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
Oh, build first. Need muscles. Cutting is just a silly way to say eat very little to reduce fat, while maintaining muscle. Maybe an article will be written soon on that topic….. probably too much for the comments.
Hi Erica, for now keep doing the DVD and diet, do not worry about “stomach toning”. That will come as you get fitter and eat healthier.
hey
i’m a 16 year old girl who is not overweight would just like to lose some excess belly flab and i’m prepared to do this diet thing but i’m vegetarian so what would you suggest i eat instead of the meat/fish? thanks in advance
Tofu is a popular vegetarian protein.
I work nights, because of that i tend to sleep a lot, and am tired constantly, i do my best to get as much exercise as possible (ex. a half hour to work and a half hour walk home from work) I have a very active job, lifting boxes up to 60 pounds each and hauling heavy pallets up to 2000 pounds. im 5’3 and about 200 pounds and all my weight is centered in my stomach and my thighs. Do you think that this diet/exercise plan would work for me?
I will help you to lose some weight yes. Try it and see. If you are not getting enough energy just increase it a little. Good sleep, exercise and healthy eating all play a role in weight loss.
i am a student who don’t have time to exercise as i am doing my higher studies.can u plan a strict healthy diet for me.am obese,i weigh 94kg for 1m70cm;(
Hi Karish. Firstly, make time for exercise. Exercise aids memory and taking 30 minutes to do some exercise may actually help you with your studies. For diet advice read this article on a healthy diet. Eat healthy and reduce calories. It is very important if you are studying to maintain a well balanced diet, as without healthy fats and adequate sugar your brain will not function fully.
Hi, im a senior in high school. im not “big” but im not skinny or toned. i want to lose my stomach and eat healthier but i live with my grandmother and she buys the groceries and is very southern with her cooking (fried chicken, potatoes, etc.)but we dont have any healthy alternatives so i dont really have a choice i try to exercise but its hard to stay motivated. Do you have any suggestion?
Hi MotleyHealth, i’m a 49 year old woman 5’6″ and I weigh 112 lbs, ive had 5 children an I go to the gym 5 days a week. My diet is healthy except a slice of apple tart after dinner in the evening.
Im trying to lose a stuborn bit of fat that is on my lower belly and I just cant get rid of it, do you have any advice or help you could give me please.
Dal
Hi Dal. Do you have a slice of apple tart every day? This would be the first thing to change, treat yourself just once a week. Other than that, just reduce calories, cut out as much refined and processed food as possible and increase exercise if possible.
Hi Parker. There are always healthy alternatives. Baked chicken with boiled potatoes is a healthy alternative to fried chicken a potatoes. Reduce portion size, stop frying food and learn to prepare healthier meals. I assume that if you are a senior in high school you are 16-18 years old. If so, now is the time to learn to start taking some responsibility for your own diet, if you know that some parts of your family diet are not healthy (and anything that leads to you becoming overweight is not healthy) then now is the time to change that. Bring new and healthy ideas into the house.
About 3 times a week I have a slice, I exercise 5 times a week usually with a 30minute run an some light weights.
One thing you can start with then is to increase the weights for one session a week, so you do 1 heavier / more intensive weight training session then 4 lighter sessions. Do no weights the day following the heavy session though as you may need more recovery time.
I need help getting rid of this 2 or so inches of stomach fat. Im in the Military and work a lot. Im pretty active during the week because of my long work hours. I have access to a gym but am unsure of what type of exercises i need to be doing to get rid of my belly. The rest of my body is pretty tone. My diet or lack there of is where i need the most help. I don’t ever eat a work, however i usually eat as soon as i get off around 3am or so. Usually its something quick from McDonalds. Just like the type of exercises i should be doing im unsure of the foods i should be eating? Is my goal of a slight six pack or at least a flat stomach a realistic goal to achieve before beach season? Any help you can provide would be awesome! Thanks!
Hi Josh. The junk food has to go to start with. Is there a gym instructor at you gym? I am sure that they can give some good advice on working out. Key really is healthy diet, and not eating ready meals / processed junk food.
Im 5’5 or 5’6 and I weigh 135 and Im 16, and a female. Am I fat?
No. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 22.5. This means your weight is within the Normal range.
Do you exercise? If not, start exercising, take up a sport or hobby, and make some “food swaps”, i.e. swap junk food food healthy cooked food and chocolate snacks for fruits. Then you will be fit and healthy as well as at a good weight.
Hi, I am a mother of three Who is trying to tone up I don’t want to loose weight coz it makes my face look drained however I need to to get rid of my stomach but how?? I really would like to no step by step what to eat or not and how to excersize?
Hi Nilufer. Sounds like you need to eat a healthy diet and get regular exercise. Your face may looked drained when you lose weight if you are not fit and healthy. Start by reading this article on healthy eating. Then start a fitness plan. Read the various options on the home fitness workouts article and see if there is anything you fancy. Feel free to ask specific questions on those articles.
