Losing the belly

annainez

Hi all,
Now, this is going to be slightly embarrassing for me as I never talk about my weight/figure. But, inspired by my mother who's lost 4 stone :O I would greatly appreciate some advice on how to lose my belly that, imo, is the least attractive feature of me.
So I'm 17, about 5'1, and at the moment I weigh between 10.5 and 11 stone. Apparently I should weigh 8?
I would like to get rid of my roundy belly.
I'm not mad into sport/exercise, but I have a new job gardening and I can already feel a difference. I'm a dancer but I can't afford classes anymore, I'll be getting back to it come September.
Food wise:
Morning: Usual some sort of cereal (cornflakes, cheerios) with low fat milk. I'm working on using slimline.
Lunch: Varies. Maybe a sandwich (possibly toasted), or on the healthy days a salad. Unfortunately followed by milky tea.
Dinner: Whatever mum makes! Often pasta/ rice dish/ curry/ sometimes homemade pizza/ sometimes chicken or lamb with veg (I don't like pork).
The problems arise with snacks. I think I'm a chocoholic! I have a bar/some biscuits almost everyday. But I'm cutting down.

Any advice? I'd really appreciate it

Susie_Q

Cut out the sugary cereal for breakfast - try a couple of eggs or some porridge instead. They're healthier and will keep you fuller for longer.

For lunch try having a salad with lots of leafy greens with some tuna/ chicken/ steak. Cut out the bread and the weight will start falling off you.

Why can't you make your own dinner? Your mother's dinners don't sound terribly healthy, certainly no use if you want to lose weight. You need lots of vegetables and lean meat/ fish.

As for the snacks, you know what you have to do - stop eating them. Snacking a lot can often be a sign that you're bored; use this to your advantage and instead of snacking start going for a walk in the evening. It will really help you get healthier and fitter.

No magic answers here I'm afraid, you just need to stop eating the junk and start doing some exercise.

Khannie

Nice advice from Susie there.

I would add: Try not to sweat the small stuff. Have a milky tea without feeling guilty. If you don't like slimline milk...well not to worry (I don't like it either and will never bother with it tbh). Maybe try lactose free milk? similar calories to slimline but tastes like low fat. Most supermarkets do it these days.

I give out this advice a lot, but it's a good tip: Try to eat less white stuff if you can (rice, pasta, spuds, bread) and try to replace it with green stuff / veg.

Good luck with it.

annainez

Thanks guys I just needed to be told!
Well actually my mother's dinners are pretty healthy usually, hence the four stone gone! But I think i just eat too much.
Thanks!
What about cardio? I've heard that's the best exercise for fat loss?

Susie_Q

Are you a member of a gym? If so, you can get one of the staff to show you how to use the weights machines/ free weights properly - this will really help you burn fat.

Otherwise, start walking, and try to do it everyday. Don't stroll; get your heartrate up! Once you get used to walking (depending on your current fitness level) you can try to start jogging. There's a great beginners programme called Couch to 5k - there's a thread about it in the Food Diary where you can find out more, or just google it. Jogging will get you in great shape and it's sort of addictive too.

PS Forgot to say in the last post, tea is good for you! Don't feel guilty over a cup of tea. Once it's not full of sugar then don't worry about it in the slightest. I have at least three cups a day!

Snackie

Susie_Q wrote: »

Cut out the sugary cereal for breakfast - try a couple of eggs or some porridge instead.

People think that cereals for breakfast are good and they help you burn fat, but that simply is not true. They contain carbohydrates and in fact they help fat accumulation.