How to Lose Fat in 30 Days

I need a little help understanding this:
"….Effective weight loss is your age minus 220. get that number and 55%-80% of that for effective weight loss. If you push your body past that, you are going strictly into muscle building mode. Plus, work in intervals when you are doing cardio excercises!…"

I'm 61. How do I deduct 220 from that? And what IS that 220 anyway?
And, "…55%-80% of that for effective weight loss…" I don't understand either.

Can you please explain this? I am really interested and want to understand it.

to the young lady wanting to lose her "belly chub"….quit eating "fast food" or processed treats. We live in China, and my kids eat at McD or KFC about 1 every 3 months (if they are lucky…) I bake all our bread, muffins and cookies, so I alter the recipes replacing most of the oil with yogurt…I have two daughters (18&13), and while their body types are very different (petite/curvy & tall/lean), neither of them have a belly fat issue. I also have 3 sons, and they have no belly fat either. I can tell you that the kids at their school who DO eat "fast foods" all have belly fat! Cut the oil in your diets, increase fruits/veggies and fiber….I am 50yrs old with RA, so my excercise routine sufferes some days, but I am in a whole lot better shape than most of my peers….My hubby is 53 and still slender…. ..he has what my 10yr old calls a "cookie belly", just a little tiny pudge, nothing like most of his peers! good luck….much to be said for a Chinese-food lifestyle…..(not the kind you get at restaurants in the USA or elsewhere….)

Why is it that there is never a plan that is specific to people with medical conditions when the norm doesn't work? Is there a forthcoming plan for people with thyroid problems or digestive disorders that make it near impossible to lose weight like everyone else? There should be a plan that is entitled "when diet and exercise don't work; what to do now"

Great Article…. i do spend an hour in the gym during my luch time for 5 days a week and have reduced a lot during the past 3 months… now i would try to keep a balance btw the cardios and the weight training……
one question … when should i have my lunch? i mean befor gym or after that….and the time gap btw the gym and meal….?????

this is all the stuff I've heard before… but what about people who don't eat junk and are already moderately active? I gain 20lb two months before I got pregnant and since I've had her I lost the baby weight but that initial weight will not go anywhere… and I don't have time to go to the gym and even if I did I have a 9 month baby to tow around

ok. so are you eating your calrie limit a day? what have you done in the past? history effects how you will gain or loose in the future. I would need to assess the entire past present and where u want to be. I have tested many trials in nutrition and diet. I am currently 125 5'5 24 and have just started going to the gym 3x a week two weeks ago. I built my metabolisim and always kept it at a shock” EX i am at 1850 calories for my DAILY needs with little activity. I never add my exercise i onlty address that to my calorie burn account. I often will shock my metabolism so i do not hit a plateau, non exercise day 1500 (neber less than my bmr tho!-thats metabolism detriment, next day my max 1850, excercise day 2100! next day 1600 ….so on………… I will also change my cazrdio type every 3 weeks! new fat burn type, High incline 4.5 speed treadmill, next three interval stairclimb, next three run 10 min then cross train 20-30… circuit train with pushups and situps in between sets…..

I think you need to eat your RMR no matter what. I also use my Bodybugg, not what a treadmill or HRM tells me I burned that day. I journal every single thing and it is all weighed my grams or oz. That is the only way that I know exactly what I am doing. There is no extra cookie I forgot about ever. I workout 7 days per week and I work out more than 20 minutes per day. I have a low RMR but I am 41 and it has gone up so the metabolism is working with my weights and I have lost weight with my cardio. I just think that if you have ALL the numbers then you have the whole math problem and it can be solved. I also think that some of that info is great like taking advantage of the summer days and getting out and walking. I like to hike with my dog. Rainy days are Wii Fit Plus or a video. I love to box with my husband and we love to roller skate. If my workouts get stale I know I will want to quit so I keep coming up with new stuff. By the way, cleaning burns calories too. Good luck to all.

Hey Breez! Have you ever thought about home videos? I'm currently a stay-at-home mom of 3 kids (one of them being a 12-month old) and these are my best bet. I enjoy the Beachbody videos (Turbo Jam & Power90) and the Jillian workouts. These are easy and quick to get in while your little one is taking a nap. They've been exactly what I've needed to get off not only the baby weight, but the extra weight I had gained before my pregnancy. You should definitely check 'em out. Good luck!

I was once very active, but due to knee arthritis I am unable to run. I have no incentive to
continue weight training, or to swim. I am trying to buy an exercise bike, but to no avail.the depresssion is coming on. Please help

A pragmatic way to lose weight .Really inspiring.

I eat no where near where I'm told I need to be calorie wise… I was told to eat 3100 calories a day based on my height weight and that I breastfeed in order to lose weight at a healthy rate… I could eat all day long and I MIGHT eat 2000 calories… its really hard since I'm funny about fat or oil being in my food though I do eat atleast 1 high protein snack or meal a day… before I got pregnant I gained weight and lost weight really easy to keep me at a steady healthy weight for the past 10 years so me 20lbs above that is kinda hard… I have 6 weeks left to lose weight and it seems no matter what I do nothing works… even if I wanted to go on a crash diet I couldn't and exercising outside the house is a next to impossible feat

hi I'm mojgan from Iran,
i have a good diet and loss 11 kg in 4 month I'm eating celery water per day 1 glass before breakfast, Will use this material to create a problem for me?
I do not have a bank account that I plan to purchase the site, Please provide me proper diet can

I've JUST started reading your articles, even though I found out about your website thru an article in my Good Housekeeping magazine. A young woman, used your website, enrolled in your program, etc, and lost 44 pounds. I'm 73 years old, and looking over your ideas, suggestions, and realistic goals, I KNOW that I'm on the right track. As a “Sr. Citizen,” and ALL I want to lose is about 10 lbs., I HAVE to do it reasonably, and realistically. As your eDiets Fitness Pro, stated in his article, “set a 30 day goal to kick start your program!”

