Two weeks is not enough time to make substantial physique changes. However, you can make a small but noticeable difference to your belly fat in that time. A healthy rate of fat loss is around 1 to 2 pounds per week, according to the Mayo Clinic. Doctors there do advise, however, that a complete overhaul in your diet and implementing many healthy eating strategies at once can lead to higher losses of around 6 to 10 pounds in two weeks.
Reduce your calorie intake by 500 per day. To shed fat you need to burn more calories than you consume. The United States Department of Agriculture advises that women and men should eat 1,800 to 2,400 and 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day, respectively, to maintain weight, so you need to be below this. According to Health Charity Heart UK, very low-calorie diets, known as VLCDs, in which you eat around 800 calories per day, can also be very effective, but you must have medical supervision when undertaking them and be prepared to feel tired, hungry and very lethargic.
Eat plenty of low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods. When planning your meals, base them around lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, lean beef, tuna and low-fat milk. Bulk up your lunches and dinners with high-fiber, low-calorie vegetables like broccoli, spinach and zucchini. Eat smaller amounts of high-carbohydrate, high-fat foods like rice, pasta and potatoes, or nuts, oils and cheese. The Harvard Medical School also recommends watching what you drink -- fruit juices, sodas, energy drinks, alcohol and coffee-shop coffees can all contain hidden calories. Stick to water, diet soda and black tea or coffee.
Train intensely for 150 minutes each week and perform two strength-training sessions, advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For your 150 minutes of cardio, you can jog, swim, cycle, use a gym machine or play sports. When strength training, while you may want to concentrate on your belly fat, spot reducing fat from one particular area isn't possible, says the American Council on Exercise. You can include stomach exercises in your program, but it should be based on mainly total-body strength exercises, such as squats, pushups, lunges and chinups. Pick four exercises to do in each session and do three tough sets of 10 to 15 repetitions on each.
- Mayo Clinic: Fast Weight Loss: What's Wrong With It?
- USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- Heart UK: Very Low Calorie Diets (VLCDs)
- Harvard Medical School: Calorie Counting Made Easy
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity do Adults Need?
- ACE Fitness: Why is the Concept of Spot Reduction Considered a Myth?
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