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 had my daughter 2 yrs ago this past November pre pregnancy weight 145 post weight 198 and I just kept going up from there until I hit 220 then I started diet and exercise combined with a diet supplement (oxyelite pro) and so far I have lost 37 lbs but I am struggling on the last 33 pounds to my goal and of all the weight I have lost it seems none of it came off my stomach so any advise you could give me would be greatly appreciated
i am 13 years old and weight 42 kg i am 162 cms i want to lose weight and belly fat can you give me some tips to how i can lose weight fast thnxs
Regarding diet, your main focus should be on getting enough protein to build muscle, which I assume you are to have been warned about a low carb consumption. We still need carbohydrates, but so long as you are eating a variety of low to medium GI carbs throughout the day (salads, fruit, vegetables, pulses) then you should be OK. If you were not getting enough carbs you would struggle to exercise as much as you do, so I suspect that you are getting enough. And yes, any excess carbohydrate is likely to be stored in fat cells once the muscles and liver are at full capacity.
Regarding the exercise, just stick to it. You may have built some new muscle already. With 2200 Calories a day you are only limiting calories by around 500 or 600 a day which should result in 1 pound a week weight loss. It is possible that you have replaced some fat. Early days really. The suggestion to take measurements is a good one, bodybuilders look at biometrics rather than weight.
Glad you like the site!
Hi Sara. Without knowing the details of your diet and exercise regime, all I can really suggest is that you continue, try to increase the intensity of exercise, add some resistance training to start toning and to increase your metabolism, and take a look at your diet to spot problem areas, such as snacks, high calorie drinks, and any other things you eat that may be giving you too many calories each day.
Hi Chloe, at 42 kg/162 cm (BMI=16) you are underweight. You should focus on eating a healthy diet and start doing regular exercise to get fit. Speak to your games/sports teacher at school for some advice.
Hi, I am 39 going on 40 this year. I pretty much have an active metabolism but am concerned that I will starve with this diet. What else can I do to curb my appetite? I am a full time working mother of two teens and a dietary menu is not on our list for dinner, how does one displince themselves? Obviously I am new to this! LOL :o)
hello motleyhealth..im joy im 20.is it ok i only eat once everyday?cause sometimes i gt tired in exercise.. pls..gve me some tips for that..thank you god bless..
Two tips for curbing hunger: eggs at breakfast and soup for lunch. If you snack, make sure it is healthy, low calorie and provides nutrition – some fruit / yogurt, cottage cheese etc. You should not starve on this diet, if you can maintain if for a few days and then have one day on, one day off, this should still help. Ultimately you have to reduce calories to lose weight, or consistently do a lot more exercise.
Hi Joy, you should eat at least 3 times a day. When you eat once a day you generally slow your metabolism down for a long period, so burn less calories. You also tend to overeat in your one meal, so consume more calories. And as you mention, you have less energy to exercise, so again, you burn less calories and find it harder to get fit.
hello but i want to get rid of my belly fat all my friends have flat tummys can you please help on how to lose weight on my belly and thats all
thanks alot
Chloe, do you exercise on a regular basis? If not take up a sport, cross country running, athletics or a martial art. Get active and get fit.
hi…i saw your diet plan….i want to loose weight from my waist n tummy…lot of fat on sides….but the problem is that your diet contains all non vegeterian food….and i am a vegeterian so can you please suggest accordingly?
We do not have a vegetarian diet plan at the moment, but should have one soon. If you subscribe to the updates you will get an alert when the vegetarian diet comes online.
hi. so im 14 years old, 125 pounds, and 5’6. im happy with my body except for my stomach. i do crunches and planks every other day, i play tennis 4 times a week, and i run cross country in the fall. for breakfast i have cereal, lunch is a PB&J sandwhich and an apple, and dinner is usually chicken or pasta.no matter what i do, the fat doesnt go away… what should i do differently?
Hi Sara, why not run all year round? Crunches and planks are not going to get you a flat stomach. Do a greater variety of bodyweight exercises.
Hi, I’m 16 and 5’2 somewhere around 106lbs at most and im a year round runner but ive been injured for this past season and I can now exercise again but altho I technically have not gained any weight I feel disgusting and carry weight in my lower abdomen and inner thighs. I deff need so help any advice? i was hoping to lose some weight and at the very least 7 inches on my waist by this time next month? any suggestions
Hello. I live in australia. I’m 14 and I’m am 177cm and 82 kg. I have a lot of fat on me. Especially my stomach and thighs. I have been like this for a couple of years now. People call me fat as well. I want to slim down and get fit. I am at boarding school and do a lot of exercise but it just won’t go. I have recently started going to the gym and am cycling a lot at the moment. I do a couple of weights but usally cycling. Does cycling help me? I am trying to diet but I get hungry. I started what you said at the top but its not working! Help me!!