Welcome to the family, Norna! We're glad you found us. If you ever need help or just want to talk to someone about your nutrition goals and how you're doing, you can always email our nutritionists at nutrition@ediets.com — they are SUPER helpful, super friendly and love to hear from our readers!

Norma – I'm so glad you focused on the 30 day goal I mentioned. Welcome aboard!

What exactly is meant by the phrase “weight training”?

Epiphani – Weight training simply means working with resistance tools such as dumbbells, barbells or strength training machines in order to build muscle/strength.

but just try to look at the big picture, in 4 months in will 20 lbs, and 6 months 30 lbs. You didn't put in on in one day, don't expect to take it off in one day, baby steps. Stay positive and stick to it–YOU CAN DO IT :D

I would like some help … I have been exercising at least 4 times a week, weight training at least once a week for an hour and then another day with much lighter weights, trained for a marathon and have lost nothing. I was going to WW and took my food journals into them as I was staying within the points I was allowed but they could not figure out why I was not losing either. I then decided to go to the Cooper Center and have my RMR tested.. it came back at 1300 calories per day. I took it to the doctor with my food journals and he told me that he really does not believe those test and not sure why I am not losing. I am afraid to quit exercising for fear I will start gaining but the only way I have seen the scale move more than 2 lbs up and 2 lbs down is when I get sick and that is not weight loss.
I started a boot camp a couple weeks ago and she gave us a diet to follow with guidelines as to the calories we are to eat and we need to be betweem 1000 – 1300 which I have done everyday.. that is my normal eating… the scale has not changedl.
I am 49 and not sure is pre men has anything to do with all this or not but the numbers do not add up in my opinion.. any thoughts?

Crash – You didn’t mention your height or how much cardio you’re performing, but my guess is you aren’t consuming enough calories. 1000 calories is much too low and I suspect you need to add at least 200 more calories to your plan. However, there are many things I don’t know (cardio time and intensity, height, if you go off your plan a few times a week, if you consume alcohol etc.).

wow everyones advise on here is very good! i like in the don't how you mention not to put off exercising for the next day, I'm bad about that cause I have a 2yr old and a 3yr old it's tough to pull away from them for a few mins to myself. I also have a problem with grabbing somthing quick to eat rather than healthy. I'll also admit that I love chocolate lol! But I'm really trying. I am 5'7 and weigh 170lbs I want to weigh about 145lbs which is an average weight for my highth.

I am 5'6″ and weight 175 and my scale states that I am 36% body fat. When I am doing my cardio I work out 45 min to 1 hour each session. I do not drink alcohol and have not gone off my plan for at least a month. She ask that we stay within 1000 – 1300 cal with at least 80 grams protein, 30 fat, 140 carbs …. I have been within 10 grams of each of those numbers each day.

I need HELP, want to loose 20 pounds and can't… what can I do… 45 years old, mother of four…

Dear crash, Did you check your thyroid? may be you should try South Beach diet going thru all phases. I am some what like you. I eat right and exercise. but very difficult for me to lose. But when I tried South beach even following it only 60% I was able to lose 15 pounds in 2 months. I kept it for 2 years. But thingas always go wrong when it comes to eating with parties and social and family obligations. I gained 15 pounds after 2 years. I know if I go on real low carb diet I can do it . basically I am a vegetarian and eat lot of grains. that is what I am going to do. Yesterday I watched a show on public television about 5 types of brain that is responsible for fat gaining. basically he suggested one should have fish oil( with high dose of omega 3) , about 1700 cals a day, and exercise. You should also find out what kind of brain type you have. they are 1. Compulsive eating type 2. Impulsive 3. combination of above 4. People wit anxirty and 5. combo of all.

YES! Awesome comment, Cadzgiz! You are so right.

Congrats on your weight loss, and even BIGGER CONGRATS on keeping it off!

Sometimes it just takes a little reminder… Go go go! :)

Hi Crash, I am 43, 5'6 and weigh 180 lbs…I like you exercise (cardio) four times a week for 45-60 minutes, do 2 days of weight training for 30 minutes, but I have 1 day allow my body and muscles to re-cupr. My calorie intake is falls between 1300 – 1500 per day. I have been on this schedule for 4 months and I like you had not seen any weight change at least not on the scale. I did see my doctor and learned that my thyroid levels where a little low. My doctor encouraged me to continue with the current excercise plan but she also started me on thyroid medication to help bring my levels up to normal. This can take several weeks so I am hoping that once things stabilize, I will see some weight lose.

why have I gained all my extra weight in my rib cage. This is really hard to get rid of, what exercises gan you do for this?

Hi Mao3956,
Thanks for your question. I understand your frustration, we all have “problem areas” that we feel we need to focus on and reduce, but the truth is that it's really not possible to lose in one focused/specific area of the body. No single exercise will remove excess fat from a specific area.

An overall loss of body fat will give you the results you are looking for and to do that you'll need a solid, well balanced nutrition program and an effective exercise routine. So you're in luck! As an eDiets member, you get all of that right at your fingertips. And if you need help getting started, or even deciding which meal plan to get started with, we're always here to help!