Q: I am 5 feet 6 inches tall. I weighed around 99 kg a year back. I went to a gym and did a lot of cardio exercises which reduced my weight to 90 kg in 7 months. But my weight hasn't come down after that. I have been able to reduce my thighs, arms and back, except my tummy. My gym instructor says that my lower body is in perfect shape. I have to henceforth do a lot of weights and crunches rather than cardio exercises. But I fear the following: 1) Will doing weights reduce my weight?, 2) I fear that by doing crunches the fat won't be burnt it will only become tight, 3) Will doing weight affect me sexually in any way? As my weight fluctuates, my instructor suggests taking some proteins so that some gas and water retention can be avoided. Is this true?

A:It is more important to have a balanced nutritious diet rather than focus on any one nutrient. If you are a male and you are doing weights then it should not affect your sexual performance. You may want to make sure that you wear a pair of well-fitted underwear so that the risk of any mishap is low. If you want to get on a serious weight loss plan, besides commitment, you need to go in for a 4 pronged plan. 1. Aerobics: You need to work on building your heart-lung (cardiovascular) endurance. Take up any activity like cycling, running or jogging to skiing to swimming to even brisk walking to get that gut into its original size. This kind of activity will draw upon the fat stores in the body for generating fuel to last that long. The presence of oxygen (controlled breathing during this workout, instead of huffing and puffing) will mobilize the fat to get utilized instead of stored. This will take care of the fat that lies ABOVE THE muscles. Thankfully, any aerobic activity that elevates your heart rate can help you burn fat and take off unwanted pounds. Many experts recommend doing at least three sessions of 20 minutes of aerobic activity per week. Ideally, for long-term weight control, you should engage in at least four sessions per week, for 45 minutes each time. 2. Weight Training or Yoga Get a yoga teacher to train you in the complete area of yoga or you can join a gym or work out at home with an overall weight training program so that the lean mass percentage in the entire body increases. Balance your ab crunches and leg lifts with an equal amount of effort for the lower back to ensure it is not weak. Work out the rest of the body for the best results. And of course, concentrate on technique and quality of your ab crunches and pelvic lifts, rather than higher repetitions. And remember, exercises such as these, only improve the tone and endurance of the muscles, they don't burn fat. 3. Healthy diet spread through the day, not night Eating the right food out of habit rather than as a fad, can work wonders for an extra middle. Keep the calories light and spread out through the day rather than bunching them all at night and then sleeping on it, when the body's metabolic rate is the slowest. 4. Holding tummy upright Sitting up tall and straight all day with your tummy tucked in tight can assist in firming up the muscles in the midsection, which in turn appears more slender and trim.