Struggling, surely once you get back into running you will get into shape again? Have you started running yet? You are not overweight at all, so really just need to pick up the exercise a little and get toned again.
Hi Felix, you are doing the right thing by the sounds of it. Cycling is good and will get your fit and build stronger legs too. Give it more time, play sports and be careful with the diet – eat healthy, avoid the junk food. Eat soup when you can as this can help reduce hunger.
Hey! I am 16 years old and I am extremely active. I am a National level figure skater, and train 6 days a week for 2 hours on ice each day, and 1 hour at the gym. I find myself hungry ALL the time. I am trying to get lean long muscles, because my bulky muscles that I have gaind through out the years are making me a very slow rotator.. My coaches want me to lose a bit of weight, and I can’t get rid of the belly fit I have… You’d think with how much exercize I do, I’d have a six pack.. but all i have is a “2 pack” (top two ab muscles)and then it is fat below that. With being hungry all the time I crave things like crackers and granola bars… my weakness. Its so hard to avoid them, because my brother is a college student so they are always around the house… Please help. Ps. I am 16, 132 pounds, and about 5’5
Thank you so much!
Hi Morgan. Maybe you are hungry because your body is craving more protein to help rebuild muscle all the time. Eat more slow release carbohydrates such as oats, have soup for lunch, and get more protein from any sources you can – eggs, soy, supplements. This may help. You are certainly exercising enough by the sounds of things, so diet must be the solution.
Thanks! What kind of foods would you suggest when I get “snacky” ?
I’ve heard that cucumbers are good for that, because they are very low cal…
Cottage cheese is popular for the protein. It is important not to over snack – see this warning on snacking and weight loss.
thanks :) that article was helpful. I just find it so hard not to eat, because i’m always stressed. Guess I just need to make myself do it!
hi am 21 yo 5ft10″ 67 kg , i am happy with my body apart from my stomach and pecks. I do muay thai boxing 2 hours a week and go to the gym 3-4 hours and do cardio and weight lifting. For breakfast I have porridge, cereal or toast and jam, lunch I have a ham salad sandwich, fruit and a low fat yogurt or even soup and crisps, for dinner I have pastas, beef mince and potatoes veg, chicken and veg, omelets and now and then I have toast or cereals later on at night. I don’t eat much chocolate or biscuits at all mind you. I am tempted because I always feel HUNGRY, for my drinking I drink 4 cups of white tea or coffee with one sugar a day, the rest water or fruit juice. On a typical Saturday night I drink maybe from as little as 4 to 8 pints of beer. thank you !
Hi Ross, you have several options really.
1. Do an extra Muay Thai class each week if there is one available.
2. Lift more weight, build more muscle.
3. Stop the crisps, sugar in tea/coffee, reduce fruit juice, reduce beer (8 pints is a lot of Calories – about 1500 Calories)
4. Avoid the toast / cereals late at night, have some tinned fish or something else that is low GI.
You are lean already, so making a few small changes could be all that is required.
thanks for your help! i will see hw i get on .
hi I am really tryin to lose weight no one makes fun of me but I know they talk about me behind my back please help
I’ve tried everything
hey
i want to know, is it okay to eat rice?
thanx
You can eat a small amount of wholegrain rice, so long as you do not exceed your daily calorie limit. Do not eat any white rice.
Hi Motley! Ive noticed that you give advice to eat lean mean and protein. Is it ok if my diet consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, chicken, fish. A bit like the atkins diet??
Well, short term to lose weight, yes, although if you can mostly eat eggs, fish and chicken and not so much bacon and sausages then that would be better.
Hey, I’m 19. 5’11 and weigh 190lbs. I dont really have a meal plan I just eat whatever. I’m looking to get in shape. I have a muscular upper body but I got a big gut. I’ve tried losing my stomach fat before but it never worked. What should I do?
Hi Trent. First, sort out the diet. Not having a meal plan means that you are prone to eating too many calories and too much of the wrong foods. To lose your gut you have to reduce calories and eat a healthier diet that promotes muscle growth and fat loss. Start here: Basics Of A Healthy Diet
hey….i been joggin i seem like i lost weight but to other people it seems like i gained wieght..i have a flabby stomach but wat bothers me are my man boobs is there anything i could take that will help me reduce them…i heard i could take testosterone to help reduce them..since i.ve always had man boobs i think its like a hormone problem…what do u think?
If you think there is a hormonal problem then you have to see a doctor. Taking testosterone could make the problem worse. Remember, jogging is only light to moderate exercise, you need to do more intensive exercise and diet to lose weight.
Hello I’m a 40 yr old women, I’m 5’7 and I weight 195lbs. I carry my weight well. I also take synthroid and I’m finding it hard to lose weight. Is there anything you can suggest I can take to promote weight loss?
