Diet:Tummy Trouble

Posted on 2013-02-27 03:00:33

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Dear Doctor, I have a really huge tummy. I have to pile clothes on myself so that I may hide my tummy and the “tires” are not disappearing. I really hate it. I cannot even go for swimming because of that. I am getting married really soon and my gown won’t be piled with clothes. I need to reduce my tummy so that I may look my best on that day. I heard that lemon juice can really help trim the tummy. Is this true? What is the dosage for this? Is there any other regimen for trimming down the tummy fast? Please help. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Troubled Tummy.   Dear Madam, Your dilemma is common, though the reasons one may want a smaller looking tummy could vary from a wedding like in your case, to planned surgery or a planned holiday. While I can empathize with your situation, I need to point out early on that getting rid of this excess fat around your stomach is not likely to happen fast. Usually, visceral fat (fat around the abdomen that gives men the typical “beer belly”) is the first fat to be deposited when one is taking more calories than they can burn, and unfortunately, it is usually one of the last places the body looses fat from. To loose this fat fast, you would have to cut your caloric intake to drastic levels, and unfortunately the effects of this will show much sooner on your face as a tired wrinkled look, as well as actually cause you to have low energy levels and constant fatigue. These are the same common complications of the fad diets we have discussed. It is unlikely you want to be feeling this way as you prepare for a wedding. You are also likely to have other complications which could include, but are not limited to, renal injury due to dehydration, infection due to weakened immunity, and even your monthly menses could stop all together. A more practical solution would be to consider wearing a slimming undergarment such as a corset on that day. This will give you the desired look, and at the same time, allow you to get knowledgeable about how you can take the necessary steps to lose weight on a permanent basis, and then get started. Realistic weight loss is between 0.5 to 1.0 kg per month (though initially it may be much faster). To lose the tires you are describing, you may need to lose 10 to 20 kg, and you can understand that it could take up to one year. At the same time, you need to build more muscles, otherwise you may end up with the undesired “skinny-fat” look. Please consider revising your goals to be more long-term, and remember, loosing weight is not the difficult part, it is keeping it off.   Do you also have a nutrition question?Please send it to our nutritionist.  

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