I Eat Healthy But My Stomach's Big

Email from Anonymous

I'm a vegetarian. I also eat a lot of fruits and I watch my fat intake. I also have stopped eating late at night but I still have a very protruding stomach I don't exercise like I should (maybe once/month) but my diet is good. How do I get my stomach flatter?

Lisa's Response:

Eating healthy is great but it's only half the battle. You still need to help your body burn fat through exercise in order to get rid of that unwanted fat. You should be exercising (cardio) at least three times per week for 30 minutes or longer.

Also incorporate some abdominal crunches into your routine to tone up your mid section. Just remember, flattening your stomach is a TOTAL body fitness program.

Also be careful with your fruit intake. A lot of people think they can eat as much as they want and it won't harm them, but fruits contain tons of sugar (carbs). Yes, it's natural sugar but it can still cause weight gain or prevent weight loss if you eat too much of it.

Can Bread Cause Stomach Fat?

Email from Anonymous:

I am very thin but I have excessive weight in my stomach and butt area. I eat well, exercise but my one weaknesses is white bread and rolls. Is this part of my problem?

Lisa's Response:

White bread can play havoc with the mid section. It is one of those "bad carbs" that is known for hanging around the middle...especially when you consume a lot of it. If you are a bread fan, try switching to whole grain. It has vitamins, minerals and no trans fat.

Change the Shape of My Hips

Email from Anonymous

My hips are very round and curve outward quite a bit. How can I make them more slim so they aren't as curvy?

Lisa's Response

The shape of your hips are part of your body's natural frame? If you have excess fat in the hip area then you can trim this down by exercising and watching what you eat. However, you cannot change the shape of your body's frame. Just like the stomach, you can't spot tone your hips, but you can slim them down by burning off unwanted fat.

How Much Weight Will I Lose?

Email from Anonymous:

If I follow a proper protien diet chart with a good work out everyday... how long will it take me to lose wieght? I am 23 yrs of age, my hieght is 5'3 and I am 57 kgs (125 pounds).

Lisa's Response:

First of all, the amount of weight you lose will depend on how well you stick to your diet and more importantly your body's metabolism. A younger person with a faster metabolism may be able to drop the weight faster than an older person with a slower metabolism.

It's impossible for anyone to predict how fast you will lose weight due to body type, diet plan and so many other factors.

The best advice I can give is to stick with your low fat, high protein diet plan and exercise 3-4 times per week and you WILL see results.

How to Lose Weight FAST!

I get emails all the time from people wanting to know how to lose a large amount of their stomach fat in a short amount of time (one or two weeks). I want to stress that the only way you can lose considerable amounts of weight quickly is to do it the unhealthy way - i.e. starve yourself.

This is NOT good for your body. Not only will your body lack the nutrition it needs, but you can severely screw up your metabolism, making it harder for your body to burn fat and calories in the long run.

If you want to learn to lose weight the right way...whether it be stomach fat or overall fat, you need to learn how to eat properly and exercise. As mentioned on my site www.flat-stomach-exercises.com, you actually should eat MORE to lose weight because digestion of foods with protein actually helps speed up your metabolism.

Now when I say eat more, I mean foods that are high in protein and fiber and low in fat (fish, nuts, whole grains, oatmeal, vegetables, etc.)

For healthy eating tips, see my fat burning foods page.

Just remember, the best weight loss plan is one that involves a combination of good eating and exercise. Crash diets and starvation are not good for your body and could end up causing you to gain even more weight in the long run due to the negative effects they have on your metabolism.