# ISO help planning a diet menu to help reduce belly fat



## kenny1999 (Jun 21, 2014)

I am fat, but people say I look thin. I am 80kg and 173cm tall only, reaching the boundary of dangerous BMI. I am fat at the center (belly). I ate a lot of snacks when I was younger. I am now 30. It's high time to do something. I always believe that eating is more important than exercise. The problem is I don't know how to cook or cook only with very simple thing. When I eat outside, the choices here are always unhealthily and expensive. 
I m looking fo  a full suggestion and plan on what to eat and how to cook them.
Thank you.


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## TATTRAT (Jun 21, 2014)

kenny1999 said:


> I always believe that eating is more important than exercise.



Sorry, but no. eating right is as important as exercise. 

Calories go in, energy burns calories, calories are burned, rinse recycle repeat.

Even if you eat 110% "right", you need something to keep the metabolism going and to keep the furnace burning(furnace being your human body).

People will tend to focus on a "diet" regimen, but a diet is simply what you tend to dine on. Even if you eat crap foods all day, everyday, THAT is your diet.

\It's pretty simple: A balanced diet has fat, it has carbs, it has cholesterol, it has all the fad terms that people go against because "diet" and "eating healthy" are a huge marketing scheme here in the U.S.A. Fact of the matter is: eat healthy and well rounded, you know what is good and not, you can have a cheeseburger, just don't so it every night, increase your level of activity. For real, is 30min out you your day, 3 times a week that much? Think of all the time you spend sitting in front of this computer monitor, I'm sure it can add up to more than 30min.

Diet IS ONE THING, but activity is CRUCIAL to keeping your body/metabolism going. Not to mention, you will sleep better if you exert yourself every now and again.

Eating right is great, but keeping thing moving is just as important.


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## Cheryl J (Jun 21, 2014)

I agree with Tatt 100%.  Everything in moderation and lots of activity.


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## Oldvine (Jun 21, 2014)

Forget what I said about the cheese and butter on the spaghetti/pasta, switch to spaghetti squash and a little butter with salt and pepper.   Depending on how tall you are, there a plenty of people that would not think you are "fat".  Try adding more vegetables to you home cooking (or eating out).  Good luck and you've joined the crowd.


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## Zereh (Jun 22, 2014)

kenny1999 said:


> I always believe that eating is more important than exercise.



It is. But the old dogma is so engrained that most folks can't let it go.  

Here's what works for me:

The source of my calories is 100% more important than the total # of calories I consume. I don't bother ever even thinking about them. 

Eat a huge breakfast, a decent lunch, a light dinner.

Drink lots of water.  Cut out sugar. Cut out processed foods. 

Stuff yourself full of vegetables, (lots of leafy greens!), fruits, beans / legumes, nuts & seeds, eggs, healthy fats (butter, real olive oil, ghee, nut oils for dressing -- no canola, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable oils because they're horrid for our bodies), quality meat and fish. 

Best of luck to ya!


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## CWS4322 (Jun 22, 2014)

Zereh said:


> It is. But the old dogma is so engrained that most folks can't let it go.
> 
> Here's what works for me:
> 
> ...


Besides the above, I have cut out bread. I have shrunk 4 sizes by doing that. Lots of veggies, very little meat, no canola, grapeseed, peanut, or vegetable oils. I drink lots of water to which I add raw cider vinegar. No junk food (chips, crackers, etc.). And, I eat at home. Rarely have anything processed other than some sauces. EVOO and vinegar or lemon juice on salad. And, watch those portions! Measure/weigh your portions.


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## menumaker (Jun 23, 2014)

Check out the Dukan Diet. It does work and it is the choice of our Duchess of cambridge, Kathrine. Apart from the food angle it only asks for a minimum of 20mins swift walking a day. I'm sure you can manage that? I have never believed in diet fads, I have never recommended one before but did this one because I put on 20lbs when I gave up smoking 3yrs ago. I lost it sensibly and haven't put the weight back on apart from 2-3lb which I can control by cutting back for a few days. You must exercise though. Try dancing, even round your kitchen to your favorite music.....extra good when no-one is looking!


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## GLC (Jun 23, 2014)

I suspect the emphasis on eating, rather than exercise, came about because people have a better intuitive grasp of their food calorie intake than of the calorie consumption of exercise.  A QuarterPounder with Cheese and small fries and a medium Sprite contribute 950 calories. If that is deemed the theoretical excess for the days intake, it's a tangible thing that can be recognized and eliminated. But a two-mile walk, a matter of more time than was likely devoted to the cheeseburger meal, doesn't come close to compensating, although it may feel like substantial exercise. A 200 pound man would have to walk eight miles to offset the whole cheeseburger meal, and that's just for net zero. In other words, in the average person's life, they are far more likely to lose weight by modifying diet alone than by adding exercise alone, and they are prone to misjudge the effect of what exercise they do.


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## Mad Cook (Jun 23, 2014)

menumaker said:


> Check out the Dukan Diet. It does work and it is the choice of our Duchess of cambridge, Kathrine. Apart from the food angle it only asks for a minimum of 20mins swift walking a day. I'm sure you can manage that? I have never believed in diet fads, I have never recommended one before but did this one because I put on 20lbs when I gave up smoking 3yrs ago. I lost it sensibly and haven't put the weight back on apart from 2-3lb which I can control by cutting back for a few days. You must exercise though. Try dancing, even round your kitchen to your favorite music.....extra good when no-one is looking!


The Dukan diet (whatever that is) may or may not be good but recommending it  because some newspaper hack says the Duchess of Cambridges uses it is dubious at least.


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