Losing weight in 4 weeks (well my stomach actually)

[vicars]

I have 4 weeks before a holiday - and I want to reduce my waistline as much as possible. I intend doing a bit of running and some weights but what should I aim to do about my stomach? Is it purely food intake related as I believe you can not exercize the stomach fat off. What should I aim for in my diet? fat free? Look forward to your replies and let me know if you want a weekly commentary on how I am going! I am a 6 foot bloke - 14 stone but look thin / normal but with a stomach that I need to hold in in front of people!
Best wishes.

[Joe_the_Lion]

4 weeks???

You can safely lose 2-3 lbs per week of fat. Butthis will come from the entire body, from your little toe to your tongue!!! So 10 lbs will make little difference.

However, because it is only 4 weeks, "safety" will not be that important.

Go on a 1000cal day a diet and up your excercise by 1000 cals burnt off a day. That should make you lose about a pound a day, thus two stone in a month. That should cut into your stomache.

Saying that though I am 6 feet 1 and 16 and half stone, and although pig ugly most women say I have a fabulous body!!!

I wouldn't worry. And if if you ask the ladies on here if they think 14 stone for a 6 feet man is ok, they would probably say "absolutely".

[mycats]

Drink a LOT of wtaer, honest you will be amazed at the difference. I recently put on weight for the first time in my life and had to lose 2 stone (eek) I lost a stone in the first month just be eating less rubbish (obviously) but mostly by drinking lots of water. The second stone took about 6 weeks to lose but its gone now

[sleepy1]

14 stone at 6 foot tall is fine weight

[rugeleyboy]

i am in the same prediciment (sp) i have just eaten a helthy ham salad sarnie on white bread (brown bread is dire) and a chicken sald bowel.

how do you know how many calories are in salad if any at all??

[feist]

Don't listen to the posters above, most of them probably have the same problem as you.

Do lots of push-ups every day and eat less carbs. Drink more water, take more protein high food and go swimming (its great for stomach fat loss).

Good luck and have a great holiday.

[jenstar]

You can't spot reduce fat but you can tone the underlying muscle - curl-ups, oblique curls and reverse curls, if that means nothing to you then do a web search and you'll find instructions easily enough.

[Joe_the_Lion]

Feist is wrong, again.

As said it is impossible to spot reduce. The body does not say, "Oh I need to burn up some energy, i'll take it from the stomach today. Oh no change of plan I'll think I do the legs"

Utter pants.

Also do not reduce carbs and eat more protein. This is little more than the Aikens Diet, which is now universially ridiculed by doctors, dieticians, gym trainers and any member of the general public who knows anything about heath and fitness.

A balanced diet (even if reduced calories) is the only way. And this should include carbs, protein and even fats and sugars!!!!

And all push ups will do is burn a little fat if you do hundreds and make it aerobic. Or just build up shoulder muscles.

Some people should really not post on such forums!!!!

[Goodsoulette]

6ft and 14 stone sounds normal to me.

Swimming is good for most muscle groups but sit ups are the way forward for toning your tummy. You need someone to show you how to do them properly and different types of sit ups tone different stomach muscles. When you are toning your tummy you need to make sure you also do some work on your back too.

[feist]

Joe, you may be an expert, but you don't seem to know much about weight loss.

Atkins may be bad in the long run, but it Works in the short run. vicars, up to you whose advice you take but my mother has lost weight in matter of weeks because of Atkins, (she only did it for a few weeks to lose holiday fat). Eat less carbs and more protein. Simple as that. Try it and let us know whose advice was sensible.

[Goodsoulette]

Idiots reckon atkins work because it steps over the burning carbs part to get to the fat burning. This is just tripe studies have shown people on atkins lose weight because they are in fact, wait for it, consuming less calories. Protein makes you fill fuller so they stop eating quicker. Your body needs carbs for energy, you will find yourself feeling ill and tired if you follow this diet and lacking the energy you need to do your cardio, weights, sit ups and crunches.

Take a small dinner plate, half of that should be veg, on the half of the plate thats not filled with veg, 2/3 of what is left should be carbs and the remaining bit should be protein.

have a salad for lunch

fruit, yoghurt, and wholegrain cereal for breakfast

fruit and nuts as snacks.


Complex carbs, brown rice/bread, try yam instead of potato. Basmati rice is alright though.

[feist]

Goody, I never said Atkins was the way to go for the long run.
Idiots just follow random advice posted by wannabe experts on this site.
Of course protein fills you up, that's the whole point of it. Eating less carbs make you lose weight, Which is what vicars wants to do in the end. Its only for a few weeks and he'll look good in his swimwear at the end of it.

[Goodsoulette]

14 stone, at 6 ft he doesnt "need" to lose weight. He needs to tone that tummy up, by losing wieght he will just look skinnier not more toned. As a female I would personally rather see a slightly harder bodied larger guy than a spindly legged skinny guy.

Why follow a bad diet, even if it is just for a few weeks. I am a bit of a do as I say and not as I do, for 2 months I ate nothing but an apple for breakfast, tinned tomatoes on toast for dinner and a plate of steamed veg for tea. All in the name of a holiday.

[feist]

Goody, you may think your advice is helpful but there's no need to derogate other people's advice.

All I am saying is Atkins helps you lose weight, fast and if you do the necessary exercise you will lose weight in the area you want. That is All. Diets are never good long or short term, you need to change your whole lifestyle for healthy weight loss. A bit idiotic to try to do that in a few weeks time is it?

[feist]

Also, I don;t like skinny men myself, but tubby men are not my cuppa tea either.

[Goodsoulette]

I think you are being a bit touchy.

So I'll add an all I am saying, if you want your tummy to look good you need to aim exercises at that area. You cannot diet and just lose weight off that area. To exercise you need energy, for that you need carbohydrates.

[feist]

I think you were being rude earlier but its ok. No hard feelings.

Anyway, good luck vicars, whatever you try.

[Goodsoulette]

never is my intention to be rude and I apologise if anything I said made you think I was aiming it at you.

[sophie_1003]

if you eat a healthy balanced diet just reduce your portions! are you sure you need to hold your stomach in? I always find if i look down on my stomach it looks massive whereas its really just about average sized! drinking water is a must, as somebody already said! situps will tone you're stomach muscles but to burn the fat off you'll need to do cardiovascular exercise, do anything that makes you hot and sweaty everyday for (I think its meant to be) 30 minutes when your trying to lose weight, just three times a week if you're not! Good luck and let us know how you get on!

[dragon4]

Try eating just fruit for lunch for the next month. 3 or 4 items are usually enough and you soon get used to it. This not only helps you shed weight but keeps it off in the future. I can eat pretty much what I want in the evening (my favourite time to eat good food) without gaining weight. Since starting this fruit for lunch thing, my cholesterol level has dropped from 4.9 to 3.0 and remains constant. I am not into exercise and have a desk job. I am a 5 foot 9 inch bloke and weigh 11 stone 6 pounds. I eat normal lunches at the weekend. One good thing for the stomach area is to consciously hold it in as long and as often as you can (even when you are not in front of people). This helps to tone it nicely and gets the weak muscles working (which in turn can help if you are prone to back pain)

[tiggertan]

My top tip is posture! I have a bit of a tum but dreadful posture. If I make the effort to stand 'correctly' my stomach is fine and I'm taller! have a great hol.
X.