Ok, i am 14, about 5.4 and a half and weigh 145 pounds. My whole life i have been up and down skinny and overweight. I cardio work out about 3 to 4 times a week and i am pretty healthy but my belly thighs and arms are still very big. Thanks
Hannah, just eat a healthy diet and keep up with the exercise.
Im 20 and a sophomore in college. I have been exercising for about a month and my goal is to lose weight, but I dont see any difference in my stomach yet. I eat lighter meals. I do cheat maybe once or twice a week. So, should i just go on a real strict diet and only eat salads and meats and nothing else? Also, is it ok to eat snacks such as special K bars in between meals. Or should I just eat 3 meals a day and thats it?
Hi Artavia, whether you eat snacks or just stick to 3 meals a day does not make a massive difference, the key to losing weight is to maintain a daily calorie limit that allows you to lose weight. Have you been increasing the intensity of your exercise? This is important for weight loss, as the fitter you are the more calories you can burn in a workout and the more fat your burn while resting as a result of increased BMR. If weight has not dropped then you may need to reduce calories further.
A 20 year old female will on average require about 2100 calories a day to maintain weight if they do a little exercise, or 2350 calories a day if very active. To lose 1 pound a week you need to run a calorie deficit of about 500 calories a day. So, if you increase your workouts to be “very active” and eat 1850 calories a day, you should be able to lose a pound a week (or thereabouts). Go much over that each day and you will not lose weight.
hi im 17 about 5 7 and i weigh 140 i think i need to lose 10 lbs my mid section is a little bigger than i would like my diet usually consists of an egg and 2 slices of bread for breakfast a banana and chicken and rice with salad for dinner around 7 at night i was wondering if the late eating could be causing me to keep my belly fat i work out on fridays for an hour and mayb 30 mins two times for the rest of the week.
Hi Jessie. You are not overweight, so really you just need to make a few little changes. You could try increasing your exercise during the week first, and then reducing portion size slightly, maybe a little less rice (also replace white for wholegrain rice). Likewise, you could try 1 slice of wholemeal bread for breakfast with 2 eggs. You did not mention lunch or snacks – do you have any?
Here’s my situation. I’m a 25 year old female with a 1 and 3 year old. I’m 5’9 and weigh 155. I have been on a lean/low calorie diet for almost a month now. I’ve been run/walking 2-3 miles 5 days a week. working out daily (pilates, crunches, squats, etc..), and recently have started kickboxing. I’ve lost 15 lbs already. My goal is to weigh 140. I can already tell such a difference in the way my legs, shoulders, and upper part of my stomach looks. getting some good definition. The problem.. my “mommy pouch.” By no means is it enough to say that I’m “fat” but I’d love to have my belly flat like it was before I had my babies. Is this possible? Anything else I can add to what I’m already doing? I’ve never been more motivated to be healthy and to be in great shape! Thanks.
Hi Logan, just stick to what you are doing. You have already lost 15 pounds which is great work. Now that you are doing kickboxing this should help too. I used to do kickboxing at 5 Elements and the fighters there are all in fantastic shape. Work hard, play hard and eat healthy!
Hi, I am a 21 year old girl who’s 5’1” and weigh 176 pounds. My main weight is on my chest, stomach and thighs. I did the whole south beach diet last summer and lost 10 pounds the during the detox but after that I didn’t lose any weight. Right now I reallly want to just not be over weight and live a healthy life style. What kind of meal plan should I follow and what work outs should I do while I work out at 24hr fitness? I work over 40hrs and also go to school full time… and often I party in the weekends. Can you please help me find the best workout plan for the gym and meal plan to follow? I really would like to be able to wear a swim suite by the summer. Thanks!
I’m 31 year old female. I have always been skinny, but around my late 20s started gaining weight. I am now 145 and want to be back down to 115. I’m 5’1. I just started really trying to lose weight. I was eating a lot of sweets and carbs and in big portions. I also drank NOTHING but extremely sweet tea, and never excersized. For the past 2 weeks, I have cut out all carbs in foods, only eat meats and low carb veggies. And I’ve started drinking more water and have cut out a lot of the sugar from my tea. (That’s the only thing I can’t seem to give up). I have also started working out on my eliptical 4 days a week. I have started losing a little, my question is, is there anything else I should be doing and will I still be able to lose even though I’m still drinking tea. Like I said, I’ve added drinking more water and cut out a whole lot of the sugar, way more than half of what I was drinking. Thank you so much
Hi Lauren. Really it is best to avoid eating plans and just eat a healthy and balanced diet, that is providing fewer calories than your daily requirement. This is how we lose weight. Read this article on healthy eating, there is a link to a table that shows calories requirements. If you maintain high activity levels then you need around 2350 Calories a day, so if you can limit yourself to 1500 Calories a day then you will lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week.
