Losing Weight in 3 Weeks (Diet/Exercise Advice Plz)

[Martin_M]

Hi folks,

Looking for some advice from the fitness gurus on here please.

I'm 6 foot 3, broad shouldered and have what I would consider to be plenty of 'meat' on me to really build up a good physique if I made the effort. I weighed myself this morning which revealed that I'm 15 stone 2.5 lbs and after a 10 mile walk today, I was showing 15 stone 3/4lb. Ideally, I'd like to get to 14.5 and see how I look.

Unfortunately, a bad diet and lack of exercise over the last 18 months has resulted in a flabby belly which has been increasingly getting me down. Elsewhere, I don't think I look fat as such, it just seems to be in the stomach area.

I'm off on holiday to get married in 3 weeks and would love to be able to take my top off without being embarrassed (not during the wedding obviously ;-b) and would appreciate any advice with regard to the best exercise and diet regime to give me maximum impact over the next 3 weeks. I know I've left it too late but something is better than nothing at this stage.

I finish up work for 6 weeks next Wednesday so I'll have a good 2.5 weeks to do what I can.

Exercise-wise, I have a multi-gym in the garage (haven't used it in a year!), a road bike and I'm happy to go running and walking.

Food-wise, I was thinking of just sticking to salads for the next three weeks but I'm not sure if this is the best approach. I did look at extreme diets (i.e. Christian Bale's diet) for quick impact with a view to maintaining a healthy diet thereafter but I don't want to make myself ill.

Sorry for the long-winded post but I thought that this might be the best way to access lots of people in the know quickly.

Thanks in advance,

Martin

[944fan]

For a short period like that I would go low/no carb with some moderate weight lifting and cardio. Not sustainable for a long period but should be ok for 3 weeks. You may want to add one dsy per week where you eat some carbs to fuel up your exercise. Up your protein a lot, it keeps you full.

Use MFP to track your calories

[Lemmonie]

Cambridge diet

[Hoofy]

3 weeks? Why not wait until 2 days before the big day?

Given the short space of time, your best bet is to not eat much at all and bust your arse in the gym until you cry. Not at all healthy nor sustainable but you don't exactly have much time. Did you plan it yesterday?

[dtmpower]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ECA_stack

And eat grilled chicken and some veg 3 times a day

Lift heavy weights

[HonestIago]

Eat zero carbs for 3 weeks and exercise yourself into the ground. That is the only way you'll make a jot of difference. There are no easy answers, especially in such a short timeframe.

[Martin_M]

I know guys - laziness is the reason! Thanks for your advice though!

[BenM77]

I would not try to lose any weight in 3 weeks.

It would be far better to go on a slight calorie surplus and hammer the weights and cardio. You will look better for it than losing water weight IMO.

[Hoofy]

BenM77 said:

It would be far better to go on a slight calorie surplus and hammer the weights and cardio. You will look better for it than losing water weight IMO.

Interesting approach. In just 3 weeks? (TBH this is the far healthier option.)

Edited by Hoofy on Monday 23 June 20:54

[vx220]

Keep in mind if you do lose weight suddenly you may have a bit of baggy skin!

[BenM77]

Hoofy said:

BenM77 said:

It would be far better to go on a slight calorie surplus and hammer the weights and cardio. You will look better for it than losing water weight IMO.

Interesting approach. In just 3 weeks? (TBH this is the far healthier option.)

Edited by Hoofy on Monday 23 June 20:54

Think about the phases you have been through and when you looked and felt the best. And like you said, it's also healthier.

When people start losing weight with a big calorie deficit they look terrible and feel even worse! Compare that to the feeling of training on a slight surplus.

[Hoofy]

BenM77 said:

Think about the phases you have been through and when you looked and felt the best. And like you said, it's also healthier.

When people start losing weight with a big calorie deficit they look terrible and feel even worse! Compare that to the feeling of training on a slight surplus.

Yeah, but in 3 weeks?

[BenM77]

Hoofy said:

BenM77 said:

Think about the phases you have been through and when you looked and felt the best. And like you said, it's also healthier.

When people start losing weight with a big calorie deficit they look terrible and feel even worse! Compare that to the feeling of training on a slight surplus.

Yeah, but in 3 weeks?

I don't mean he's going to make mad gains!

A SLIGHT calorie surplus with loads of weights and cardio will have him looking and feeling better than if he crash dieted. IMO of course

[Hoofy]

BenM77 said:

I don't mean he's going to make mad gains!

A SLIGHT calorie surplus with loads of weights and cardio will have him looking and feeling better than if he crash dieted. IMO of course

Hehe. I didn't imagine he'd suddenly look like Arnie. Just wonder how noticeable it would be. Guess he'll have to do it!

[vx220]

OP, I guess the question is, have you started since your first post?

If not, you've missed quite a bit of your opportunity already!

[Hitch78]

Before my wedding I spent about three weeks doing the following:

1. Bowl of weetabix for breakfast
2. Chicken salad sandwich for lunch from a deli
3. Tuna salad for lunch - just tuna, lettuce, tomato, olives and a bit of onion
4. I only drank water, but always had a big bottle with me and took a swig whenever I felt hungry
5. Walked fast on maximum gradient on a treadmill for 60-90 mins a day

Note sure of the scientific theory but I lost a load of flabby weight. Whilst I wasn't thin for the wedding I lost that bloated look. One of the tricks for me was to remove choice at meal time as that removes the option to stray. I had exactly the same thing every day.

[Hoofy]

Hitch78 said:

Note sure of the scientific theory but I lost a load of flabby weight. Whilst I wasn't thin for the wedding I lost that bloated look. One of the tricks for me was to remove choice at meal time as that removes the option to stray. I had exactly the same thing every day.

The scientific theory was that you were eating about the same as a baby rabbit and moving a lot more.

Actually, eating the same every day is a great way of doing things as you make it easy to put together stuff. It's boring but easy to stick to. I eat pretty much 90% the same food every day! Counting calories is piss easy. I can plan a day in under 5 minutes.

[mike-r]

Martin_M said:

Hi folks,

Looking for some advice from the fitness gurus on here please.

I'm 6 foot 3, broad shouldered and have what I would consider to be plenty of 'meat' on me to really build up a good physique if I made the effort. I weighed myself this morning which revealed that I'm 15 stone 2.5 lbs and after a 10 mile walk today, I was showing 15 stone 3/4lb. Ideally, I'd like to get to 14.5 and see how I look.

I'm a couple of inches shorter and a tad lighter but similarly built. I have lost just over a stone to get rid of a belly and to be honest the difference is there but very slight, so I'd perhaps aim for losing more than 7lbs.

[BoRED S2upid]

What you need is a case of norovirus for 2 days to start you off then exercise like a beast 100 sit ups a day minimum you will be nackered come the wedding.

[Hoofy]

BoRED S2upid said:

What you need is a case of norovirus for 2 days to start you off then exercise like a beast 100 sit ups a day minimum you will be nackered come the wedding night.

EFA.