 stone and only 5’3 I don’t eat junk food or drink juice any more but I don’t seem to be losing any weight. I go for a run everyday and my meals are small and I don’t snack but I don’t seem to be losing wieght on my arms belly and thighs and its causing lots of strech marks. I need some advice
What are you eating generally? How far do you run? How long is it since you changed your diet and started exercising?
ok thankyou thats a great help! You also said about eating eggs and cutting back on breads etc. im stuck on what to eat instead on bread say with eggs? would wholebread be ok? Is their a example of a diet plan I could go by?
Generally one slice of wholemeal toast is fine. Although you can have scrambled eggs and omelettes without bread.
How many hours should you exercise daily for this diet?
Ideally towards 1 hour in total, depends on the intensity of effort.
Hi, my name is shume ,I’m 36 years old and my weight 132lb,height 5ft.4 months back my weight was 154lb,I stopped taking carbohydrate ,no sugar ,no fat food.my problem is I’m not loosing anymore weight now.loosing rate is very slow 1 lb in two or three week.I walk on trademill for 1 hour everyday..no matter what diet I follow nothing is working.I think I did crash diet so any healthy diet is not working for me and I have lots of belly fat still to loose..so pls help me how can I loose more weight n my belly fat.
Likes the suggestion very much…2 questions…
1. egg should be with yolk or only egg whites for breakfast…..boiled or omlette
2. i play squash everyday for almost 45 mins with 15 mins breaks in total..should I still do cardio or only extension on streghth training is sufficient..
I m 89 with less or no activity at work…31 years 5’7″…Pls. sugest
Hi Shume. If you are eating a health, well balanced diet that is giving you fewer calories than you need each day, then your next step is to increase your exercise intensity if you can. Walk faster on the treadmill, jog a little, also do some bodyweight circuit training exercises.
Egg should be with yolk. The only reason to not eat the yolks is that they contain a lot of energy, most of the protein is in the egg white. So bodybuilders that are seriously cutting will avoid egg yolks, but this is often because they are eating 10-30 egg whites a day. If you are just having a few eggs, that is not a lot of extra energy, plus, egg yolk is very healthy, full of vitamins. Boiled or omelette, whichever you prefer.
If you play squash more than once a week just do some weight training sessions. If just once, do at least one more cardio workout plus 3 weight training sessions.
hello I am male 16 years old I weigh 180. I was 230 last year I lost a lotta weight, unfortunately it’s because I starved myself. Was a tough time so just wasn’t eating not on purpose so I have started dieting and exercising since November and I have seen myself tone up in some areas.
My diet wasn’t perfect so I made it better. My exercise was just cardio for 30 minutes on a machine so I made it to where I was doing a jog and combined with sprints 30 minutes and another hour doing tae-bo boxing and a couple cardio machines and another 30 minutes doing wieght training. My arms looking nice and my legs to chest as well.
Can’t complain but my stomach hasn’t changed at all. I used to do alot of crunches and sit ups but it just made my abs hard and pushed out my stomach so I stopped. I try and do small meals but I end up missing a meal or something.
I stay under 1000 calories a day, I actually pre set myself at 500 just to be safe of course mostly go over it but never over 1000. I rarely get over 800 so where is my mistake I have oatmeal, no butter, no brown sugar, only raisins and splenda for breakfast or kashi go lean so I know I’m getting my fiber, one to two fruits a day.
I should improve on vegetables I take in maybe 3 or 4 servings of vegetables a week. I stay away from trans fat or saturated fat, lots of boiled eggs. I have not had fried food or fast food in the last 2 months and even before then it was rare. My lunch is always a piece of fruit and a low carb, low calorie protien shake. Dinner is what I feel I need, sometimes I pick something high in protien like an boiled egg or something with vitamins.
So I feel like I’m doing all the right things but my stomach is not going away. I get my heart pumping and sweat like crazy whenever I exercise I do make it my daily routine please help I’ve been trying to get fit for military school so I don’t have to carry this stomach and go alot faster.
Hi Jordann, if you are limited your calorie in take, and it sounds like you are certainly doing that, then you just need to be patient and keep exercising. How often do you exercise? You say 30 min machine, 60 mins tae-bo plus 30 mins weight training – is that each day or once a week? You must be getting very fit if you are doing that several times a week, so as you get stronger and fitter you will naturally burn more fat. Just stick to your plan, carry on getting a balanced diet. It’s good to see you mention proteins and fiber, they are vital for getting lean and losing weight.