As for exercise, for now the best plan is to just go along to the gym and try out as many activities as possible. It is important to find activities that you enjoy. I see from their website that 24 Hour Fitness have a variety of classes. So your local gym may have boot camp, dance, kickboxing, strength training classes, Zumba or something else. Try them all, you may be surprised at what you enjoy.
People that successfully lose weight maintain a healthy diet and do more exercise that others. So really try to get to the gym 4 times a week, and then as you get fitter start doing extra exercise at home, short 10-15 minute sessions of circuit training exercises can be done next to your bed before your shower in the morning / evening. Make this a habit and this will help you get fitter and lose weight too.
Hi Beverly, I think that for now you are on track. So long as you continue to lose weight and work on getting fitter, then you will be OK. If weight loss stops, then you need to look carefully at your diet again to see where you can cut a little more out, and also look to increase your exercise intensity. The more you exercise, the more you burn.
My name is Kelly and im 16, 130 and about 5’3”. I have belly fat that I would love to get rid of before summer. I am active, I do dance but I never see results. My eating habits aren’t the best, but I rarley have time to have a nice meal. any suggestions? Thanks (:
Hi Kelly. Firstly, you absolutely must start eating a healthy diet. Make time for a nice meal. Eat 3 healthy meals each day. This will provide you with more nutrients and vitamins as well as help to keep you full so you avoid snacking.
As for not seeing results with dance, how often do you dance? Do the dance classes include conditioning exercises (such as push ups, squats, burpees, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, i.e. circuit training exercises)? If not, then you must start doing these. Pro dancers work hard to stay in shape, they do not get such great bodies from just dance alone.
Making these 2 changes should result in some changes. Healthy diet, more exercise, better exercise.
hi my name is mile and im a high school teenage boy that wants to lose some weight and get cut on my muscles. If anyone can give me a diet plan or excersise guide so that i can follow instead of searching online please help me out.
I have a small amount of time in the morning to prepare meals to take with to work. I like having frozen meals stored in the freezer so I can prepare them in the microwave during the short times I have available (I’m often working alone so I don’t have the traditional lunch breaks). What is your opinion of frozen meals? I like the Kashi brand, they are usually under 300 calories, seem to have good ingredients, and satisfy my hunger.
Is this an okay thing to do at work 5 days a week if I am sticking to the diet/exercise routine the rest of the time? Or do you have other suggestions for meals that I can store at the workplace?
I’m 16 years old, I’m 5’2 and weigh like 120 lbs. I have a wedding I’m in and when I got fitted for the dress I was doing exercise so I didn’t really have any fat. I haven’t really done any exercised lately so I’ve gained weight. The wedding in in about a week and I’m scared the dress won’t fit, what can I do to lose weight in a week?
Also, I’m anemic, would that affect how much or what I eat, or how much exercise I should do?
Hi Mile, this is a good place for you to start: Basic Beginners Weight Training Workout. This will keep you busy for a long time, it is a volume training approach with 3 workouts per week that sees you increasing reps over a course of 5 weeks, then increasing weight lifted. Feel free to ask questions on that page once you have read the through workout. I can provide a spreadsheet template for this if you like.
As for diet, read our pages on healthy diet and also protein timing for muscle.
For now your diet should focus on real foods – nothing processed. Use fresh vegetables, eat a good variety too, plus pulses (pea and beans). Lots of healthy protein, such as eggs, chicken, turkey and fish.
I am not familiar with the Kashi brand. If the nutrition label looks OK, i.e. not too much sugar, salt or fat, then it should be OK. As for packed lunches, one simple option that provides a well balanced meal with no processed foods is to make up salads. Use a variety of salad leaves (rocket, baby spinach, watercress, lettuce etc) plus some other raw vegetables, add some chicken or tuna, drizzle in olive oil. Put it all in the salad box and give a few gentle shakes. The olive oil with cover the salad and provide enough protection to keep it fresh until lunch. Buy ready washed leaves and it is very quick to prepare in the morning. You could buy cooked chicken or cook in the evening then cut and leave in the fridge until you make the salad.
Hi Diana. A tricky situation, and a very common one. In one week the only way to lose weight is to do a lot of exercise and restrict calories. If you are anemic then ensure that you are eating some good iron sources. Do you take supplements for anemia? Ideally your doctor should be able to provide some advice on exercising with anemia. Of course, it is not too late to get the dress adjusted so that you look your best on the day.
Hi, Mile again, and this does not help me I want to lose weight because I am 5’7 and I weigh 155 and I would like to get skinnier and cut and I need a diet schedule that I can follow so that it tells me what to eat everyday if there is anything like that for free please help me out and I would like to know if there is ways to get cut but not buff thanks.
Hi Mile. Have you tried the diet plan in the article above?