My menu lately has been:
Breakfast – English muffin and coffee
Snack – low fat crackers or carrots
Lunch – turkey patty brown rice green beans
Veggie straws/ apple/grapes
Dinner may be the same as lunch
I’m trying to loss 25 lbs by May
I suggest that first you change your breakfast, eat something wholegrain, or better still oats, and have some protein at breakfast too. Soup for lunch is good.
The best thing that you can take is regular exercise. Start walking everyday if you do not already, or increase any exercise that you do already. You should speak to your doctor before doing anything though. Hopefully they will give you the all clear to start exercising.
I am currently going on a new diet and I have a quick question. I know sugars are bad for you but are they really that bad if you consume a little each day and it doesn’t exceed the calories needed for weight loss?
sir I am 18 year old and weigh 85kg I do lots of excersise but the fats round my tummy never diminish. Sir pls help me as I have got 3 months to attend my brothers marraige and wanted to look awesome
If you have a little and do not exceed daily calories, then they are OK and part of a balanced diet.
hi Prince, have you tried the following the diet advice and workout plan in this article yet?
Hi.
I’m 15 years old, and weight 123 lb. and im 5,5 feet tall.
I’m very active, and i have been training with and without weights for 2 years now. But now i want to loss all fat on my stomach, and i saw this article.
I will try it out, but i have a question. After these workouts, will it exhaust me for the rest of the day after i did the programe?
Hi
Its my first time reading this site, it is so good. I congratulate you for replying all the mails that are sent to you.
I am 164cm tall, i weigh 61kg. I want to reduce my belly.I want to become at least 58 – .59kg I have read the diet i will start tomorrow.
One question, the diet for 7 days does not have any fruit. Are fruits not good for diet?can you suggest what fruit to take and what time (lunch or dinner).
Will be struggling but i will try. Will get back to you.Please answer me about fruits.
Your website is really good. I have email friends here in Africa to go through as they have been struggling to reduce weight.
Thank you
Emmayan.
Hi Villads, impossible to say. It really depends on how fit you are now, how intensively you exercise, how much rest you have had and what you diet is like. The easiest way to find out is to try it and see.
This diet is very restrictive on purpose. Fruit is very healthy, and should be part of a healthy, well balanced diet. However, if you want to lose weight quickly, then you need to reduce calories as much as possible, and cutting out fructose for a week is one way to do this. If a diet is low in protein you quickly start to lose muscle (catabolism breaks down protein in muscle to fuel other parts of the body). By reducing fructose (a form of sugar) you reduce the glucose in the blood and this can lead to a release of the hormone glucagon which triggers lipolysis (the breakdown of fatty tissues). The body does this because the brain needs sugar (glucose) to function, so uses the fat reserves.
Exercise with dieting speeds the process up as you burn off more of the excess glycogen in your muscles, and if you are getting enough protein you will build extra muscle tissue which will increase your BMR (metabolism) to further aid fat loss.
So, in short, eating a little fruit is OK, do not punish yourself too much to lose weight. At 61kg you are not overweight, so better to keep getting that fruit to help fuel your exercise. Focus on building muscle, not so much on losing weight.
Hi Motleyhealth,
I wrote a few weeks ago, my training has been going good so far, I want to build up my muscle mass but I know that to do this I need to eat more to keep building but I still have a little bit of fat covering my abs an I want to get rid of that but how can I continue to build and lose this fat??
Thank you,
DD
Tricky to be honest. Some people manage it. Generally bodybuilders will focus on building muscle (bulking) and then losing fat (cutting). You need proteins and calories to grow, but you need to limit them to lose fat.
Some people will train hard and take a lot of protein shakes, people like Gerard Butler that built up muscle and got a 6 pack for the movie 300, but he admitted to overtraining and that his regime was not really very healthy, and left him exhausted.
Remember also that most people you see with 6 packs are at the end of their cutting phases, fitness models included. It is hard to maintain them permanently. So maybe time to “cut”, restrictive dieting, still taking protein and work the abs more.
Ok so how do I go about “cutting” my diet and my body to get that look, or should I build first then cut??
I would def need advice on dieting for cutting and exercises as im not familiar with it?
Thank you,
DD
Hiya, my name is Erica and i really want to lose some fat off my belly. It seems to be more of the bottom part of stomach. I am 5ft 4 and weigh 8 stone 9 oz and a size 8-10. It is ever since i had a baby, so i think i need to tone up too. I have started doing a ministry of sound dvd but as i work etc i can only fit in about 20 mins of a morning inc warm up. The workout is high intensity cardio, if i continue to do this 3-4 times a week and follow the daily food guidlines, do you think i could loose some of the excess fat off my stomach in a week? But i think toning too would be an advantage but i don’t know any stomach toning exercise tips to get it a bit flatter whilst losing the fat. Any advice please? Many Thanks.