Pls. suggest if tuna sandwich in the afternoon is ok with the bread….also is banana as a fruit is ok since i have read some sites suggest to stop banana as it leads to weight gain…..
I m plannig to follow this regime
BF : 2 eggs + toast bread + Non Fat milk (1 glass)
Snack: Banana + Green Tea
Lunch : Tuna Sandwich + salad
Snack: Almonds + Pistachio + Green Tea
Dinner : Any soup + Salad + Fish
I would play 45 mins squash n weight trng beteen snack & dinner…..
Pls. suggest if any changes…
If the toast / bread is wholemeal that will be OK. As for bananas being fattening, all food is fattening if you eat too much. But limiting yourself to 3 slices of bread a day means you are getting about 300-360 calories from bread (wholemeal is about 100-120kcal per medium slice). Any more and you risk exceeding your daily calorie limit. One suggestion could be to have the soup at lunchtime as this will help curb your appetite better until dinner.
this diet is for one week….could it be continued till i reach desired weight….i m planning to start from tomorrow n would like to be on diet at least for month as my target is to reduce at least 6-7 kgs in a month….
Yes it can, although you should increase calories to around 1200 really after the first week. Continue to ensure that you are eating a well balanced healthy diet.
I wondering could you give me some tips on snacks to eat high protein, low carb snacks as i dont need da energy as im sitting at a desk studying 6hrs a day.
My diet is good an i gym everyday after i completed this one week belly reduction plan an it worked a treat.
Thanks D
Cottage cheese, tinned mackerel, chicken drumsticks, hard boiled eggs, tuna, protein shakes – all good protein sources, low carbs.
Hey, I am 18 years old and finishing up my senior year.
I am very excited about going to senior beach week and I want to feel comfortable in my bikini. However, I have the dreaded stomach fat, unflattering upper leg fat, and unsightly love handles. :(
I weigh 139lbs and am 5’8.5″ tall.
I recently exercise an hour a day. (However, this is abnormal to my schedule because I am used to getting 2.5 to 3.5 hours per day.)
My diet consist of nothing but dinner and not by choice. I am so busy in the mornings and during the day I simply don’t make time to stop and eat. I eat at approx. 5 or 6.
I hate hate hate eggs. So what can I do to lose weight, mostly stomach fat, as soon as possible?
Thanks!!
Sounds tricky Chelsey. You mention that you used to exercise for 2.5 to 3.5 hours a day, but only have dinner? This sounds very extreme. Maybe you should start having oats and some fruit for breakfast as this will give you some proteins and energy to help last you through the day, then you can exercise, then have a smaller dinner maybe.
You are not overweight though, so maybe the key is to change your exercise routines, do more intensive weight lifting and less long low intensity cardio routines. 3.5 hours is too much exercise to be doing really. Then you will tone the muscles and develop a more athletic shape.
As for not having time to stop and eat – make time. Pack a salad in a pot and eat that, it will only take a few minutes to eat a small salad at lunch time. Everyone should be able to make a little time to eat a healthy meal.
For dinner, I normally have a salad with texas toast crutons, bacon bits, shreaded cheese, and ranch dressing. Then either a hamburger, pizza, burrito, steak, etc. with some type of pasta, potatoe, toast or bread.
Can you help me modify to lose belly fat?
Thanks!:)
Thanks for the additional info. It seems that you are currently getting all of your calories in one go, so metabolism is low throughout the day, then spikes as you eat a big meal, then falls again.
OK, salad: stop the croutons and ranch dressing. Have olive oil for dressing instead. Hamburgers and pizzas, toast and bread – all empty carbs / junk food, all make us gain fat.
Eat lean meals, salads with olive oil, fish, lean meats, small amounts of wholemeal bread, fresh fruits and vegetables. Do not skip meals either. And control calories.
Thanks!
I will make these changes.
The reason for the extensive exercise is that I simply enjoy it. I take several classes and LOVE sports. Lol…but I agree that routine is too extreme.
Is there a specific set of exercises you suggest for quick loss of stomach fat?
It is not really too extreme if you enjoy it and are getting fitter and stronger from it. But if you are not, you could be over-training, getting over tired and over compensating by over-eating at dinner time.