Hello. I’m 18 years old, 5’2, and weigh about 125 pounds. I wouldn’t say I’m extremely out of shape, I just don’t have the fitness I had in high school when I played soccer and softball year round. I’m looking for examples of healthy meals to eat and effective excersises to tone all my muscles but mainly my stomach area. Ideally I’d like to lose about 10 pounds and regain the tone of all my muscles. Thanks.
Hi Holly. Read Basics Of A Healthy Diet and focus on eating low GI carbohydrates and lean protein sources such as fish and chicken.
For exercise, bodyweight exercises are a great way to tone up. Circuit training or intensive cross training workouts can help a lot.
Hello!
I really like how you have a weekly exercise plan and dieting chart! I totally admire this… Well anyway about myself.. I’m 22 yrs old, mom of two toddlers, 6’1, and I weigh 180pnds. The hardest thing for me is cravings. Food is now like a addiction. I still do work outs, but mostly its while juggling chores. I normally use the wii fit for working up, but my kids broke it. So my questions are.. what kind of foods can I eat to help control cravings.. what is filling, and tastes super gooood. :P Also when kind of work outs are fun, and maybe some I can do with my kids, since they are always trying to jump in.. :) thanks!
Hi April. Take a look at 10 Scientific Ways To Lose Weight. A few quick tips:
1. Eat more protein, especially for breakfast – eggs are good. This helps to manage hunger
2. Eat hearty soups at lunch time – fills the belly and holds off hunger for longer
3. Eat mostly low-medium GI vegetables and cut out all white bread, white rice and pasta – this helps control blood sugar which controls cravings.
4. Snack on: plain nuts, fruits, yogurt (not low fat, natural is best).
5. Drink only water, tea and coffee (but not Latte, Cappuccino etc as too much milk in those – and no sugar or sweeteners in your drinks).
Hi!
I’m 15yrs old and am struggling with weight mostly in my stomach and thigh area. I dance (ballet &contemporary) three days a week for about 1.5hrs each day. This is pretty much the only exercise I do. I can tell that am relatively toned in my legs and stomach yet I have fat covering it up. I have a terrible diet but I am extremely unmotivated and cannot get myself to stick to a solid plan due to stress and lack of energy/time. Help?
hello,
i need help badly with this.
i was 111kg last october when i decided to lose weight and went on fad dieting
now i am maybe 75- 77 – 80kg
the reason i dont know the exact weight is asit shows diffrent everytime
i want to be 75kg (ideal weight for my 180cm height)
but everytime i reach it and start eating normally
i reach UPTO 85kg IN 5 DAYS!!
but 1 week fad dieting and am back to 75 or 77 atleast (this happened like 7-8 times that i reached my goal and whithin 3-4 days reached 80 -85)
past week i followed 750 calorie per day diet
morning
200ml cow milk
1 apple
snack
1 high fiber digestive biscuits
1 sugar free wheat biscuit
5 almonds
lunch
2 whole wheat/grain bread with salad made with yogurt 100gm, 1 tomatoes and onions.
pre workout and post work out
100 – 100ml cow milk
dinner
2 egg whites with 2 whole grain bread
200ml buttermilk
and before sleep
50ml cow milk
the problem with me is i cant think anything else then fad diet to lose weight
this is the first time i followed a plan of 750-1000 calorie diet
and also i do gym for 1hr 30min (of which cardio 40min) for 6 days
and lose 300 calories daily by walking
now i want to know what amount of calorie should i take daily to slowly lose or maintain my current weight of 77kg
i drink 6liter water daily
what foods to eat/replace?
skim milk is expensive so i drink cow milk
and since am a student who leave alone
instead of cooking i like ready meals like noodles(400 calorie 100gm) and all those stuff
i want to eat more as i feel dizzy and weakness but am afraid to gain weight back
calculators says i should eat 2000 calorie daily and spend 500 calorie per day
Hi Mega, sounds like you need to work on your diet. 4.5 hours of dance each week should be enough to keep you in good shape, and if you are toned then you must be reasonable fit and have a good fast metabolism. So, the question is, what are you eating? You mention that you have a terrible diet – this is very likely to be the problem. Time for change. Read our article on healthy eating and look at ways to change the way you eat. You may have to change your attitudes to many types of food that you have become accustomed to (i.e. stop eating them completely) and eat new types of food, as well as to reduce total calories.
Hi Rahil, I really am not sure how you manage to put on weight if you are eating less than your daily needs (this is actually impossible to do). So you must be consuming more than you are recording (this is a very very common thing to do, do not worry). If you are exercising for 90 minutes a day and only eating 750 Calories you will not put on weight. If anything you need to eat more. What type of exercises are you doing? As for the pot noodles – stop these and replace with fresh fruits, vegetables and lean protein sources (chicken, eggs, fish).