There really are no specific exercise to lose stomach fat, quickly or slowly. It is just a matter to slowly reducing total body fat and increasing muscle mass. More muscle = increased metabolism = increased fat burning. Working the big muscles is important. Maybe reduce cardio if you can and do some complimentary strength training. Take the sport you enjoy the most and speak to your college sports coach about strength training for that sport. I am sure if you sound enthusiastic enough you will get some great advice.
I m a poor fellow and so I can’t afford egg or meat everyday… But I always have a less amount food. I also do exercise every morning. Can u give me some steps for exercise so that I can reduce my fatness within a week.
The weekly plan on this article is good. If you do not have access to weights swap with a circuit training workout.
But the key of course is to eat less. Have oats for breakfast, soup for lunch, small salad for dinner. You do need some protein though, maybe mixed bean salad would be a good idea? Eggs are pretty cheap these days though, where are you based?
Hi! Im 17 years old and at school, in the past month or so ive dropped about 5 lbs from my already petite-ish body so im now 5ft and 110lbs but ive lost no stomach fat whatsoever. i look ridiculous. for breakfast i have muesli with no-fat milk, for lunch i have a leafy salad with no carbs and maybe some chicken, for dinner i have chicken or salmon or meatballs with cabbage – no pasta. i dont snack, at all! and i drink only water and green tea. ive kept this up for 2 months so far with no change in my abdominal fat. for exercise i do an hour every day, situps, oblique crunches, sprints, calve raises you name it! im doing everything with no results! please help! ive got until the 18th of march. thanks :D
Oh! and i can feel rock hard muscle under my abdominal fat, i always have been able to i just cant seem to get at it!
Hi Emily, maybe you need to do more intensive forms of exercise, such as bodyweight training and some weight training. Sprints are good, how much of your time is spent doing these drills? If you get fit then you should start to tone up and balance out.
Hi MotleyHealth,
Number one thank you for the snack tips,
I highly recommend your site aswell,
Ok I followed the week plan and it worked perfectly to move the spare tire,I work out 5times a week with cardio on 3 days aswell.
My belly is flat but there is still that little bit of fat laying over it that I want to shift, im 5’7″ and 155lb’s, as I said before snacking can be hard to resit as I have a sweet tooth but im doing well at the minute just dont want to go backwards now that im studying again, so my questions are how to shift that last bit of belly fat aswell as continuing to build muscle and if im sitting allday like (6hrs) studying how much exercise will I have to do to keep a healthy balance??
Thank you in advance D
Just keep building muscle DD and eating a lean diet. The extra muscle will help raise BMR and burn the fat off, evenetually. Very hard work, all about willpower!
Hi, I’ve put weight across my waist and belly, I look like I’m six months pregnant. I’ve always worked out at the gym 6 days a week, on weekends I went for bike rides in the park, and walked every where. The only time I drove my car, would be to work. My eating habits where not bad,not all that great, I eat alot healthier now that i put all the weight on the middle. I’m finding it difficult to loose a little. It may be my age, I’m 77 years old, but still trying.
Thank you as always MotleyHealth,
Ill continue to keep going one last question,
should I be weigh training 5-6 days a week or will I burn out that way the only supplements I take is protein after training and amino liquids in the morning??
DD
That could be too much really, you need to give your muscles time to recover after each session.
Wow Motley Health, i just found your website today. I’m really impressed with how you take the time to respond to everyone. Im adding your website to my favorites.
Quick questions:
1. Im trying to gain some muscle and lose the gut. I’m 5’10 and 180 pounds. So it’s not terrible really. Still want to lose it though. Anyhow, from calorie count website it says my target calorie intake is 2200. Based on how i’m eating it says carbs are too low. Wouldn’t that be a good thing? Wouldn’t that force my body to burn fat being the preferred source of fuel (Being Carbs) is low in supply?
2. I walk for 20 to 45 minutes Monday to Friday during my lunch. Additionally i do a walk\run for an hour Wednesday night and Saturday afternoon. Also, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday i do resistance training. Rest on Sunday. 3 weeks in and no real change on a scale yet. One trainer tells me im doing too much, another says if the weight isn’t moving i should be happy, and to use measures as an indicator, not the scale.
Just wondering what your thoughts are on it. Again, i’m really impressed with the time you devote to helping people. You’re a hero in my books…